Modern Home Interior Design Ideas To Try MyLA Book

By Tania Melissa

last updated September 17, 2024

Contributions sourced from

www.mylaglobal.com

73 Best Modern Living Room Ideas to Try at Home

Modern living rooms are comfortable and inviting spaces built for relaxed family time and casual entertaining. Today's living rooms include elements like ultra-comfortable seating, built-in TV walls, and a focus on natural light.

Living rooms may be dedicated rooms or have open-plan layouts that are combined with dining rooms or share space with kitchens.

While modern and contemporary are often treated as synonyms and used interchangeably, there is a technical difference between the terms.

For interior designers and architects, a modern interior has roots in modernism and 20th-century midcentury modern architecture and design, whereas a contemporary interior refers to styles that reflect the period from the late 20th century to the present.

But to everyone else, the word modern is simply a shorthand for interiors that feel fresh, inviting, and livable in the here and now.

Modern living rooms draw from past design styles and aesthetics, reinventing traditions to create spaces that are less of a particular style than a sensibility.

This means that a modern room can have low-slung furniture with clean lines, neutral color palettes, and natural elements like wood, or lean more contemporary with bold paint and wallpaper, statement light fixtures and art, and sculptural furniture. Mixing old and new pieces in a range of styles can also give your living room a modern and eclectic feel.

Check out these modern living rooms in a range of sizes and styles for inspiration.

26 Modern Living Rooms Ideas for a Sleek and Inviting Gathering Space

As major hosting zones, living rooms should be welcoming and cozybut that doesnt mean you need to sacrifice style. Here, over two dozen modern living room ideas prove you can have it all: one room that could be your easy-breezy reading nook, a cozy corner for family game night, and also a chic retreat for cocktails and conversation. Among them youll find spaces from the AD archivesincluding a So Paulo living room by the Campana Brothers that features a cloud-shaped, light-reflecting mirror; and an Aspen getaway by Atelier AM that showcases a custom-made sectional sofa covered in a brick-red cottonas well as fresh inspiration from design experts across the country. Its time to mix a martini, sit down, and stay awhile.

What is a modern living room design style?

You may catch on to a few similarities in the below living room ideas. Common denominators include clean lines and contemporary furnishings warmed up with ever-so-subtle touches like luxurious upholstery, colorful artwork, and fresh greenery. Or, as Joey Conicella of Soco Interiors in Winter Park and Naples, Florida, puts it, Achieving a modern aesthetic is about neutralizing the overall style of the room. Lean into simple and minimal details and functional furniture pieces. Play with natural light and shadows. Instead of adding furniture pieces and accessories, create more negative space by removing things from the room.

How do you accessorize a modern living room?

Accessorizing a modern living room can be a delicate balance between simplicity and impactful statement pieces, says Jamie Young of home decor brand Jamie Young Co. Choose sleek, modern lighting fixtures that can double as art. Pendants, floor lamps, and chandeliers can be both functional and decorative with a minimalist feel.

What is a timeless living room?

Withstanding the test of time usually involves a neutral color palette that provides a versatile backdrop for room decor and well-made furnishings that lastboth elements that can be incorporated into modern living room design. Linda Hayslett of LH.Designs in Los Angeles adds, A timeless living room is one that functions well and has a flow, but also has pieces that last for years in look and comfort. Nothing is too trendy, and lines in furniture and decor are more streamlined and clean.

Modern living room ideas

Ready to incorporate these designers expert advice into your own home? Consider the following 26 modern living room ideas.

All products featured on Architectural Digest are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

17 Interior Design Books to Help You Create the Home of Your Dreams

Live Beautiful by Athena Calderone

In Live Beautiful, Athena Calderone, the creative force behind the lifestyle site Eyeswoon, offers a glimpse into the homes of accomplished creatives ranging from decorators like Nate Berkus and Jeremiah Brentto fashion tastemakers like Jenna Lyons. They share the inspiration behind their well-decorated homes and how the averagehomeowner can recreate the look.

Rizzoli S Is for Style: The Schumacher Book of Decoration

If you're obsessed with patterns like stripes and florals, this is for you. In this coffee table book,Schumacherthe iconic fabric and wallpaper companycelebrates the creative ways designers have used their most beloved prints over the years.

