Spacious Modern Living Room Interiors

No matter what size a home, the living room is a meeting place. It's a central location where people can relax, chat, and enjoy each other's company. The living rooms in this post take that idea to another level but do so in many different ways. From plush furnishings to sleek and simple angles, each reflects a designer's vision at every angle.

White walls may seem plain, but here they make the living room bigger and more modern while sparse furniture create an open feeling.

The floor to ceiling windows in this living room makes it feel almost like a luxurious aquarium, looking out on the much larger world.

Although this high-rise apartment is stories above the ground, light wood and linen upholstery make it feel like a beach house in the sky.

Even the most modern living room needs a sofa. This low, white sectional is practical and comfortable without sacrificing style.

The contrast of exposed dark wood and clean white walls give this living room a rustic yet cozy feeling.

The funky, risky upholstery on these large chairs is mismatched, making the living room feel comfortable and bohemian.

Hanging light fixtures at regular intervals ensures this sunny living room feels sunny at every time of day.

Living Rooms With Exposed Brick Walls

Adjoining houses, renovating an old build, or simply stuck for an effortlessly-cool living room design? An exposed brick wall could solve all your problems. Whether you’re after the look of the Mediterranean, cool, relaxed and rustic; or a Scandinavian-inspired, low-key background peopled with bookcases; or an industrial haven perfect for sipping drip coffee amongst fur throws and stove piping, exposed brick is the medium for you. Classic red brick explores warm and tasty segues to the kitchen. Cool grey provides a subtle backdrop for your individual style. Take a peek at our crafted selection of inspirational examples.

Let the outdoors in with these red brick walls, fold-away French doors and simple white couching.

Make your inside seem outside with an exposed brick wall beside a climb-worthy tree. Sculpted wooden furniture and high-ceilinged doors create a natural oasis.

Use two-tone brick in shocking white and natural red. Line books on one side for scholarly interest.

Make the most of a sloping roof with an exposed brick feature wall greeting the eye. A solid white ceiling and black painted floor add dramatic contrast.

Ground your industrial barn in a wall all in brick. This exposed wall winds down the staircase, across the fireplace and into the mood of a modern, semi-circular space.

Make white walls interesting with one in exposed brick. An array of framed artwork tricks the visitor’s eye into conformity – at first glance.

A distressed brick wall need not be painted or smoothed. Let its character shine with dainty crafted décor, like this mustard couch and fanned cane chair.

Add difference to muted colouring with exposed brick walls draped in white chiffon. Interspersed windows break up dark block furniture and open up the room.

Industrial Style Living Room Design: The Essential Guide

Nothing says effortless cool and easy maintenance than an industrial-style living room. Exposed brick walls greet black and white typographic prints, factory windows meet shaggy rugs, and iron piping encounters roughshod wooden floors to create living spaces that look perfectly thrown together. Unleash your inner bookworm by piling your factory ceilings high with books. Inject prim and proper detailing, comfortable couches and beautiful light fixtures into a space lined in concrete. Light a fire in the middle of your living room, housed in copper and glass. Design your own industrial-style interior, by taking a read through our lounge guide.

Make the most of concrete walls, by interspersing them with wood and slate. This many-textured apartment keeps it simple by using only brown, grey, black and green in its colour palette. Camera lights and a wooden runway guide the way in, while longer pendants dangle in the kitchen. A block sofa and wooden-crate coffee table offer a place to relax, while newer crates provide an inbuilt seat opposite. Black, chalkboard-esque textures make the room appear worn and torn, as a projector TV caters to modern needs.

Create a dark and dreamy industrial home decor mood. This high-ceilinged space reverses roles as polished wood lines the ceiling, rough concrete the floor. A soft brown L sofa provides a seat, matching the wooden tones of the bookcase behind. Rows of black shelving add an air of intellectualism, eschewing artwork. Stencilled details in a one-wheel coffee table, rows of lighting and a staircase add finishing touches.

An industrial living room doesn’t have to be brown and grey. This smaller space brings in a dash of lemon, which forms abstracts and a slinking cat in the kitchen. A black quilted couch offers comfort before painted brick in the same hue. Light-wooden floors create warmth amidst concrete and grey, as guests are led to a modern panel fire.

Lucky enough to live in a loft? Use its high factory windows to full effect. Unfinished concrete walls and wooden floors provide an industrial canvas for bold, modern ottomans, sleek grey booth chairs and an eclectic dining table. Elements of cream dot the space in hovering lamps, simple bookcases and dining table ornaments. Paired with white rafters and different-texture rugs, its high windows shine upon a room both industrial and modern.

Want to create two floors, where you only have one? Make like this living room and construct a steel staircase on stilts. Framed by high ceilings of bolted concrete, a spiral staircase winds up to the loot, lit by drop pendants on the way. Low, leather cubby chairs, an abstract gangster dog and simple potted tree finesse the look.

Industrial spaces don’t have to be separate. This lounge, kitchen and bedroom area uses steel, glass and polished wood to create the vibe of a modern factory. Ceiling rafters, couch frames, staircases and kitchen stools mix wood with metal. Through an uncannily-high entrance, the floor reveals large extractor piping, impressive under a runway of glass. A cloister of idea bulbs form a chandelier and edge along the runway, lighting up the space alongside factory windows.

Living Rooms for Book Lovers

Despite living in this digital age of eReaders, nothing compares to the age old experience of thumbing through actual pages, captivated in the familiar scent of paper and ink. Home libraries and reading nooks still hold their popularity because as human beings we just love to be amongst these paper banks of knowledge, adventure and romance. A large home library spanning multiple walls can feel like a big hug around its inhabitant and can hold a lifetime of reading that allows the owner to delve into past pockets of information; a manifestation of their learning and exploration. So, let's explore various styles of living rooms for book lovers…

A perfect place to install a particularly towering library in an open plan living area has got to be around a staircase. The rising treads provide the perfect climb to the top of the tree of knowledge, allowing stops at each shelf along the way. If your staircase at home is of the more traditional variety and space is at a premium, then you could still utilise the unused space beneath it for your book collection.

Our living rooms are a ready made relaxation spot in which to lounge with a good book at the end of a long day, or over a lazy weekend. By moving a sofa just slightly away from the wall, in toward the centre of the room, ample space can be created for the installation of set of bookshelves behind it. Narrow book shelving won’t cause a huge subtraction of floor space from the room. You can soften the look with the placement of some decorative leafy indoor house plantsplant stands for added interest and to differ heights.

A bookcase can even be built to your own bespoke design by specialists. You could create a surround in which to hang your TV, for when you’re done with your reading. Don’t forget to install a librarians ladder for those high spots on your set of unique wall shelves too.