Next to the kitchen, (where everyone seems to gather in my house) the living room is often your main entertainment space. A modern living room should be functional, but it should also be fun and reflect your personality.
Simple is Better (and Modern)
Modern living room design uses "simple" as its watchword. A uncomplicated and uncluttered space should be your goal when designing a modern living room.
Simple doesn't have to mean cold, however, and uncluttered doesn't have to mean sterile.
A simplified modern living room will feature one or two art elements or collectible pieces. If you have a large collection, consider only displaying a piece or two and then rotating others in over time.
An uncluttered modern living room will use creative and attractive storage space for books and media. Coffee tables with built in drawers and bookshelves with custom fit baskets to hold videos or CDs are examples.
Contrast and Color Are Important
When considering a color palette for your living room, use neutral colors for the walls and let the other elements of the room provide contrast.
Dark wood for trim and tables will nicely offset a warm neutral color. Throw pillows and area rugs also provide opportunities to explore contrasting colors. Whatever color you decide on, try to let the walls fade into the background and your furniture and accessories come to the fore.
Clean Lines And Playful Themes
Modern living room design features low furniture pieces that are based on clean lines. Geometric shapes can compliment existing pieces and add to the overall modern theme of your design.
Your living room is supposed to be fun right? Consider purchasing some vintage, modern pieces from the 1930s or 1950s. These eras produced classic designs that will be sure conversation starters-and they'll look as good as they did when they were new.
 | Many modern designs feature softer wall coverings and let the fabrics and furniture make the color statement. Another option for generating contrast is to paint moldings or other architectural features in lighter or darker shades. Sometimes, only a difference of a shade or two is all that's needed to provide visual interest. |
 | There's nothing better for entertaining in your home than a wet bar. If you're interior designing a family room, a basement rec room, or an outdoor patio, you might want to consider incorporating a wet bar into your design. Wet bars are even showing up in the master suites of newer luxury homes. |
It's important that the living room is designed properly since it sets a tone for the rest of the house. It says a lot of about you as a homeowner and as a person. |
Here are some common decorating mistakes to watch for when decorating your living room. |
If you're tired of looking at (and living with) the same old living room arrangement, it might be time to start fresh with a creative living room design. |
