living & family rooms

Dubbed the “speakeasy,” the cozy den continues the mood with new paneling painted Farrow & Ball Studio Green, a cognac-hued midcentury sofa, and a vintage Italian pendant.

Architect John P. Franzen worked with Norwood Windows and Doors to give the living room’s new windows historically slender muntins and check rails; integrated screens disappear into the casing when the windows are closed. A vintage overdyed rug inspired the room’s green-inflected palette.

Designer Amanda Reid’s living room walls are painted Inchyra Blue by Farrow & Ball. The Italian midcentury chairs are upholstered in a Schumacher moiré; the glass and Lucite cocktail table is from the 1970s. The aqua and pink artwork is by Karine Léger.

Like many vintage farmhouses, this 1880 home sits close to the road, prompting landscape architects Keith Wagner and Abby Comeau to create a subtle buffer that includes maple trees and a staggered getty gray granite wall.

Between the living room’s swivel chairs, artisan Jeff Soderbergh transformed a tree removed during construction into a sculptural table, stacking concentric slices to reveal the tree’s growth rings

Gerald Pomeroy Interiors designed the fireplace surround in the drawing room. The stone and fabrication are by ItalMarble. The antique English Regency convex mirror is from David Neligan Antiques.

A painting by the late Ann Sklar, who lived in Maine, hangs in the great room. The room’s sitting area contains a pair of chairs from Lawson-Fenning, custom ottomans, and a cocktail table from Noir.

A Verellen sectional, a rug from Patterson Flynn, and a black side table from Noir round out the den and don’t compete with the panoramic views.

The home office, which doubles as a guest room, has a deliberate ski-house vibe with MINDTHEGAP wallpaper in a ski and snowshoe motif.

The second-floor den has Library wallpaper from Kravet and a rug from The Rug Company depicting a mama tiger and her five cubs.

A coterie of seating from Kettal, including the sofa and chairs as well as the side and coffee tables, creates a spot for highbrow conversation and tucking into beach reads alike. Throw pillows in Christopher Farr Cloth and Pierre Frey were made by La Regence.

“I love the circle window,” says interior designer Phillip Thomas of the existing architectural element. “It’s totally different, totally unexpected, and takes it from being a utilitarian device to something that has some artistic value to it.”

An Urban Electric Co. chandelier supplies modernity while floors hand-painted by Chris Pearson ground the porch. The copper floor lamp and ceramic stool are from The Future Perfect; the console table is Andrianna Shamaris.

In the living room, designer Meghan De Maria layered subtle coastal touches, including the string-wrapped arms of the chandelier and a pair of woven chairs at the game table. The vivid artwork is by California-based artist Hiejin Yoo.

Restored millwork in the living room complements the floor’s overlapping pinstripe artwork crafted by Patina Designs. Architects converted a former screened porch into an open-air retreat at the south end of the home.

The living room features custom sofas by Decore Upholstering, a custom cocktail table by Masterpiece Woodworks, and a Steven King area rug. The painting is Late Summer by Carl Wuermer.

The homeowners of this Lake Winnipesaukee retreat requested a clean, northern European vibe, so designers Paula and Clayton Daher covered the great room’s coffered ceiling and fireplace wall in white oak. The artwork, by Gotiez, is part of the owners’ collection.

Ash paneling helps delineate the living room within the open floor plan, while the simple glass fireplace and concrete hearth serve as the room’s focal point. The artwork is by Claire Seidl.

The addition of a gable on the water side of the house allows for better views of Vineyard Sound. The eucalyptus-patterned fabric on the living room chairs and ottoman is from James Malone.

Sylvester sourced most of the home’s furniture, like the great room’s cozy sectional, from Cisco Home, a company known for its organic fabrics and fills and sustainably sourced wood frames.

A numbered David Hockney lithograph entitled Bora Bora hangs in the living room. Osborne & Little’s Papyrus Bamboo covers the walls, and the easy chairs sport nubby fabric from Rogers & Goffigon.

