45 Refined Living Room Ideas to Dress Up Your Gathering Space
Whether you’re craving color, sleekness, or Old World elegance, these expert tips will turn any living room up a notch
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The hearth of the home may be its coziest spot, but it’s also one of the most challenging to decorate—if you’re scouring for living room ideas, you’ve come to the right place. To inspire your living room makeover (or even just a light living room refresh), we’ve rounded up a selection of elegant AD-featured living spaces, along with some new inspiration shared by designers from coast to coast. From small space ingenuity to sleek modernism, these stunning spots are sure to spark some ideas for your next remodel.
Photo: Jeff Herr1/45Opt for a statement sofa
Atlanta-based interior designer Laura Jenkins designed this 1920s living room around a pink sofa, which was itself selected to complement the rustic coffee table. “People are afraid to go bold with their sofa but this is a really fun way to add color to your space,” she says. Meanwhile, an eye-catching textile from Aloka Home ties the color palette together.
Photo: Jessica Isaac2/45Aim for warm minimalism
Sometimes minimalist interiors can read as cold and uninviting, but in this sitting room, Cleo Murnane of the LA-based Studio Murnane opted to soften stark Roman clay walls with a warm but tranquil “European hotel” design style—complete with a Pierre Augustin Rose sofa. A custom fireplace carved from Italian viola subverts the traditional white wood frame.
Photo: Nick Johnson3/45Set aside smaller spaces for gathering
Consider the living room vibe you’re aiming for: Perhaps what you want is not one centralized living space, but several sections that lend themselves to mingling in smaller groups. Eschewing conventional layouts, the team at Chicago interior design firm James Thomas included a sophisticated salon seating area in this home opposite a long banquette lining one wall. AD PRO designer and firm co-founder James Dolenc says it’s “thoughtfully divided into intimate areas that encourage cocktail gatherings and conversation.”
Photo: Genevieve Garruppo4/45Tap into a theme
New York–based interior designer and AD PRO Directory member Paris Forino crafted this living area around a theme that honors her client’s love of art and music. Take the Lobmeyer chandelier, the same as those featured in the Lincoln Center’s Metropolitan Opera House, or the grand piano and violin on display as tasteful nods to the same creative motif.
Photo: Jeff Herr5/45Lean into folksy charm
A gallery wall of folk art infuses warmth and color into this family room Jenkins designed, while bold accent chairs and a carved bald eagle sculpture break up the more subdued furniture pieces in the seating area. The result? “A personal, warm, and inviting space large enough for entertaining but intimate enough for family movie nights,” says Jenkins.
Photo: Genevieve Garruppo6/45Play up contrasts
Variety may be the spice of life, but balance is the key to preventing chaos in your living room decor. When designing this space in an Upper West Side town house, Forino juxtaposed different forms, textures, and furnishings to add some dimension. A bold sculptural chandelier by Apparatus Studio mingles with the prewar details of the fireplace, and soft velvet and mohair upholstery complement the glossy sconces on the walls.
Photo: Trevor Tondro7/45Let your wall art do the talking
If you have lots of art to display, consider setting an elevated scene in your living room with “gallery-like allure,” as James Thomas did in this Beverly Hills home. The firm drew attention to the homeowner’s impressive contemporary art collection with design features like the soft white of the walls, which allows the bold abstract canvas pictured here to pop.
Photo: Genevieve Garruppo8/45Revel in cozy textures
Since the living room is a space for gathering and relaxation, incorporating soft textures will make it feel that much cozier. In this family area, Forino focused on creating a sense of warmth through color and comfortable elements that would welcome people into the room, from “the deep sofa upholstered in a rusty maroon shade of rich mohair” to the plush shag rug underfoot.
Photo: Genevieve Garruppo9/45Bathe the room in calming neutrals
Forino designed this living room for adults to mingle, so a sophisticated palette of tasteful neutrals perfectly served the tranquil intended atmosphere. “The color scheme is neutral and monochromatic while keeping the throughline of warm tones,” she explains.
