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.

Town & Country 54-Inch Widescreen Fireplace

Home and Hearth Outfitters

Town & Country Wide Screen Fireplace offers a generous view of the flames while in operation. Measuring 54” wide and featuring remote control operation, this model is suitable for large rooms.

Webster Residence

Ehrlich Yanai Rhee Chaney Architects

In an effort to exploit the benign climate of Southern California, one of the primary design initiatives was to design spaces for indoor-outdoor living. The glass roll-up doors on the lower level allow spaces that are moderate in their square footage to flow uninterrupted into the exterior (both the central courtyard as well as a landscaped patio in the front of the property) to expand the livable area of the house without constructing additional square footage. @Benny Chan

Contemporary Living Room

Pat Manning-Hanson, ASID

2009 ASID Showcase House Award Winning Mid-Century Modern Interpretation
This is an example of a modern living room in Minneapolis with green walls and a standard fireplace.

Pac Heights Penthouse

Matarozzi Pelsinger Builders

A complete interior remodel of a top floor unit in a stately Pacific Heights building originally constructed in 1925. The remodel included the construction of a new elevated roof deck with a custom spiral staircase and “penthouse” connecting the unit to the outdoor space. The unit has two bedrooms, a den, two baths, a powder room, an updated living and dining area and a new open kitchen. The design highlights the dramatic views to the San Francisco Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge to the north, the views west to the Pacific Ocean and the City to the south. Finishes include custom stained wood paneling and doors throughout, engineered mahogany flooring with matching mahogany spiral stair treads. The roof deck is finished with a lava stone and ipe deck and paneling, frameless glass guardrails, a gas fire pit, irrigated planters, an artificial turf dog park and a solar heated cedar hot tub. Photos by Mariko Reed Architect: Gregg DeMeza Interior designer: Jennifer Kesteloot

Fireplace

MAK Design + Build Inc.

Mid-sized modern open concept living room in Sacramento with concrete floors, a library, white walls, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

Private Residence

Niche Modern

A Spark Chandelier hangs high in a private residence.
Inspiration for a modern living room in New York with a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

Goodman Residence

Abramson Architects

Massive glass pocket doors full open up for indoor-outdoor living typical of Venice Beach. Photo: Jim Bartsch
Photo of a small modern open concept living room in Los Angeles with a library, white walls, concrete floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Living Room + Fireplace + Built-in Cabinet Detail

Jordan Iverson Signature Homes

This is a living room, feature wall I designed/built. It is ledgestone, with a ribbon flame, gas fireplace and built-in TV cabinet door, which actually swings open to reveal an abundance of built-in storage behind. The built-in cabinets that flank it also offer additional storage and built-in speakers. The square cabinets below hold the subwoofers for the Dolby 7.1, movie theater surround sound.

Martin residence

BAAN design

Addition and remodel of mid-century rambler
Photo of a modern living room in Seattle with beige walls, a standard fireplace and a metal fireplace surround.

house A

Amitzi Architects

This is an example of a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Tel Aviv with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Olive Tree Lane

Mark English Architects, AIA

Inspiration for a modern living room in San Francisco with a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and bamboo floors.

Cosmetic updates on 1980s home

EAG Studio

Photography: Jacob Elliott (www.jacobelliott.com)
Mid-sized modern living room in San Francisco with white walls and a standard fireplace.

Foo

The Ranch Mine

Photo by Roehner + Ryan
Modern living room in Phoenix with concrete floors, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Classic Minimalism

BiglarKinyan Design Planning Inc.

Inspiration for a mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in Toronto with a stone fireplace surround, no tv, brown floor, grey walls, dark hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Coastal Modern

Lindye Galloway Interiors

Chad Mellon Photographer
Photo of a large modern open concept living room in Orange County with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Appartamento Mazzacorati

Andrea Angius

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern open concept living room with a library, porcelain floors, a two-sided fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

White Box No. 2 - Family Room + View

Drewett Works

The great room provides stunning views of iconic Camelback Mountain while the cooking and entertaining are underway. A neutral and subdued color palette makes nature the art on the wall. Project Details // White Box No. 2 Architecture: Drewett Works Builder: Argue Custom Homes Interior Design: Ownby Design Landscape Design (hardscape): Greey | Pickett Landscape Design: Refined Gardens Photographer: Jeff Zaruba See more of this project here: https://www.drewettworks.com/white-box-no-2/

Oriole Drive Project

Alisha Taylor Interiors

This modern Oriole Drive furniture & furnishings project features a transformed living room with bold, abstract wall art creating a unique color palette.

Ravenna Contemporary Dwelling

Workshop Estates

This is an example of a large modern open concept living room in Denver with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor and exposed beam.

All Fireplaces Modern Living Room Design Photos

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

Which modern 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 modern 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 modern 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 modern 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.