Howard brightened up the windowless hangout room in the basement with a mural by decorative painter Hayden Gregg; the palm tree felicitously echoes the palm tree in the Hockney lithograph on the floor above.

In the living room, interior designer Christine Lane paired a soft gray sectional sofa with leather lounge chairs and a custom oak coffee table; the artwork is by Andrew Zimmerman.

A gallery of nautically inspired art sets the tone in the sitting area off the kitchen.

The living room is an oasis of comfort with an upholstered sofa, chairs, and oversized ottoman; the moody blues of the nubby raffia wallcovering and wood trim ground the space.

A Verellen sofa from Artifact Home in a mossy green bouclé anchors the living room with a welcoming curve. The fireplace is clad in leathered quartzite with a white-oak surround. Reeded millwork by ArcArt Furniture cleverly conceals TV components.

In a corner of the living room, a swivel chair is upholstered in an Osborne & Little fabric, the drinks table is from Dunes and Duchess, and the rug is from Lee Jofa.

Located on the third floor and affording some of the best views in the house, the crow’s nest is a multifunctional space that serves as a secondary office, a room for overflow guests, and an entertaining space thanks to a teak wet bar.

Interior designer Leslie Fine chose Rain Forest Brown polished marble from Cumar as a feature wall; that’s parchment paper under glass surrounding the TV. Swivel chairs by the windows can pivot to take in the view or to watch Netflix.

A Harris Rubin side table sits beside one of the Anees Furniture & Design swivel chairs.

The design team repurposed some original Victorian details, including the striking archway that now frames the living room’s entrance. “I loved the idea of highlighting the archway,” says designer Sarah Cole, who chose a soft blue-based black paint (Railings No. 31) from Farrow & Ball.

The dining room set the tone for the rest of the home, largely because of the Morris & Co. Pure Fruit wallpaper. A rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting complements a 1930s painting by Louise Austin Kelly.

The living area contains a Showroom sofa, a pair of vintage leather chairs, a cocktail table from Studio 534, and a rug from Holly Hunt.

In the living room, a traditional Oushak rug from Loom & Co softens tailored seating layered with patterned textiles. Art above the fireplace is by Dallas-based painter Arienne Lepretre, whose luminous palette subtly echoes the water beyond.

The lounge, conceived as a second living space, has trim painted Benjamin Moore Jojoba, chosen for its soft forest green hue. A built-in bar has custom glass and brass shelving.

In the penthouse’s formal living room, a graphic Porta Romana chandelier from Boston’s Studio 534 illuminates a sofa and coffee table from Holly Hunt. The gas fireplace is surrounded by stone trimmed in the unit’s original curly maple, and the artwork is from Galerie d’Orsay.

A windowpane-patterned rug brings graphic order to the living area, anchoring the arrangement with geometry. New French doors usher in light. Velvet throw pillows by Kravet and a sculptural stucco table lamp from Pooky complete the vignette.

Of the American flag, McLaughlin says: “We wanted to add something that felt like it had always been in the barn. It introduces a rhythm and an energy.” The coffee table is vintage Ralph Lauren.

In the cocktail area of her circa-1830 hay-barn-turned-great room, Taylor McLaughlin added layers that nod to history, including an antique women’s polo mallet and vintage tennis rackets. Modern pieces, such as the navy raffia-wrapped console by Villa & House, keep the room grounded in the present.

In the living room, antiques from the couple’s former home mingle with recently upholstered pieces, creating a room that feels layered rather than newly furnished. The drapery is Mokum’s Tunisia fabric, and the landscape above the fireplace is by Connecticut artist Stephanie Goos Johnson.

Cozy seating surrounds organically shaped coffee tables from Essentials for Living. The new kitchen is more suited to modern living with the lounge space and views of the mountains.

