Living room makes the most of the light and space and colours relate to charred black timber cladding
Design ideas for a small industrial open concept living room in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor and wood.

Weather House

Mihaly Slocombe

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.

Point Lonsdale II

Stonehouse + Irons Architecture

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.

WEST MELBOURNE 01

Ed Ewers Architecture

This is an example of an industrial living room in Melbourne with white walls, concrete floors, grey floor and wood.

San Jose Eichler

User

Design ideas for a midcentury living room in San Francisco with black walls, concrete floors, grey floor and timber.

Haus im Ammertal

LARS POPP & FRIENDS

Scandinavian open concept living room in Munich with white walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a plaster fireplace surround, grey floor and wood.

Hilltop Road

Dichotomy Interiors

contemporary home design for a modern family with young children offering a chic but laid back, warm atmosphere.
Design ideas for a large midcentury open concept living room in New York with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv, grey floor and vaulted.

Hill Country Modern Farmhouse

Bohannon Design Team

The living room features a crisp, painted brick fireplace and transom windows for maximum light and view. The vaulted ceiling elevates the space, with symmetrical halls opening off to bedroom areas. Rear doors open out to the patio.

Boulders

The Ranch Mine

Photos by Roehner + Ryan
This is an example of a large contemporary open concept living room in Phoenix with white walls, concrete floors, a two-sided fireplace, grey floor and wood.

Living Room

Beth Howley Creative LLC

Beach style living room in Grand Rapids with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor and exposed beam.

Wolf Meadow

Artisan Timber Works llc

Photo of a transitional open concept living room in San Francisco with beige walls, concrete floors, grey floor, exposed beam, vaulted and wood.

Vernacular Modern

Rehkamp Larson Architects, Inc.

Scott Amundson Photography
Photo of a country open concept living room in Minneapolis with concrete floors, a standard fireplace, brown walls, grey floor, vaulted, wood and wood walls.

6803

Bickford And Company

Open concept kitchen and living area
Photo of an expansive industrial loft-style living room in Kansas City with grey walls, concrete floors, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor, exposed beam and brick walls.

Sonoma Private Residence

Salt Shed Design Build

Modern farmohouse interior with T&G cedar cladding; exposed steel; custom motorized slider; cement floor; vaulted ceiling and an open floor plan creates a unified look

Park Place

Vertical Arts Architecture

Inspiration for a large country open concept living room in Denver with white walls, concrete floors, grey floor, timber and planked wall panelling.

Maison Conteneur - Container House

Les Collections Dubreuil

Design ideas for an industrial living room in Montreal with white walls and concrete floors.

Hilltop Road

Dichotomy Interiors

contemporary home design for a modern family with young children offering a chic but laid back, warm atmosphere.
Large midcentury open concept living room in New York with white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv, grey floor and vaulted.

SoBo Mid-Century

Amy Pigliacampo Interiors

Photo of a midcentury open concept living room in Los Angeles with white walls, concrete floors, grey floor, vaulted and wood.

Rehabilitació d’un Habitatge a Vilanova i la Geltrú

SERRAN i MORA arquitectes

This is an example of a small beach style open concept living room in Other with a wall-mounted tv, concrete floors, grey floor, exposed beam and brick walls.

Glen Ellen Residence

Knock Architecture and Design

Mid-sized midcentury open concept living room in San Francisco with concrete floors, a two-sided fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, grey floor, wood and wood walls.

All Ceiling Designs Living Room Design Photos with Concrete Floors

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.