Photo: Carmel Brantley10/45Add colorful accents
In the former living room of Palm Beach, Florida–based designer Caitlin Kah, the color scheme was built around the space’s featured art, with throw pillows and accessories curated specifically to complement the abstract work’s palette. “I implemented a soft top ottoman that’s a great piece to put your feet up on when you have young children,” she says.
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Photo: Jeff Herr11/45Reach into your personal archive
“Given my love of books and magazines, my collections fill the room and bring me great joy,” Jenkins says of her living room. The seating and coffee table, all from different eras, reflect her love for vintage pieces, while elements like the tall conical pendant and area rug lend some warmth to the white walls.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn12/45Get historical
Architect Lee Ledbetter renovated a landmark 1963 house in New Orleans to share with his partner, Douglas Meffert. Surrounding the custom-made cocktail table in the living room are a pair of Harvey Probber brass armchairs upholstered in a KnollTextiles fabric, two Louis XVI–style fauteuils in a Holly Hunt leather, a vintage T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings chair in a Zoffany stripe, and a vintage Florence Knoll sofa in a KnollTextiles Ultrasuede. A large mixed-media artwork by Robert Helmer hangs on the brick wall, which is painted in Benjamin Moore’s Decorator’s White.
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Photo: François Dischinger13/45Weave in unexpected showstoppers
Designer Sara Story restored a Victorian home in Snedens Landing, New York with a sense of whimsy via color and pattern. An artwork by Sterling Ruby and a zebra hide add pizzazz to the living room.
Photo: Douglas Friedman14/45Pick a refined palette
With the help of architect Eric Ryder, designer Brigette Romanek renovated a historic Laurel Canyon home for her family. The living room, which boasts an elegantly muted color scheme, is outfitted with a pair of Marco Zanuso lounge chairs from Eccola, a Blackman Cruz console (left), and a Hans Wegner chaise longue.
Photo: Richard Powers15/45Play with mirrors
What appears to be a gilt-framed mirror in Timothy Corrigan’s Paris apartment is actually a window aligned with two mirrors, one in the living room and one in the dining room beyond. Corrigan highlighted the ingenious hall-of-mirrors illusion by installing matching Napoléon III chandeliers in the two rooms. The armchairs and the curtain and sofa fabrics are all from Schumacher’s Timothy Corrigan Collection; the stools are vintage Jansen, and the carpet is a Corrigan design for Patterson Flynn Martin.
Photo: Miguel Flores-Vianna16/45Divide with carpets
The heart of the Allegra Hicks’s Naples, Italy, apartment is a long, high-ceilinged room divided into living and dining areas, each anchored by carpets designed by Hicks. The designer also created the Roman shade fabric, the cut velvet on the wood-framed Jindrich Halabala armchairs, and the butterfly specimen table at right.
Photo: Roger Davies17/45Add some antiques
Architect Jorge Elias filled his 17,000-square-foot home in the Jardim Europa neighborhood of São Paulo with extraordinary antiques and images. An 18th-century Russian chandelier, vintage velvet sofas, Louis XV fauteuils, a gold-leafed Hand chair by Pedro Friedeberg, and artworks by Serge Poliakoff and Fernand Léger are among the eclectic mix in the living room.
Photo: Douglas Friedman18/45Select statement lighting
The former Manhattan living room of designers Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brent features circa-1970 Georges Pelletier ceramic lights above a vintage sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, a ’70s Jansen brass cocktail table, and a French steel low table; the vide-poche table in the foreground is a ’50s design by Jacques Adnet, and the windows are dressed with curtains and rods by RH and tassels found at a market in Thailand.
Photo: Björn Wallander19/45Get into gilded accents
In Pedro Espírito Santo’s frescoed Lisbon salon, an 1860s Orientalist painting is flanked by foil bouquets. The gilt-wood fauteuil is antique and the needlepoint carpet was custom made.