An earth-toned rug from Surya ties everything together in the bright family room with its new floor-to-ceiling picture window. Designer Abigail Marcelo paired a rust chaise from TRNK with armchairs from the Jake Arnold collection at Crate & Barrel. A blue painting on the side wall is from The Good Gallery, and the artwork above the fireplace is from the homeowner’s collection.

A folding glass door assembly in the first-floor great room of this Greenwich farmhouse opens onto the exterior living space. The white-oak beams, says architect Michael Benjamin, add to the home’s country-haven feeling.

Architect Russ Tyson worked to accommodate the clients’ request for a centerpiece TV in the living room while also providing a view out to nature.

The main gathering space is an exercise in pure geometry. Architect Elizabeth Herrmann designed a long, low-rising banquette that harkens to Scandinavian forms. The fireplace is both a practical and sculptural element.

In the living room of this suburban Victorian, the walls are painted Farrow & Ball London Clay while the mantel is the brand’s Charleston Gray, and the ceiling is Skimming Stone. Interior designer Cecilia Casagrande and the homeowner discovered the vintage rug on a buying trip to NYC.

The Jennifer Shorto fabric on the TV room’s roman shades kicked off the color palette in here. Casagrande had the owners’ Partners in Design sectional reupholstered in a knobby wool blend from Rubelli.

Casagrande found the family room’s ceiling to be obtrusive, so she covered it in a pearlescent patchwork grasscloth from Mark Alexander.

The living room blends comfort with understated style. Designer Linda Hoffman chose low-slung chairs and coordinating ottomans. The Roche Bobois armchair at left is her favorite: “It’s beyond comfortable, everyone always wants to sit in it. And when you do, you don’t want to get up.” An André Monet portrait of Kate Moss hangs on an accent wall clad in black-and-gold Venetian plaster.

In the family room, Hoffman replaced the original overpowering fieldstone fireplace with a minimalist surround in Venetian plaster. The Minotti sofa is covered in a Holly Hunt fabric; the Chime sconce is from Studio Endo, and the Lucite coffee table is custom.

The castle-like home features a three-story turret. The turret’s second level is connected to the living room and offers views of the mountains, the patio, and the perennial gardens. The turret’s upper room is a meditation space, part of the primary suite.

A Renaissance Rumford 1500 fireplace/wood stove with a guillotine door stands at the far end of the living room. The fireplace surround features veneer granite stone with three-dimensional grouting.

Off the foyer is a colorful, sophisticated parlor where grown-ups can gather. The arch added by Eleven Interiors creates a graceful entrance to the room made bright with Romo Lavinia Matte wallcovering and woodwork painted Sherwin-Williams Gale Force.

The living room, with its restored wood-burning fireplace, casual contemporary furniture, and wood beams, is a warm, livable family space. The photograph above the mantel is by Gerome Bonner.

Custom loveseats and Ferrell Mittman Perrington club chairs cozy up to a Lacquer Company coffee table.

Tall ceilings define the great room.

Built with hefty reclaimed granite blocks, the fireplace, one of two that anchor the great room, was constructed by King Stoneworks. The bespoke rug, designed by Farmer with Steven King Decorative Carpets, establishes the nature-inspired palette. The cathedral ceiling is sheathed in clear pine boards.

The street-level living room’s window wall fosters a connection to the outdoors. Tharp kept the palette quiet to highlight the courtyard view and chose low-profile furniture with gentle curves, including a room-width sofa outfitted in Romo’s Forenza cotton velvet and slipper chairs and chaises surrounding a custom plaster coffee table that nods to designer Milo Baughman.

A window seat makes a cozy spot for reading or a nap in the top-level family room.

Interior designer Jody Fierz kept furnishings streamlined and minimalist; McQuade commissioned the painting from abstract artist Alissa Leigh.

A formal living room—also called the reading room—gets a glamorous boost with a ceiling covered in Carlisle & Co.’s Alchemy Dove, a wood veneer hand-applied to a metallic foil underlay.

The design team added the hand-hewn reclaimed beams to the ceiling in the open kitchen and family room. Plenty of seating and an oversized coffee table mean family and friends can gather for TV watching or conversation. Contrasting piping lends a touch of extra personality to the roomy lounge chairs.

