Photo of a mid-sized eclectic formal enclosed living room in New York with grey walls, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, medium hardwood floors, no tv and brown floor.

Contemporary Living Room

Contemporary enclosed living room in London with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

Loft shots

Vintage Renewal

Eclectic living room in Denver with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

Projet Montcalm Architectes d'intérieurs : Margaux Meza et Carla Lopez

Transition Interior Design

Contemporary living room in Paris with white walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Blue Connection

Elisabetta Pincherle

Federico Cedrone
This is an example of a contemporary open concept living room in Milan with white walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Maison Rampart

Saxony Design Build

Joshua Cain
Design ideas for an eclectic formal enclosed living room in New Orleans with multi-coloured walls and medium hardwood floors.

Sputnik Living Room

Simply Wesley, LLC

Design ideas for a transitional enclosed living room in Other with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and no tv.

A Soothing Oasis for a Bicoastal Executive on the Go

Décor Aid

To create a soothing oasis for our busy bicoastal client, like we did for her Bay Area residence, we took cues from her petite NYC apartment’s architectural features and floor to ceiling windows as a foundational starting point for a luxurious interior design upgrade boasting brilliant décor and personality. And to make the space have a similar feel to her San Francisco home, Décor Aid’s interior designer Victoria C. set about to create the same sense of comfort and consistency that we did for her first project with us. Centered around her modern art collection, our client wanted a modern, fun, comfortable, and casual interior design upgrade for her apartment that boasted a light and airy feel along with a pulled-together sense of everyday urban glamor. From room to room, Victoria’s main objective was to create a quick budget-friendly turnaround with furnishings that were neither too precious or required custom construction – everything needed to be ready on the go as you can imagine for a client with such a heavy, frequent commute. For the living room, a transitional sectional in a rich purple hue was brought in for an easy sense of relaxed drama, was finished with pillows in complimentary jewel tones, and punctuated with a graphic cubist wall hanging featuring tonal shades of matte and muted gold. In order to break away from the rooms angular lined furnishings, a rounded glass-topped coffee table was sourced to also make the living room appear larger than it is. And a white sculptural Eames chaise was introduced as a conversation starter and juxtaposition to the indulgent color scheme of the other furnishings. For the den, Victoria placed a playful boldly hued collaged wall hanging above a somewhat traditional gray couch to emphasize a non-fussy approach to the room’s décor. While a modern rustic shelving unit was introduced to do triple duty as an entertainment center, a mini-library, and a spot to highlight decorative objects and collectibles.

Contemporary Living Room

Design ideas for a contemporary enclosed living room in San Francisco with blue walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Jeffrey Johnson

Jim Courtney CTS, IIDA Affiliate

Jefferson Johnson is featured on Home Design Network
Inspiration for a traditional living room in Other with orange walls, medium hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Rathgar Residence, Dublin

TileStyle

Daragh Muldowney
Inspiration for a large contemporary open concept living room in Dublin with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and beige floor.

Apartamento en antiguo palacete, Palma de Mallorcaa

Teresa Sapey + Partners

Inspiration for an eclectic open concept living room in Other with blue walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Hicks Street Brooklyn Heights

Ingui Architecture

Photo of a mid-sized transitional open concept living room in New York with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

Star Tannery Cabin - Star Tannery, Virginia

Reader & Swartz Architects, P.C.

Nathan Webb, AIA
This is an example of a small contemporary living room in DC Metro with white walls, medium hardwood floors and a hanging fireplace.

Va in scena il colore

Liadesign

Liadesign
Photo of a contemporary living room in Milan with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Julianstown House Extension

McKevitt King Architects

Richard Hatch Photography
Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a freestanding tv and brown floor.

Wohnzimmer

CARLO - Architecture & Interior Design

Anto Jularic
This is an example of a large transitional enclosed living room in Berlin with pink walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Sheldon Avenue

User

Photography by Will Scott Photography
Contemporary open concept living room in London with grey walls, a metal fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor, medium hardwood floors and a ribbon fireplace.

East Village

CM Natural Designs

These young hip professional clients love to travel and wanted a home where they could showcase the items that they've collected abroad. Their fun and vibrant personalities are expressed in every inch of the space, which was personalized down to the smallest details. Just like they are up for adventure in life, they were up for for adventure in the design and the outcome was truly one-of-kind. Photos by Chipper Hatter

Warson Woods Staging

Staging That Sells

This is an example of a transitional living room in St Louis with orange walls, medium hardwood floors and brown floor.

Bold Colors Living Room Design Photos with Medium 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.