How To Create Beautiful Living Rooms: Decor Tips

This gallery showcases beautiful living rooms in a variety of design styles. What makes the perfect living room space differs for everyone. However, some of the most important features of a beautiful luxury living room include high-end furnishings, amazing views, an open-plan layout, custom finishes, high ceilings, exposed beams, decorative fireplaces, and hardwood or natural stone flooring. Below are some of the best living room ideas from top interior designers and homeowners.

Living Room Decor Ideas

Designing a living room is not difficult, but most people focus too much on the big items – the living room triumvirate of the sofa, the coffee table, and room lighting – that many other “lesser details” become but a passing thought. In truth, these “lesser details” are a tremendously large part of what defines a living space. As the saying goes, the devil is in the details.

Here are a few lesser-known living room decor ideas for a stylish and comfortable living space in your home.

The Accent Chair – Sofas aren’t the only seating furniture that makes or breaks a living room space. Accent chairs in the form of arm chairs and lounge chairs are important to the overall look of the space. Make sure it either matches or contrasts well with the sofa, along with the other design elements around it. And finally, make sure it is bold enough and stylish enough to qualify as an “accent” piece. Remember, more than just being a place to sit, accent chairs also serve as good enhancers of room aesthetic.

Care about the Cushions – Throw pillows are probably further down the list of design elements most people prioritize, but you can’t deny that they add that extra touch of flavor to the couch and, ultimately, to the living room. Find ones that add pops of color to the space and match the style of your chosen couch. The key is finding throw cushions that serve to spice up the vibe of the living room.

Yes, There’s the Rug – The key to good music is a subtle and yet powerfully present bass line. And seeing as architecture and interior design are just frozen music, that concept also applies with the subtle yet undeniably influential presence of the area rug. A good rug is paramount to any good living room design. It adds character, a pop of pattern and color, and some good texture to the space’s look. In many cases, it also serves as the space’s subtle focal point.

Hanging Artwork – Naked walls can be a good choice at times, but more often than not, adorning your interior partitions with paintings and art is rarely a bad idea. And at times, bare walls just seem unfinished in some ways. You’re not limited to just paintings, either. They could be family photos, accent pieces, and sometimes even sculptures. And you don’t have to worry about filling up your wall right away, either. There’s nothing wrong with building up a collection over time – eventually, it’ll serve as a nice personal timeline of the years you’ve spent in the home.

Books and Beyond – Books need not be just for reading. Literature such as coffee table books are best displayed on living room furniture such as, well, coffee tables. Lining up any living room bookcases or shelves with your family’s collection of books can also really enhance the room itself. Of course, you won’t be expected to fill the entire shelf space of your living room with books. For the empty spaces, you could also add select mantle pieces and ornamental items. In addition to any hung artwork, these subtle decorations add lots of personality to your living room.

The ocean views of the contemporary-design living room shown in the picture above are absolutely priceless. The sliding glass doors are perfect for showcasing this vista and also serve as a smart way to let in some additional light. The wood flooring and wooden beam ceiling, both a warm shade of brown that contrasts with the whiteness of the L-shaped sectional couch and the painted walls and ceilings, add a certain charm to the space.

Layer Lighting for Mood & Function – Combine three tiers of illumination—ambient (overhead), task (reading lamps), and accent (picture lights or LED strip in shelves). Put each on a dimmer so you can dial in movie‑night coziness or bright conversation settings with a fingertip.

Float the Furniture—Don’t Hug the Walls – Pull the sofa and chairs 6‑12 inches off the perimeter (or farther if the room’s generous) and anchor them with an area rug. Even small living rooms feel airier when pieces “float,” and you’ll gain better circulation paths behind seating.

Mind the Sight Lines – When you walk into the space, what’s the first thing you see? Frame that view with a statement console, a dramatic piece of art, or the fireplace surround. Arrange seating so that major traffic flows don’t slice through conversation clusters.

Use the 2:1 Ratio for Pattern Mixing – Pair two large‑scale patterns (e.g., an oversize botanical print on drapes and plaid on a pair of pillows) with one small‑scale motif (tiny herringbone throw). This contrast effect adds some depth without creating visual chaos.

Give the Ceiling Attention – A coffer, subtle dusty‑blue paint, or even simple picture‑frame molding draws the eye up and makes standard 8‑foot ceilings feel loftier. In rooms with beams, emphasize them with a slightly lighter wash to keep the timber prominent yet airy.

Introduce Curves to Soften Rectangles – Coffee tables, ottomans, and side‑chair lines can all bend a little. Arcs break up the boxiness of sofas, area rugs, media cabinets, and the room itself, creating a friendlier flow and echoing the natural shapes of the human body.

Balance Symmetry with Intentional Asymmetry – Twin sofas facing each other provide classic order, but offset them with a single sculptural floor lamp or an odd‑number grouping of pottery on the mantel for lived‑in character.

Control Color Saturation – Keep 60 % of the room in a calm base hue, 30 % in a secondary color, and 10 % in high‑impact accents (pillows, artwork, a lacquered tray). This “60‑30‑10” guideline ensures richness without overwhelm.

Mix Textures for Sensory Appeal – Pair a nubby bouclé sofa with sleek marble side tables and a velvet toss pillow. Contrasting tactile qualities make a monochrome palette feel layered and luxurious.

Plan Proportional Art Placement – Hang artwork so its center sits roughly 57–60 inches from the floor—average eye level—and keep pieces within the width of the furniture they’re above (about two‑thirds the sofa length). Oversized canvases can even rest on the floor and lean casually for loft vibes.

Sneak in Some Hidden Storage – Check out those compartments hidden inside ottomans with lift‑tops, side tables with drawers, or built‑in window seats. Clutter‑free surfaces spotlight your carefully chosen décor and make luxurious finishes shine.

Add a Living Element – A sizable potted fiddle‑leaf fig or a grouping of low‑maintenance snake plants in ceramic cylinders injects organic movement, cleans the air, and completes the room’s visual rhythm.

The blue tinge of the ocean views in this contemporary living room is matched by the stylish minimalist portraits hung on one wall and the flat screen television hung on the opposite wall. The circular chandelier is a unique and eye-catching touch that gives the room some amount of flare. The clean look of the utilized furniture keeps the room feeling nice and inviting.

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