Ульяна Гришина Ульяна Гришина
Inspiration for a traditional living room in Moscow with white walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Design Dilemma: How to Layer American Antiques into Gray/White Color Scheme

Karen Mills of Interiors by Design

When our clients purchased a brand new home that was already finished, they were excited to start over with new furniture too except for a few family heirloom pieces that had sentimental meaning. So they called on our interior design firm who had worked with them before to solve their design dilemma.

Fairfield - Modern Farmhouse

Visbeen Architects

Builder: Falcon Custom Homes Interior Designer: Mary Burns - Gallery Photographer: Mike Buck A perfectly proportioned story and a half cottage, the Farfield is full of traditional details and charm. The front is composed of matching board and batten gables flanking a covered porch featuring square columns with pegged capitols. A tour of the rear façade reveals an asymmetrical elevation with a tall living room gable anchoring the right and a low retractable-screened porch to the left. Inside, the front foyer opens up to a wide staircase clad in horizontal boards for a more modern feel. To the left, and through a short hall, is a study with private access to the main levels public bathroom. Further back a corridor, framed on one side by the living rooms stone fireplace, connects the master suite to the rest of the house. Entrance to the living room can be gained through a pair of openings flanking the stone fireplace, or via the open concept kitchen/dining room. Neutral grey cabinets featuring a modern take on a recessed panel look, line the perimeter of the kitchen, framing the elongated kitchen island. Twelve leather wrapped chairs provide enough seating for a large family, or gathering of friends. Anchoring the rear of the main level is the screened in porch framed by square columns that match the style of those found at the front porch. Upstairs, there are a total of four separate sleeping chambers. The two bedrooms above the master suite share a bathroom, while the third bedroom to the rear features its own en suite. The fourth is a large bunkroom above the homes two-stall garage large enough to host an abundance of guests.

New England Barn Style

American Post & Beam

Photographer Great Island Photo
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Boston with white walls, porcelain floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and grey floor.

New England Barn Style

American Post & Beam

Photographer Great Island Photo
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional open concept living room in Boston with white walls, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, porcelain floors and grey floor.

Lake Katherine - Private Residence

Salted, LLC

Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Orange County with dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, beige walls, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

The Hopkins

Crosby Creations Drafting & Design Services, LLC

Photography by: Heirloom Creative, Andrew Cebulka
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Charleston with blue walls, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Terra Mimikakis Design

Connie Anderson Photography

Connie Anderson Photography
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Houston with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Diablo, CA Residence, Remodel

R&J Construction, Inc.

Project Coordinator- Sarah Massey sarah.hunt0702@gmail.com Interior Design-Sandra Brown www.sandrabrowninteriors.com
Design ideas for a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in San Francisco with white walls, brick floors, a wall-mounted tv and red floor.

September 2015 Fireplace and Built In

AWM Carpentry LLC

Custom Built-in and Fireplace surround
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional enclosed living room in Philadelphia with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

South West London

Blakes London

This is an example of a traditional formal living room in London with purple walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Naperville, IL - Kitchen & Interior Remodel

Design First Builders

Joel Hernandez
This is an example of a mid-sized traditional formal enclosed living room in Chicago with grey walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Olympia Living Room

Charles Martin Custom Homes

Wade Blissard
Inspiration for a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Houston with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Phoenix Custom Media Walls & Niches

Todd Whittaker Drywall Inc.

Going from having a fireplace and a blank slate of wall to work with, TWD designed this custom media wall to meet the homeowners needs. The floating shelving has plenty of dimmable lighting and a TV mount surrounded by stone to add character to this space. #custommediawall #homeimprovement #twdaz

Fireplace Remodel

Natural Valley Recycled Granite

Just the right amount of Natural Valley Recycled Granite split stone tiles installed around the firebox adds texture and depth to the living room.
Inspiration for a small traditional living room in Indianapolis with beige walls, carpet, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a wall-mounted tv.

Big Screen

Grace Dumalac Design

Traditional living room in San Francisco with a standard fireplace and a wall-mounted tv.

Great Room

Claude C. Lapp Architects, LLC

TruPlace
This is an example of a large traditional enclosed living room in DC Metro with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, beige walls and brown floor.

Гостиная-столовая

Орлова Екатерина

Inspiration for a large traditional loft-style living room in Moscow with beige walls, marble floors, a wall-mounted tv, yellow floor, coffered and wallpaper.

Cape Cod Classic

Laplante Construction Inc.

Fireplace is Xtrordinaire “clean face” style with a stacked stone surround and custom built mantel Laplante Construction custom built-ins with nickel gap accent walls and natural white oak shelves Shallow coffered ceiling 4" white oak flooring with natural, water-based finish

Curtains, Blinds, & Bath Designs

Curtains, Blinds, & Bath

This is an example of a mid-sized traditional formal open concept living room in Other with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a brick fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Traditional Living Room Design Photos with a Wall-mounted TV

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.