Mont Albert North Renovation and Extension

Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room in Melbourne with black walls, light hardwood floors and a hanging fireplace.

Sherwin Williams Projects

Painting Monkey

Photo of a mid-sized transitional enclosed living room in Detroit with a library, black walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and decorative wall panelling.

North Arlington Virginia Moody Piano Room, Music Room, Living Room

Asha Maía Design

This moody and sophisticated piano room exudes timeless charm and modern refinement, creating a space that feels both dramatic and inviting. At its heart, a deep green velvet sofa draws you in with its luxurious texture, while the grand piano stands as a centerpiece, evoking an air of classic elegance and creativity. Floor-to-ceiling black-framed windows flood the room with soft natural light, beautifully contrasting the rich gray walls and enhancing the room’s layered design. A glass-top coffee table with metallic accents adds a touch of glamour, while a plush area rug and lush greenery bring warmth and life to the space. Thoughtfully curated decor ties it all together, creating an atmosphere that is both serene and striking—a room made for music, connection, and quiet inspiration.

Beverly Drive

Bella Casa Luxury Home Staging

Modern Farmhouse with elegant and luxury touches.
Large transitional formal open concept living room in Los Angeles with black walls, a built-in media wall, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Hitchin 1930's detached family home

Alison Anderson Interiors

Interior design of a large family living room complete with an engineered parquet wooden floor and large fitted media unit
Photo of a large traditional open concept living room in Hertfordshire with black walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

Mountain side Modern Nest

Stillwater Architecture L.L.C.

Gibeon Photography
Photo of a large country open concept living room in Other with black walls, light hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

ASC Who's The Boss?

Amy Storm & Company

Photo of a mid-sized transitional enclosed living room in Chicago with black walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Willamette River Home

SRM Architecture and Interiors

Inspiration for a contemporary living room in Portland with black walls and dark hardwood floors.

Naperville Modern Rustic Basement

Christie Kenny Interiors

In this Basement, we created a place to relax, entertain, and ultimately create memories in this glam, elegant, with a rustic twist vibe space. The Cambria Luxury Series countertop makes a statement and sets the tone. A white background intersected with bold, translucent black and charcoal veins with muted light gray spatter and cross veins dispersed throughout. We created three intimate areas to entertain without feeling separated as a whole.

A dramatic open plan kitchen living space with pink accents

My Bespoke Room

A grey corner sofa in a dramatic dark walled living room
Photo of a mid-sized modern open concept living room in London with black walls and brown floor.

Humboldt Lofts Modern

Spencer Design Associates

Modern Loft space in Minneapolis, Minnesota
This is an example of a contemporary open concept living room in Minneapolis with black walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Contemporary Classic

StudioBecker

Contemporary open concept living room in San Francisco with black walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Open Floor Plan Contemporary Style Resident Los Angeles

GAVIN GREEN HOME DESIGN LLC

This contemporary transitional great family living room has a cozy lived-in look, but still looks crisp with fine custom made contemporary furniture made of kiln-dried Alder wood from sustainably harvested forests and hard solid maple wood with premium finishes and upholstery treatments. Stone textured fireplace wall makes a bold sleek statement in the space.

Hampstead Manor- Contemporary Black Living Room with Brass Accents

House of Sui Sui Interiors

A moody black wall sets the tone in the living area of this Hampstead property. A velvet mustard sofa sits beautifully in contrast to the moody walls. Sculpture and form is carried throughout the property in the bespoke joinery and furniture. A bespoke House of Sui Sui shelving unit adorns the wall, featuring black portoro marble and distressed brass half circles. Whilst a sculptural DH Liberty terrazzo table sits under the iconic DH Liberty Pear Light.

East London Apartment

T C S

Design ideas for an eclectic living room in London with black walls, dark hardwood floors and black floor.

Vue sur l'entrée et le coin bureau

Manon Papin | Architecte d'Intérieur

Création d’un volume noir multifonctions qui structure les espaces, et regroupe rangements et coin média (bureau avec prises de courant classiques, USB et HDMI)

Johnson Cove

Vernich Interiors

Inspiration for a transitional formal enclosed living room in Nashville with black walls and light hardwood floors.

Houzz of 2018

Run for the Hills

Photo of a mid-sized transitional living room in London with black walls, painted wood floors and white floor.

Aménagement d'un Appartement

MadaM Architecture

Julien Poulain
Small scandinavian open concept living room in Angers with black walls, laminate floors and a freestanding tv.

Recent Projects

Jonathan Little Photography

Modern living room with striking furniture, black walls and floor, and garden access. Photo by Jonathan Little Photography.
This is an example of a large contemporary formal enclosed living room in Hampshire with black walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and black floor.

Living Room Design Photos with Black Walls

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.