Black and white trim and warm gray walls create transitional style in a small-space living room.
Small transitional living room in Minneapolis with grey walls, laminate floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Green Mountain Getaway - Guest House

Flavin Architects

The guesthouse of our Green Mountain Getaway follows the same recipe as the main house. With its soaring roof lines and large windows, it feels equally as integrated into the surrounding landscape. Photo by: Nat Rea Photography

Eastlake Houseboat

K&L Interiors

Inspiration for a small beach style open concept living room in Seattle with white walls, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, wood, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Whole Home Renovation - Oakland

The Home Co.

Small transitional enclosed living room in San Francisco with beige walls, vinyl floors, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Locust Residence

User

This is an example of a small traditional formal enclosed living room in Denver with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Hutchinson Island Waterfront Condo

Debra Ackerbloom, Inc.

Open Plan Living Room with Custom Furnishings, Fixtures, Rugs, and Accessories. Client cut and installed the custom millwork & hand painted the walls.

Квартира ЖК Redside

Margarita Makeeva

Design ideas for a small modern living room in Moscow with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Fort Greene Brownstone Renovation

Kate Glicksberg Photography

Complete renovation of a 19th century brownstone in Brooklyn's Fort Greene neighborhood. Modern interiors that preserve many original details. Kate Glicksberg Photography

Maidstone

HW Interiors

Small transitional formal open concept living room in Miami with grey walls, a standard fireplace, concrete floors, a tile fireplace surround, no tv and beige floor.

Mission Condo

Lush Interiors Inc.

Living Room The brand new concrete fireplace is the focal point of this room
Photo of a small modern open concept living room in Calgary with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

Traditional Living Room

Inspiration for a small traditional formal open concept living room in Portland with a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and yellow walls.

Hanover Avenue, master bathroom

Lesley Glotzl

Jeff Glotzl
Small eclectic enclosed living room in Other with a music area, grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and no tv.

1930's House Renovation in Wiltshire

Catriona Archer

Photo of a small contemporary enclosed living room in Wiltshire with a library, blue walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

Single Family Charmer in Arlington, VA

Leigh Newport Staged by Design®

Nicely renovated bungalow in Arlington Va The space is small but mighty!
Inspiration for a small transitional enclosed living room in DC Metro with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, brown floor, timber and panelled walls.

Potrero Hill House & Studio

Cathie Hong Interiors

This young married couple enlisted our help to update their recently purchased condo into a brighter, open space that reflected their taste. They traveled to Copenhagen at the onset of their trip, and that trip largely influenced the design direction of their home, from the herringbone floors to the Copenhagen-based kitchen cabinetry. We blended their love of European interiors with their Asian heritage and created a soft, minimalist, cozy interior with an emphasis on clean lines and muted palettes.

Kitsilano Urban Cottage

Simply Home Decorating

This tiny home is located on a treelined street in the Kitsilano neighborhood of Vancouver. We helped our client create a living and dining space with a beach vibe in this small front room that comfortably accommodates their growing family of four. The starting point for the decor was the client's treasured antique chaise (positioned under the large window) and the scheme grew from there. We employed a few important space saving techniques in this room... One is building seating into a corner that doubles as storage, the other is tucking a footstool, which can double as an extra seat, under the custom wood coffee table. The TV is carefully concealed in the custom millwork above the fireplace. Finally, we personalized this space by designing a family gallery wall that combines family photos and shadow boxes of treasured keepsakes. Interior Decorating by Lori Steeves of Simply Home Decorating. Photos by Tracey Ayton Photography

White Mountain Hearth Gallery

Country Hearth

This is an example of a small contemporary formal open concept living room in Other with medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, no tv, brown floor, beige walls and a tile fireplace surround.

Barrington Farm House

Brewster Thornton Group Architects, LLP

Robert Brewster Photography
Photo of a small country formal enclosed living room in Providence with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a tile fireplace surround.

Alto

Prodigy Homes Inc.

This is an example of a small transitional open concept living room in Seattle with grey walls, laminate floors, a corner fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Deception Pass Cabin

Greg Robinson Architect

A new 800 square foot cabin on existing cabin footprint on cliff above Deception Pass Washington
Inspiration for a small beach style open concept living room in Seattle with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, no tv, yellow floor and exposed beam.

Small Living Room Design Photos with a Tile Fireplace Surround

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.