Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

Fabrica

Mcmahon and Nerlich

The soaring ceiling height of the living areas of this warehouse-inspired house
Design ideas for a mid-sized industrial open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, light hardwood floors, a wood stove, beige floor, exposed beam and wood.

Flinders Flair

Let's Talk Kitchens & Interiors

A contemporary holiday home located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula featuring rammed earth walls, timber lined ceilings and flagstone floors. This home incorporates strong, natural elements and the joinery throughout features custom, stained oak timber cabinetry and natural limestone benchtops. With a nod to the mid century modern era and a balance of natural, warm elements this home displays a uniquely Australian design style. This home is a cocoon like sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation with all the modern conveniences one could wish for thoughtfully integrated.

Mid-Century Modern Vancouver Special

PlaidFox Studio

Repainting the fireplace, installing a new linear terrazzo bench and then creating a unique wood-slat feature wall in the dining area were just a few ways we updated this 1980s Vancouver Special.

Farmhouse Great Room

Colette Interiors

Farmhouse furnished, styled, & staged around this stunner stone fireplace and exposed wood beam ceiling.
Large country open concept living room in New York with white walls, light hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, wood and a standard fireplace.

Organic Modern, Cordillera Ranch

NR Interiors

I was honored to work with these homeowners again, now to fully furnish this new magnificent architectural marvel made especially for them by Lake Flato Architects. Creating custom furnishings for this entire home is a project that spanned over a year in careful planning, designing and sourcing while the home was being built and then installing soon thereafter. I embarked on this design challenge with three clear goals in mind. First, create a complete furnished environment that complimented not competed with the architecture. Second, elevate the client’s quality of life by providing beautiful, finely-made, comfortable, easy-care furnishings. Third, provide a visually stunning aesthetic that is minimalist, well-edited, natural, luxurious and certainly one of kind. Ultimately, I feel we succeeded in creating a visual symphony accompaniment to the architecture of this room, enhancing the warmth and livability of the space while keeping high design as the principal focus. The centerpiece of this modern sectional is the collection of aged bronze and wood faceted cocktail tables to create a sculptural dynamic focal point to this otherwise very linear space. From this room there is a view of the solar panels installed on a glass ceiling at the breezeway. Also there is a 1 ton sliding wood door that shades this wall of windows when needed for privacy and shade.

Winnipesaukee

Bloom Architecture

View of Living Room with full height windows facing Lake WInnipesaukee. A biofuel fireplace is anchored by a custom concrete bench and pine soffit.
Photo of a large country open concept living room in Manchester with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, brown floor and wood.

Contemporary Farmhouse in Simpsonville

Tindall Architecture Workshop

Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room in Other with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and wood.

Copper Mountain Residence

PLAAD

Large country open concept living room in Other with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Lake Wylie Wonder

Spain Construction

Living room with custom fireplace masonry and wooden mantle, accented with custom builtins and white-washed ceilings.
Inspiration for a large country open concept living room in Charlotte with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and wood.

Windham Lodge

Kathy Kuo Designs Inc

The clients were looking for a modern, rustic ski lodge look that was chic and beautiful while being family-friendly and a great vacation home for the holidays and ski trips. Our goal was to create something family-friendly that had all the nostalgic warmth and hallmarks of a mountain house, while still being modern, sophisticated, and functional as a true ski-in and ski-out house. To achieve the look our client wanted, we focused on the great room and made sure it cleared all views into the valley. We drew attention to the hearth by installing a glass-back fireplace, which allows guests to see through to the master bedroom. The decor is rustic and nature-inspired, lots of leather, wood, bone elements, etc., but it's tied together will sleek, modern elements like the blue velvet armchair.

Santa Monica Spanish Revival Renovation

STUDIO ALLEN ARCHITECTS, INC

Design ideas for a mediterranean living room in Los Angeles with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, brown floor, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Shade

rivet design office 株式会社

Design ideas for a contemporary enclosed living room in Other with a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, grey floor, wood, porcelain floors and wallpaper.

Contemporary Living Room

Design ideas for an expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in San Francisco with brown walls, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv, grey floor, wood and wood walls.

