Contemporary living room
Large transitional enclosed living room in Sydney with white walls, light hardwood floors, a two-sided fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, brown floor and wallpaper.

Flinders Flair

Let's Talk Kitchens & Interiors

A contemporary holiday home located on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula featuring rammed earth walls, timber lined ceilings and flagstone floors. This home incorporates strong, natural elements and the joinery throughout features custom, stained oak timber cabinetry and natural limestone benchtops. With a nod to the mid century modern era and a balance of natural, warm elements this home displays a uniquely Australian design style. This home is a cocoon like sanctuary for rejuvenation and relaxation with all the modern conveniences one could wish for thoughtfully integrated.

Avant Garde Farmhouse - Axis H1600XXL

Sculpt Fireplace Collection

The Axis H1600XXL is Australia's largest inbuilt wood fireplace. Thanks to the team at Swell Building Group, this stunning unit was included in the design of Lo Laire, located in Merricks, Victoria! A stunning unit, bound to make a designer statement and keep you warm through those chilly Peninsula winters!

Newport Home

Joanne Green Landscape & Interior

Joanne Green Landscape and Interior transformed a dated interior into a relaxed and fresh apartment that embraces the sunlit marine setting of Sydney's Barrenjoey peninsula. The client's brief was to create a layered aesthetic that captures the property's expansive view and amplifies the flow between the interior and exterior spaces. The project included updates to three bedrooms, an ensuite, a bathroom, a kitchen with a butler's pantry, a study nook, a dedicated laundry, and a generous dining and living area. By using thoughtful interior design, the finished space presents a unique, comfortable, and contemporary atmosphere to the waterfront home.

Waterfront Residence in Darien

Thompson Raissis Architects

Design ideas for a large traditional formal open concept living room in New York with a standard fireplace, beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a brick fireplace surround and no tv.

Bloomfield Hills

Allen & James Interior Design

Stephanie James: “Understanding the client’s style preferences, we sought out timeless pieces that also offered a little bling. The room is open to multiple dining and living spaces and the scale of the furnishings by Chaddock, Ambella, Wesley Hall and Mr. Brown and lighting by John Richards and Visual Comfort were very important. The living room area with its vaulted ceilings created a need for dramatic fixtures and furnishings to complement the scale. The mixture of textiles and leather offer comfortable seating options whether for a family gathering or an intimate evening with a book.” Photographer: Michael Blevins Photo

Bears Club 115

Marc Julien Homes

Inspiration for a large mediterranean formal open concept living room in Miami with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, no tv and grey floor.

Modern Living Area

Hull Historical

Design ideas for a large contemporary open concept living room in Dallas with medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace and a stone fireplace surround.

White Christmas

Delphinium Design

Updated living room with white natural stone full-wall fireplace, custom floating mantel, greige built-ins with inset doors and drawers, locally sourced artwork above the mantel, coffered ceilings and refinished hardwood floors in the Ballantyne Country Club neighborhood of Charlotte, NC

Sunken Living Room

Polykrome Design

The balance of textures and color in the living room came together beautifully: stone, oak, chenille, glass, warm and cool colors.
Mid-sized contemporary open concept living room in New York with grey walls, concrete floors, a wood stove, a stone fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and grey floor.

Whole Home Design

Diedre Shaw Interiors

This is an example of a large transitional open concept living room in San Francisco with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, brown floor, a wood fireplace surround and no tv.

Lighting for Living

Ray Lighting Centers

Design ideas for a mid-sized transitional formal living room with white walls, painted wood floors, a standard fireplace, white floor and a stone fireplace surround.

The Lang

Tomahawk Log & Country Homes Inc.

Dan Hoffman
Inspiration for a country formal living room in Other with dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround and a concealed tv.

Arcadia English Residence

Matthew Thomas Architecture, LLC

Photo by Dino Tonn
Inspiration for a traditional living room in Phoenix with beige walls, dark hardwood floors and a standard fireplace.

Mt. Rose

Sierra Sustainable Builders

This is an example of an expansive transitional open concept living room in Other with a standard fireplace, white walls, dark hardwood floors, a plaster fireplace surround, no tv and brown floor.

Antefocus Fire

Diligence International

The first fireplace created by Dominique Imbert in 1967 for his own use. It was the prototype for the Gyrofocus in 1968. Built to order (by hand) and finished in polished raw steel with visible seams each fire is numbered and signed by Dominique 1900mm x 700mm 5.5kw

San Francisco Spaces

Ryan Rosene Photography

Design ideas for a mid-sized beach style enclosed living room in Other with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Royal York Residence

LUX Design | Interior Design Build

LUX Design renovated this living room in Toronto into a dramatic and modern retreat. Complete with a white fireplace created from Callacutta marble able to house a 60" tv with a gas fireplae below this living room makes a statement. Grey built-in lower cabinets with dark walnut wood shelves backed by an antique mirror ad depth to the room and allow for display of interesting accessories and finds. The white coffered ceiling beautifully accents the dark blue / teal tufted couch and a black and white herringbone rug ads a pop of excitement and personality to the space. LUX Interior Design and Renovations Toronto, Calgary, Vancouver.

Harvard Yale

DayHouse Studio

Inspiration for a transitional open concept living room with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Living room with a modern stone fireplace

Walker Architects

A contemporary fireplace sets the tone for a modern, sophisticated conversation living room. Jared Kuzia Photography
Photo of a mid-sized contemporary living room in Boston with medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, white walls and brown floor.

All Fireplaces 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 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.