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.

Napoleon Fireplace Design Gallery

Wyckoff Heating Cooling

Design ideas for a large contemporary formal open concept living room in Other with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

Wimbledon Townhouse

Kia Designs

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary enclosed living room in London with a music area, grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a metal fireplace surround.

Edwardian Double Fronted House

Imperfect Interiors

Chris Snook
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in London with grey walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and beige floor.

Dolores St | Interior Design

Erin Roberts Design

Interior Design & Styling Erin Roberts Photography Huyen Do
This is an example of a large scandinavian open concept living room in New York with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Contemporary Living Room

Photo of an expansive contemporary formal open concept living room in Salt Lake City with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and no tv.

Bergen Street Row House

The Brooklyn Studio

Photography by Francis Dzikowski / OTTO
Inspiration for a transitional formal enclosed living room in New York with a standard fireplace, grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a metal fireplace surround.

E. 19th St, Costa Mesa

Rellion Homes

Ryan Galvin at ryangarvinphotography.com This is a ground up custom home build in eastside Costa Mesa across street from Newport Beach in 2014. It features 10 feet ceiling, Subzero, Wolf appliances, Restoration Hardware lighting fixture, Altman plumbing fixture, Emtek hardware, European hard wood windows, wood windows. The California room is so designed to be part of the great room as well as part of the master suite.

Tarrytown Residence

Studio Steinbomer

Photo Credit: Coles Hairston
This is an example of a large midcentury formal open concept living room in Austin with grey walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and no tv.

Fireplaces and Stoves

Armstrong's Stove & Spa Yakima

Mid-sized modern enclosed living room in Seattle with grey walls, carpet, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

Dante in Woodhaven

Dragon Seed Interior Design Inc.

Photo of a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Edmonton with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Brookline First Floor Remodel

New England Design & Construction

This Brookline remodel took a very compartmentalized floor plan with hallway, separate living room, dining room, kitchen, and 3-season porch, and transformed it into one open living space with cathedral ceilings and lots of light. photos: Abby Woodman

2Stone Industrial Veneer

2Stone Designer Concrete

Photo of a contemporary living room in Calgary with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

Custom Homes

Castle Rock Custom Homes

Inspiration for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Orlando with grey walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and marble floors.

Deep Blue London

Anca Rotaru Design Studio

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional living room in London with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, brown floor and wood walls.

Julianstown House 2

McKevitt King Architects

Photo of a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Other with grey walls, carpet, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, a freestanding tv and grey floor.

Private House, West Kensington, London

Layzell Architects

Traditional living room in London with grey walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround and grey floor.

Апартаменты на мансардном этаже

Design Rocks

Сергей Красюк
Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Moscow with concrete floors, a hanging fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, grey floor and grey walls.

Paris Mountain Farmhouse

ID Studio Interiors

Inspiration for a large country open concept living room in Other with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Muswell Hill

Caz Myers Design

Inspiration for a contemporary formal enclosed living room in London with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround and grey floor.

Living Room Design Photos with Grey Walls and a Metal 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.