living family rooms

Restful aqua mixed with neutrals forms the palette for the main living spaces.

A once awkward space off the main entrance now functions as a sitting room.

Original details such as coffered ceilings and dark-stained floors blend with modern elements like the fireplace’s stone facing.

Davis says she chose materials that look as though they belong here, as in this cozy retreat behind the living room.

Davis and Owens designed the rectangular steel fireplace surround and log carrier.

The resurrected old Dutch barn already had the lofty heights and massive oak beams with a patina only time can impart.

Other hues, such as the shell-pink accents, are also drawn from nature.

With an eye toward geometric shapes, Ouellette painted all of the artwork in the house.

Homeowner/designer Margo Ouellette chose a palette of blues and greens to represent the ocean and sky.

Architect Dean Telfer designed the paneling in the "snug." The nautical painting comes via London.

Homeowner Dolores Halpern designed the drawing room’s sofas and coffee table.

The double-height living room'€™s neutral color palette serves as a backdrop to dramatic artwork.

The garden room adds hints of pale lavender and green to the gray that unites the first-floor rooms.

The ikat-covered lounge chairs swivel.

Designer Karen Quinn created an intimate sitting area focused on the spacious family room’s stone fireplace. The palette takes its cue from the honey-toned paneling.

Light spills in on a second, smaller ­sitting area in the family room.

A front parlor makes a cozy space for low-key entertaining.

The sunroom is Ruderman’s go-to space for relaxation and reflection.

The paneled library is classically styled, with both masculine and feminine touches.

A sitting area surrounds an antique mantel in the living room.

The living room’s soft color schem­complements the rustic house and its woodsy, lakefront locale. The husband’s study sits off the living room.

Cheerful, bright colors furnish the downstairs family room.

The real drama of the space, however, is outside the windows, which are scaled to the make the most of the view.

A persimmon-hued ottoman and lamp add spark to the living room’s neutral palette.

Blue and taupe form a consistent thread throughout the first-floor rooms. The parlor’s bookcases and tin ceiling were preserved, but lightened with cream-colored paint.

The new family room, outfitted with contemporary pieces, anchors the addition to the historic home.

A sea of blues and taupes washes the living room of the remodeled Victorian in softness. Designer Kristen Rivoli mixed traditional and contemporary furnishings and art.

The sleek living room has a contemporary slate fireplace.

Weathered wood and linen wear well in the family room, where the boys hang out to watch television.

Antiques and contemporary pieces mix in the elegant living room—a space the homeowner’s two young sons know is off limits when it comes to roughhousing.

The antique secretary that anchors one end of the living room holds a collection of sea-inspired objects.

The masculine holds sway in the handsome library with its cherry paneling. Honey-colored onyx surrounds the fireplace, and a weighty blue-velvet chaise and horn sconces lend a bit of manly gravitas.

The family room’s fireplace speaks to New England'€™s ubiquitous stone walls. Durable furniture, like the Cordoba Cognac sectional from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams, keeps the room kid-friendly.

A circular tête-a-tête is an organizing element for the living room'€™s seating arrangements. "Sacred Fig" by Jennifer Amadeo-Holl hangs above the mantel.

Dramatic Linea chandeliers by Boyd Light illuminate the open living-room area where seating, including a leather-covered accent chair by Holly Hunt, surrounds a versatile Madam X cocktail table. The sofa is covered in a taupe Larsen fabric that wears as beautifully as it looks.

Stephen Mueller’s buoyant watercolors, from Boston’s Obelisk Gallery, hang by the living room’s new fireplace.

In the attic loft, a large zinc-topped desk overlooks an L-shaped sofa that can fold together into a king-size bed for overnight guests.

An antique lamp in the corner inspired the living room’s green accent color.

The formal living room is an elegant balance of light and dark, with lacquered charcoal-gray walls offset by silvery drapes, lighting fixtures bedecked in crystals and fabrics that boast a reflective sheen. The stone fireplace is original to the house and retains Asher Benjamin’s signature fretwork.

A calming palette of creams and blues envelops the living room, which gets a touch of extra drama from the glints of light bouncing off the starburst ceiling fixture and the convex mirror over the fireplace.

A cozy library off the kitchen sports club chairs covered in Lee Jofa fabric and a coffee table from Bungalow 5.

A vibrant painting by America Martin hangs above the fireplace. Designer James Light campaigned to save the wood box during the revamping of the fireplace. “It provides symmetry, which I like,” he explains.

