living family rooms

A natural cleft slate fireplace studded with custom-made sconces is a focal point of the room.

The basement complete with ping-pong table and room for games galore.

Swivel chairs upholstered in blue velvet are a prime spot for enjoying conversation.

Bright, fun colors—from the wall tiles behind the wood-burning stove to the rainbow-hued carpet to the throw pillows—dominate the home’s basement level.

The second level holds a smaller seating area, grounded by a Paola Lenti rug, for intimate conversation.

Rachel von Roeschlaub Maniatis’s acrylics on LP records add a dash of color to the media room.

A bright red chair and Marjorie Minkin’s vivid artwork add energy to the serene upstairs living room without detracting from the stunning view visible beyond a generous terrace with plantings by Winston Flowers.

A soffit was extended to provide the great room’s new barrel ceiling a place to land. It also allowed the designer to inch the sofa forward by placing a thin table behind it.

Wall paneling cures multiple ills in the great room by giving the small firebox more presence while minimizing the impact of the television.

The antique pool table, turned chair, and Scottish tartan rug reference a country manor, but the purple walls, upholstery, and mantelpiece disrupt any presumptions.

The sitting room got new life as a billiards room.

A large door masquerading as a wall when open, can be swung shut to block noise in the living room from reaching the rest of the home.

Light pours into the living room from the original windows of what was once the Boston College High School auditorium, casting a warm glow on the hot-rolled steel used for the fireplace and mantel.

Japanese Shou-Sugi-Ban pyrography brings out the rich grain in the wood paneling surrounding the study, and a comfortable reading nook takes advantage of the deep wells of the original windows of the historic building.

Vibrant black-and-white chairs, contemporary sconces, and abstract art are fun contrasts to the living room’s understated heirloom sofa.

Comfort in the family room includes a cozy sectional and ottoman along with a feels-good-underfoot Stark carpet.

Rich wood paneling gives the living room its cozy feel. The homeowners had used the vast felt rug in their New York City apartment but, amazingly, it was a perfect fit here as well.

The family room was previously used as a sunroom, and the homeowners admit they initially had no idea what to do with it. Rivoli suggested the transformation, and her clients love it.

The study’s vintage Arne Norell chairs, discovered in Antwerp, give the owners a perfect perch for contemplating their eye-catching light sculpture.

The Santa Teresa wool window sheers hail from Muse Bespoke in Chicago, de Santaren’s sister’s company.

A sitting area in the living room is a minimalist’s dream with its 1930s Jules Leleu chairs.

The living room’s hearthside sitting area provides a prominent place for a painting from the owners’ collection.

An immensely versatile space, the loft/family room sits at the top of the stairs on the second floor. The chrome and wicker settee was found on Nantucket. Designer Lisa Tharp papered the daybed alcove wall with book pages and ephemera to inspire daydreaming.

The windows in the room’s new bump-out bathe the space in natural light. The breezy shades can be rolled up and fastened with rope, while shutters offer flexible privacy control at the room’s front window.

The living room adopts a nautical air without being too obvious.

The living room is contemporary in feel, now that the old brick hearth has been replaced by a sleek stone surround. Easy-care slipcovered chairs flank a cocktail table of black grasscloth and brass.

A slew of Williams Sonoma pillows in a host of summery blue tones raises the living room’s comfort level, while a glass top enhances the dining table’s practicality. Leather-bound books and an antique copper boiler add to the hearth’s charm. The handsome rug pulling it all together is from Ballard Designs.

To create a lighter atmosphere for the living room, designer Patricia Lapierre removed the doors that once enclosed the lowest part of the shelving and brought in beachy accessories. She also embellished a small upholstered chair with nailhead trim, upping its character tenfold.

A bar tray holds entertaining essentials at the ready.

In the living room, accessories from Ralph Lauren Home lend an antique chest fresh personality.

A silk rug grounds the living room, where a sofa reupholstered by the designer in Venetian velvet and chairs re-covered in Osborne & Little Oriole fabric beckon. Ikat and animal-print toss pillows lend an exotic note.