Photo: Oberto Gili20/45Go monochromatic with your furnishings
The brown and beige furnishings in the Hamptons home of David Kleinberg ground the space while the white of the vaulted ceiling above makes it feel even airier. Two Richard Serra prints flank the doorway, one displayed over a mahogany cabinet by Paul László. The photograph in the hall is by Alejandra Laviada. Twin French Art Deco zebrawood side tables are joined by Art Deco armchairs covered in a Rogers & Goffigon fabric; the upholstery throughout the house was done by Anthony Lawrence-Belfair, the throw is from Homenature, and the raffia rug is by La Manufacture Cogolin.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn21/45Design around your view
Seating is arranged to face the windowed wall in the Nashville living room of interior designer Ray Booth and television executive John Shea. Roust, one of their two Siamese cats, strikes a noble pose next to a Minotti chaise longue. A Christophe Delcourt floor lamp and a Robert Lighton side table flank the sofa, also by Minotti; the carpet is by Stephanie Odegard Collection.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn22/45Float some shelves
At the Montauk, New York, home of designers Vicente Wolf and Matthew Yee, framed photographs from Wolf’s collection—including images by Louise Dahl-Wolfe, Edward Steichen, and André Kertész—line the shelves above the living room’s sectional sofa, which is upholstered in a Janus et Cie fabric.
Photo: Ricardo Labougle23/45Work in a punchy wallpaper
Lorenzo Castillo accented the drawing room of his Spanish retreat with a wallpaper from his collection for Gastón y Daniela; the vintage cabinet-on-chest is by Pierre Lottier. The Castillo-designed armchair at left is clad in a Designers Guild velvet, 1970s patchworks hang above the suede sofa, and the vintage cocktail tables were found at Paris’s Marché Paul Bert.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn24/45Go big with artwork
In Holly Hunt’s Chicago apartment, a massive Helen Frankenthaler canvas faces a Louise Nevelson sculptural work across the living room. At center, a Holly Hunt Studio cocktail table topped with a John Chamberlain sculpture joins a Holly Hunt leather sofa cushioned in a Great Plains velvet and a pair of Paul Mathieu chairs upholstered in an Edelman leather; the floor lamps are by Christian Liaigre, the Tristan Auer ottomans are in a Kyle Bunting leather, and the rug is by Christian Astuguevieille. A custom-made Vladimir Kagan sectional sofa in a Great Plains wool nestles in the bay window.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn25/45Mix eras with your decor
In AD100 interior designer Muriel Brandolini’s eclectic Manhattan town house, a piece by contemporary artist George Condo is displayed above a midcentury Italian sofa; the cocktail table is by Mattia Bonetti, the vintage light fixture is by Gerrit Rietveld, and the oval portrait is of Muriel’s husband, Count Nuno Brandolini, as a child.
Photo: Ngoc Minh Ngo26/45Add metallic accents
A sculptural staircase framed in polished chrome catches the eye in late AD100 interior designer Alberto Pinto’s Rio de Janeiro apartment, which was renovated by architect Thiago Bernardes. Pinto designed the sofa, the painting is by Nancy Graves, and the armless chairs are by William Haines.
Photo: Thomas Loof27/45Color drench
Inside a glass tower overlooking the Manhattan skyline, Todd Alexander Romano created a high-impact design for his 600-square-foot studio. Inspired by the bold color choices of legendary decorator Billy Baldwin, the designer lacquered the walls and upholstered the custom-made sofa in midnight-blue. Prints by Robert Goodnough and Josef Albers add a vibrant contrast.
Photo: William Waldron28/45Try a traditional look
In a Hamptons living room painted in Benjamin Moore's Linen White, 19th-century gilded stools are placed next to sofas upholstered in a Clarence House fabric, with pillows of a silk velvet from Le Décor Français; a Charles Arnoldi ink drawing surmounts the fireplace, and the curtains are of a Larsen fabric.
Photo: Björn Wallander29/45Don’t be afraid to mix patterns
AD100 decorator Michael S. Smith was inspired by 18th-century France in imagining the elegant Manhattan duplex he shares with HBO executive James Costos. The walls display an Ellsworth Kelly lithograph and an antique overmantel mirror, while Louis XV–style canapés, a Jansen sofa, and Louis XVI–style gilt-wood fauteuils mingle with a Chinese low table and Japanese lacquer robe chests. The decorative woodwork is by Féau & Cie.
