Hand painted wall, living room
Inspiration for a mid-sized eclectic enclosed living room in Chicago with blue walls, dark hardwood floors and a freestanding tv.

Fun and Colorful in San Jose

Carmit Oron Interior Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized country formal open concept living room in San Francisco with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, no tv, brown floor and planked wall panelling.

Transitional/Contemporary Interiors

Suma Design and Construction

Matt
Inspiration for an expansive modern living room in Kansas City with grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a tile fireplace surround.

Living Room

User

Photo Credit: Mark Ehlen
Mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Minneapolis with beige walls, a standard fireplace, no tv, dark hardwood floors and a wood fireplace surround.

Kingston extension

VORBILD Architecture

Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in London with a home bar, no fireplace, green walls, dark hardwood floors, no tv and brown floor.

Transitional Living Room

Photo of a mid-sized transitional living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

California contemporary living room

popix designs

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Los Angeles with white walls, dark hardwood floors and brown floor.

Royal Foxhunt, Orland Park

NZ DESIGN & ASSOCIATES INC

This is an example of a mid-sized transitional formal open concept living room in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Salon

Hedre

Victor Grandgeorge - Photosdinterieurs
Design ideas for a small contemporary enclosed living room in Paris with white walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace and brown floor.

Split Level Modern Renovation

Clear Home Design

mid century living room decor with shag rug in pale grey, mid century grey sofa with cobalt blue accent pillows. metallic amorphous shape cocktail table. swivel cobalt blue velvet chairs. living room art deco inspired built ins around the fireplace. wall mounted mirror over quartzite fireplace. mid century side table.

Living Room Update

Tunde Decor, LLC

We used stark white and contrastic gray colors on the walls but kept the furniture arrangement symmetrical. We wanted to create a Scandinavian look which is clean but uses a lot of warm textures.

Prairie Village Modern

Design Lab

Matthew Anderson
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Kansas City with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Gordon Head Oceanview Home

Trudi Jones Design

Jody Beck Photography
Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Vancouver with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, no tv, brown floor and a plaster fireplace surround.

Montclair Living Room

Olive Hill Design Company

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in New York with purple walls, dark hardwood floors and a brick fireplace surround.

Window Treatments

Living Designs by MB LLC

Inspiration for a mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in Orlando with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

Eurobin Ave

Amazema Interiors

Living Room Detail Studio 33 Photography
Design ideas for a large scandinavian enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, dark hardwood floors and no tv.

Contemporary Craftsman Living Room

Lark Architecture

The formal living room is focused around a traditional, paneled fireplace with a raised hearth. Crisp white paint sets off the trim details from the dark of the hardwood floors and the gas log firebox, with a luxurious gray quartzite stone slab fireplace surround. Large widows open onto the quaint front porch, connecting inside and out. [Photography by Jessica I. Miller]

Fireplace, First Floor Remodel

MainStreet Design Build

The finishing touches were the new custom living room fireplace with marble mosaic tile surround and marble hearth and stunning extra wide plank hand scraped oak flooring throughout the entire first floor.

Our Work

NewStyle Communities

Mid-sized transitional formal enclosed living room in San Diego with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

West Town Home

User

Brad Meese
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Chicago with a tile fireplace surround, a ribbon fireplace, beige walls, dark hardwood floors and a wall-mounted tv.

Living Room Design Photos with Dark Hardwood 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.