Designer Carey Karlan chose a grasscloth wallcovering from Ronald Redding and a carpet from Ruggles Workroom to add subtle texture to the den; the artwork is from Fletcher Wakefield. A Century sofa and a pair of Baker chairs anchor the space.

A game table from Bernhardt, surrounded by Jonathan Adler chairs, ensures hours of friendly competition.

Art Applications refinished the interior of the living room’s Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams cocktail table

The living room showcases a vast collection of antique English creamware and artwork by Milton Avery (far left, bottom) and Jackson Pollock (above the oak writing desk). The Kathryn Ireland sofa and chairs surround a Mies van der Rohe coffee table.

An Edo-period Japanese screen adorns the wall above the living room’s Christian Liaigre sofa.

Schroeder framed the den’s city views with curtains in a red-and-gold Scalamandré damask. Between the swathes of fabric sit a Louis XVI bureau plat and a Second Empire chair. The designer likens the custom leather-and-reeded-walnut cubes, which roll on invisible casters, to “fancy TV trays.” 

The team removed a large closet from the den to create a wood-paneled niche for a sleeper sofa. Schroeder based the design of that couch on one in Coco Chanel’s Paris apartment. The artworks above and in the hall are by the client’s late mother.

Zervas gave a late-1800s painting that portrays a fortune teller pride of place in her family’s TV hangout.

Low furniture with a contemporary profile, including a coffee table of bronze and cast marble and a pair of sculptural Mathieu Lehanneur sofas, sits on a Stark carpet atop the living room’s floor of local granite tiles.

A Bösendorfer Model 225 Imperial Grand piano takes the stage at one end of the living room under a micro-perforated wood ceiling that enhances the instrument’s sound.

A third-floor space with an arched ceiling makes organization both pretty and playful as the kids’ games and toys are stashed in built-in cubbies.

The “life room,” which encompasses the kitchen and dining area as well as casual family seating, is distinguished by a modified version of a l’orangerie that opens to a terrace and the mature landscape beyond. The oak beams are an updated reflection of the original carved beams found in the restored front entry.

Gates chose Breccia Capraia marble for the living room’s wood-burning fireplace surround. Modern white and brass touches like the coffee table and chandelier pair with velvet sofas custom designed with Bjork Studio in Atlanta.

A Charles Stewart sectional in a durable Perennials fabric anchors the family room.

The living room’s detailed ceiling launched the home’s European-flavored design.

In the lounge, photography by Colm Henry (yes, that’s Bono) and Slim Aarons brings an edgy vibe.

McNell added the tassel to the Ro Sham Beaux rattan lantern; an OKA table between a pair of Lucite chairs offers a place to drop drinks.

When it came time to move out of their Rowayton summer home, the homeowners planned to leave their lime green couch behind, but, ultimately, they couldn’t bear the thought of it. “It was just so comfortable,” says the wife. Instead, the color became the springboard for their new primary residence in Westport.

The living room, with its Schumacher wallpaper and paintings by Hadley Rampton and Christen Yates, is the wife’s—and Gus the cockapoo’s—favorite spot in the house.

In lieu of a formal dining room, designer Whitney McNell devised cozy corner banquettes upholstered in Schumacher for more intimate mealtimes.

The interior of the house is reminiscent of a luxury yacht. “The idea was for the occupants to feel like they were on the water,” says interior designer Tina Anastasia. An arc in the ceiling delineates the dining and entry areas as separate from the sunroom; the glossy finish reflects the glistening sea beyond.

The family room and the first-floor office share a two-way fireplace.

The large great room proved a design challenge for Kalur, but she met it by dividing the living space into two back-to-back conversation areas.

Textures mingle in the “sports lounge,” where Cipollino marble from BAS Stone on the fireplace surround pairs with oak paneling on the walls and ceiling.