Scenic Montclair Refresh

Lane McNab Interiors

Large transitional formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with white walls, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, no tv, beige floor and wood.

Shoreland Overlook

Murdough Design

Photograph by Clayton Boyd
Expansive country open concept living room in Boston with dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor and wood.

Living Room

MMW Architects

Midcentury open concept living room in Other with medium hardwood floors, a corner fireplace and wood.

Arcadia Residence

Kiyohara Moffitt

Living Room/Dining Room
Midcentury open concept living room in Los Angeles with white walls, light hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor and wood.

1200 Sqft 2 Bed/ 2.5 bath Cottage, Saugerties, NY

A. Bollman & Sons.

This custom cottage designed and built by Aaron Bollman is nestled in the Saugerties, NY. Situated in virgin forest at the foot of the Catskill mountains overlooking a babling brook, this hand crafted home both charms and relaxes the senses.

Hyco Lake Retreat

Casual Elegance Designs

Inspiration for an expansive country living room in Raleigh with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, vaulted and wood.

All Fireplaces Living Room Design Photos with Wood

A living room, often referred to as a lounge room in Australia and New Zealand, is the hub of the home. If you only have one living room in the house, it’s likely to serve multiple purposes: be it a place to watch TV, play games, spend quality time with family or hang out with friends. If you have the luxury of two living areas, one is usually a formal living room or lounge room, reserved for reading, relaxing and entertaining. A successful living room design is inviting, has enough seating for the whole clan – a comfortable couch is a must – and encourages conversation. Browse photos on Houzz for living room layouts, furniture and decor, and strike up a conversation with the interior designers or architects of your favourite picks. For even more living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which living room layouts will work best for you?

Every living area will have design challenges. A long, narrow lounge room, for example, risks looking like a hallway if furniture is lined up against the walls. Instead, opt for small furniture items, like a cosy two-seater couch, and create various focal points throughout the space. In square living rooms, a symmetrical layout encourages a formal setting. Place seating on either side of the room, with a focal point in the middle to pull the room together. For a truly intimate vibe, replace your couch with some occasional chairs positioned around a coffee table or ottoman. This will make the main focus conversation. An open-plan home – one where the lines are blurred between kitchen, dining and living – may require a layout that focuses on definition. You’ll want to make sure furniture doesn’t block the flow between spaces, and instead use something like an area rug to create zones.

How can you decorate your living room?

The living room can be a place in which to show off your personality, but if you want a timeless living room scheme, stick to neutral walls, couches and ottomans. Colour can be added through accessories, and is a lot more interchangeable! Rugs, cushions and throws are great for adding colour, while mirrors, lamps and ceiling lights will set the mood. Make your living room unique by including family heirlooms and photos. For a polished look, try creating a coffee table vignette – you could use books as pedestals or group items together on a tray. Try adding a vase, a mixture of round and rectangular objects and some books.

What are some small living room ideas?

Small living room designs can be tricky to work with, but aren’t doomed to fail. Often, you just have to get creative with furniture. An open-back chaise can create a sense of spaciousness, while small side tables paired together can substitute a coffee table. Even better, an ottoman can be used as a footrest, coffee table or extra seating. Big furniture items like the couch are best kept in light colours, and if there’s room for a coffee table, a glass-top one is best. If you have two spaces in one – perhaps your living room sits in front of a single-wall kitchen – make sure they are connected by decor, colour and style. For definition, just add area rugs, or use your couch as a dividing wall. It’s worth having a few furniture pieces, whether a bookshelf, couch or entertainment unit, in the same colour as the walls, too, so they blend into the room and visually expand the space.

Is open-plan living for you?

Today’s homes often embrace open-plan living, whereby the living room runs off the kitchen and/or dining areas. Open-plan living allows greater functionality, but can risk creating a vast, soulless space if not done right. To avoid a cavernous feel in an open-plan design, define areas with furniture, rugs and lighting, or consider using a wall divider. Also be sure to keep flooring, lighting and materials consistent throughout, for cohesiveness. Noise may be an issue – someone banging pots and pans while you’re watching TV, for example – so include lots of soft furnishings, such as rugs, curtains and couches to help absorb the noise. You will also need to factor in plenty of storage, so mess is kept at bay.