Clea Shearer and Joanna Teplinof The Home Edit have organized spaces for everyone from Reese Witherspoon toGwyneth Paltrow. If you haven't had a chance to steal tips from their Netflix show, Get Organized, now's the time to sit down with their book, which is full of advice on making just about any room look more polished.

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Homebody: A Guide to Creating Spaces You Never Want to Leave: Target Exclusive Edition

If you consider yourself a fan of HGTV's Fixer Upper, where Chip and Joanna Gaines transformed old homes into Instagram-worthy properties, add her book to your collection. In it, you'll find ideas for decorating with antiques, experimenting with industrial decor, and more.

Kelly Wearstler: Evocative Style

When it comes to leading interior designers, it doesn't get any better than Kelly Wearstler. Evocative Style shows off Wearstler'smastery of fashioning spaces that tell a story, whether it's through mixing vintage and contemporary pieces or experimenting with unique textures and organic shapes.

Look no further than interiors photographer and stylist Alyssa Rosenheck to uncover the truth about Southern style, thanks to glimpses of her stunning home as well as those of design influencers, like Leanne Ford. This refreshing look at Southern culture, including itsemerging design trends, will tempt youto bring more charm into your own abode.

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Gibbs Smith Modern Americana

Leave it to interior designer Max Humphrey to reveal what it takes to pull off a modern Americana aesthetic. Think pointers on decorating withgingham, old maps, flea market treasures, andcustom furnishingsall with a focus on crafting an interior that feels layered and lived-in.

Rebecca Atwood: Living With Pattern Coffee Table Book

There's an art to layering patterns in an interior and Brooklyn-based textiledesigner Rebecca Atwood shows exactly how it's done in this book. A healthy mix of design inspiration and practical how-to's makes this title a must-have for any decor lover.

Elements of Family Style: Elegant Spaces for Everyday Life

It's no secret that lifestyle blogger and decoratorErin Gatesknows all about designing a beautiful room. Steal a dose of her style with this book that has all the tips you could ever need to make your home stylish, comfortable, and most importantly, functional for a busy family.

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Made for Living: Collected Interiors for All Sorts of Styles

Sometimes all it takes is browsing through a book of picture-perfect rooms to land on a brilliant design idea for your own space. Amber Lewis'Made for Living has more than 250 photographs that offer pointers on paint colors, throw pillows, lighting, and just about any other design element you've always been curious about.

Everything: A Maximalist Style Guide

More is more is the perfect way to describe Abigail Ahern's Everything. Learn the ins and outs of nailing the maximalist design aesthetic, from going bold with color to mixing furniture styles.

Beautifully Organized: A Guide to Function and Style in Your Home

An organized space never fails to exude beauty, and Nikki Boyd's Beautifully Organized proves just that.This inspiring book will encourage youto rid your home of clutter once and for alland put the items that hold special meaning to you onfull display.

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May I Come In?: Discovering the World in Other People's Houses

New York magazine editor Wendy Goodman has covered some of the most breathtaking homes in the world over the years. In May I Come In?, she opens the doors to more than 75 of her favorites andhighlights some of her ownmemorabiliaand photos along the way.

"Travel Home" by Caitlin Flemming

Any travel enthusiast would appreciate this book's engaging look at homes around the world, from Portugal toMarrakesh. Its beautiful photography and tips on arranging a global-inspired room makes it perfect for any designobsessive.

We can all do our part to live a more sustainable life and Home for the Soul offers thoughtful interior design pointers to point you in the right direction.

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"More Beautiful" by Mark D. Sikes

What does it take to make your home more beautiful?That's the premise behind Mark D. Sikes' coffee tablebook. The top designer, who is known for his love of a blue-and-white color palette, shares some of his top all-American spaces that are equal parts sophisticated and comfortable.

Abrams Jungalow: Decorate Wild

Get inspired to be a bit more daring with your design style, thanks to Justina Blakeney's upcoming book, Jungalow:Decorate Wild. Read it from cover to cover and you'll feel more confident in choosing color schemes, going bold with patterns, andbreaking away from traditional design principles.

Monique Valeris is the home design director for Good Housekeeping, where she oversees the brand's home decorating coverage across print and digital. Prior to joining GH in 2020, she was the digital editor at Elle Decor. In her current role, she explores everything from design trends and home tours to lifestyle product recommendations, including writing her monthly column, "What's in My Cart."

