Formal Living Dining with french oak parquetry and Marie Antoinette floor style reflected on the ceiling coffers, and a hand crafted travertine fire place mantel

Arts & Crafts House, Malvern

Brownlow Interior Design

Traditional living room in Melbourne with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

Greatroom

Color Craftsmen: Fireplace Makeovers

This wood ceiling needed something to tone down the grain in the planks. We were able to create a wash that did exactly that. The floors (reclaimed red oak from a pre-Civil War barn) needed to have their different colors highlighted, not homogenized. Instead of staining the floor, we used a tung oil and beeswax finish that was hand buffed. Our clients wanted to have reclaimed wood beams in their ceiling, but could not use true old beams as they would not be sturdy enough to support the roof. We took their fresh- cut fir beams and used synthetic plasters, paints, and glazes to give them an authentic aged look. Taken by Alise O'Brien (aliseobrienphotography.com) Interior Designer: Emily Castle (emilycastle.com)

A Newport Beach, Port Nelson Nantucket Charmer

GRADY-O-GRADY Construction & Development, Inc.

Applied Photography
This is an example of a traditional formal living room in Orange County with white walls, medium hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Traditional Living Room

Photo of a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Atlanta with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Living Room

Emerick Architects

This is an original historic mirror which was re-framed and integrated with the custom designed painted wood surround and mantel of the new gas fireplace. Carrara marble frames the metal fireplace and serves as the hearth. Sally Schoolmaster, photographer

English Cottage Living Room

Maraya Interior Design

Luxurious modern take on a traditional white Italian villa. An entry with a silver domed ceiling, painted moldings in patterns on the walls and mosaic marble flooring create a luxe foyer. Into the formal living room, cool polished Crema Marfil marble tiles contrast with honed carved limestone fireplaces throughout the home, including the outdoor loggia. Ceilings are coffered with white painted crown moldings and beams, or planked, and the dining room has a mirrored ceiling. Bathrooms are white marble tiles and counters, with dark rich wood stains or white painted. The hallway leading into the master bedroom is designed with barrel vaulted ceilings and arched paneled wood stained doors. The master bath and vestibule floor is covered with a carpet of patterned mosaic marbles, and the interior doors to the large walk in master closets are made with leaded glass to let in the light. The master bedroom has dark walnut planked flooring, and a white painted fireplace surround with a white marble hearth. The kitchen features white marbles and white ceramic tile backsplash, white painted cabinetry and a dark stained island with carved molding legs. Next to the kitchen, the bar in the family room has terra cotta colored marble on the backsplash and counter over dark walnut cabinets. Wrought iron staircase leading to the more modern media/family room upstairs. Project Location: North Ranch, Westlake, California. Remodel designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu, Westlake and Calabasas, across the tri-county areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills- north through Solvang and more. Eclectic Living Room with Asian antiques from the owners' own travels. Deep purple, copper and white chenille fabrics and a handknotted wool rug. Modern art painting by Maraya, Home built by Timothy J. Droney

Lake Bluff custom residence

Fieldcrest Builders Inc

The main living space features a cathedral ceiling with paneling and chamfered beams, and a stone fireplace and chimney. Larry Malvin Photography
Photo of a large traditional living room in Chicago with white walls, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Villanova Residence - living room

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

Photographer: Tom Crane
Design ideas for a large traditional formal open concept living room in Philadelphia with beige walls, no tv, carpet, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Witherspoon Beauty

Castle Homes

Reed Brown Photography
This is an example of a traditional open concept living room in Nashville with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Living Room

Get It Together

Sean Malone
Design ideas for a large traditional formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and no tv.

OUR PORTFOLIO

Croft Fireplace Center

Photo of a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Salt Lake City with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Big Glen Lake Residence

Ken Richmond, Architect

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Other with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a stone fireplace surround, no tv, a standard fireplace and brown floor.

Family Residence

Oliver Burns

The heart of the home is the reception room where deep blues from the Tyrrhenian Seas beautifully coalesce with soft whites and soupçons of antique gold under a bespoke chandelier of 1,800 hand-hung crystal droplets.

Lyrical Charm

Jodi Fleming Design

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

Living Rooms

Tuckahoe Creek Construction, Inc.

This cozy and welcoming study with a wood burning fireplace, raised paneling and a flush marble surround makes you want to sit and stay awhile! Photo credit: Kip Dawkins

Sheri Olson

Sheri Olson Architecture PLLC

Living and dining room. Photo by Benjamin Benschneider.
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional formal living room in Seattle with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and no tv.

University

Domiteaux Garza Architecture

Charles Smith
Inspiration for a traditional formal living room in Dallas with a standard fireplace.

Living Room

Paul Moon Design

Expansive traditional living room in Seattle with a standard fireplace, no tv, white walls and dark hardwood floors.

Lindy Donnelly

User

Photography: Eric Rorer
This is an example of a traditional living room in San Francisco with a standard fireplace.

All Fireplaces Traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional 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 traditional 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.