Photo: Tim Beddow30/45Amp up the drama with dark walls
Design team Paolo Moschino and Philip Vergeylen revamped a flat near London’s Victoria station, keeping only the original 19th-century cornices and the oak parquet floor. A pair of brass bookshelves inspired by a Billy Baldwin design for Cole Porter flank a work on paper by Jean Cocteau. The vintage console is by Jansen, and the sofa is by Moschino’s firm, Nicholas Haslam.
Photo: Tim Beddow31/45Source inspiration from around the globe
Russian architect Dmitry Velikovsky created a refined yet exotic look for his Moscow penthouse, whose living room features an antique gilt-wood sofa, a Senegalese armchair, and an 18th-century samurai chair; a painting by Viktor Pivovarov hangs above the fireplace, and a Picasso etching leans against the bookshelf.
Photo: Roger Davies32/45Soften a stark space with natural details
At his modern Los Angeles getaway, AD100 architect and designer Daniel Romualdez introduced a fur rug, a reclaimed wood cocktail table by André Joyau, and a pair of John Dickinson lamps to help soften the sleek white space. A painting by Sarah Morris hangs on the far wall, the print above the fireplace is by Christopher Bucklow, and the acrylic armchairs are by Paul Rudolph.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn33/45Understand your preferred undertones
In Atlanta, AD100 decorator Suzanne Kasler renovated her Regency-style house with the help of architectural designers William T. Baker & Assoc. She employed a soothing palette of cream, beige, and white for the living room. “I like colors with a gray undertone,” she said. The velvet sofa is from Kasler’s line for Hickory Chair, the acrylic tables and curtain fabric are by Nancy Corzine, and the rug is by Beauvais Carpets.
Photo: Pieter Estersohn34/45Showcase a statement scupture
A stainless-steel wall sculpture by Octavio Abúndez hangs in the living room of Nate Berkus’s former duplex in Manhattan’s Greenwich Village, and the Gilbert Poillerat chairs are upholstered in a Clarence House linen. Berkus furnished the apartment in the 19th-century building with pieces he had collected over the years, including many furnishings from his previous home in Chicago.
Photo: Roger Davies35/45Go big with a fantasia of color
Brazilian architect and designer Sig Bergamin crafted a vibrant living room in the São Paulo home he shares with architect Murilo Lomas. Murano-glass vessels are displayed on either side of a Vik Muniz painting, and the sofas are covered in a Rubelli velvet.
Photo: Nick Glimenakis36/45Set a sun-kissed tone with warm colors
When designing this East Hampton living room, AD PRO directory member Emma Beryl Kemper, the founder of Emma Beryl Interiors, wanted to make the space feel “beachy without being too literal.” To achieve that atmosphere, she expertly embraced a trending color. “We created a focal point with the butter yellow limewash on the fireplace wall that instantly made the space feel sun-kissed,” she says. “The result was a laid-back, personality-filled living room that reflected the spirit of its owners: relaxed, vibrant, and unexpected.”
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Photo: Kris Shopov37/45Frame the view
AD PRO directory member Melissa Fields, the founder of Shades of Gray Design Studio, gave a client’s living room the “high-end resort feel they desired” by painting the walls Benjamin Moore Super White and strategically selecting curved furnishings “to break up all of the straight lines in the fireplace, beams and windows.” The lack of drapery is intentional, allowing the view of the backyard to become the room’s focal point, Fields explains.
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Photo: Rebecca McAlpin38/45Jazz it up with jewel tones
When working with a client who preferred white walls but wasn’t completely afraid of color, AD PRO directory member Michelle Gage chose to adorn the ceiling with blush-pink paint. She also wove in plenty of vibrant seating and artwork. “The jewel-toned velvet furnishings add some luxe interest to the space while balanced against this softer [pink] hue,” the Michelle Gage Interiors founder says.
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Photo: Kirsten Francis39/45Design around your existing pieces
AD PRO directory designer Kerri Pilchik mastered the art of sophisticated pattern mixing when designing this New York living room, ensuring that the homeowner’s existing pieces still played a key role in the new space. “The client already had the rug and the floral desk chair, so any additional patterns had to work with them,” says the Kerri Pilchik Design founder. To make sure everything gelled, she selected a mix of other floral pieces, as well as a sofa fabric that complements the wall paint for a color-drenching moment.
