Justin Coit
Modern decorating is all aboutcreating living spacesthat feel comfortable, inviting, and current.
This means modern spaces have plenty of room for personality.
Saturated color palettes, spacey metallics, and far-out patterns are just as common in this style assleek minimalism.
Credit:Justin Coit
Take inspiration from this collection of stylish modern living room ideas for your next redesign.
Modern Living Room Lighting
Dane Tashima
Modern lighting is often either sculptural or very simple.
Use Color Blocking
Jay Wilde
Color-blocking is a modern technique that mixes large swatches of color.
Credit:Dane Tashima
This living room incorporates adark greenon the bookshelves, creating an eye-catching backdrop.
The seating area, filled with almost all light-brown furniture and decor, makes another block of color.
Incorporate Natural Wood
Brie Williams
Light andunfinished wood tonesare signatures of modern style.
Credit:Jay Wilde
Modern art complements the contemporary look.
Designing for High Ceilings
Matt Dutile
Decorating large-scale modern rooms can be intimidating.
If your living room hashigh ceilings, dont fret.
Credit:Jay Wilde
Start by hanging decor at eye level for an easy design that will feel welcoming.
Items hung too high end up looking odd.
Choosing Modern Furniture
John Granen
Modern furniture is often lower to the ground and simple in shape.
Credit:Joyelle West
The single woven chandelier is all thats needed to communicate a natural, beachy feel.
Minimalist-Inspired Modern Living Room
Less is more in modern style.
This room focuses on comfortable furnishings with simple, earthy designs.
Credit:Amy Pigliacampo
This kind of simplicity is what youre after in a modern living room.
Highlight Tall Ceilings
Modern spaces are known for their tall or angular ceilings.
Highlight these architectural features by choosing tall accessories, such as thispotted fig tree.
Credit:Jay Wilde
This draws the eye up, showing off the unique architecture.
Maximize Natural Light
Modern spaces are known for large windows with little obstruction.
Accessories with fringe or a hand-dyed look give the room a youthful, earthy feel.
Credit:Brie Williams
Balance the cool gray of concrete with wood tones, and soft furnishings like plush pillows and blankets.
Sleek midcentury chairs and a graphic striped blanket bring a modern flavor to this living room.
Simple Gallery Walls
Werner Straube
Gallery wallshave their place in modern living rooms.
Credit:Matt Dutile
Enhance contemporary style by hanging your art in a neat grid, rather than an organic mass of pieces.
This will complement the simplicity and geometry of modern style.
Highlight Unique Pieces
Kim Cornelison
Modern furnitureuses materials and shapes in unique ways.
Credit:Laurey Glenn
Highlight interesting pieces by giving them space to stand out.
Keeping the rest of the area simple allows you to appreciate the modern design.
Choose a Sectional Sofa
Due to their modular designs, sectionals are hugely popular with modernists.
Credit:John Granen
While the sofa might seem ubiquitous today, its actually the perfect base for a modern living room.
Asmaller seating area, for example, can give your living room a more conversational, intimate feel.
Here, a rich blue block highlights the media wall and fireplace while drawing attention to the flanking bookshelves.
Credit:Edmund Barr
Small, vibrant-colored decorative items reinforce theaccent wall color, creating continuity in the space.
Choose Unobtrusive Furniture
Heavy furnishings with floor-grazing skirts and slipcovered cushions can quickly date your decor.
Yourhome workstationdoesn’t have to be hidden away or even in its own room.
Credit:Seth Smoot
Instead, let the architecture shine and keep your furnishings minimal to create a modern counterpoint.
Hang Statement Artwork
The quickest way to fill a blank wall is by hanging larger-than-life artwork.
Combine Interior Styles
David A.
Credit:Jay Wilde
Here, teal upholstery and a marble coffee table top contribute contemporary vibes to traditional wood furniture legs.
Exposed beams, a statement ceiling, and a brick fireplace also offer contrasting modern and traditional nods.
Don’t Skip the Decor
No space in your living room should be left untouched or undesigned.
Credit:Jared Kuzia
Think instead about how you’re free to arrange your existing pieces in fresh, new ways.
For example, instead of creating a gallery wall of hung frames, use an assortment offloating shelves.
Display a mix of old favorites and new prints to tie the space together.
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Credit:Dustin Halleck / Interior Designer: Jen Talbot
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