Hand-stressed wood beams and native stone fireplace add both drama and warmth to the great room.
Inspiration for a transitional formal open concept living room in Austin with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

Traditional Living Room

Mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in New York with dark hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige walls.

New West Classic

Clay Construction Inc.

award winning builder, dark wood coffee table, real stone, tv over fireplace, two story great room, high ceilings tray ceiling crystal chandelier
Photo of a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Vancouver with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Snuggery

Stephens & Company, Inc.

Wendy Mills
Photo of a beach style formal living room in Boston with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and a stone fireplace surround.

New French Country

Kyle Hunt & Partners, Incorporated

James Kruger, LandMark Photography Interior Design: Martha O'Hara Interiors Architect: Sharratt Design & Company
Design ideas for a large formal open concept living room in Minneapolis with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Private Residence in British Colonial style

Equilibrium Interior Design Inc

Craig Denis Photography
Design ideas for a large traditional formal open concept living room in Miami with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

Chappaquiddick Island

Patrick Ahearn Architect

Large beach style open concept living room in Boston with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and dark hardwood floors.

Interior Renovations

Narratif

Photo: Stacy Vazquez-Abrams
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Toronto with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv and a stone fireplace surround.

Minnesota Residence

O’Hara Interiors

Martha O'Hara Interiors, Interior Design | L. Cramer Builders + Remodelers, Builder | Troy Thies, Photography | Shannon Gale, Photo Styling Please Note: All “related,” “similar,” and “sponsored” products tagged or listed by Houzz are not actual products pictured. They have not been approved by Martha O’Hara Interiors nor any of the professionals credited. For information about our work, please contact design@oharainteriors.com.

Born & Bred Studio - Reception Room, Dartmouth park

Born & Bred Studio

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional formal living room in London with green walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

King's Hill Residence

Katy Krider Interior Design LLC

Traditional formal enclosed living room in Portland with blue walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and brown floor.

San Antonio, Texas | Gruenefield - Classic Tulane Living Room

Brightland Homes

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional open concept living room in Other with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor and panelled walls.

Compact Ski Cabin

Reilly Design

Living room in a compact ski cabin
Photo of a small transitional enclosed living room in Boston with a library, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Victorian Country House

Laura Passey Interiors Ltd

Drawing Room
This is an example of a large country enclosed living room in London with pink walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor and wallpaper.

Northwoods Home

Luxe Nest

Photo of a country living room in Chicago with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and wood.

Chestnut Hill

Diane Murphy Interiors, LLC.

Living Room, Chestnut Hill, MA
Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional enclosed living room in Boston with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor and panelled walls.

Corinthian Real Thin Stone Veneer Interior Gas Fireplace

Quarry Mill

Corinthian real thin stone veneer from the Quarry Mill adds elegance and character to this interior gas fireplace. Corinthian natural stone veneer is a unique dark tone dimensional ledgestone. The individual pieces of stone have been sawn into low height strips. Corinthian has a beautiful contemporary look with crisp clean lines. The pieces range in color from light grey to soft black. Corinthian has semi-consistent textures ranging from smooth to soft and wavy. The stone can be used for applications of any size but is most common on smaller scale projects where you can see the details in each individual piece of stone. Some application ideas include fireplaces, backsplashes, interior accent walls and wine cellars.

Craftsman Mountain Home: Great Room

Timberlake Custom Homes

This inviting rustic living room features a vaulted tongue & groove ceiling with a paint washed, stained beams, cultured stone fireplace with keystone design, and real hardwood floors.

Village Retreat

Snake River Interiors

We love to collaborate, whenever and wherever the opportunity arises. For this mountainside retreat, we entered at a unique point in the process—to collaborate on the interior architecture—lending our expertise in fine finishes and fixtures to complete the spaces, thereby creating the perfect backdrop for the family of furniture makers to fill in each vignette. Catering to a design-industry client meant we sourced with singularity and sophistication in mind, from matchless slabs of marble for the kitchen and master bath to timeless basin sinks that feel right at home on the frontier and custom lighting with both industrial and artistic influences. We let each detail speak for itself in situ.

Projects

Florida Home

Large contemporary open concept living room in Miami with dark hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, white walls, a ribbon fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Living Room Design Photos with Dark Hardwood Floors and a Stone 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.