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg40/45Stick with statement lighting
Don’t underestimate the power an intricate light fixture can have in adding major intrigue to your living room. “This room was designed to feel both grounded and glamorous, with rich textures, quiet color, and a touch of irreverence,” says AD PRO directory member Sara Swabb, the founder of Storie Collective. “Instead of a central fixture, we suspended a series of alabaster orb pendants on draped antique brass chains, creating a sculptural rhythm that echoes the geometry of the ceiling.”
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Photo: Dustin Peck41/45Stay grounded with earth tones and layered textures
Liz Goldberg skillfully mixed a variety of textures when designing this living space that features warm neutrals and earth tones. “We think of materials much like patterns: They add interest and depth when thoughtfully combined,” says the founder of CarolynLeona. “Find your palette and stay true to it; then push the boundaries with varying shades and layered textures that speak to one another. That’s where the magic happens!”
Photo: Bess Friday42/45Create distinct seating areas
When designing a long, narrow living room, Becky Nielsen Filipski decided to make the most of the obscure layout and carve out two distinct seating areas, with one cozied up to the fireplace. “Two arm chairs and one sofa provide a lovely place to sit and read or enjoy the fire,” the designer says. The other sofa faces the dining room and doubles as a pre-dinner lounge spot. “We added a writing table and a small chair to act like a bar and place to sit,” says the founder of Becky Nielsen Interiors.
Photo: Stacy Zarin Goldberg43/45Blend contemporary and traditional vibes
In this living room, fusing contemporary and traditional design was the name of the game for designer Erica Burns, who paired classic artwork and hurricane-style sconces with curved, playful furniture. “Our vision was to bring a modern approach to a historic home by layering pieces both old and new, with an eclectic palette of color and textures,” the Erica Burns Interiors founder tells AD.
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Photo: Brian Wetzel44/45Embrace moodiness
AD PRO directory member and Vestige Home founder Nicole Cole went moody in this transitional living room. The designer crafted a space that featured plenty of pops of her client’s favorite color, blue. “We played with a blue-on-blue two-tone look in this space to embrace the existing wainscoting in the room, but give it more of a modern feel,” she says. “A soft rug in blue and cream tones grounds the room and provides an interesting contrasting pattern to the floral on the chairs,” which Cole had recovered in a stylish verdure fabric.
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Photo: Emily Gilbert45/45Keep it light and airy
AD PRO directory member Colleen Simonds loves how this Naples, Florida, project “truly captures indoor-outdoor living,” with the living room opening up to the pool area in the backyard. “I wanted to add warmth with the furnishings but still keep things light and not resort to just a blue-and-white or two-color palette,” says the Colleen Simonds Design founder. She skipped a hanging overhead light fixture to emphasize openness and let the space breathe.
Frequently asked questions
How should people approach designing a living room?
To avoid decision fatigue in figuring out the living room ideas that work for you, Jenkins offers her best advice: “Start with one decision first and build around that.” That could mean using a colorful sofa or piece of art as your design jumping off point, or making more practical calls around lighting. “If there is beautiful natural light, we lean into lighter walls and bring in color through the fabrics and art,” she adds as an example.
Another factor to consider is what kinds of artwork to layer into your space. Both Murnane and Dolenc note that they aim to avoid furnishings and art that feel too matchy-matchy; instead, they advise letting each decorative item speak for itself individually. In one of Dolenc’s residential projects, he recalls specifically avoiding design choices that felt too intentionally cohesive. “We arranged the artwork after designing the interiors so nothing seemed too perfectly paired,” he says.
And if you’re designing a small rental or space that you know won’t be your forever home, follow the instincts of Kah. In her last house, she kept all of the upholstery neutral so it would work in future spaces.
How do you pick a living room color scheme?
Selecting paint colors for your living room can feel daunting, but Jenkins recommends considering how each element will interact with the others, from the window treatments to the large showpiece furnishings. “Think about how color travels from one room to another,” she suggests. “And don’t be afraid to go for color, whether that’s painting the wood trim the same color as the walls or keeping your walls neutral and painting the trim a contrasting color.”
