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85 Beautiful Living Room Ideas and Designs to Update Your Space in No Time

Decorating tricks, furniture layouts and attractive color palettes to inspire your next transformation.

By Monique Valeris and Mariah Thomas

Updated: Dec 8, 2022

Lincoln Barbour

Whether you barely have room for a loveseat or regularly host dozens for movie night, the living room is one of the hardest-working spaces in your home. It's where you sit down with family, host guests, read a book and more, so it's only natural that you'd want it to be as comfortable and inviting as possible. That's why this collection of fresh living room ideas will come in handy as you decorate.

No matter your decorating style — from midcentury to farmhouse, modern to minimal — we have you covered. After choosing the best paint colors for the space (it's okay to pick a trendy paint hue too!), you can revamp the area with a wide range of architectural features and smart decorating choices. Add exposed wood beams to high ceilings, build custom shelves for color-coded books, or make the fireplace your focal point with brick or stone. You'll also find inspiration for decorating with statement rugs, which can define areas within a room and add a pop of color to an overly neutral layout.

Overall, these living room ideas are budget-friendly and easy to recreate on your own. And since decorating is all about having fun, we've peppered in some of the top interior design trends of the year that can do wonders for a living room.

living room ideas, eclectic wall art above grey couch

Aimée Mazzenga

Vintage-Inspired Gallery Wall

A living room is the perfect place to show off vintage finds and unique family heirlooms that have been collected over time. Make your arrangement of paintings and curios stand out even more by going for a dark-colored backdrop. Designer Alexandra Kaehler chose a deep green shade for this basement clubhouse.

SHOP BENJAMIN MOORE'S ESSEX GREEN

Phil Crozier

Classic Navy Blue and White

Go for a timeless blend of white and navy hues to pull a living room together. Here, Reena Sotropa In House Design Group paired elegant navy seating with crisp white walls and patterned curtains for contrast.

Bless'er House

Picture Frame TV

What's more unique than a TV that doubles as decor? Swapping your old television for a Samsung Frame TV allows you to display stunning artwork on screen. Plus, it's easy to replace images to keep them on theme with the room's ever-changing design.

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Brittany Ambridge/OTTO

Tray Ceiling

Don't forget the "fifth" wall! This New York City apartment, crafted by Kati Curtis Design, features a tray ceiling that beautifully accentuates the Sputnik globe chandelier and adds depth to the layout. What's more, the mix of light and dark hues create a striking 3D effect.

SHOP CHANDELIER

living room ideas, room with a custom bookcase styled with color coded books

Sinan Tuncay

Color-Coded Wall Bookcase

If you have an ever-growing book collection, put it on full display! The best spot? Framing the television. Arditi Design added a navy blue custom bookcase to this inviting living room. The color-coded books and matching accessories make it the room's focal point.

living room ideas, eclectic home with graphic wallpaper and rattan storage cabinet

Sara Essex Bradley

Dynamic Patterns

Don't be afraid to make a living room pop with dynamic patterns and colors. This lively setup feels like a work of art, thanks to the graphic green and yellow wallpaper, cane storage cabinet, floral upholstered chairs and that chandelier!

living room ideas with a daybed by the window

Benjamin Moore

Add Comfort with a Daybed

Making the most of every inch is key for designing smaller spaces. A built-in daybed — complete with drawers — creates extra seating with a view, along with a place to read and lounge in style.

SHOP BENJAMIN MOORE'S MAN ON THE MOON

living room ideas, room with white walls, coastal rug, white couch and tv

Jill Weller

Design a Cheerful Playroom

Alice Arterberry and Barrett Cooke of Arterberry Cooke Architecture designed this living room in an airy Pasadena, CA, pool house. The hints of yellow, alongside white tones, add a dose of cheer to the design scheme.

living room ideas, living room with forest green walls, a white chair and mirror with greenery

Laurie Kilgore Photography

Elevate With Green

Greenery never fails to bring a room to life. Designed by Stephanie Stroud Interiors, this stylish setup features a dark grass color, which charmingly highlights the gold decor and light furniture in the room.

Troy Thies

Rotating Bookshelf

Can't decide where to put your TV and bookshelves? Martha O'Hara Interiors designed this white space with a custom rotating cabinet that holds the screen as well as shelving for decorative finds. It's a brilliant arrangement for switching up the living room's theme from season to season.

living room ideas green and white striped walls in a room with art and a sofa

Stephen Karlisch

Green and White Stripes

Unsure of how to spruce up your living room walls? Give them a cool yet eye-catching contrast with green and white stripes. Tori Rubinson Interiors amped up the coastal vibe by choosing framed nautical art, paired with woven lighting and storage baskets.

living room ideas, living room with red patterned wallpaper a white couch and striped rug

One Kings Lane

Shades of Red

If you love the color red, but you can't choose which design will suit the walls, rug or overall look, don't stick to one pattern. Pick a red-and-white striped rug and use red-flowered wallpaper to complement the look.

living room ideas, living room with large windows and a brick fireplace

Justin Krug

Luxe Aesthetic

This beautiful living room features hardwood floors, a luxurious fireplace and a large set of windows with views of lush greenery. Implement some of these style elements to give your area a timeless feel.

living room ideas, living room with blue bean bags and orange pillows

Paul Versluis

Entertainment Section

Similar to how designer Tamara Day styled this sitting area, you can add bean bags instead of regular seating to turn the space into the perfect game room or entertainment setting for kids and guests.

