26 Living Rooms that Put a Unique Spin on What Modern Means

The living room is somewhat of a modern institution. Older estates might have had sitting rooms, drawing rooms, or studies. But the multipurpose living room - a gather spot for families, a cozy area for entertaining, or even just a place to put your feet up - is kind of a new concept. It's not necessarily fussy or fancy, but with the right design it can truly become the heart of a home. Represented here are 26 beautiful living rooms that take this modern space and make it not just welcoming, but beautiful. Have a look.

1 | Designer: Desiron Lizon

Warm colors are just one way to bring that cozy feeling into a living room. Here, it’s pops of a shocking red that contrast the cement bricks and other neutral furnishings for a vibrant, exciting space. If you like the traditional exposed brick look in the living room do check out: 30 Living Rooms With Exposed Brick Walls.

2 | Visualizer: Jean Regauer

Of course, bright colors are not everything. This grey and black design is sleek and sophisticated – it wouldn’t be out of place in a decadent 1980’s movie.

3 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

The plush seating in this living room makes you want to sink right in for an evening of casual, bright conversation.

4 | Visualizer: Hodidu

Adding personal effects like books and artwork give this smaller living room a unique and homey feel.

5 | Visualizer: Lushviz

Grey and turquoise is a combination that is very ‘of the moment.’ This living room uses it subtly for a warm and feminine effect.

6 | Visualizer: Phan Arch

Another neutral option, the geometric pattern on this living room’s accent wall stands out against the calmly colored furnishings.

7 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

In a small space, a living room may have to take on more than one function. Here we see how a narrow room can be a comfortable seating area and a shared home office.

8 | Visualizer: Vic Nguyen

And sometimes decadence is the name of the game. Most of us will never have a grand piano, but if you do you should certainly make it a focal point of a room like it is here, with small, subtle furnishings sinking into the background.

9 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

An open floor plan demands creative use of furniture and decor. Here an area rug and large, heavy pieces keep the living area separate from the foyer.

10 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

Surrounding by glass and stunning views, the last thing this ultra modern living room needs is the obligatory television.

11 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

Low to the ground with a bit of mustard yellow, the furniture in this room screams mid-century.

12 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

The unique coffee table in the center of this spacious and modern living room is a tiny bit retro futuristic. Coupled with the white, grey, and red color scheme you’re almost in the Home of the Future. I wonder if there’s a refrigerator attached to a telephone hidden somewhere in the kitchen.

13 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

This living room does a stylish job of mixing and matching textures from a soft shaggy rug against hard tile to carved wooden ottomans and sleek upholstery. The curvy black floor lamp underlines the black in the decor.

14 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

In this slightly altered version of the previous room, the larger wall art is gone, bringing focus to the beautiful wood paneled wall.

15 | Designer: Mimar Interiors

Pristine white furniture that contrasts with inky dark walls is probably not idea for a family, but is super sleek for the most fashionable couple you know.

16 | Visualizer: Design at Sketch

This artsy loft style with painted wood floors and cute sayings in frames makes you feel like finally getting to work on that novel.

17 | Designer: Moskou

Simple is perfect in this cool grey living room with massive, deep sofas. They make you want to take a nap even when you’re barely out of bed.

18 | Visualizer: Velizar Dimitrov

In a small apartment, the living room is visible from every angle. This stylish sectional and neutral coffee table are unobtrusive.

19 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Coat the walls and ceilings of this modern living room with bamboo skewers and be instantly transported to a weird hipster luau, which sounds ironic.

20 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

At the end of the day, a living room really just needs a place to sit and a coffee table. This simple living room fills those requirements without much fuss, but with a lot of style.

21 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

And in a different look, we have the same flood of natural light and simple furnishings, but this time with massive lighting overhead and a wide open floorplan.

22 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Swap out a camel chair for a tufted version in chocolate brown and you’ll have this version of the same Valkyrie Studio.

23 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Overwhelming white can be a bit sterile, but with the addition of some slick art and plenty of light, this living room feels more elegant than ER.

24 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Another day, another Grand Piano. This lovely living room would have you longing to learn your scales once again.

25 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Japanese-inspired sliding doors keep books and documents hidden away when they’re not needed while allowing for necessary storage space.

26 | Designer: Valkyrie Studio

Any furniture would feel dwarfed by these massive windows, so keeping things simple and comfortable is the right way to go.