First impression count as you enter this custom-built Horizon Homes property at Kellyville. The home opens into a stylish entryway, with soaring double height ceilings. It’s often said that the kitchen is the heart of the home. And that’s literally true with this home. With the kitchen in the centre of the ground floor, this home provides ample formal and informal living spaces on the ground floor. At the rear of the house, a rumpus room, living room and dining room overlooking a large alfresco kitchen and dining area make this house the perfect entertainer. It’s functional, too, with a butler’s pantry, and laundry (with outdoor access) leading off the kitchen. There’s also a mudroom – with bespoke joinery – next to the garage. Upstairs is a mezzanine office area and four bedrooms, including a luxurious main suite with dressing room, ensuite and private balcony. Outdoor areas were important to the owners of this knockdown rebuild. While the house is large at almost 454m2, it fills only half the block. That means there’s a generous backyard. A central courtyard provides further outdoor space. Of course, this courtyard – as well as being a gorgeous focal point – has the added advantage of bringing light into the centre of the house.

Villandry Circle

Hills & Grant

Photo: Lisa Petrole

Mendota Fireplace Gallery

Heat 'N Sweep

MIra Remodel

David Henig, Architect

School House Eclectic

Third Coast Interiors

Traditional Living Room

English Cottage Living Room

Maraya Interior Design

Luxurious modern take on a traditional white Italian villa. An entry with a silver domed ceiling, painted moldings in patterns on the walls and mosaic marble flooring create a luxe foyer. Into the formal living room, cool polished Crema Marfil marble tiles contrast with honed carved limestone fireplaces throughout the home, including the outdoor loggia. Ceilings are coffered with white painted crown moldings and beams, or planked, and the dining room has a mirrored ceiling. Bathrooms are white marble tiles and counters, with dark rich wood stains or white painted. The hallway leading into the master bedroom is designed with barrel vaulted ceilings and arched paneled wood stained doors. The master bath and vestibule floor is covered with a carpet of patterned mosaic marbles, and the interior doors to the large walk in master closets are made with leaded glass to let in the light. The master bedroom has dark walnut planked flooring, and a white painted fireplace surround with a white marble hearth. The kitchen features white marbles and white ceramic tile backsplash, white painted cabinetry and a dark stained island with carved molding legs. Next to the kitchen, the bar in the family room has terra cotta colored marble on the backsplash and counter over dark walnut cabinets. Wrought iron staircase leading to the more modern media/family room upstairs. Project Location: North Ranch, Westlake, California. Remodel designed by Maraya Interior Design. From their beautiful resort town of Ojai, they serve clients in Montecito, Hope Ranch, Malibu, Westlake and Calabasas, across the tri-county areas of Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles, south to Hidden Hills- north through Solvang and more. Eclectic Living Room with Asian antiques from the owners' own travels. Deep purple, copper and white chenille fabrics and a handknotted wool rug. Modern art painting by Maraya, Home built by Timothy J. Droney

Interior House Painting

Lund Professional Painters

West Seattle New Build Design

ULLE Studio

Eclectic Brownstone Living Area with Fireplace - Brooklyn, NY

ACM Interiors

The formal living area in this Brooklyn brownstone once had an awful marble fireplace surround that didn't properly reflect the home's provenance. Sheetrock was peeled back to reveal the exposed brick chimney, we sourced a new mantel with dental molding from architectural salvage, and completed the surround with green marble tiles in an offset pattern. The chairs are Mid-Century Modern style and the love seat is custom-made in gray leather. Custom bookshelves and lower storage cabinets were also installed, overseen by antiqued-brass picture lights.

Modern Farm House

UpperTown Homes

Mendota Design Gallery

Mendota Hearth

Mom + Dad's Retreat

Design Harmony

This formal living room is located directly off of the main entry of a traditional style located just outside of Seattle on Mercer Island. Our clients wanted a space where they could entertain, relax and have a space just for mom and dad. The center focus of this space is a custom built table made of reclaimed maple from a bowling lane and reclaimed corbels, both from a local architectural salvage shop. We then worked with a local craftsman to construct the final piece.

Classic Elegant Living Room with Traditional Sofa and Accent Chairs

7 Sisters Interiors

Modern Classic Coastal Living room with an inviting seating arrangement. Classic paisley drapes with iron drapery hardware against Sherwin-Williams Lattice grey paint color SW 7654. Keep it classic - Despite being a thoroughly traditional aesthetic wing back chairs fit perfectly with modern marble table. An Inspiration for a classic living room in San Diego with grey, beige, turquoise, blue colour combination. Sand Kasl Imaging

Newport Beach Residence

Paul Davis Architects

Photograph by Art Gray

Loughton House Open Plan Kitchen, Dining and Living Area

Studio Milne

An open plan kitchen, dining and living area in a family home in Loughton, Essex. The space is calming, serene and Scandinavian in style. The Holte Studio kitchen has timber veneer doors and a mixture of bespoke and IKEA cabinets behind the elm wood fronts. The downdraft hob is BORA, and the kitchen worktops are made from Caeserstone Quartz. The kitchen island has black matte bar stools and Original BTC pendant lights hanging above. The elm dining table and benches was made bespoke by Gavin Coyle Studio and the statement wall lights above are Lampe de Marseille. The chimney breast around the bioethanol fire is clad with tiles from Parkside which have a chamfer to add texture and interest. The cream boucle sofa is by Soho home and armchairs are by Zara Home. The biophilic design included bespoke planting low level dividing walls to create separation between the zones and add some greenery. Garden views can be seen throughout due to the large scale glazing.

