Concrete block walls provide thermal mass for heating and defence agains hot summer. The subdued colours create a quiet and cosy space focussed around the fire. Timber joinery adds warmth and texture , framing the collections of books and collected objects.

The Greenhills House

Turn Design

Living room Built Photo
Inspiration for a large midcentury living room in Portland with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

Eichler No. 2

User

Inspiration for a midcentury open concept living room in San Francisco with brown walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor, timber, vaulted and wood walls.

Hewn House

Matt Fajkus Architecture

The cabin typology redux came out of the owner’s desire to have a house that is warm and familiar, but also “feels like you are on vacation.” The basis of the “Hewn House” design starts with a cabin’s simple form and materiality: a gable roof, a wood-clad body, a prominent fireplace that acts as the hearth, and integrated indoor-outdoor spaces. However, rather than a rustic style, the scheme proposes a clean-lined and “hewned” form, sculpted, to best fit on its urban infill lot. The plan and elevation geometries are responsive to the unique site conditions. Existing prominent trees determined the faceted shape of the main house, while providing shade that projecting eaves of a traditional log cabin would otherwise offer. Deferring to the trees also allows the house to more readily tuck into its leafy East Austin neighborhood, and is therefore more quiet and secluded. Natural light and coziness are key inside the home. Both the common zone and the private quarters extend to sheltered outdoor spaces of varying scales: the front porch, the private patios, and the back porch which acts as a transition to the backyard. Similar to the front of the house, a large cedar elm was preserved in the center of the yard. Sliding glass doors open up the interior living zone to the backyard life while clerestory windows bring in additional ambient light and tree canopy views. The wood ceiling adds warmth and connection to the exterior knotted cedar tongue & groove. The iron spot bricks with an earthy, reddish tone around the fireplace cast a new material interest both inside and outside. The gable roof is clad with standing seam to reinforced the clean-lined and faceted form. Furthermore, a dark gray shade of stucco contrasts and complements the warmth of the cedar with its coolness. A freestanding guest house both separates from and connects to the main house through a small, private patio with a tall steel planter bed. Photo by Charles Davis Smith

Chestnut Hill

J. Stewart Designs

This is an example of a large country open concept living room in Jackson with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Midcentury Living Room

Small midcentury open concept living room in Portland with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and grey floor.

Heritage Oaks- Ashbrook

Mark Payne Homes

Brick-surround corner fireplace, wood mantle and stained concrete floors by Mark Payne Homes. Acme Brick: Wrens Creek with a medium white mortar smear

New Moon Rising

Synthesis Design Inc.

Design ideas for a large midcentury formal open concept living room in Vancouver with concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and grey floor.

Dumbo Loft

Benjamin Andres Architekt

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury loft-style living room in New York with a music area, white walls, concrete floors, no fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv, grey floor and brick walls.

Alpha House

BuildHer Collective

Dylan Lark - Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary living room in Melbourne with concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, white walls and grey floor.

Small Home on the Shore

Laurens Wit Construction

Heather Gurney Burgess (whomakesit.ca)
Photo of a transitional living room in Toronto with a library, white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a brick fireplace surround and a freestanding tv.

New Orleans Townhouse

Trapolin-Peer Architects

Inspiration for a large transitional living room in New Orleans with a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor, beige walls, concrete floors and a library.

Westshire Sunken Living Room

M3LD

Photographer: Kirsten Hepburn
Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury formal open concept living room in Salt Lake City with brown walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Taviawk

Imbue Design

This is an example of an open concept living room in Salt Lake City with white walls, concrete floors, a two-sided fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor and wood.

Wagner Place

Carlton Edwards

The fireplace is the focal point for the gray room. We expanded the scale of the fireplace. It's clad and steel panels, approximately 13 feet wide with a custom concrete part. Greg Boudouin, Interiors Alyssa Rosenheck: Photos

Lake House

Yichen Ke Interior Design

Inspiration for a mid-sized country living room in Los Angeles with black walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor and wood.

Price Street Residence

Charles Maccora Design

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room with concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, grey floor, black walls and planked wall panelling.

The Greenhills House

Turn Design

Living room Built Photo
Photo of a large midcentury open concept living room in Portland with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

Fleetwood Windows and Doors - Jon Luce - Skyline House

Fleetwood Windows & Doors

Inspiration for a large modern open concept living room in Los Angeles with beige walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Mandy Moore Living Room with White Washed Brick Fireplace

Fireclay Tile

Paying homage to her Pasadena home's midcentury modern roots, Mandy Moore and interior designer Sarah Sherman Samuel resurfaced the fireplace with a sustainable white glazed thin Brick surround from Fireclay Tile and added a terrazzo floating bench to make it the focal point of the family room. Sample Fireclay's glazed thin brick colors and more at fireclaytile.com/samples Glazed Thin Brick Shown 2.5x8 Thin Brick in Lewis Range

Living Room Design Photos with Concrete Floors and a Brick Fireplace Surround

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.