SHOP BEAN BAGS

Stacy Zarin Goldberg

Rattan Hanging Chair

Adding a rattan hanging chair is a functional, unexpected addition to an interior. Hang one in any corner of the room where you or guests can casually lounge or read.

SHOP HANGING RATTAN CHAIR

living room ideas, modern and rustic living room with wood beam ceilings

Hulya Kolabas

Rustic-Modern

Transform your area with a rustic-modern appeal using wood beam ceilings, a stone fireplace and crisp white slipcovered furniture.

living room ideas, living room with red walls and lampshades

Eric Piasecki/Otto

Match Walls to Furniture

Whether you want to create a moody, bright or minimalist feel in your living room, match the color of the walls to your furniture. This will pull the room together in a seamless and unique way.

Rachel Whiting

Green Couch

When in doubt, choose the color you love the most and use it everywhere, from your furniture to your window treatments.

living room ideas, living room with a pink couch

Silke Zander Getty Images/Picture Press RM

Pretty in Pink

Pink is said to symbolize love. Bring a light and loving atmosphere that your guests will enjoy with pink furniture and walls. Use a lighter shade for the walls and a darker hue for the couches, stools and tables.

living room ideas, living room with a brick fireplace as a woman watches a boy by the couches

Mike Garten

Statement Fireplace

Make the fireplace your focal point by opting for one made of stone or brick. Keep the walls white and choose brown leather furniture to complement the room's semi-rustic feel.

living room ideas, light green living room with greenery installation on the ceiling

Rikki Snyder

3D Wall Design

Designer Maryline Damour of Damour Drake collaborated with fiber artist Sienna Martz to give this living room a calm and forest-green atmosphere using a 3D leaf installation. Recreate the sense of greenery or design an installation that would better match your personality or room's aesthetic.

living room ideas, white living room with a green couch

Peter Molick

Cool Gray

Thanks to designer Maureen Stevens, the airy living room in this 1920s Victorian home is full of style. The space features Benjamin Moore’s Gray Owl, which balances the century-old bright white trim and coffered ceiling.

living room ideas, white living room with white windows and a couch

Beatriz da Costa

Versatile End Tables

Searching for a way to boost your living room's functionality? Not only can end tables be easily moved around the space, but you can also use them as a work surface or spot for kids to tackle homework. When they're not in use, place books or flowers on top as you would with traditional coffee tables.

SHOP END TABLES

living room ideas, living room with built in bookshelf and a ladder

Randy O'Rourke

Built-in Bookshelves

If you don't have a dedicated library, installing built-in bookshelves right in your living room is the next best thing. Keep a rolling ladder handy to make it easy to access the higher shelves.

living room ideas, multipurpose living room with blue and white spotted couches

Michele Lee Willson

Multipurpose Space

When it came to designing this living room, interior designer Heather Hilliard opted for a multipurpose approach. This space is suitable for tackling work, eating, lounging, you name it.

SHOP OTTOMANS

living room ideas, white living room with a geometric rug and cream colored couch

August Oliver

Classic Black-and-White

Lifestyle influencer Anna Mae Groves' Cincinnati home leaned into a timeless black-and-white palette for her living room, complete with DIY geometric wall art.

living room ideas, living room with confetti walls and swirl patterned rug

Jessica Delaney

Graphic Walls

Speckled wallpaper, paired with an emerald velvet sofa, enlivens this living room setup by New York City-based designer Megan Hopp.

SHOP WALLPAPER

living room ideas firewood storage in a living room

Brie Williams

Cool Cyan

Built-in firewood storage and deep cyan-colored walls — Sherwin-Williams' Endless Sea — adds character to this living room in a 1970s Dutch Colonial-style home.

living room ideas, outdoor living room with couches and chairs

Jessica Bordner

California Cool

Create & Cultivate founder Jaclyn Johnson teamed up with interior designer Ginny Macdonald to arrange this stylish black-and-white outdoor living room. The design is an extension of her California home's interiors.

living room ideas monochrome green living room with a landscape painting on the mantel

Spacecrafting

Striking Monochrome

If you love a monochrome look, you're sure to find inspiration in this living room that features Benjamin Moore's Knoxville Gray on the walls and fireplace.

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Monique Valeris Senior Home Editor Monique Valeris is the senior home editor for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital.

Mariah Thomas Assistant Editor Mariah Thomas (she/her) is an assistant editor for Good Housekeeping, where she covers home and lifestyle content.