Phillip Jeffries wallpaper provides a subdued background that lets the art play a starring role.

Comfy cowhide-covered swivel chairs fill the sitting space off the kitchen.

A fireplace fabricated with London Fog stone commands attention in the family room.

White sofas and a cowhide rug, glass cocktail table, and an airy cage chandelier are washed in light in the glassed-in conservatory.

Horizontal lines and a mix of light wood finishes, including walls clad in pale yellow sugar pine, contribute to the home’s seamless look.

The great room’s sitting area is anchored by the massive fireplace built with locally sourced stone. Furniture keeps a low profile, the better to focus on the views.

Sunset-colored furnishings give the library its warm ambience.

Reclaimed vintage white oak rafters add a rustic touch to the cedar-clad great room.

A view from the mudroom into the tower captures the lighthouse-inspired newel post and the cushioned hideaway beneath the stairs.

The wife’s love of bold geometry plays out in the living room’s rattan chairs. A piece of art above the fireplace conceals the TV.

In the living room, artwork collected by the client dictated the blue, white, and yellow palette.

In the guest quarters, a custom-built table and vintage Klismos chairs upholstered with Stark leather cozy up to one of the Otis house’s original fireplaces.

In the family room, once an old fishing cabin, Sidnam reinforced the ceiling with tie rods and added clerestory windows to bring in light.

The living room gets a nice punch of color from the oversized painting by Ben Georgia above the fireplace.

Blues and whites predominate in the living room. “We just kept it beautiful, simple, and inviting,” says designer Lynn Morgan.

Adjacent to the kitchen, the family room is outfitted for comfort with an oversized sectional and a hefty leather ottoman large enough to rest an extended family of feet. Durable fabrics are key to keeping the beach house relaxed and user-friendly, says Morgan.

The room’s other seating area is geared toward conversation and the view, with all-weather outdoor upholstery to withstand wet bathing suits and the owner’s Labrador retriever, Sam.

A game table anchors the center of the great room, whose retractable doors encourage easy indoor/outdoor flow, while sectional sofas surround a TV concealed behind stainless steel panels.

Antique hand-adzed timbers crown the walls throughout the main floor, instilling a sense of history and a rustic counterpoint to the sleek limestone floors.

A Max Frintrop painting commands the kitchen’s seating area, which features a customized pair of Alvar Aalto Paimio chairs. The television over the sideboard was recessed into the wall and framed with Sheetrock for a seamless, built-in look. The Tao Gray Light limestone floors are from Exquisite Surfaces.

The compact powder room off the dining room features a custom triangular sink crafted from limestone.

A deft mix of antiques and contemporary pieces fosters a charming cottage ambience. “The wife and I had a wonderful time sourcing pieces,” says interior designer Linda Banks. “Many of them are from local sources.” Holding court in the living room, the old cherry coffee table has a waxed finish reminiscent of a boat’s deck.

The living room’s vintage black barley twist writing table was among the first purchases made for the home.

The cathedral ceiling is painted in high-gloss white to enhance the sense of height and emphasize the simplicity of the beams and trim work.

A classic barn door was updated with navy high-gloss paint and modern hardware for a polished, but rustic look.

The original entry was transformed into a sitting area, where swivel chairs surround a pierced cast-resin cocktail table, adding a sophisticated touch to the beachy vibe.

A well-placed sideboard delineates the kitchen/dining room from the living space, and does triple-duty as a bar and storage unit.

Designer Steven Favreau likes to mix and match. Here, he blends periods (birdcage chairs are a modern foil for an antique grandfather’s clock) and price points: “The room represents a range from $19 Ikea light fixtures to an $8,000 sofa,” he says, “and it all looks luscious.”

An antique folk art horse and an old rooster weathervane add character to the family room. A fish-themed mosaic floor and a porthole window give the master bath nautical flair.

Louis XIII wing chairs and a leather-upholstered ottoman help create a comfortable fireside oasis in the great room.

Most windows, like these in the porch-like sitting room, have no window treatments to hide their clean lines or mar the view.

An upper story was removed to give the great room its high ceiling and an abundance of windows.

