Photographer James French
Photo of a country formal living room in Sussex with white walls, a wood stove and light hardwood floors.

Marvel Realtors Project, Pune

Prachi Damle Photography

Design ideas for a large contemporary open concept living room in Mumbai with white walls and marble floors.

Eclectic Living Room

Design ideas for a mid-sized eclectic formal living room in Los Angeles with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and no tv.

Pittwater Road | Collaroy

User

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace and a music area.

Elegant Contemporary

Janet Brooks Design

The family room, including the kitchen and breakfast area, features stunning indirect lighting, a fire feature, stacked stone wall, art shelves and a comfortable place to relax and watch TV. Photography: Mark Boisclair

Kirkland Custom Living Room with Fireplace & Stone Accent Wall

John Buchan Homes

John Buchan Homes
Photo of a mid-sized transitional loft-style living room in Seattle with a stone fireplace surround, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Luxury Condo Living

Jaimie Anand Interiors

Photo of a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in Austin with white walls, medium hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and brown floor.

Ocean Club

Fine Line Furniture & Accessories

Contemporary open concept living room in Miami with white walls, white floor and coffered.

ERP PROJECT

Laura Nathan Design

Inspiration for a mediterranean formal open concept living room in Sacramento with a tile fireplace surround, white walls, terra-cotta floors, a concealed tv and orange floor.

7th Avenue North

Naples ReDevelopment, Inc.

Contemporary open concept living room in Miami with white walls, light hardwood floors, a freestanding tv and grey floor.

New York Apartment

Nancy Corzine

Design ideas for a mid-sized contemporary formal enclosed living room in New York with white walls and ceramic floors.

Family Friendly

PS & Daughters

Design ideas for a transitional living room in Philadelphia with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Victorian End-terrace House in Sevenoaks, Kent

ZazuDesigns

Photographer: Darren Chung
Photo of a contemporary formal living room in Kent with white walls and painted wood floors.

Naomi Astley Clarke Portfolio

Naomi Astley Clarke

This is an example of a transitional formal enclosed living room in London with white walls and a freestanding tv.

WBH

CC Construction Ltd

Design ideas for a contemporary living room in London with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Pied à terre Parisien

Dorner Design

Mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Paris with white walls and medium hardwood floors.

Ambergate Street, extension and renovation

Francesco Pierazzi Architects

To dwell and establish connections with a place is a basic human necessity often combined, amongst other things, with light and is performed in association with the elements that generate it, be they natural or artificial. And in the renovation of this purpose-built first floor flat in a quiet residential street in Kennington, the use of light in its varied forms is adopted to modulate the space and create a brand new dwelling, adapted to modern living standards. From the intentionally darkened entrance lobby at the lower ground floor – as seen in Mackintosh’s Hill House – one is led to a brighter upper level where the insertion of wide pivot doors creates a flexible open plan centred around an unfinished plaster box-like pod. Kitchen and living room are connected and use a stair balustrade that doubles as a bench seat; this allows the landing to become an extension of the kitchen/dining area - rather than being merely circulation space – with a new external view towards the landscaped terrace at the rear. The attic space is converted: a modernist black box, clad in natural slate tiles and with a wide sliding window, is inserted in the rear roof slope to accommodate a bedroom and a bathroom. A new relationship can eventually be established with all new and existing exterior openings, now visible from the former landing space: traditional timber sash windows are re-introduced to replace unsightly UPVC frames, and skylights are put in to direct one’s view outwards and upwards. photo: Gianluca Maver

Uptown Dallas Trendy Townhome Living Room

Design Lifestyles, LLC

Michael Hunter
Large eclectic living room in Dallas with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Lakeview Residence

Dick Clark + Associates

Photography by Scott Benedict
Mid-sized contemporary formal open concept living room in Austin with dark hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround, white walls, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

My Houzz: Cheerful, Cool and Collected in a Brooklyn Loft

Rikki Snyder

Red Living Room Design Photos with White 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.