In the living room of a reformed colonial revival home in Westport, Jurassic Onyx marble coffee tables and a custom sofa from Ali Budd Interiors play understudy to the expansive water views.

In the living room, framed painted panels from Gracie conceal the TV and reference the home’s island location.

To create a spacious great room, Forman removed walls and added glass pocket doors.

“I’m a bit risk adverse,” says designer Kristine Irving, “but when the client said she wanted the teal sofa, I realized that it completely makes the living room.”

A wide swath of green leads the way in the Bierly Drake & Steele dining room—from the Fernery wallcovering by Sanderson to the custom Benjamin Moore paint color on the coffered ceiling. The painting by William Skilling is from Solomon Treasure.

High ceilings and an open floor plan facilitate air flow and, in concert with the solar panels on the roof, help reduce energy costs, while cables and tie-rods serve as crossbeams to support the gabled roof.

The stained-walnut ceiling in the living area is suspended from the spaces’s butterfly roof for a canopy-like effect.

The backrest of the living area’s leather Roche Bobois sectional is adjustable.

The living room’s blue-and-white palette and a Steven King ombré rug that subtly evokes ocean waves give the space a hint of a coastal feel. A modern light fixture from Lumfardo and a leather lounger add a midcentury touch.

Pecky cypress adorns the living area ceiling in this New Hampshire seacoast home. A sofa from Wesley Hall, swivel chairs from Taylor King, and a custom ottoman from Vanguard Furniture rest atop a rug from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.

Clerestory windows ring the double-height living room, which is divided into two conversation areas

The tallest of the three volumes is the great room, where the kitchen, living, and dining areas afford southern and western exposures; the owners commissioned a piece by John van Orsouw for the space.

he first-floor sitting room shows the original rafters and exposed timber framing.

ng room shows the original rafters and exposed timber framing.

In the multipurpose breakfast/game room, the table, chair, and apothecary chest are from Mulligan’s.

The breakfast/game room is a favorite gathering place. New supports were created from antique heart-pine beams found in the cellar. Its many movable pieces include pedestal-style tables and painted case goods.

In the family room, a peaked-glass curtain wall by KLAR Studio frames the vista of grazing cattle in the distant pasture. Though structural, the black metal collar ties are thin enough to almost disappear. The fireplace surround is finished with a mixture of plaster and stone.

Kuba woven seagrass pendants in the living room sway in the breeze when the French doors are open in the summer. Durable carpets, sturdy furniture, and copious use of stone and wood combine to make the space both stylish and comfortable.

Designer Abby Yozell reupholstered the family’s existing sofa and lounge chairs in durable textured fabrics by George Spencer Designs and McLaurin & Piercy. The painting above the fireplace is by Martha’s Vineyard artist Jennifer Christy.

t’s all fun and games in the living room, where the bay window nook holds an elliptical Saarinen table that follows the curve of the banquette crafted by Holmes Hole Builders. The vintage chair is laced rawhide.

The basement den takes a bold turn with whimsical Good Fortune wallpaper by Ferrick Mason.

Inside the cabana, the staircase of wood and black steel, fabricated by Keuka Studios of New York, is set in front of a wall of black-framed windows to create a striking focal point. It leads to the second-floor office where a glass grid frames the view.

The living room is a tranquil study in white and black. A 2,200-pound stone coffee table from homenature complements the over-grouted stone of the fireplace. Wood beams rescued from old buildings by Reclaimed Lumber & Beams in North Carolina add history and character to the room.

An oak-slat wall adds warmth and camouflages a storage closet in the basement family room.

Just beyond the sunroom, the living room contains a Lee Industries sofa, a cocktail table from Theodore Alexander, a Vaughan side table, and an Armadillo jute rug.

In another area of the living room, which is painted Farrow & Ball Blue Gray, a pair of chairs upholstered in a Colefax and Fowler fabric and a custom Lee Industries ottoman provide a cozy spot by the fireplace; the vintage rug is from Landry & Arcari Rugs and Carpeting.

