Contemporary living rooms reflect the ways we live now. From clean lines to minimalist decor, streamlined furniture, neutral palettes, custom built-ins, functional layouts, bold color contrasts, and a focus on natural light, there are countless ways to make your space feel updated and current.
Check out these contemporary living room ideas for inspiration.
-
01
of 45Neutral Tones
Create a contemporary look by largely sticking to a neutral living room color palette. This contemporary living room is finished with heavy floor-to-ceiling drapes and a plush rug to add comfort.
Want more design inspiration? Sign up for our free daily newsletter for the latest decor ideas, designer tips, and more!
-
02
of 45Color-Drenching
Commit to a single color to create a contemporary color-drenched look. Green is an easy color to create a soothing backdrop on walls, furniture, and decor accents.
-
03
of 45Statement Coffee Table
Choose a statement coffee table made from bold shapes and mixed materials to complement a contemporary living room. Pair with curvy furniture and a dramatic stone slab fireplace wall.
-
04
of 45Built-In Lighting
Incorporate integrated LED lighting to create a contemporary feel. The lack of light fixtures will give your space a sleek and streamlined look and create the opportunity to add accent lighting to backlight shelving or display niches.
-
05
of 45Linear Fireplace
Skip a conventional mantel and install a contemporary linear fireplace to create a focal point in your living room. These long, linear features create a sleek look while adding warmth.
-
06
of 45Contemporary Art
Treat your contemporary all-white living room like an art gallery and hang bright and colorful modern art on the walls. Bring color onto furniture and flooring with a rug, upholstered armchair, or colorful throw pillows.
-
07
of 45Natural Greenery
Louis Duncan-He Designs / Photo by Eymeric Widling Photography
Warm up a neutral contemporary living room with natural greenery. From potted plants and trees to preserved moss wall hangings and vases of branches or flowers, bringing the outdoors inside will make your space more inviting.
-
08
of 45Bare Windows
Contemporary architecture often incorporates multiple large windows. Leave them bare to allow in an abundance of natural light and keep the focus on clean lines and a connection to the outdoors.
-
09
of 45TV Wall Built-Ins
Contemporary living rooms often feature built-in TV walls to create a seamless look that integrates the television into the decor. Fill shelving with books, art, plants, and design objects to ensure that the TV doesn’t dominate the room.
-
10
of 45Curvy Furniture
Furnish an older home with contemporary pieces for an updated feel. A curved sofa hugs the natural curve of bow windows in this historic Boston brownstone living room while adding a modern look to the space.
Tip
Contemporary furniture and decor can bring a historic or midcentury home into the present. Or it can make a cookie cutter apartment or new build home feel a bit more cutting edge.
-
11
of 45Pops of Color
Energize a neutral contemporary living room with pops of color. In this space, colorful wall art, a throw pillow, and a vase of flowers do the trick.
-
12
of 45Black-and-White Palette
Sissy + Marley Interior Design / Photo by Marco Ricca Studio
Create a bold graphic look in an open-concept living room by sticking to a black-and-white palette. This airy space has clean lines and minimal furnishings and decor for a contemporary look.
-
13
of 45Japandi Style
Japandi living rooms mix Scandinavian and Japanese aesthetics for an on-trend contemporary look that prizes minimalism and a zen feel. Decorate a Japandi living room with light wood tones, neutral furniture, and organic decor objects.
-
14
of 45Earth-Tone Walls
Earth tones have made a comeback in contemporary interiors. Pair a textured wall finish in a fiery shade of burnt sienna brown with chrome finishes to create a bold color contrast in a small living room.
-
15
of 45Custom Wall Paneling
Install an accent wall featuring custom wall paneling in mixed materials to give your space a contemporary look. This space mixes wide walnut wood panels with thin painted black wood slats and stone slabs and a triptych landscape photo to create a focal point.
-
16
of 45Mixed Metal Accents
Mix metal finishes in a formal living room to create a contemporary feel. Pair silver, gold, and copper tones on fixtures, decor, and furniture to elevate a neutral interior.
-
17
of 45Surprising Shapes
Design by Michelle Gerson Interiors / Photo by Marco Ricca
Create a contemporary feel by accenting clean lines with surprising curves on furniture and decor. A focus on non-traditional shapes, geometric curves, and contemporary wall decor adds interest to this space from Michelle Gerson Interiors.
-
18
of 45Large-Scale Photography
Decorate walls with large-scale photography for a contemporary feel. This space incorporates sculptural furniture and decor, white walls and floors, and a retro fireplace to create a contemporary feel.
-
19
of 45Bold Color Contrasts
Warm up a light and bright living room with warm color accents for a bold contrast. This space includes shades of coral and terracotta that add warmth to the mostly white space.
-
20
of 45Built-In TV Niche
In a sleek, contemporary living room, build a wall niche to house the TV. This will allow it to slightly recede rather than sticking out from the wall for a streamlined feel.
-
21
of 45Sheer Curtains
Soften a double-height wall of windows in a contemporary living room with simple window treatments such as floor-to-ceiling sheer curtains. They will filter light while making the space feel more welcoming.