The chevron fabric on chair and hassock makes a bold companion for the curtains.

Contemporary abstract art and animal-print upholstery share space with a traditional exposed-beam ceiling and paneled walls in the family room.

Clear designed the sitting-area chairs, inspired by a pair she spied in an antiques shop.

The raised circles in the custom J.D. Staron rug evoke the stones one might collect during a walk on the nearby beach.

Pendant lights help make a focal point of the family room’s seating arrangement.

The family room is in the new addition at the rear of the house. Reflective surfaces in the coffee table, side tables and lamps spark a room that’s all about comfort. Soft neutral tones and traditionally designed furniture promote relaxation.

The living room’s calm personality speaks with soft brown walls and unfussy window treatments.

Saturated colors in carpet and upholstery, dark blue silk window treatments, mahogany paneling and an emphasis on warmth and comfort create what designer and homeowner Katherine Hodge calls her “winter room.” Pops of color enliven the small space.

The living room gets its modern, industrial feel from the wall of aluminum-framed windows and concrete flooring. Upholstered seating and a Chilewich rug soften the commercial feel of the flooring and define the sitting area, while the views bring in all the color the homeowners need.

Rotenberg’s sitting room takes on a decidedly feminine persona.

The living room is a mix of muted blues and grays and features furniture, like the gray linen Verellen sofa, that is elegant yet comfortable.

To give this light-filled family room a feeling of “relaxed elegance,” designers Noelle Micek and Tricia Roberts kept accessories, such as the custom lighting fixture and garden stools, to a minimum and opted for a neutral color palette featuring blues and grays. The soft, muted beachy tones, says Roberts, “bring a little bit of California to New England.

A sitting room adheres to the same neutral palette and simple window treatments as the rest of the home.

The living room's curvaceous but clean-lined furniture forms a seating group with the fireplace as a focal point. The fireplace screen's sea-life motif hints at the home's Cape Cod location.

Barnes gave the living room a neutral backdrop and added pops of blue, including an arresting water photograph by Tamara Bahry Paterson.

An oil painting by American artist Megan Hinton, a focal point of a seating area in the living room, picks up the blue of the ottomans and accessories.

The designer combined bold texture with a serene color palette inspired by the coastline, picking up the tones of the fieldstone fireplace and the pickled beams. Objects collected from the sea (coral, shells, sea sponges) and the marine motif of the upholstery are reminders of the home’s island location.

Stone floors, clean, modern furniture and timeless fabrics suit a house that serves up maximum drama.

The owners bought the striking hall sculpture because, says the wife, "It makes us smile." Shallow Rumford fireplaces like the one in the living room are classic features in old houses.

"Generous portals help keep the kitchen and family room area connected," says designer Jim Gauthier. The homeowners’ collection of antique blue bottles-along with a painting they commissioned of some of their favorites that hangs over the mantel-adds color to the quiet palette.

Comfy seating surrounds an antique chest turned coffee table in the sitting room adjacent to the kitchen.

Throughout the home, bleached oak floors and natural rugs help create an updated beach-house look.

A low vintage coffee table is the perfect height for sitting on the living room’s plush striped rug and playing board games by a roaring fire.

The Ligne Roset sideboard in the family room is new, but the chair is a vintage 1st Dibs find.

Tau Ceramica wraps the living room fireplace in style. The raised hearth accommodates wood storage and seating.

Conversation (or kicking back) is encouraged, thanks to a custom sectional and reupholstered vintage Italian armchairs.

An inviting sitting area is grounded by a custom hide rug and leather ottoman.

The family room features a purple settee designed by Suzy Azadi that’s perfect for relaxing. The embossed fabric at the windows is by Pierre Frey.

The lack of curtains lets the view be part of the living room’s decor no matter the season.

The designer’s choices play off the Zebrino marble fireplace surround and bronze mantel designed by Kaehler.

The custom hair-on-hide coffee table/ottoman by Kyle Bunting makes the living room a kick-off-your-shoes space, where the owners watch football games or have cocktails by the fire.

Roseff furnished the living room with textured neutrals, adding patterned pillows for visual interest.

Somewhat more rustic in tone than the rest of the house, the enclosed porch is a haven no matter the weather.

The designer favors a neutral palette both for its soothing qualities and to showcase her antiques.

A cupboard opens to a bar area.

