70+ LIVING ROOM IDEAS THAT OFFER ENDLESS INSPIRATION

2022.03.04

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Contrary to popular belief, there’s a lot more to a living room than a soft sofa or an impressive entertaining setup. As one of the most trafficked areas of the house—one that can be rivaled only by the kitchen—a living room offers a unique look at a dweller’s design aesthetic. Since the living room is the backdrop for cozy nights in and intimate happy hours, it’s important that it has the right ambience to match.

 

But, as the saying goes, beauty lies in the eye of the beholder—and this common area is no exception. Whether you want to keep your decor minimalist, experiment with a statement-making light fixture, or incorporate a bold color palette, there is no one way to decorate a living room. To help you find inspiration that matches your taste, we combed through the ELLE DECOR archives to highlight the very best living room ideas. The list below has something for everyone, from a shape-shifting space in West Vancouver to a tropical retreat in Boca Raton. So no matter which scheme, style, or layout you’ve gravitated toward, this roundup proves that a little bit of creativity and thoughtful planning can go a long way.

 

1
DEPTH-DEFYING MILAN LIVING ROOM

 

 

Milanese architect and designer Hannes Peer took this Italian living area to new heights—literally—by drawing inspiration from the Alps. The low-slung furniture—which includes a brown leather couch from B&B Italia and a vintage daybed—deftly balances out the high, slatted wood accents.

 

2
MAXIMALIST CHICAGO LIVING ROOM
summer thornton  elle decor

 

Anyone who has a more-is-more aesthetic will find a lot to love about this zesty prewar apartment in Chicago. Designer Summer Thornton doubled down on boldness with jewel-toned seating, a pair of pendants from Urban Electric Co., and a sweet wallcovering by de Gournay.

 

3
MOODY NEW YORK LIVING ROOM
minimalist living space with dark brown leather sofa with a oblong velvet pouf beneath a small table in front a light washed stool and modern chairs a large white and red canvas sits in the center of the wall opposite

 

 

This Upper West Side apartment single-handedly proves that the dark side has plenty of perks. Designer Kevin Dumais created a space that’s equal parts handsome and homey with a plethora of textures. The suede wallpaper by Holly Hunt, custom ottoman, and Daniel Wenger lounge chair give this space the tactile treatment.

 

4
FUN FRENCH LIVING ROOM
salon

 

Craving some much-needed pops of color? Take a cue from lighting designer Marie-Lise Féry’s French abode. Swathed in Farrow & Ball’s Blue Gray, this room features a velvet Christophe Delcourt sectional and candy-coated Magic Circus Éditions lamp, offering a grown-up take on a rainbow palette.

 

5
A LIVING ROOM WITH SEATING A-PLENTY
living room

 

 

As this Hollywood Hills living room—which was designed by firm Nickey Kehoe for Suzanne Goin—proves, you can never have too many seats. This Spanish-style space pairs the original Douglas fir-beamed ceiling with a cornucopia of sofas and armchairs, all of which are from the designers.

 

6
PATTERN-PACKED PALM BEACH LIVING ROOM
blue patterned living room with sofa and large ottomans

 

 

Embrace your bold streak with strategically placed patterns. In this Palm Beach villa, Mark D. Sikes turned this living room into a delightfully whimsical retreat with a hypnotic array of prints. But since each repeat boasts a similar blue-and-white scheme, the room is eye-catching, not over-the-top.

 

7
CINEMATIC LIVING ROOM
media room

 

 

If movie nights in are your top priority, you’ll love this space that Kovac Design Studio created for Hollywood agent Todd Feldman. The spacious great room boasts a custom motorized screen, creating a floating home theater. A sectional by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, RH, Restoration Hardware cocktail table, and a rug from Armadillo make this the perfect place to Netflix and chill.

 

8
ST. PETERSBURG LIVING ROOM
living room

 

 

Looking for a red-hot living room idea? Consider making the fireplace the focal point of the room—just as Tim Veresnovsky did in this St. Petersburg apartment. The oak-paneled hearth is flanked by a Sergei Khrabrovsky sofa, vintage leather armchair, and Zara Home side table.

 

9
TROPICAL LIVING ROOM

 

half moon sofa in a green velvet and a flowered print on the back and faces floor to ceiling windows leading to a terrace with a round table overlooking the water   a rattan coffee table is in the center

 

Make your living room feel like an otherworldly oasis, just as Fawn Galli did in this Boca Raton retreat. From a rattan cocktail table by India Mahdavi to a half-moon shape Lejeune sofa—which is swathed in Dedar velvet and Scalamandre’s Maquis Tapestry Agave repeat—this space offers vacation vibes around the clock.

 

10
SHAPE-SHIFTING LIVING ROOM

 

plaid fox vancouver house tour

 

For a pared-back way to make your living room pop, play with different shapes. When decorating this Vancouver pad for a mother-daughter duo, PlaidFox’s Ben Leavitt featured an angular, 1970s-inspired chimney breast in red- and pink-toned Mutina tiles. Rounding out the room is a custom curvaceous couch and leather ottoman from Moroso.