A custom sectional from Boston Upholstery & Design anchors the living room.

“It seemed like the perfect spot to have a little fun,” says owner Sally Hughes of the family room, which sports a wavelike wallpaper from Phillip Jeffries.

The more formal, mono-chromatic living room features a sisal wallcovering from Cowtan & Tout and Quadrille drapery with a Schumacher trim.

Traditional notes include armchairs that are covered in a stylized Kerman print from Lee Jofa. The woven end tables are antiques, and the much-loved mirror behind the sofa (from the client’s childhood bedroom) was purchased at an antiques store in the 1990s.

More is more in this living room, furnished with a mix of hardworking prints, stripes, and solids. The skirted sofas are Brunschwig & Fils, the upholstered ottoman is from Sibyl Colefax, and the rug is Elizabeth Eakins.

The room was designed with optimal seating in mind. The sofas are Thom Filicia for Kravet, and the swivel chairs are covered in a Romo pumpkin linen.

A sentimental etching by Pauline Curtiss of the client’s home in Italy rests on a cast-stone fireplace mantel. Contemporary touches include a Stark rug and custom glass coffee table from Old Biscayne Designs.

Clean-lined A. Rudin occasional chairs flank the intricately detailed fireplace.

Relocated from another room in the house, the piano helps define the long space, which is just shy of twenty-eight feet.

Pops of orange complement the neutral palette and tie into the warmth of the fir walls and ceiling.

More than your typical pool house, this newly built “party barn” is a multipurpose and much-used addition to a Vermont vacation home that Smith & Vansant Architects built a decade ago.

A window in the primary bedroom overlooks the great room. The George Smith chairs are joined by a vintage coffee table and sofas from Munder Skiles.

The great room’s woodwork was left its existing shade of green. The pair of armchairs are from George Smith and their pillows are crafted from a Raoul Textiles fabric.

In the living room, casual, comfortable furnishings complement the classic simplicity of the fireplace surround and bookcases.

The upper floor is oriented around an exterior courtyard that’s visible through floor-to-ceiling glass doors.

The existing Christopher Peacock kitchen flows into the breakfast area and family room for a gathering space that runs the expanse of the house.

The family room with its indoor/outdoor connection (and radiant heat flooring) is Boronkay’s favorite room in the house.

Interior designer Vanessa Elliott chose low-profile, neutral-colored furnishings, such as leather wingback chairs from Lee Industries, a Loloi area rug, and stonewashed linen curtains that would not conflict with the living room’s two-story fieldstone fireplace—or the view.

Interior designer Stephanie King embraced red, a favorite color of the homeowner. “It became the neutral color in the family room,” she says, including in the alcove of the built-in cabinetry. Thin metal pulls indicate where refrigerator drawers are concealed in the base.

In the sunroom, a sofa from Serena & Lily and a table and chair by Thomas O’Brien for Century make for an inviting sitting area.

The living room walls feature a sumptuous bone-inlay wallcovering from Schumacher.

A corner of the new family room features a custom console table, a lamp from Bunny Williams Home, a vintage Audubon print, and curtain fabric from Schumacher.

Plump, sinuous seating from Edra helps offset the living room’s angular lines and concrete wall, which is inset with niches for firewood and art. “We wanted to play with the plasticity of the concrete,” architect Michael Price says.

The adjoining music studio has an acoustical ceiling and wall panels to counteract all the hard surfaces, including the concrete fireplace, which features a decorative control joint over the hearth in lieu of a mantel.

In the living room, Hauck retained the original ceiling beams but sanded the dark English pine paneling to create a better background for paintings.

In the living room, contemporary furnishings in neutral colors contrast with the traditional architecture without conflicting with it. A picture-frame TV hangs from the dolomitic limestone fireplace, which soars twenty feet and had to be supported by an I-beam underneath.

A playful console table from Noir and a photograph by Sandi Fellman nestle next to the living room fireplace.