Ann Residence

BK Interior Designs LLC

This beautiful living room is the definition of understated elegance. The space is comfortable and inviting, making it the perfect place to relax with your feet up and spend time with family and friends. The existing fireplace was resurfaced with textured large, format concrete-looking tile from Spain. The base was finished with a distressed black tile featuring a metallic sheen. Eight-foot tall sliding doors lead to the back, wrap around deck and allow lots of natural light into the space. The existing sectional and loveseat were incorporated into the new design and work well with the velvet ivory accent chairs. The space has two timeless brass and crystal chandeliers that genuinely elevate the room and draw the eye toward the ten-foot-high tray ceiling with a cove design. The large area rug grounds the seating area in the otherwise large living room. The details in the room have been carefully curated and tie in well with the brass chandeliers.

Potrero Hill House & Studio

Cathie Hong Interiors

This young married couple enlisted our help to update their recently purchased condo into a brighter, open space that reflected their taste. They traveled to Copenhagen at the onset of their trip, and that trip largely influenced the design direction of their home, from the herringbone floors to the Copenhagen-based kitchen cabinetry. We blended their love of European interiors with their Asian heritage and created a soft, minimalist, cozy interior with an emphasis on clean lines and muted palettes.

1200 Sqft 2 Bed/ 2.5 bath Cottage, Saugerties, NY

A. Bollman & Sons.

This custom cottage designed and built by Aaron Bollman is nestled in the Saugerties, NY. Situated in virgin forest at the foot of the Catskill mountains overlooking a babling brook, this hand crafted home both charms and relaxes the senses.

Jupiter 4

Fava Design Group

Living Room Design Photos with a Tile Fireplace Surround and No TV

A living room, often referred to as a lounge room in Australia and New Zealand, is the hub of the home. If you only have one living room in the house, it’s likely to serve multiple purposes: be it a place to watch TV, play games, spend quality time with family or hang out with friends. If you have the luxury of two living areas, one is usually a formal living room or lounge room, reserved for reading, relaxing and entertaining. A successful living room design is inviting, has enough seating for the whole clan – a comfortable couch is a must – and encourages conversation. Browse photos on Houzz for living room layouts, furniture and decor, and strike up a conversation with the interior designers or architects of your favourite picks. For even more living room ideas, check out the Stories section on Houzz.

Which living room layouts will work best for you?

Every living area will have design challenges. A long, narrow lounge room, for example, risks looking like a hallway if furniture is lined up against the walls. Instead, opt for small furniture items, like a cosy two-seater couch, and create various focal points throughout the space. In square living rooms, a symmetrical layout encourages a formal setting. Place seating on either side of the room, with a focal point in the middle to pull the room together. For a truly intimate vibe, replace your couch with some occasional chairs positioned around a coffee table or ottoman. This will make the main focus conversation. An open-plan home – one where the lines are blurred between kitchen, dining and living – may require a layout that focuses on definition. You’ll want to make sure furniture doesn’t block the flow between spaces, and instead use something like an area rug to create zones.

How can you decorate your living room?

The living room can be a place in which to show off your personality, but if you want a timeless living room scheme, stick to neutral walls, couches and ottomans. Colour can be added through accessories, and is a lot more interchangeable! Rugs, cushions and throws are great for adding colour, while mirrors, lamps and ceiling lights will set the mood. Make your living room unique by including family heirlooms and photos. For a polished look, try creating a coffee table vignette – you could use books as pedestals or group items together on a tray. Try adding a vase, a mixture of round and rectangular objects and some books.

What are some small living room ideas?

Small living room designs can be tricky to work with, but aren’t doomed to fail. Often, you just have to get creative with furniture. An open-back chaise can create a sense of spaciousness, while small side tables paired together can substitute a coffee table. Even better, an ottoman can be used as a footrest, coffee table or extra seating. Big furniture items like the couch are best kept in light colours, and if there’s room for a coffee table, a glass-top one is best. If you have two spaces in one – perhaps your living room sits in front of a single-wall kitchen – make sure they are connected by decor, colour and style. For definition, just add area rugs, or use your couch as a dividing wall. It’s worth having a few furniture pieces, whether a bookshelf, couch or entertainment unit, in the same colour as the walls, too, so they blend into the room and visually expand the space.

Is open-plan living for you?

Today’s homes often embrace open-plan living, whereby the living room runs off the kitchen and/or dining areas. Open-plan living allows greater functionality, but can risk creating a vast, soulless space if not done right. To avoid a cavernous feel in an open-plan design, define areas with furniture, rugs and lighting, or consider using a wall divider. Also be sure to keep flooring, lighting and materials consistent throughout, for cohesiveness. Noise may be an issue – someone banging pots and pans while you’re watching TV, for example – so include lots of soft furnishings, such as rugs, curtains and couches to help absorb the noise. You will also need to factor in plenty of storage, so mess is kept at bay.