A quilted paper art piece by Nantucket artist Mellie Cooper hangs above the family room fireplace. The family room is open to the living room, but maintains a more casual character.

Bold blues and lively botanical print fabrics animate the historic Nantucket home’s formal living room. Period antiques mix with newer pieces to keep the home from feeling too rooted in the past.

Nancy Serafini found the English chair at Janis Aldridge and the antique embroidered fire screen at Rafael Osona Auctions, two on-island resources popular with interior designers.

Shannon Feeney introduced audacious color to the family room with textiles and accessories.

The living room’s original marble hearth and mantel surround the new wood-burning fireplace.

A palette of soft blue, taupe and ivory creates elegant comfort in a living room seating area.

Nearby, a handcrafted wood seat joins a medley of textures.

Diverse elements unite happily in the living room, where striking charcoal-on-paper drawings set off a steer’s head cunningly crafted of metal washers. The herringbone-patterned hide sofa pillows hail from Dovecote in Westport.

An antique mantel from the Salks’ previous home provides a sense of history, and a fire screen from Pergola in New Preston adds sparkle.

A pillow from Pier 1 enlivens an old settee from Mitchell Gold + Bob Williams that Susanna reupholstered in an ikat fabric from Ballard Designs.

A vibrant red chinoiserie bar from a consignment shop has a bold, sculptural presence.

The formal living and dining room.

To keep the leather sectional from dominating the room, Hiltz papered the family room walls in Cowtan & Tout metallic paper, added a modern chair in an eye-popping yellow, and was generous with the toss pillows.

The shimmer of silk and velvet adds a posh factor to the living room’s serene sitting area.

A pile of granite at a local quarry provided just the right stones for the massive, soaring, four-sided fireplace.

Windows rise to the Douglas fir-paneled cathedral ceilings to ensure stellar views.

Leather-clad walls, oversize furniture, and a soaring fireplace make the new family room both grand and cozy.

A living room seating area employs quiet hues jazzed up with texture and pattern.

Mixed with the industrial sensibility, bits of whimsy include a Terzani light fixture and gilded branches in the frame surrounding the sofa and on the built-in shelves.

Magnificent views of the Charles River and Back Bay attracted the homeowner to the lofty condominium.

The family room decor began with the blue-and-cream abstract rug that is, says Elms, "a total wow."

The Boston apartment wears a contemporary palette of grays, taupes, and gold. Vintage lamps add a layer of history to new pieces, such as the richly textured gold sofa by Paul Gaucher of Icon Group.

Glorious city views take center stage, thanks to a design plan that keeps the living room furniture below windowsill height. A pale color scheme gets interest from textured fabrics such as linen velvet on the sofa and chenille on the lounge chair, geometric patterns in rug and pillows, and a smattering of animal prints.

A custom wood-veneer shade tops the midcentury Scandinavian lamp that sits on the Natuzzi sideboard in the study.

Heirloom lithographs depicting farm scenes hang above the study’s fireplace.

A colorful Oushak carpet sets the library’s welcoming tone. The George Nelson pendant lamp adds a modern note, while classic articulating brass lamps from Michele Varian aid nighttime reading.

Some of the fieldstone for the central hearth was taken from the property.

Vintage orange chairs complement Kerri’s artwork with a bit of extra punch in the television room. The ottoman is another custom D2 Interieurs design.

Colorful accessories pop in the living room, where walls of Benjamin Moore’s Jet Black set off the crisp white trim and shelves.

Silver travertine replaced the red-brick surround of the fireplace in the family room. Glick redid the cocktail table with walnut stain, stripped the sofa of its fussy skirted upholstery, and added a new sisal rug and gray velvet lounge chair from Lillian August.

Designer and homeowner Susan Glick replaced the cozy dark tones of her living room with dusty grays and amethysts. A sofa that once wore olive-colored fabric was reupholstered in gray velvet and paired with new custom-made wing chairs.

A hefty coffee table lends the airy living room gravitas.

Keeping the original Craftsman-style paneling in the den and papering above it was another way of retaining the home’s quirky charm. Lots of texture-leather, basket weave, linen, and grasscloth-enhance the room’s coziness. Chiappone found the vintage leather chair at Cottage & Garden in Newport.

A shag rug and a Josh Urso resin coffee table bring a 1970s vibe to the living room.

Living room seating by B&B Italia is suitable for large crowds or intimate groups. The chairs, featuring a sculptural shape and sexy zipper up the back, were chosen for good looks when seen from any angle.