A curved sofa and oval ottoman bring softness in form, texture, and color to the living room. Vincent, a portrait by Frederick J. Brown, is a favorite piece of art from the owners’ collection.

In the living room, strips of oak add warmth and interest to the fireplace, which is set between two banks of steel-framed windows; the curves of the club chairs and coffee table play against the straight lines of the wood slats and window mullions.

In the family room, three large pendant lights, each a different size, ground the light-filled space.

The living room is painted Benjamin Moore Aegean Teal.Double doors open to what Benedict calls an “indoor-outdoor room” that connects the barn and the house, and the artwork is by JP Kilkenny.

The new barn holds a cozy family room and, on the upper level, a pool table. The wood trim on the stairway was made to look old by Pauline Curtiss of Patina Designs.

When Benedict and her husband are home alone, they often spend time in the cozy den above the mudroom; Benedict’s friend Mally Skok designed the ottoman-coffee table for Dowel.

One of the structural changes involved inserting a steel beam in the ceiling to create the large opening between the living room and the former sunroom, now the dining room. It is framed by a transom and sidelights Holly Gagne designed using windowpanes original to the house.

“Masculine meets feminine,” says Gagne of the Hunt Room, where oak beams and large slate pavers are balanced with a sculptural modern sofa and chair

Designer Liz Miller and BSA Construction’s Dave O’Malley helped their clients transform a brownstone in Boston’s South End. Miller combined old and new by hanging contemporary light fixtures—like the three-armed AERIN for Visual Comfort & Co. piece here—from existing plaster ceiling medallions.

The team made smart use of space, building storage for kitchen and dining items into alcoves on either side of the kitchen fireplace.

A fully stocked bar is accented by artwork by Sarah Madeira Day.

An abstract oil painting by Fran O’Neill brings a jolt of color to the living room, where a pair of sofas from Coup D’Etat face each other to facilitate fireside conversation.

The family room, with its stone fireplace and wood-planked ceiling, is positioned between the kitchen and the screened porch and serves as the heart of the home.

A convex mirror supplies a crisp modernist touch in the reading room that prevents it from crossing over into stuffy or stuck in time.

Shapely chairbacks around the dining table add some eye candy to the foyer.

In the family room adjacent to the open kitchen, Lindsay brought in an antique wood console accented with a plaster table lamp. Above the kitchen island, antique Italian garden lanterns from L’Antiquaire nod to yesteryear.

To complement the Gracie wallpaper, designer Melissa Lindsay painted the trim Benjamin Moore Caldwell Green, which, she says, “struck the right balance of being historic in nature, feminine but still Old World, and paired really nicely with the wood tones, brass, and mauve that we brought in.”

As with the Shingle-style country houses he designed, William Ralph Emerson gave this Cambridge home a large living room that invites a crowd. With the original fireplace as the focal point of the room, interior designer Kate Maloney created an airy, modern vibe fortified with a custom O’Lampia chandelier. The chenille sofa is balanced with custom chairs by Partners in Design.

The horseshoe armchairs from Red Egg provide seating.

The pattern on the living room carpet, which is from The Rug Company, mimics the shape of the light fixture.

Artwork by Martin Kline hangs above the original limestone fireplace surround in the penthouse’s living room, while a meandering Lindsey Adelman fixture fills the ceiling.

The homeowner was immediately drawn to the Paul Villinski butterfly wall sculpture, says interior designer Dee Elms. The butterflies seem to fly in from the living room’s arched windows and soar above the custom banquette.

A double-sided woodburning fireplace separates the sunroom from the family room, which contains a sofa from Hickory Chair, a custom coffee table from Scott James Furniture & Design, and a pair of chairs from Louis J. Solomon.

The formal living room contains a sofa from A. Rudin, a coffee table from Michael S. Smith’s Jasper Collection, and a settee from O. Henry House.

Designer Robin Pelissier used a variety of fabric colors and patterns on the custom bolster-framed sectional and swivel lounge chairs; a playful Lladró chandelier in clear and candy-colored crystal hangs above.

