A vaulted ceiling welcomes you into this charming living room. The symmetry of the built-ins surrounding the fireplace and TV are detailed with white and blue finishes. Grey finishes, brass chandeliers and patterned touches soften the form of the space.

Lachlan Signature | Modin Rigid LVP Customer Space | Ashburn, VA

Flooret

Influenced by classic Nordic design. Surprisingly flexible with furnishings. Amplify by continuing the clean modern aesthetic, or punctuate with statement pieces. The Modin Rigid luxury vinyl plank flooring collection is the new standard in resilient flooring. Modin Rigid offers true embossed-in-register texture, creating a surface that is convincing to the eye and to the touch; a low sheen level to ensure a natural look that wears well over time; four-sided enhanced bevels to more accurately emulate the look of real wood floors; wider and longer waterproof planks; an industry-leading wear layer; and a pre-attached underlayment.

Alhambra Alterations

CAB Architects

Photo of a modern enclosed living room in Toronto with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Living Room

Design ideas for a small modern open concept living room in Toronto with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

Rough Hollow

Cameron Getter Design

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern open concept living room in Austin with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and grey floor.

Lake Travis Overlook

Marion Interior Design

This is an example of a large modern formal open concept living room in Austin with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a concealed tv, brown floor and panelled walls.

Cole Valley Three for All

Mark Brand Architecture

We were approached by a San Francisco firefighter to design a place for him and his girlfriend to live while also creating additional units he could sell to finance the project. He grew up in the house that was built on this site in approximately 1886. It had been remodeled repeatedly since it was first built so that there was only one window remaining that showed any sign of its Victorian heritage. The house had become so dilapidated over the years that it was a legitimate candidate for demolition. Furthermore, the house straddled two legal parcels, so there was an opportunity to build several new units in its place. At our client’s suggestion, we developed the left building as a duplex of which they could occupy the larger, upper unit and the right building as a large single-family residence. In addition to design, we handled permitting, including gathering support by reaching out to the surrounding neighbors and shepherding the project through the Planning Commission Discretionary Review process. The Planning Department insisted that we develop the two buildings so they had different characters and could not be mistaken for an apartment complex. The duplex design was inspired by Albert Frey’s Palm Springs modernism but clad in fibre cement panels and the house design was to be clad in wood. Because the site was steeply upsloping, the design required tall, thick retaining walls that we incorporated into the design creating sunken patios in the rear yards. All floors feature generous 10 foot ceilings and large windows with the upper, bedroom floors featuring 11 and 12 foot ceilings. Open plans are complemented by sleek, modern finishes throughout.

Omahen's Residence

CO Architectural Designer

Morso woodstove
Modern living room in Boston with concrete floors, a wood stove, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Family Room looking into Foyer

Kimmel Studio Architects

Photo of an expansive modern open concept living room in Baltimore with a home bar, white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

1160 Florida Street

Halcyon Home Staging + Design

This is an example of a large modern open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a plaster fireplace surround.

Bray House

Wright-Ryan Homes

Design ideas for a large modern open concept living room in Portland Maine with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Classic Lakeside Renovation

Karen Kempf Interiors

Wade Weissmann Architecture, Jorndt Builders LLC, Talia Laird Photography
Photo of a large modern formal enclosed living room in Milwaukee with blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Born & Bred Studio - Living Room, Upminster

Born & Bred Studio

Photo Credits: Anna Stathaki
Inspiration for a mid-sized modern enclosed living room in London with a home bar, blue walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Lakeside Retreat

Tielens Construction Inc.

Design ideas for a large modern open concept living room in Other with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround and brown floor.

2018 Artisan Tour

Lenox House Design

Spacecrafting Inc
Large modern open concept living room in Minneapolis with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a concealed tv and grey floor.

Iconic Modern

LTW Design

Design ideas for a modern formal open concept living room in New York with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace surround.

Modern

Lango Works

Modern formal open concept living room in Los Angeles with medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and brown floor.

Allegro Bonus Modified

Prodigy Homes Inc.

Mid-sized modern open concept living room in Seattle with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and a built-in media wall.

Fireplace Xtrordinair Design Gallery

Woodheat Specialists DBA: The Chimney Doctors

Design ideas for a mid-sized modern formal enclosed living room in Other with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

212 Dorothy St.

Bennett Project Management LLC

Inspiration for a modern enclosed living room in Other with beige walls, bamboo floors, a standard fireplace and red floor.

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.