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31 Home Design Ideas That Will Change the Way We Decorate in 2023

While stenciling tile is nothing new, creators are steering away from the overdone encaustic tile patterns in grey, black, white and blue and experimenting with contemporary motifs. Choose starkly contrasting colors for a crisp and fresh look, suggests Annie Sloan, paint and color expert based in Oxford, England, and creator of Chalk Paint, who has utilized household objects including cereal bowls and magazines to create one of a kind stencils. These simple shapes look fabulous in block bright colors. Pastel square shapes reference 50s diners, perfect for grandmillennial interiors, while curved designs reference Vernor Patton and 60s cool.

11. Upcycle housewares ina glam way

The antique Kintsugi restoration technique finds beauty in imperfections by filling broken pottery cracks with gold paint.

Photo: Marco Montalti

Before you dispose of dishes, pictures frames, and even large furniture items thathave seen better days, think about ways in which you can repurpose these pieces to add some new life. Saw down that dining table and turn it into the coffee table of your dreams, as Lance Thomas ofThomas Guy Interiors in Lake Charles, Louisiana, did in his own home.

12. Embrace the 70s mirrored backsplash

Beveled Paris Gray Hexagon Antique Mirror Tile

Take a look back50 years backwhen tackling the backsplash, suggestsAlex Alonso ofMr. Alex Tate Design. So much of the 70s has crept back into fashion, he says, noting that a smoky mirrored backsplash is very chic and trendy. The Miami-Los Angelesbased designer adds that people are looking to make kitchens warm but still keep them modern and interesting, and a mirrored backsplash can do just that. Or you can create a vibrant custom backsplash with watercolor, marbled paper, even a piece of pretty fabric thats protected behind a pane of tempered glass.

13. Enhance walls with limewash paint

Interior designers, like Sarah Weichel of Swike Design, employ Portola Paints & Glazes lime wash paint for distinctive wall texture.

Photo: Austin Leis

15 Interior Design Books That Will Inspire an Immediate Home Refresh

For the New Yorker

Walk With Me: New York by Susan Kaufman

"I discovered photographer Susan Kaufman on Instagram. As a New Yorker, I have a soft spot for beautiful images of the city in the rain, snow, and, of course, sunshine," Associate Shopping Editor Jessica Cherner admits. "When I learned that she had assembled her collection of photos into a book, I ordered it immediately. I flip through it all the time, admiring all of the charming nooks I never would have discovered on my owneven in my eight years of living here!" The best part about this book is the fact that it's not terribly big (seven by nine inches), so it tends to always sit on the top of a stack.

For the Texan

Droese Raney x Design by Droese Raney and Ian Volner

When Dallas-based architecture Droese Raney finally published a book, fans of the firm rejoiced. The 360-page tome includes 16 of the most awe-inspiring projects, such as clothing store Billy Reid, Dallas restaurant Mi Cocina, and Forty Five Ten, a four-story Dallas department store appointed entirely in Knoll furniture and textiles. Though each of the firm's projects are vastly different, they all boast Droese Raney's signature sculptural feel.

For the Chef

Magnolia Table, Volume 3: A Collection of Recipes for Gathering by Joanna Gaines

We couldn't round up the best interior decorating books and not include one of our favorites, Joanna Gaines' third installment of Magnolia Table, which she published in the spring of 2023. Technically, it's a cookbook, just like the previous two iterations, but this one is chock-full of inspiring images of the design enthusiast's gorgeous kitchen. Otherwise, if you're buying it for the recipes, you'll find such delicacies as honey butter layered biscuit bites, bananas foster pancakes, and Brussels sprout Gruyre gratin. This book is as much a feast for the eyes as it is for the stomach.

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For the Warm

Down to Earth: Laid-back Interiors for Modern Living by Lauren Liess

Virginia-based interior designer Lauren Liess's third tome (her fourth is currently available for pre-order) hit stands back in 2019, but it's still one of our favorites on offer because the content never goes out of fashionliterally. All 256 pages are about creating warm and comfortable interiors whose look knows no time constraints. Throughout the book, Leiss relies on her four must-haves (something old, something new, nature, and simplicity) for designing layered spaces.