Purple and orange, homeowner Chris Gaffney’s favorite colors, make an appearance in the living room, where fabric-covered walls, a leather-upholstered door, and a blue velvet sofa are united by the Landry & Arcari rug.

The living room’s white-oak paneling, custom made by Urban Evolutions, has a linear, structural aesthetic, while the comfy Marge Carson sectional and the picture-frame TV depicting a vintage Mustang check the box for the loungy vibe homeowners Nicolas Djiounas and Amy Nericcio desired.

Interlude Home swivel chairs surrounding a Four Hands cocktail table create a comfortable conversation area within easy reach of the built-in bar.

You’d never know the cottage’s great room used to be a garage. It now impresses with an Uttermost coffee table, Kuzco sconces, and a cozy Calligaris sectional sofa—the better to fit the home’s many guests

The parlor is a tribute to interior designer and homeowner Ali Mahon’s ability to mix patterns to create a bright and inviting whole. Vintage pieces range from a pair of antique Louis XVI upholstered armchairs to a 1975 acrylic and leather chair by artist Jeff Messerschmidt.

The sunroom is both a laid-back gathering space for the family and a playroom for the kids; a fern wallpaper from Wallshoppe embellishes the ceiling, the sectional is from Lee Industries, and the light fixture is from Arteriors.

The living room features a Thayer Coggin sofa upholstered in a pink velvet from Kravet, CR Laine swivel chairs covered in a Schumacher fabric, and a cocktail table from Mr. Brown London; the art is from Betsy Biscone Art Advisory.

A vintage milk-glass light fixture that was in the house when the owners bought it adds a touch of glamour to the sitting room.

Intimate gathering spaces, like this fireplace sitting area off the main living room, bring a touch of coziness to the grandly scaled design.

Black-framed windows help give the home its contemporary character, both indoors and out. Natural wood accents, nickel-gap paneling, and comfortable Verellen armchairs and couches harmonize with the home’s rustic setting and help offset expanses of monochromatic walls.

Martha’s Vineyard meets Amherst in the great room: the painting above the mantel is by one of the homeowner’s favorite island artists, Jan Pawlowski, while the fireplace surround is fabricated from New Hampshire granite.

Lewis chose one long sofa from Minotti to define the seating area around the fireplace, which is sheathed in thin sheets of porcelain. An expanse of Marvin windows affords views of the tranquil meadow beyond.

A rounded bar-height tabletop at the end of the kitchen island “provides a place for casual seating with a view across the open living area,” says interior designer Polly Lewis.

Exposed Montana timber framing in the barn extends beyond the interior to create a protected outdoor patio.

The home’s original millwork couldn’t be saved, so new trim was introduced, including this oak coffered ceiling in the living room.

A Dew Drops light by Boris Klimek for bomma hangs above a custom Partners in Design sectional, a Holly Hunt lounge chair, and a Giorgetti room divider. The artwork to the left of the doorway is by Nathan Coe.

Hogarty emphasized river views by leaving the living room’s windows unadorned.

In the living room, a pair of English rolled-arm sofas upholstered in Thibaut performance fabric face each other for easy conversation. The vintage Moroccan wool rug brings out the patina of the fireplace surround, while the draperies add another layer of texture.

In the family room, painted Benjamin Moore Aganthus Green, a custom sofa that doubles as a daybed sits beside a chair covered in a durable Perennials fabric.

The main level’s palette of quiet earth tones and pale blues becomes deeper and more textured in the lower-level family room with its adjoining game room. Schumacher’s Creeping Fern fabric dresses the McGuire lounge chairs, while a nubby Dedar fabric covers the oversized ottoman.

A second-floor balcony looks out over the conservatory. Designer Raymond Forehand employed shiplap on the ceiling to add a casual feel to the room.

An exuberant Zoffany wallpaper backs the bookcase in the living room, where a slipcovered linen sofa matches the homeowners’ dog