26 Modern Living Rooms Ideas for a Sleek and Inviting Gathering Space
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Some families do everything but sleep in there; other people are constantly entertaining guests who lovingly take over the space. No matter how you use your living room, you deserve one that makes you fall in love with it every time you step through the doorway. So if your love is slowly fading, or if you were simply tolerating your decor before, we've gathered plenty of living room ideas that are sure to leave you feeling positively giddy. Creating living room décor in a modernist vain is a practice in less being more.
Decorate with houseplants
Good lighting can really make a living room so it's worth taking some time to plan what lighting you need in your space and where it's going to work in your layout. There's this tendency when it comes to living rooms to push everything up against walls, stick a DIY coffee table in the middle and make sure everything is angled towards the TV. But we say get more creative than that, pull furniture away from walls, give it some breathing space and you'll usually find it makes the room feel airier. Before we get into all those lovely living room furnishings, let's just focus on the practical stuff quickly like living room layout ideas. Whether you are starting totally from scratch in a new room or want to update your existing space, deciding on a layout can dictate your decor choices. Transform your living area into an experiential space that maxes out all the senses with a projector screen in lieu of a bulky, domineering TV.
What colors are best for a living room?
If neutral schemes make your creative side go to sleep, look to colorful living room ideas to awaken and energize the space. Paying homage to a Bauhaus-inspired palette we love this bold red, yellow and blue scheme made possible with a white bookshelf decorated with a bit of paint, stencils and stickers. Grab a cheap piece of furniture on eBay or acquire something on Facebook Marketplace for a super affordable and thrifty piece of furniture that looks designer. These grand, sophisticated, and even cozy living room ideas are sure to inspire your next living room design project. As you pour over fabric and wall patterns, color palettes, furniture, and more, we hope these pictures from our extensive house tour archives provide all the design inspiration you need.
Go for Patterned Drapery

We asked Patrick O’Donnell, Brand Ambassador at Farrow & Ball for his invaluable advice and the most important part? Mia Reay's English country house is a grand laboratory for exuberant color, wild pattern, and decorating with heirlooms, as illustrated here in the Green Hall, the room the family uses every day. Once a somber dark green, freshly painted paneling (Pea Green by Farrow & Ball) alongside Pierre Frey curtains proves a compelling combination, adding a lightness of spirit. Make waves in your living space with the seacore trend, to create a subtle, nautical feel.
Accent With Wood
Stacks of books and flower arrangements make it feel like a chic console table, while a lamp—conveniently—lights both the desk and those curled up on the couch. If you have hunted for an apartment solo in a pricy metropolitan area like New York, San Francisco, or Miami, you’ll doubtlessly be inured to some all-too-familiar trade-offs. Sign a lease for a place with prewar details and fantastic light?
Paint Open Shelving a Dark Hue
Plants that need low light, things that make you think creative thoughts, and lovely-smelling candles are all great choices. If you have your living room and den side-by-side, letting the same colors flow through both rooms will create a bigger looking space. You can do this with the right décor, furniture, and wall colors. Art like this is simple and elegant, and often costs a lot of money. This piece is sure to inspire your own creative skills — it would be easy to create a similar accent wall hanging with some vintage plates found thrifting.
Boschetti renovated this French Colonial home with an emphasis on layered textures and patterns, including graphic black-and-white prints on the walls and furniture. Natural white oak cabinets and shelving complement a hand-carved wooden light fixture from Thomas Newman. Close off your living room from the rest of the house with a set of sliding doors. We love that these have windows, which creates privacy but still keeps the room feeling light and airy. White walls are never going out of style, but sometimes they can feel a little sterile.
The Difference Between a Family Room and Living Room—Plus, Designer Tips for Styling Them - Martha Stewart
The Difference Between a Family Room and Living Room—Plus, Designer Tips for Styling Them.
Posted: Sat, 27 Apr 2024 18:01:00 GMT [source]
Bonus points for a striking accent wall, which, in the case of Ferrer’s apartment, makes this small office feel like a chic den. Whether you want to revamp your entire living space or add a touch of rustic elegance to a room, this guide is your go-to resource. We'll dive deep into the world of rustic decorating, sharing tips, tricks, and plenty of inspiration to help you achieve the perfect rustic look. From sleek and modern to rustic and traditional, there are countless ways to incorporate dark cabinets.

Create a Reading Nook
Dive into the world of interior design trends and learn how to infuse personality into your space while maintaining a cohesive look. Here, you’ll discover stunning images of well-designed living rooms with gorgeous window treatments, accent pieces, elegant light fixtures, wall art, extra seating, picture ledges, and striking focal points. In this 1940s Georgia home, an addition provided the opportunity to create a showstopping living room. The space is adorned with clean, traditional moldings and a hipped box-beam ceiling set just high enough to wow. What's the point of a sofa if it's pretty but not comfortable enough for watching football?
You have multiple facets to your personality, so why wouldn't you also have multiple tastes in design? Mix and match your favorites to create a space that's uniquely you. Though it seems like this is a mostly white living room, there's more to it than meets the eye. Jennifer Backstein of Jennifer Backstein Interiors mixed warm and cool tones throughout the room to a very comfy result. If you want a more relaxed vibe, go for soft texture, plenty of pillows and throws, and lots of personal touches.
Here the design duo strikes a balance between simple forms and rich colors. 'We love shapes that don't feel overly complicated in the living room, this should really feel like the space in the house where you want to be all day long,' continues Christie. Use design elements like these louvered doors to make private spaces inconspicuous. "We needed a powder room in the part of the house where the living was going to happen, but having bathrooms right off living spaces is a real pet peeve of mine," says architect Chris Sanders.
Why not put in the extra effort for the sake of self-expression through living room décor. Whether you're a surfer or a musician, you can incorporate your favorite hobby in your living room. This string instrument propped up in the corner not only gives you easy access when you're ready to play, but it also serves as décor (and brings your personality into the space!). "My go-to-move is using a large circular mirror anywhere I can put one!" Sarah from Arbor & Co. says. "Most of the time I love to place them above the fireplaces when I style a living room." In this inviting living room, Hong focused on creating a livable space that still brings in plenty of interest by making a point to include contrast.
The family room is also vaulted to reveal the loft space above―yet another way of providing extra volume to a relatively modest space. Washable slipcovers in lighthearted new fabrics perk up old upholstery and give the furniture a longer lifespan. The couple who bought this weekend escape in Pass Christian, Mississippi, knew exactly what style they wanted. They filled their living room with color, bamboo and rattan, beachy things and an eclectic mix of artwork.
In this home, the designer peppered the living room with turquoise and lavender, while in the den (which opens to the main living area), a deeper teal and violet dominate. A pair of whimsical Moroccan-inspired stools upholstered in a striped fabric serves as a coffee table, but can be converted to extra seating in either space. Horizontal wood paneling clads this chimney from floor to ceiling instead of the usual brick or stone.
On the opposite end of the spectrum, this light and bright living room from Light & Dwell evokes a sunny farmhouse vibe. As the home is in the Pacific Northwest, designer Molly Kidd brought in earthy greens to mimic the natural surroundings. Take a cue from Atlanta design duo Forbes Masters the next time you're thinking of mixing patterns. The team blended small motifs like herringbone with a more organic watercolor print of the rug with a larger mudcloth pattern on the pillow. "This cozy spot is nestled among trees in the Pacific Northwest," Cathie Hong of Cathie Hong Interiors explains. "We really embraced the existing warm gray walls and wood trim and layered in soft blush tones, creams, and some black for contrast."
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