Zeytoonjian’s Bahamian roots are reflected in the Amos Ferguson paintings over the bar; elephant heads supporting the brass rail honor the home’s original owner, Republican governor Henry Roberts

The family gathers nightly to watch TV on the custom sectional, which Burke embellished with tufting, pleating, and nailhead trim.

An antique chandelier illuminates a group of Theodore Alexander club chairs in the great room, which Burke has dubbed “Club Z” for her husband, Mark Zeytoonjian.

“I really love to blend styles,” says designer Kellie Burke, who placed a modern seating group beside a traditional one in the former ballroom of her Hartford home.

The large, circular window is the centerpiece of a sitting area off the kitchen, where French bergère chairs mingle with a wingback settee and an array of patterned throw pillows.

 In the Americana room, splashes of red, white, and blue complement Deyber’s collection of patriotic objects, including a portrait of George Washington and a trio of carved eagles. The linen-covered chairs and sofa strike just the right balance of comfort and elegance.

A mirrored bar and Louis Vuitton trunk make an elegant pair in the dining room. The trunk holds throws, so it’s also functional,” the designer notes.

A cowhide rug brings texture to the loft.

Inside, a barn-board wall and a stone floor evoke the home’s farm past.

To boost the ambience in the personality-filled porch along the front of the house, homeowner and designer Leslie Rylee paired the swing (devised with help from Kay Sloan, a friend whom the designer labels “jack of all trades, seamstress, and facilitator extraordinaire”) with old-time treasures like antique lamps and an end table decorated with wooden spools.

The cool grays the homeowner loves form the backbone of the living room’s decor, with blue and gold providing harmony and highlights. The sheer draperies at the floor-to-ceiling windows wear banding at the top, where the opaque fabric hides the window treatments’ mechanics.

The family room reflects the spare aesthetic of the parlors, but in a more casual way. In the adjacent dining area, vintage leather chairs surround a sleek white table.

The palette was deepened to include darker grays and tans in the comfortable media room.

“A walnut ceiling provides a cool transition to the living room,” explains interior designer Dee Elms. Small details, like the silver base on the custom ottoman, bring lightness and sparkle to the setting. Atop a Hellman-Chang Xie cabinet, even the TV gains stature. And although, says Elms, “No one ever tires of the view,” motorized sheers afford privacy when desired.

When it’s not glowing in ample natural light, the family room is warmed by a built-in fireplace flanked by bobbin chairs. An abstract painting by interior designer Lisa Tharp conceals a flat-screen TV when not in use.

The blue of the family room’s slim-lined TV console is nicely reiterated in the custom-framed botanical prints hugging the edges of the tall, vaulted ceiling.

Natural and organic elements—such as an orchid plant that sits in a hollowed-out stone—make the space more modern, livable, and unfussy.

The designer insists pieces like the living room sofa and chair be as comfortable as they are good -looking.

The living room’s custom sofa, coffee table, wool area rug, and built-in shelving espouse the Arts and Crafts era’s dual emphasis on superior craftsmanship and clever use of space.

The dark-blue family-room sofa is a kid- and pet-friendly choice; a game table sits in the bay window.

The living room shares a two-way fireplace with the family room and showcases colorful abstract paintings against a neutral backdrop of staggered limestone bricks and light-colored seating. Designer Shari Pellows adds edgy energy by contrasting the cool hues of the Steven King rugs with the fiery colors in the art.

The living room’s ornate mantel was preserved, while new molding has a simpler, more contemporary profile.

Tucked in what was an unused part of the attic, the husband’s office is accessible from the media room as well as a ladder from his dressing room.

With its palette of warm hues and cushy furniture, the study is a sink-in-and-stay space.

Neutral, with pleasing blue notes, the living room is purposefully calm, cozy, and curated.

Interior designer Cameron -Schwabenton aimed for an updated farmhouse feel that honors the natural environment. Well-chosen antiques are plentiful, including a circa-1880 bird’s-eye view of Keene, New Hampshire, over the fireplace, a pair of Moroccan tables with antique mirror tops, and architectural wood carvings from Kerala, India.

