This large gated estate includes one of the original Ross cottages that served as a summer home for people escaping San Francisco's fog. We took the main residence built in 1941 and updated it to the current standards of 2020 while keeping the cottage as a guest house. A massive remodel in 1995 created a classic white kitchen. To add color and whimsy, we installed window treatments fabricated from a Josef Frank citrus print combined with modern furnishings. Throughout the interiors, foliate and floral patterned fabrics and wall coverings blur the inside and outside worlds.

Sea Ranch Renovation

Koch Architects

Living Room with floor to ceiling windows looking toward the ocean.
Design ideas for a small country loft-style living room in San Francisco with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a wood stove, a stone fireplace surround and wood walls.

The AMERICAN Series Wood Fireplaces

Acucraft Fireplaces

The American series revolutionizes wood burning fireplaces with a bold design and a tall, unobstructed flame view that brings the natural beauty of a wood fire to the forefront. Featuring an oversized, single-swing door that’s easily reversible for your opening preference, there’s no unnecessary framework to impede your view. A deep oversized firebox further complements the flameforward design, and the complete management of outside combustion air delivers unmatched burn control and efficiency, giving you the flexibility to enjoy the American series with the door open, closed or fully removed.

Featured Projects

Martinez Construction and Home Services LLC

Photo of a large modern formal open concept living room in Dallas with white walls, vinyl floors, a hanging fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor, wood and wood walls.

Custom Residence - Holly Springs, GA

Caldwell-Cline Architects & Designers

Family room looking at dining room.
This is an example of a large country open concept living room in Atlanta with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, wood and wood walls.

Contemporary Living Room

Photo of a contemporary open concept living room in Dallas with brown walls, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and wood walls.

Custom Living Room in Newport Beach

Jeffrey V. Riggs, Architect

Design ideas for a large beach style open concept living room in Orange County with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor, vaulted and wood walls.

Julia's WIne Country Retreat

Julia Katrine Designs

Mid-sized transitional open concept living room in Orange County with white walls, a standard fireplace, brown floor, vaulted, medium hardwood floors and wood walls.

Дом в Волковицах

АВИЛА. Студия интерьера и архитектуры

Photo of a mid-sized scandinavian open concept living room in Saint Petersburg with white walls, porcelain floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, black floor, timber and wood walls.

Great Room

The House Designers

Great Room with vaulted ceilings of The Bonaire. View plan THD-7234: https://www.thehousedesigners.com/plan/bonaire-7234/

Virginia St Townhome

Fratelli Designs

Design ideas for a large transitional formal enclosed living room in Houston with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, brown floor, recessed and wood walls.

Дачный дом

Ольга Крысова

This is an example of a country living room in Other with laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, timber and wood walls.

Green Mountain Cabin

Faure Halvorsen Architects

Mid-sized country open concept living room in Other with brown walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a concealed tv, brown floor, vaulted and wood walls.

New Gambrel on the Block

CHRISTOPHER STROM ARCHITECTS

This new, custom home is designed to blend into the existing “Cottage City” neighborhood in Linden Hills. To accomplish this, we incorporated the “Gambrel” roof form, which is a barn-shaped roof that reduces the scale of a 2-story home to appear as a story-and-a-half. With a Gambrel home existing on either side, this is the New Gambrel on the Block. This home has a traditional--yet fresh--design. The columns, located on the front porch, are of the Ionic Classical Order, with authentic proportions incorporated. Next to the columns is a light, modern, metal railing that stands in counterpoint to the home’s classic frame. This balance of traditional and fresh design is found throughout the home.

Auger Architectural Gem

Penny Lane Home Builders, LLC

This gem of a home was designed by homeowner/architect Eric Vollmer. It is nestled in a traditional neighborhood with a deep yard and views to the east and west. Strategic window placement captures light and frames views while providing privacy from the next door neighbors. The second floor maximizes the volumes created by the roofline in vaulted spaces and loft areas. Four skylights illuminate the ‘Nordic Modern’ finishes and bring daylight deep into the house and the stairwell with interior openings that frame connections between the spaces. The skylights are also operable with remote controls and blinds to control heat, light and air supply. Unique details abound! Metal details in the railings and door jambs, a paneled door flush in a paneled wall, flared openings. Floating shelves and flush transitions. The main bathroom has a ‘wet room’ with the tub tucked under a skylight enclosed with the shower. This is a Structural Insulated Panel home with closed cell foam insulation in the roof cavity. The on-demand water heater does double duty providing hot water as well as heat to the home via a high velocity duct and HRV system.

TCD Two Story

TCD Homes

Mid-sized transitional open concept living room in Other with white walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and wood walls.

Totteridge Manor House

Emilie Fournet Interiors

A dark living room was transformed into a cosy and inviting relaxing living room. The wooden panels were painted with the client's favourite colour and display their favourite pieces of art. The colour was inspired by the original Delft blue tiles of the fireplace.

Oak Drive

J Manning Interiors

This is an example of a small eclectic formal enclosed living room in Richmond with white walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, grey floor, wood and wood walls.

Luxury Staging and Redesign

Imrie Design Studio

Inspiration for a transitional formal enclosed living room in Dallas with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, vaulted and wood walls.

Дом в Волковицах

АВИЛА. Студия интерьера и архитектуры

This is an example of a mid-sized scandinavian open concept living room in Saint Petersburg with white walls, porcelain floors, a wood stove, a metal fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, black floor, timber and wood walls.

All Fireplace Surrounds Living Room Design Photos with Wood Walls

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.