The horizontal paneling, gray grasscloth, pale upholstery, and vivid turquoise accessories give this home its beachy-casual feel.

Refurbished pieces like a French settee look right at home on the antique-finished oak floor of the sitting room.

A variety of fine fabrics (Kravet, Brentano, Robert Allen, and Osborne & Little) coexist happily in a living room awash in tones of soft gray and silvery blue. Artwork, hand-blown glass pebble lamps by Porta Romana, and a few well-chosen beachy touches add a casual vibe.

A large digital print adds depth to the sofa.

The living areas are on the second floor of the "upside-down" house, where the interesting angles and pinched corners reflect the exterior roof planes. Horizontal shiplap walls give the cottage an appropriately maritime feel.

The living room’s wool rug looks like sisal but is softer on the feet and easier to clean. Natural materials, such as the water hyacinth used for a swivel chair and the woven rush surface under the glass on top of the coffee table, add texture.

Bold orange and navy accents add zip to the white built-in shelves, cabinets, and queen-size daybed of the family room.

The sun-washed living room epitomizes the owners’ wish for a traditional seaside house with a modern air.

A variety of patterns-from herringbone to stripes to circles-mix it up against the dark walls of the music room.

Original beams from the barn provide structural support and visual appeal.

Stephanie’s husband, Harald, bought the nautical painting above the fireplace as a surprise for his wife.

Arranged just so, a cluster of paintings collected over the years wound up a perfect fit for the family room.

A few well-placed black accents in the family room spice up the quiet palette.

Bold textiles and a contemporary coffee table from Jonathan Adler add energy to the "teen room," where the family’s three children can do homework or hang out with friends.

Pale gray walls lend the living room a calm feeling; an old iron gate topped with glass serves as a coffee table.

The wife’s favorite shade of blue and a soft-underfoot jute rug bring a casual vibe to the family room.

A mix of antiques, high-quality reproductions, and new upholstered pieces give the living room its comfortable, traditional feel.

To accommodate additional seating, one end of the great room was bumped out to create a niche for a second sofa. The tiered chandelier from Restoration Hardware and Pheasant Feather table lamps by Bunny -Williams complement the room’s scale.

Designer Amy Aidinis Hirsch gave the living room a more spacious feel by adding the white paneling.

The sunroom’s custom chairs and ottoman wear sturdy, but pretty, fabric by Perennials.

A spectacular tapestry by Pae White is displayed above the living room sofa. To the right of the sofa hangs the intriguing Proposal 15, a painting by Los Angeles artist Alex Olson.

The chandelier’s crown shape adds a playful note, while the cowhide rug injects warmth and texture.

Designer Andra Birkerts married furniture the owners already had, like this marble-topped piece in the sitting room, with newer finds, such as the mirrored coffee table.

Original decorative molding frames the living room’s new energy-efficient windows. Laid-back accessories like furry pillows and a tribal-patterned ottoman dispel formality and make the space comfortable and fun for the family when they watch television. The vibrant upholstery on an armchair harmonizes happily with a western flair the wife favors.

The great room still hints at its lodge-style history, but new French doors on the ground floor and interior windows above bring in more light.

The starting point for decorating the great room began with the armchair fabric-a classic English floral from Lee Jofa. The antique model ship draws the eye up to the tall ceiling with its antique copper lanterns imported from London.

Both fireplaces (here in the great room and on the screened porch) incorporate a large granite lintel stone that spans the opening as a traditional architectural design element.

The "man cave" has a jazzy striped Missoni carpet and eye-catching purple velvet chairs.

A custom carpet from J.D. Staron grounds the warm, bright family room, where designer Carey Karlan made use of luxurious fabrics, such as creamy Holly Hunt chenille on the Ralph Lauren sofas, a cotton-mohair blend from Schumacher on the bench, and taupe leather on the Lee Industries armchairs. The midcentury painting by Irene Zevon is one of several in the owners’ collection.

Local stone also sheaths the fireplace in the living room, where linen-clad sofas sit among a trove of antiques.

Tailored furnishings in quiet hues predominate in the tranquil living room. A window-lined tower holds the secondary stairway.

In the living room, masculine fabrics in stripes and wool plaids make for a clubby atmosphere.

Wood and stone are a constant refrain throughout the house. The original marble floor is softened with a cowhide rug in the sunroom.

