Braeburn Mid Century Modern, Houston, TX

Midcentury modern living room with navy blue sofa, vintage fireplace with brass hood, vintage mid century modern wall shelf unit, and painted brick accent wall.

Midcentury Living Room

Design ideas for a midcentury open concept living room in Phoenix with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and exposed beam.

Woodside House 2

Dotter & Solfjeld Architecture + Design

This is an example of a large midcentury open concept living room in San Francisco with light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

Skye in Palm Springs, California

Woodbridge Pacific Group

Residence One Great Room at Skye in Palm Springs, California
Design ideas for a midcentury open concept living room in Los Angeles with a ribbon fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Moody Blues

Laure Nell Interiors

The homeowners of this 6,000-square-foot house in Delray Beach don’t have to go far for a night out on the town. We transformed two bedrooms with a connecting bathroom into an entertainment wing with a true speakeasy vibe, right down to the hidden bookcase door that makes its entrance from the main living room quasi invisible. A moody, deep navy wallpaper with copper accents envelops the walls and layers together with rich woods and dark hues from floor to ceiling. The new movie room features custom built-ins, a home bar, a billiards table and the owners’ collection of vinyl records punctuated with a piece of Beatles-themed art that we sourced as an homage to the owners’ love of iconic films and music. The custom built-in wine fridge in the adjacent wine room houses their 250-plus collection of unique bottles the owners bring back from their frequent travels around the world. We pulled the moody palette into other areas of the home that needed reimagining, including the double-height living room, where we clad the fireplace in black and white materials and specified Tom Dixon’s lustrous Melt pendants to cascade over the space. Photography by Venjhamin Reyes

Modern Ranch House

Ashby Collective

Photo of an expansive midcentury formal open concept living room in Austin with white walls, a plaster fireplace surround, a ribbon fireplace, exposed beam and vaulted.

24th Ave

Martinkovic Milford Architects

Photo of a mid-sized midcentury formal open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, a stone fireplace surround, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and no tv.

Oakpass

Dressed Design

Inspiration for a midcentury open concept living room in Other with white walls, a ribbon fireplace and grey floor.

Mid-Century Remodel

David Henig, Architect

Eric Rorer
Mid-sized midcentury formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, no tv and a concrete fireplace surround.

Sunnyvale Eichler 1

Urbanism Designs

Inspiration for a mid-sized midcentury living room in San Francisco with white walls, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Midcentury Influenced Contemporary Condo

Degnan Design-Build-Remodel

Moving the TV to the ideal viewing location from the furniture placed it off-center in the space. A creative design solution was required to solve this problem.

Mid Century Modern

Elevation

This is an example of a midcentury enclosed living room in Minneapolis with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Bellesara

Rush Homes

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury living room in Seattle with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

California - Luxury Residental Homes

Western Window Systems

Crafted by designer Wayne Chevalier of Studio Bracket, this beautiful home was built for a longtime car enthusiast and his wife with entertaining in mind. Thanks to Series 600 Multi-Slide and Sliding Glass Doors located in almost every room of this house, the homeowners are able to extend their living spaces to the beautiful koi pond, backyard or swimming pool with ease. Inspired by Mid-Century Modern architecture, the doors and Series 600 Window Walls create an open, light-filled structure that feels luxurious yet comfortable.

Living Room

Adolfo Perez, Architect

View of double height Living Room
Photo of a mid-sized midcentury formal open concept living room in Boston with light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a built-in media wall, beige floor and beige walls.

Trisore 140 MKII

European Home

The Trisore by Element4 is a three-sided bay fireplace and comes in 3 sizes: the 95, the 100H, and the 140 (as seen here). Design options are endless. Here the hearth goes organic modern with the combination of wood and concrete.

Roger That

SGDI - Sarah Gallop Design Inc.

Mid-sized midcentury open concept living room in Vancouver with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

Dorchester Remodel

Teale Architecture

Design ideas for a mid-sized midcentury formal open concept living room in Los Angeles with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and brown floor.

Grapevine Whole House Remodel

ZFE Renovations

This living room has so many eye catching elements, from the linear fireplace with the stacked stone surround and wood slat accent to the lighted floating shelves to the wood ceiling.

Descendant House

Matt Fajkus Architecture

Design ideas for a midcentury living room in Austin with a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, wood and wood walls.

Midcentury Living Room Design Photos with a Ribbon Fireplace

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 midcentury 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 midcentury living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which midcentury 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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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 midcentury 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.