-
22
of 45Oversized Lighting
Play with scale and proportion to give your living room a contemporary feel. In this space, a pair of oversized floor lamps flanks the sofa to add a playful sensibility to a neutral room.
-
23
of 45Asymmetrical Wall Trim
Give your living room a contemporary feel with asymmetrical wall trim. This simple DIY project adds texture to a dark and moody living room furnished simply and featuring an oversized pendant light.
-
24
of 45Wood Slat Feature
Hide the TV by installing a custom sliding wood slat wall panel. This will allow you to hide a common eyesore while adding texture to a contemporary living room like this bright Florida condominium living room.
-
25
of 45Geometric Forms
Mix geometric shapes to add edge to a contemporary living room. From clean rectangular shapes to rounded edges, this neutral space has plenty of visual interest and a mix of finishes.
-
26
of 45Contemporary Coastal
Coastal style is a laid back interior design trend that can range from beach house chic to contemporary. This sleek space has a blue-and-white color scheme, curvy furniture, graphic lines, and a layout that is designed to break up the angles of the linear room.
-
27
of 45Large-Scale Volumes
Contemporary living rooms and great rooms often feature generous volumes such as double-height ceilings. Make those ceilings a feature by exploiting vertical space with a framed grasscloth wallpaper insert and an extra-tall potted palm tree.
-
28
of 45All-White Palette
Louis Duncan-He Designs / Photo by Heather Dunbar
Commit to an all-white palette for a contemporary look. Decorate with clean-lined furniture, from a contemporary sofa to a midcentury modern-style daybed, and oversized floor lamp.
-
29
of 45All-Black Palette
Sissy + Marley Interior Design / Photo by Marco Ricca Studio
Create a contemporary feel by decorating your living room in a moody palette. This all-black space has black walls, ceilings, window trim, furniture, and flooring for a deeply relaxing feel.
-
30
of 45Tonal Palette
Decorate a contemporary living room with a waterfront view with understated furnishings in shades of pale gray. Finish with chrome and glass pieces that reflect light and create a cool-toned feel.
-
31
of 45Signature Elements
Design by Michelle Gerson Interiors / Photo by Marco Ricca
Anchor a large sectional sofa with an oversized coffee table with clean lines, generous proportions and enough visual weight to anchor the space. Decorate the walls of a neutral space with modern art for a signature look.
-
32
of 45Concrete Fireplace
Finish a streamlined fireplace in concrete for a contemporary look. Pair it with black and white walls and furniture and neutral decor.
-
33
of 45Eclectic Global Decor
Create a contemporary feel by mixing eclectic finishes, art, and decor objects. Break up white walls with wood paneling, paint, or wallpaper accents layered with framed art.
-
34
of 45Custom Wall Niche
Trade traditional built-ins for open cubbies to create custom storage in a contemporary living room. Tile, paint, or wallpaper the wall behind the TV to add interest.
-
35
of 45Colorful Couch
Introduce a jolt of color into a neutral contemporary living room with a colorful couch. Choose a nature-inspired green for a fresh modern feel, or go bolder with pink, mustard, blue, or any other color that strikes your fancy.
-
36
of 45Painted Fireplace
Paint your brick fireplace matte black to create a more contemporary feel. This is a simple DIY that will instantly update your space.
-
37
of 45Mixed Materials
Add texture to a contemporary living room with a mixed material mirror. Trade a conventional bookcase for a sculptural free-standing bookrack that doubles as decor.
-
38
of 45Stone Accents
Mix in stone slab or tile accents for a contemporary feel. Large-scale stone tiles lining the fireplace facade and a dramatic black veined stone coffee table add sleek texture to this space
-
39
of 45Geometric Area Rug
Choose a geometric area rug to complement a contemporary living room. The pattern will add movement and interest to the space.
-
40
of 45Hidden Storage
Design by Chango & Co. / Photo by Read McKendree
Cultivate a clutter-free look with hidden storage. This fireplace is encased with floor-to-ceiling cabinetry painted in a soothing warm shade of beige.
-
41
of 45Contemporary Pendants
Design by Chango & Co. / Raquel Langworthy Photography
Hang a pair of pendant lights to heighten the contemporary feel of a living room with extra tall ceilings. Choose black fixtures to create a graphic feel.
-
42
of 45Red Accents
Energize a neutral contemporary living room with bold color accents. A smattering of ruby red accents bring this neutral-toned contemporary living room to life.
-
43
of 45Industrial Loft
Design by Ghislaine Vinas / Photo by Garrett Rowland
Furnish an industrial space with contemporary furniture and decor to make it feel current. In this SoHo loft in New York City from interior designer Ghislaine Viñas, curvy contemporary furniture helps to balance the boxy proportions of the living room area, and a pair of bright yellow armchairs injects some mood-boosting color.
-
44
of 45Floor Mirror
Amplify natural light in a contemporary living room with a modern floor mirror. This arched frameless mirror leaned against the wall bounces light around and doubles views in a bright white condominium living room.
-
45
of 45Decorative Beams
Not every contemporary living room has to exude cutting edge style. This airy space includes neutral finishes and furniture, with a pale brick fireplace wall accent and decorative beams to bring a touch of farmhouse style to a new build.