Thoughtful additions like a game table in the bay window make the family room welcoming for all ages. Even the dogs love the comfortable chairs upholstered in a paisley fabric by Jasper.

The ceiling casts a rosy glow, thanks to a coat of Pantone Creole Pink paint.

A love of Moorish and Moroccan design inspired the home’s vivid colors, brilliant patterns, global accents, and eclectic blend of traditional, modern, and midcentury silhouettes. The great room sports a round sofa from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams outfitted in a bold Fabricut fabric.

The windows that wrap the sitting area reference traditional style, but their oversized proportions offer a view a farmer could only dream of. Belgian-linen upholstery, soft throws, and ample pillows plump up the comfort.

Inside the connecting wing, structural beams wrapped in reclaimed wood, an industrial-style ceiling fixture, and a portrait of an inquisitive steer offer subtle reminders of life in the country.

On the lowest level, a pull-down bed lets the family room double as a comfortable private suite for the homeowner’s son.

Neutral-toned swivel chairs by Kravet share an ottoman, creating a cozy reading niche in the master bedroom.

The boldly patterned Phillip Jeffries wallpaper delights the homeowner, who admits she would never have chosen such an assertive design in her previous abode.

A contemporary Avrett pendant and butterfly-print pillows lend a youthful feel to the breakfast area.

The dining room’s eye-catching abstract painting by Boston artist Trevor Watson reflects the surroundings in its high-gloss surface.

Hogarty used space-saving tricks, like stationing stools under the living room console to act as extra seating.

The classic trellis design of the Zoffany wallpaper and the handsome Barclay sink bring personality to the powder room.

Designer Nicole Hogarty orchestrated the view from the front door as a welcoming vignette that hints at the unexpected with the inclusion of the bright-red coffee tables and bulbous pendants. “There’s no foyer, so it was important for me to create a small moment there,” she says.

Designer Andrew J. Paraskos let the view take the starring role in the family room, complementing it with furniture in sandy neutrals and grounding it with a textured rug that has a horizontal pattern to echo the transoms and subtle colors that speak to the water.

Footballs—each with a personal meaning for the homeowners—heighten the study’s intimate tone. An Urban Electric chandelier and a streamlined coffee table from the Bright Group lend a masculine feel.

Turquoise, Amber’s favorite color, was the ideal choice for the family room’s attention-getting sectional. Accessories in various shades of blue, like the Stephen Gerould lamp and oomph tray, add an additional layer of beachy interest.

The living room’s simple palette of creamy whites, soft silvers, and sophisticated shades of gray is soothing and serene. It sets the stage for a pleasing blend of ease and formality.

A broad window with a transom lets light wash over a cozy sitting area defined by tapered stone columns.

Wood, stone, glass, and an abundance of natural light define the living room, where a Dash and Albert rug delineates a seating area that includes Christian Liaigre sofas and Holly Hunt drum chairs.

Striped his-and-hers chairs and ottomans inhabit a cheerful and sunny reading lounge in the living room—one of many nooks created with a family of book-lovers in mind.

An antique American flag anchors the airy living space and serves as an inspiration for the home’s color scheme. Modern accents, like the custom floor cubes, create an appealing contrast to the more traditional decor and neutral carpet and walls.

The walls of the family room glow with Benjamin Moore’s jewel-toned Ray of Light, a color that celebrates summer in the warm season, yet—especially when the limestone fireplace is lit—feels cozy in winter. The zippy zigzag pattern of the Stark area rug picks up on the texture of the woven Walters Wicker sofas.

“The window walls slide to the left and the right to connect the room to the landscape,” explains Hutker, who set the horizontal muntins high and low to spare the view.

An assemblage of ottomans from the husband’s former home were recovered to create a large coffee table for the family room.

Two families blended their lives and their belongings in this home. Designer Susan Acton helped the new husband and wife forge a sense of togetherness by mixing favorite pieces (his chandelier and her Elizabeth Eakins rug) with new furniture and accessories.

A ficus from Winston Flowers echoes both a fluted column and the circular windows.

