Minimal, mindful design meets stylish comfort in this family home filled with light and warmth. Using a serene, neutral palette filled with warm walnut and light oak finishes, with touches of soft grays and blues, we transformed our client’s new family home into an airy, functionally stylish, serene family retreat. The home highlights modern handcrafted wooden furniture pieces, soft, whimsical kids’ bedrooms, and a clean-lined, understated blue kitchen large enough for the whole family to gather.

Westport House

The Pratley Company, LLC

Photography by Stacy Bass. www.stacybassphotography.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style open concept living room in New York with grey walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, a library, medium hardwood floors, a concrete fireplace surround and brown floor.

Lincoln Park Single Family Home

Gemma Parker Design, LLC

Photography: Dustin Halleck, Home Builder: Middlefork Development, LLC, Architect: Burns + Beyerl Architects
Mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Armstrong - Stones & Naturals

Cumming's Carpet One

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Chicago with grey walls, porcelain floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and no tv.

Links at Lionsgate

Alan Karlin Design

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Kansas City with a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a wall-mounted tv.

Lake Sammamish Residence

LaCantina Doors

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Seattle with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

New Homes

Vaughan Trammell Architect

Kenneth Johansson
Design ideas for a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Los Angeles with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and no tv.

North Bay Residence

Prentiss Balance Wickline Architects

Photographer: Jay Goodrich This 2800 sf single-family home was completed in 2009. The clients desired an intimate, yet dynamic family residence that reflected the beauty of the site and the lifestyle of the San Juan Islands. The house was built to be both a place to gather for large dinners with friends and family as well as a cozy home for the couple when they are there alone. The project is located on a stunning, but cripplingly-restricted site overlooking Griffin Bay on San Juan Island. The most practical area to build was exactly where three beautiful old growth trees had already chosen to live. A prior architect, in a prior design, had proposed chopping them down and building right in the middle of the site. From our perspective, the trees were an important essence of the site and respectfully had to be preserved. As a result we squeezed the programmatic requirements, kept the clients on a square foot restriction and pressed tight against property setbacks. The delineate concept is a stone wall that sweeps from the parking to the entry, through the house and out the other side, terminating in a hook that nestles the master shower. This is the symbolic and functional shield between the public road and the private living spaces of the home owners. All the primary living spaces and the master suite are on the water side, the remaining rooms are tucked into the hill on the road side of the wall. Off-setting the solid massing of the stone walls is a pavilion which grabs the views and the light to the south, east and west. Built in a position to be hammered by the winter storms the pavilion, while light and airy in appearance and feeling, is constructed of glass, steel, stout wood timbers and doors with a stone roof and a slate floor. The glass pavilion is anchored by two concrete panel chimneys; the windows are steel framed and the exterior skin is of powder coated steel sheathing.

Windy Hill

Kasia Karska Design

This is an example of a large contemporary open concept living room in Denver with grey walls, concrete floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

DAGR Design Entertainment Center-Gray Wall with Floating Wood Shelves

DAGR Design Custom Home Theater

Exclusive DAGR Design Media Wall design open concept with clean lines, horizontal fireplace, wood and stone add texture while lighting creates ambiance.

Woodland Residence | Chadds Ford, PA

Period Architecture Ltd.

Angle Eye Photography
This is an example of a large transitional open concept living room in Philadelphia with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

East Hampton Beach House

Debra Geller Interior Design

Design ideas for a large country living room in New York with a library, grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and no tv.

Private Residence

Scott Landon – Modern Antique Store

Photo of a mid-sized transitional open concept living room in Vancouver with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Westport Beach House

Bensonwood

Stacy Bass Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized beach style formal enclosed living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Hugenot Physicians House

Chris Dyson Architects

Alex James
Design ideas for an eclectic living room in London with a library, grey walls, a standard fireplace, light hardwood floors and a concrete fireplace surround.

Angelic Living Room

Design House, Inc

Living area by Design House, Inc. of Houston photographed by Ashley Henry Wynne
Design ideas for a large transitional formal open concept living room in Houston with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a concrete fireplace surround.

Contemporary Living Room

This is an example of a large contemporary living room in Grand Rapids with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a concrete fireplace surround.

Los Angeles Living Room

DOUBLE OAK CONSTRUCTION

Remodeled living room concrete flooring and fire place. Unglazed Porcelain , Matte Finish, Job: Northridge, CA 91325.
Design ideas for an expansive modern open concept living room in Los Angeles with grey walls, concrete floors, a two-sided fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

Sacks Residence

Mitchell Putlack Interiors, Inc.

Photo of a large contemporary formal enclosed living room in Chicago with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and brown floor.

Madrid

Cast Fireplaces, Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized transitional formal open concept living room in Houston with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and no tv.

Living Room Design Photos with Grey Walls and a Concrete 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.