As featured in New York Magazine's "Great Rooms" and on NBC's "Open House": Living Room designed by Tara McCauley
Small traditional enclosed living room in New York with blue walls, a home bar, light hardwood floors and brown floor.

Classic Kitchen & Bar Remodel

Morey Remodeling Group

Created an open concept by removing a wall between the kitchen and living room. Photo Cred: Tyler Hogan
This is an example of a large traditional open concept living room in Los Angeles with a home bar, beige walls, porcelain floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and brown floor.

Old Westmount Redefined

Cindy b decor

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Orange County with a home bar, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and no tv.

Historical Marin Home

Weaver Design Group

Living Room -- Custom upholstered seating area, interesting ottoman coffee table with custom designed built-in cabinet provide a cozy resting little world

Thunderbird Walls

Thunderbird Custom Design

Photo of a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Phoenix with a home bar, beige walls, travertine floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

House in Presidio Heights

Robert Frear Architects

Mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in San Francisco with brown walls, medium hardwood floors, no tv, a home bar, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

Living room turned Lounge/bar

Home At Last Decor

This room was an outdated and unused living room with a rose colored sofa, wing chairs and faded art. We made it into a lounge that has become the most popular room in the house. The china cabinet now holds glassware and liquor bottles. The comfortable leather chairs surrounding the round cocktail table create an upscale Gentelman's Lounge feel. LED lighting above the china (bar) cabinet illuminates the room without the need for any lamps.

Other Rooms

Martha Stewart Living

Create a place to display and access your favorite wine selections and glassware with cabinetry perfect for entertaining. Martha Stewart Living Lily Pond Cherry cabinetry in Ground Nutmeg Martha Stewart Living hardware in Soft Iron

MENDHAM SHINGLE-STYLE ESTATE

Passacantando Architects AIA

Photographer: Kevin Colquhoun
Design ideas for an expansive traditional loft-style living room in New York with a home bar, blue walls, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Boardwalk Builders

Traditional beach home with plank pine floors and pine paneled walls. Boardwalk Builders, Rehoboth Beach, DE www.boardwalkbuilders.com
Inspiration for a large traditional open concept living room in Other with a home bar, medium hardwood floors, no tv, a standard fireplace and a wood fireplace surround.

Tammarron Elegance

Jennifer Butler Design

In the cozy family room, custom furniture by Kravet creates an inviting seating area. The bar hides the liquor with the same sliding stone panels as in the kitchen. Fabrication by Lakeside.

Moorsbridge

AB2 Architecture

Photo of a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Grand Rapids with a home bar, beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and white floor.

Zager Basement

Daylight Basement Company

Home Bar Entertaining Area
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Atlanta with a home bar, grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Madeira Traditional Kitchen & Laundry Renovation

Trace & Scale

Traditional Madeira home - Kitchen & Laundry/ Mudroom renovation. Beautiful walnut cabinets in Kitchen with calacatta quartz countertops and white perimeter inset cabinets. Beautiful copper range hood with marble tile accent above the range. Black & Brushed gold pendant lighting over the island pull the design together. Bar in walnut with beveled glass tile reflects natural light back into the space and acts as a transition between the new open Kitchen and Family Room. The blue-grey cabinets in the Mud/ Laundry Room provide ample storage and work space and are offset with a simple porcelain floor & marble hex tile backsplash to add interest

Room Remodels - Northern VA

Ferguson Bath, Kitchen & Lighting Gallery

Inspiration for a large traditional enclosed living room in DC Metro with a home bar, brown walls, carpet, no fireplace, no tv and beige floor.

Hinckley House 3rd Floor Mansard Roof Historic Restoration

Killeen Studio Architects

Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional loft-style living room in St Louis with a home bar, white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Luxury High Rise Residence Decoration for Ali Agaoglu

Sezen Ulubay

Mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Other with a home bar, white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wood stove and a stone fireplace surround.

Skillman Renovation

AJ Margulis Interiors

The home owner’s of this 90’s home came to us looking for an updated kitchen design and furniture for the family room, living room, dining room and study. What they got was an overall tweaking of the entire first floor. Small changes to the architecture and trim details made a large impact on the overall feel of the individual spaces in an open floorplan space. We then layered on all new lighting, wall and window treatments, furniture, accessories and art to create a warm and beautiful home for a young, growing family.Photos by Tom Grimes

Weatherfield Residence & Pool House

Archer & Buchanan Architecture, Ltd.

Photographer: Angle Eye Photography Interior Designer: Callaghan Interior Design
Design ideas for a large traditional loft-style living room in Philadelphia with a home bar, beige walls, travertine floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a built-in media wall.

Highgate House

Cairn

Peter Landers
Photo of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in London with a home bar, grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround and brown floor.

Traditional Living Room Design Photos with a Home Bar

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.