Interior designer Susan Reddick created three seating areas in sync with the rhythms of the three arched doors and skylights.

A bird’s eye view of the living room from the third level.

Designer Lucie Beauchemin installed sheer curtains that filter in light even when drawn.

A cozy book loft featuring floor-to-ceiling built-in shelves overlooks a living area with eighteen-foot windows that flood the space with sunlight.

The living room has a coastal vibe with its furniture, rug, and fabrics in varying shades of sand. “We wanted rooms that were simple and restful. Nothing that distracted from the gorgeous views,” says interior designer Jennifer Palumbo.

Artwork adds a spark of color to the living room’s serene palette of sea and sand hues.

The study, where Kramer and Celeste often take their morning coffee, shows off Murphy’s deft blending of the couple’s tastes—her preference for traditional and his for a more bohemian look.

The bed was one of the last things the couple found while working on the decoration of the house. A multicolored woven blanket and pillows by John Robshaw are finishing touches.

The large living room, outfitted to accommodate the homeowners and their six children as well as plenty of friends, has multiple seating areas scattered around a fireplace conceived and built by stone artist Lew French.

A half-wall and columns separate the large living room into two more intimate seating areas.

Casual comfort reigns in the more rustic family room.

The living room plays out a simple, neutral palette with a black-accented vie.

A deep Jacobean brown stains all the floors. The marbleized globe ceiling fixture was brought in from the front porch ceiling.

The pale palette is broken only by an accent wall in green, a custom color chosen to reflect a bit of the outdoors.

Interior designer Nance Vigneau styled the intimate living room with a monochromatic beige-and-tan color scheme.

Some of the bookcases architect McKee Patterson designed wear a cover of ornamental wire.

A rough-sawn oak timbered ceiling lends the kitchen and adjacent sitting area a rustic look.

The family room, part of the home’s addition, combines comfort and chic, coastal New England style with ease.

“If you’re here for a cocktail or a dinner party, you definitely play pool,” says designer Parker Rogers, so it was important for the billiard room to make a statement. Drapes of richly colored plaid fabric lend a men’s club touch.

The living room has a formal feel without sacrificing comfort. The landscape that hangs above the mantel, which echoes the pretty palette of blues and greens, is another Vineyard find.

After admitting that her family room “just didn’t work,” Volpone took Hirsch’s advice and replaced a small coffee table with a large custom-designed painted table to better anchor the room. Twin sculptural lamps help define the room’s -sitting area.

Dranow carved out a restful sitting nook in the large living room.

Muse used a soothing gray-blue paint in the family room to create a backdrop for a host of lively fabrics including pillows dressed in a blue-and-taupe leaf motif from Zoffany and geometric stripes by Christopher Farr Cloth. New Lucite hardware and a freshly lacquered mantel increase modernity.

The living room’s high level of -interest stems in great part from all “the varied elements of texture,” says the designer. The metal side table is topped with petrified wood, while two stools flaunt velvet-clad bases to complement their seats of striped fabric by Duralee. Pale linen curtains afford privacy and soften the windows. The arresting painting is by Patrick Wilson.

The living room’s comfortable furnishings echo the sand, sea-blue and corals of the beach outside.

The window seat wraps the perimeter of the living room.

A whale carving that once hung on the outside of a Sconset house dominates the living room with its whitewashed walls.

A tête-à-tête settee by A. Rudin sits in the cased opening in the double living room. The window seat to the left is another spot to lounge and enjoy a pretty harbor view.

A pair of sleek sconces flank an abstract artwork by Doug Kennedy above the fireplace, with its custom-designed mosaic surround. Glass-front built-ins hold accents and collections.

A neutral backdrop lets the homeowner’s art collection pop; a painting by Sierra Urich (Mitra’s daughter) hangs above an antique dry sink in the living room.

A rug of silk and wool anchors the living room space, where the focal point is a sculptural fireplace of concrete and steel. Floating shelves made from salvaged wood and a farmhouse-style coffee table add softness to the room.

The living room’s white slipcovers make for easy maintenance, while throw pillows add texture and color. The blue-velvet ottoman doubles as a stool when extra seating is needed.

