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To help, we’ve combed through our favorite living rooms from the ELLE DECOR archives to find the sleek spaces that push modernity into its furthest reaches. Think of the list below—with its can’t-miss light fixtures and clever layout ideas—as your 2024 design bucket list. Design team Bill Brockschmidt and Courtney Coleman aimed to preserve the historic architecture of New Orleans' famous Faulkner House Books while instilling a youthful spirit in the living quarters. Aerodynamic Italian chairs in a decadent silk brocade animate the room's existing silk draperies and duck-egg blue paint. The coffee table is covered in a velour textile by Arabel Fabrics.
Layer Patterns and Prints

Mount a single shelf and lean your favorite prints against the wall. The addition of simple draperies and a textured macrame wall hanging help bring a contemporary touch to a Craftsman home. What works in one living room might not work in another; it all comes down to proportions. A wide space like this benefits from larger furniture and oversized accent chairs. "I fell in love with these black windows," Sarah from Arbor & Co. explain. "Styling this home was fun because it had just been remodeled. It's a craftsman home with all modern fixtures. I used a lot of black and white to make the windows pop even more."
Add a Vertical Garden Wall
This living room incorporates a rustic-chic rocking chair with a leather back for a sleek, minimalistic vibe. A mix of both heavy and light furniture (in terms of visual weight) is the way to go, as seen here in this living room designed by Pure Salt Interiors. In small or open concept spaces, sometimes you have to combine your living and eating spaces. Do as Anne Sage did in this home and add a rug to your living space to define that area.
Create a Cozy Spot for Reading
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!). This pastel dream of a living room incorporates rattan bowls/plates as well as live plants. A large-scale tapestry is another great, budget-friendly alternative to a complicated gallery wall. You can usually find them for affordable prices, they add unique texture to your space, and they cover a large surface area.
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. In the same way that a gray scale can evoke the silent films of the past, so can bold colors and graphic prints root you in the present moment. In the living room of a Manhattan townhouse, designer Danielle Colding brought in a royal blue biomorphic sofa and graphic upholstered armchairs that banish any thoughts of the old and fuddy-duddy. This Hollywood Hills home, designed by Studio Mellone, proves you don’t need particularly modern furniture to create a living room; colorful artwork will do just the trick.
Match Your Furniture to the Woodwork
While “modern” and “contemporary” are often treated as synonyms and used interchangeably, there is a technical difference between the terms. Remember that a living room should feel like people actually live there, even if you're going for a more formal look. She helps out with all aspects of print production and is a frequent contributor to elledecor.com. She graduated from university in Paris, and is originally from Costa Rica.

Choose a Colorful Couch
"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." "We layered pretty whites and chalky taupes to create a soft, airy living room in this coastal home," Christina Kim of Christina Kim Interior Design says. "We added soft blue velvet and lots of texture to create this relaxed vibe, natural but polished." Take a cue from Mani Tagba of Afro Bohemian Living and add a window seat to your space. Layer in plenty of pillows and bring in lighting for a spot you'll never tire of.
The rug and upholstered chairs also have similar prints that tie them together. The settee in this room was given a modern update with wild fabric, while neutrals were used to cover the curved vintage sofa and rounded swivel chairs. The brightly colored lamps, art, and fabrics add a punch that keeps this room from being stuffy or staid. In this Richmond, Virginia, home, designer Elly Poston Cooper made sure there was room for everyone. She selected a 20-foot banquette-style sofa for the bay window and covered it with an aubergine velvet performance fabric to minimize wear-and-tear.
37 Powder Room Ideas For A Guest-Worthy Space - Southern Living
37 Powder Room Ideas For A Guest-Worthy Space.
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Use a print to bring color into a neutral space, or pick something that has a cohesive feel and works with the scheme you have going on. We are loving this huge, monochrome print that breaks up a dark wall in this living room. So, why not invest in a couple of statement pieces (that needn't cost a fortune, just look like they do), then build your modern living room around them?
A stacked fieldstone fireplace takes center stage in this family room. Rather than just a sheer wall of stone, the exposed chimney is designed with a central recess for artwork, along with tapered edges on either side, to keep it from appearing too overpowering. Sconces mounted directly to the stone are an attractive way to shed plenty of light on the antique timber mantel.
Pick up one-of-a-kind finds at the flea market or antique store. As you find new collectibles, swap them out as a quick way to change up the look. A sectional sofa covered in a khaki Sunbrella sailcloth floats in the center of this room.
We get that's the minimalist vibe, but what if you have a family of five, that all need a space on the sofa, plus a place to park their drinks, books, and technology? All of a sudden, a very chic, Mid-century, standalone two-seater sofa isn't looking like an overly realistic buy. One thing we've noticed with a lot of 'modern' living rooms you see on Pinterest and Instagram is that they don't always have a lot of furniture in them.
You can actually DIY paneling if your home hasn't got any originals – next weekend project sorted. Not only does a well-decorated living room look great, but it can have an impact on both relaxation and productivity. Whether you're hosting friends, watching TV with family or taking an afternoon nap, the living room is meant to feel inviting and comfortable. Here, we've rounded up gorgeous — yet attainable — living room ideas to pair with every home aesthetic. If you love the look of a airy space but want some pattern, try adding it in a subdued, washed palette. Taupe tile, such as the dragonfly-patterned floor tiles shown here, makes an especially eye-catching foil to shades of white.
Natural lighting takes center stage in this living room with large windows that span the length of the wall. When a living room provides such stellar views, the seating is the most important aspect of the room. Here, there is a custom sectional by Cuellar Upholstery (covered in a Rogers & Goffigon fabric) and a pair of armchairs by Lawson-Fenning. Nod to your home's surroundings with the a natural color scheme using blues and greens, and balance it with hints of red and brown.
Especially with more families working from home, these multi-functional areas are becoming more popular and a priority. Stick to one main accent shade, with a second color used in smaller proportions. Hide as much as you can away in closed living room storage options. Then go through and pick out the treasured things that you want to put on display. If you double-up your lounge as a guest room for overnight visitors, consider investing in a space-saving, game-changer best sleeper sofa also. Take a peek below, and get excited about switching things up and putting some laidback love into your multifunctional space.
Built-in shelves and floating shelves add additional display space. Beautiful baskets can do double duty, hiding away your collection of remotes. These homeowners flanked the hearth with bookshelves, one of which is designed to accommodate the television. In this living area, we established a pretty focal point with a vintage painted secretary that displays a collection of blue books and collectibles. The secretary also provides a spot for note writing and gift-wrap storage.