Inspiration for a traditional living room in Moscow with yellow walls.

Hawthorne house

suzanne lawson design - interior design

Photo of a traditional living room in Miami with white walls, medium hardwood floors and no fireplace.

Sunroom

Karen Hodgdon, Allied ASID

Tuscan Traditional
Traditional living room in Minneapolis.

Custom bar, mantle, and entertainment center

The French Tradition

Home Theaters of The French Tradition
This is an example of a traditional living room in San Diego.

Grande Dame

LeBlanc Design

LeBlanc Design Michael J. Lee Photography
Inspiration for a traditional living room in Boston.

Pine Island Cape

Costello Fine Homes

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Boston with beige walls, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, brown floor, vaulted, medium hardwood floors and a plaster fireplace surround.

Centerville Village

Fernbrook Interiors

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Boston with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a brick fireplace surround.

Wide Walnut Plank

French-Brown Floors Co.

Walnut plank flooring installed by French-Brown. Please visit our website at www.french-brown.com to see more of our work.
Inspiration for a traditional enclosed living room in Dallas with a library, beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

This Isn't Wood! It's Porcelain Tile.

Studio Tile & Stone

This porcelain floor tile is produced by Porcelanosa, a Spanish manufacturer of high quality tile. The herringbone pattern lends itself to the style & format. A convincing "wood look" with the added benefit of porcelain tile's durability; unaffected by humidity, water, insects. It's a stain proof & low maintenance surface, vacuum & damp mopped as needed. Photo taken by Studio Tile staff.

Solid Site Sand & Finish Hardwood Floors

Ambience Floors

Mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Vancouver with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

NYC Penthouse

Sequined Asphault Studio Photography

Michele Scotto Trani of Sequined Asphault Studio Photography for Kent Interiors
Traditional living room in New York with beige walls.

Great Room

Vertical Arts Architecture

This is an example of a traditional living room in Denver.

Hybrid Log House

Sitka Log Homes

The Lodgepole pine character logs and the natural stone fireplace combine to add to the cozy log cabin feel of this mountain hybrid log home.
Design ideas for a traditional living room in Vancouver with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Mission Style Split Level in Salt Lake City

Renovation Design Group

Lafayette Tudor Home

Trademark Architecture + Interiors

A fully paneled Library is adjacent to the Living Room and accessed through these diamond leaded glass doors. All the wood trim is quartersawn White Oak.

AK Penthouse

Kurt Johnson Photography

Inspiration for a traditional living room in Omaha.

Gallery

Martinez Painting Co

Photo of a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Detroit with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround and a built-in media wall.

Jamestown Kichen Remodel

Linda M. Supron Interiors

After view of the family room (sitting area) portion of a kitchen, dining room, seating area remodel. Robyn Ivy Photography.
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Providence with orange walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

My Houzz: Early 1900s Home blends Traditional Design with Comfort and Style

Corynne Pless

Mansion Remodel

Ironwood Master Crafters

Photo of an expansive traditional formal open concept living room in Austin with a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

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.