The TV room is layered with textures.

Comfort and a go-with-anything palette rule. Punches of color, exaggerated patterns, and touches of wood, rattan, and wicker jazz up the living room. The living room’s Balou lounge chair from JANUS et Cie is a favorite perch.

The main house family room was fashioned around neutral seating from Restoration Hardware.

A sloped ceiling and paneling are classic New England touches—the perfect contrasts to the family room’s custom console and attention-getting artwork from Natural Curiosities.

The living room features two custom-designed brushed-iron and silver-leaf coffee tables, a leather daybed, a crescent sofa, and a glazed mosaic tile fireplace.

Meeting the new owners’ request for a home that was “joyful and stylish” required gutting the interior and creating spaces, such as this first-floor living room, that are light-filled, elegant, and family-friendly.

A novel sculptural swing is the focal point of the fourth-floor family room, which opens to an expansive patio.

A modern L-shaped sofa perfectly complements the large corner windows, which nicely bridge outdoors and in.

A seating area focused on the stacked-stone fireplace is one of two arrangements, separated by a game table and bar area, that Cappoli designed to bring the 1,200-square-foot family room down to a comfortable size.

Comfort was the directive in the keeping room, located just off the kitchen, where a well-stocked bar, cozy club chairs, a fireplace, and warm, chocolate-brown walls make the room a welcoming spot for evening cocktails.

Following their design edict of "less is more," the owners added subtle crown moldings throughout the house and opted for furniture, walls, and drapes in muted beiges.

The living and dining rooms are one, with a comfortable, eclectic mix of furnishings chosen for visual and textural interest.

A few modern moves make all the difference in this townhouse transformation. In the living room, a log trough adds an artistic as well as functional touch to the fireplace wall.

A photograph by Massimo Listri of the Strahov Library in Prague is a nod to the clients’ Czech roots and a rococo counterpoint to the apartment’s clean lines.

The Friday Lounge Chair by Zeitraum stands on an abstract, hand-knotted silk rug from Fort Street Studio.

The TV "floats" on a sleek stand that lets the homeowners watch from any number of vantage points but never interrupts the views of downtown Boston. A multi-arm, raw-brass light fixture by Apparatus Studio hovers over the Knowlton Brothers dining table (custom-painted in Benjamin Moore’s Mexicana) and vintage Edward Wormley for Dunbar chairs.

Pilgrimage, a wall sculpture by Heather Allen Hietala, speaks to the homeowners’ love of the outdoors.

Designer Kristen Rivoli took cues from Kathy Soles’s vivid painting Deep Water to form the palette for the living room and dining area. The homeowners’ own discoveries, like the gold and jade Thai vessel on the coffee table, bring a personal touch to the space.

The designers incorporated indoor/outdoor fabric on the sofa and ottomans in the TV room, making them family- and pet-friendly.

The eye-catching triptych above the sofa is by Darien artist Andrea Bonfils.

An oversize walnut coffee table with sculptural legs anchors the large family room.

To tie the color palette together in the living room, Deb Nicoud designed a custom, hand-woven rug.

In the family room, the designer satisfied the wife’s penchant for neutrals by washing the space in shades of taupe.

Pops of purple and a fiery painting brought back from Italy add a little kick to the living room’s palette of soft grays.

Silvery chairs frame a view of the sofa and a sculpture in the window overlooking the front lawn.

In the family room, Julian Chichester shelves provide a home for a growing collection of books and mementoes. In addition to providing light, the stylish metal lanterns hanging from the ceiling help unify the space.

The living room features seating design by Scalo.

The living room’s polished-metal mirror adds another jolt of interest, as does the sculptural lamp.

"Timeless but also livable and fresh," is how designer Lynne Scalo defines the elegant living room and its medley of handsome textures. Silver sconces flank a piece of contemporary art, while a more classic painting and a rustic mirror hang nearby-a perfect example of the designer’s keen eye for mixing and matching.

The armchairs in the living room wear a commercial-grade fabric that looks elegant but is still durable, a must for this family