Fabric from Skok’s Ikat Crazy collection adds a dash of color and fun to the relaxed family room.

Silk and velvet fabrics give the living room a luxurious formality.

As a foil to the era-appropriate mural, the couple cleverly introduced a Brunschwig & Fils sofa and a Moroccan rug.

The family room features a bluestone fireplace topped by a bronze-finished steel panel system that hides a television.

The homeowners opted for a dressier look for the intimate living room.

Wooden lattice screens close the dining room off from the family room.

The study, which the homeowner uses more for relaxing than for work, features a sofa from Casa Design outfitted in Donghia mohair in the same hue as the Phillip Jeffries wallpaper. The mixed-media artwork is by the contemporary Argentine artist Claudio Roncoli.

The living room’s second sitting area plays host to a Kyle Bunting coffee table and armless chairs upholstered in cashmere velvet.

In a living room sitting area that looks out on Boston Common, B&B Italia high-back chairs with long-hair Mongolian cushions keep company with a tub chair and sofa from Holly Hunt. The bronze sculpture, Blade II, is by Guy Dill.

CJ Katz layered colorful furniture and accessories with modern appeal over the front parlor’s original woodwork. The John Rosselli chandelier is, says Cheryl Katz, "a way to think about a chandelier that has power, but isn’t crystal."

The rear parlor offers echoes of its front-room neighbor, but conveys a more casual feel.

The great room’s massive hearth features stone pulled from the property as well as from nearby quarries.

The ombré drapery panels inspired the choice of the deep silvery-gray furniture and rug for the family room.

The quiet palette is energized with pieces upholstered in pale lavender and a Claudia Mengel painting with bold hues.

Soft, earthy tones of mocha, taupe, silver, and ivory ward off winter’s chill in the living room.

The living room was designed on a horizontal plane, with seat heights, side table, and bottom drape panels all on a similar line to give the space a more open feel.

A collection of books fills the fireplace, lending a whimsical touch to the living room.

Plentiful windows and a wide door lead to a large terrace off the living room, marrying indoor and outdoor spaces.

The living room bids welcome with an easy formality. Herringbone floors, a traditional wood mantel, and ornate plasterwork on the ceiling nod to the past but share space with modern sofas, throw pillows, and artwork.

A painting by Vermont artist Craig Mooney helped kick-start the family room’s palette. The custom ottoman can serve as seating or as a table.

Original pocket doors open to the sitting room, where unmatched but similar vintage oriental rugs separate the two seating areas. The cut crystal chandelier at the fireplace end of the room is original to the house.

A vintage sofa and Salon chairs by Barbara Barry surround a distinctive Baker cocktail table in the sunny sitting room.

In the opposite corner of the living room the designer paired antique intaglios with a scalloped chest and embroidered drapery panels.

The living room displays touches of Hollywood glamour, including curved back-to-back sofas that Stefanon designed.

Gorgeous lake views and an ever-changing natural backdrop provide all the color that’s needed.

Modern furnishings in a neutral hue give the living room a calming vibe.

Interior designer Kerry Wilson recommended paint colors and furniture arrangements.

The high-ceilinged family room strikes a nautical tone with shades of blue and sand.

The wallcovering from the dining room makes a repeat appearance-now in a different color-at the back of the family room bookshelves.

The living room’s neutral palette suits husband John’s classic tastes, while vivid accents satisfy wife Susie’s love of color.

Fearless about mixing styles and textures, Bee outfitted the sitting area off the kitchen with a distressed iron daybed, a plush upholstered Empire-style chair, and a rustic stone-topped table, above which hangs a painting by New York artist Eliska Smiley.

An antiques forager, Bee was mindful of creating homes for his collections of small things. Here, a niche accommodates everything from teacups to tiny china houses. Litchfield County Cottage

In the den, luxury translates to a cream-and-brown Tibetan wool carpet from the Stephanie Odegard Collection.

The handsome beamed ceiling and stone hearth provide gravitas. In this setting, explains the architect, the ashlar pattern of the fireplace granite comes across as "more organic than rustic."

The family room is unabashedly bold with its cerulean grasscloth walls and candy-apple-red sofa.

Nineteenth-century architectural details, such as the living room’s fireplace, stand in counterpoint to modern pieces like the abstract painting and a hammered-metal sconce.

The draperies, made from a tea-stained, blue-green Jasper floral fabric with birds, set the color palette for the living room.