For the Colorful

House Beautiful: Live Colorfully by Editors of House Beautiful

Of course, we had to include our very own coffee table book, which was written and curated by the editors of House Beautiful. It's less of a how-to book and more of a display of color done right. Each section features a specific color point of view, if you will, that demonstrates the beauty of the way colors can interact. The main takeaway is that no color, shade, or tone is off limits in the home.

For the Quietly Luxurious

Sense of Place by Caitlin Flemming and Julie Goebel

This book is from a mother-daughter design duo who specialize in quiet luxury interiors. As you can tell from the cover, they have a penchant for more muted settings. This book features several elegant landscapes and the interior shots will certainly get your creative, decorative juices flowing.

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For the Old Soul

Mid-Century Modern by Bradley Quinn

What would a roundup of design-centric coffee table books be without at least one midcentury modern-focused pick? The design movement, which was popular from 1945 to 1969, first hit Europe then the U.S., where it's still popular today. After World War II, designers wanted to turn away from ornamental, extravagant furniture of the past and move towards pieces that felt more streamlined and simple. You can find such creations illustrated in this gorgeous book of authentic midcentury design.

For the Queer Eye Fan

Right at Home by Bobby Berk

As avid fans of Bobby Berk (we will be mourning his absence after Queer Eye Season 8), we wanted to include his book on our list. If he's taught us anything throughout his tenure on the highly emotional show, it's that the way your home makes you feel matters, so paying special attention to decorating it is paramount. This book shows you how to design your space, no matter what size it may be, so that it has an impact on you.

For the History Buff

Life Along the Hudson by Pieter Estersohn

"I have this book and I can't even tell you how many times I look at it, but it's at least several times a month," Cherner says. "It so chock-full of gorgeous historic estates that were erected in the early days of the English colonies, so all of the homes boast that stately, majestic look that you really don't see in new-builds anymore. I have a weakness for renovated old houses, so this book really took me for a ride."

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For the Contemporary

Livable Luxe by Brigette Romanek

On the other hand, if your style leans more contemporary than it does historic, this book by interior designer Brigette Romanek will give you some great visual pointers, starting with the palette. Romanek details how to use color in the most flattering ways for pretty much any room in any home.

For the Unique

Oasis: Modern Desert Homes Around the World by iO Tillett Wright

These types of highly modern homes may not be the warmest in terms of aesthetics, but they sure are unique. If you have an affinity for this kind of look, you will absolutely thumb through this page-turner by author and photographer iO Tillett Wright weekly. The artist has captured some of the most interesting homes in the world.

For the Traditionalist

Arriving Home: A Gracious Southern Welcome by James T. Farmer III

Perhaps the polar opposite of the previous architectural style, these types of undeniably Southern homes, which show up in basically every state below the Mason-Dixon line, are beautiful in their own right. This book features plenty of homes that interior designer James T. Farmer III designed across the country. Though some find themselves up north, all of them boast that classical and traditional appeal that any design lover can appreciate.

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For the Budgeter

Probably This Housewarming: A Guide to Creating a Home You Adore by Beau Ciolino and Matt Armato

An inspiring and witty book by a couple we all know and love, Beau Ciolino and Matt Armato's latest tome is all about creating spaces you actually like coming home to. If you don't know them from their elegant designs, you may be familiar with their menswear blog "Probably This." This book is all about designing a home you love on the cheap.

For the Budding Architect

McAlpine: Romantic Modernism by Bobby McAlpine

The fourth and most recent book by architect Bobby McAlpine is all about romanticism in design. All of his projects featured in his latest tome offer a glimpse of the various styles out there, but the one element that ties them all together, he says, is poetry. No, there aren't rhyming schemes or lyrical stanzas, but a fluidity that comes with his work. The homes featured in this book range from Elizabethan and Dutch to colonial Caribbean and agrarian American, so no matter what style speaks to you most, you'll find a version of it here.

For the Nostalgic

The deVOL Kitchen by Paul O'Leary, Robin McLellan, and Helen Parker

"I grew up in a house with a deVOL kitchen, so this one hits home," Cherner admits. "When I saw this as a suggested book on my Amazon account, I ordered it without giving it much thought, and once it arrived, I felt like I was back in my childhood home again." Published just over a year ago, the creatives behind the British kitchen design firm included their favorite projects in this elegantly curated book.

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