How to Design a Modern Living Room

Unlike the focus on elaborate embellishments that older designs are known for, such as vintage style, modern design is all about functionality, minimalist decor, clean lines, and natural materials. If earthy colours, organic shapes, and wood and leather elements appeal to you, relaxed and practical modern interior design might be the option for your home.

What Is a Modern Design Style Living Room?

The Scandinavian and German Bauhaus movements are major inspirations for modern-style homes. The aesthetics translate to airy and uncluttered spaces that are cosy and welcoming. The main focus is simple form and function, regarded as equals in this design. Whether designing a small living room or a more family-friendly lounge space, here’s what you need to know about creating a modern living space.

How to Build a Modern Living Room?

The rise of private areas in the early 20th century gave rise to the modern living room concept. Modernist designers started to view rooms as distinct, whole entities and rejected multipurpose areas. This trend towards emphasising single rooms developed into practical, straightforward designs centred on the maxim “less is more.” A modern living room is sleek, stylish, and uncomplicated. As with any other interior design, choosing the correct home furniture pieces is essential to design a living room in a modern style for your daily enjoyment and relaxation.

Pick Your Furniture

The modern living room fosters airiness and fluidity, regardless of size, so pick furniture that reflects and complements that spaciousness and expansiveness. Choose sleek, low-slung modern home furniture that complements the minimalist design and enhances the visual flow. 

To achieve this, look for furniture with open designs and high legs in your room. That’ll allow light to flow through and reduce the piece’s visible weight. Further, opt for modular pieces, such as a sleek back-to-back cloud sofa that you can strategically place as a subtle space divider while preserving the space’s open feel.

Natural lighting is another important element in the design of a living room in a modern style. Pick furniture in light colours and arrange it to reflect light to improve your living room’s ambience. Whites, beiges, and greys are part of a neutral colour scheme that produces a serene and sophisticated atmosphere. This palette is given life in the interior designs by textured textiles, natural wood, and stone finishes, adding a hint of depth and warmth to the monochromatic theme. 

Applying layers of different textures and tones to the same colour family to add depth will provide a similar effect. For example, a solid oak chair upholstered in heavy-duty linen in stone can serve as a statement piece genuinely illuminating the room while providing a comfy spot for those lazy afternoons. Get a couple or several to create the whole sitting area if you have the room. Carefully selected and positioned decorative elements that act as focal points without clutter include sculptures, distinctive wooden coffee tables, and chic artwork that suits your taste.

Add an Accent Colour

Although many modern designs have light, neutral colour schemes, adding a calming colour from nature, like any shade of green, can enliven the room without completely altering the mood. An oversized green sofa can give the otherwise bland space a striking single-colour highlight. It helps achieve balance with subtle green touches placed around the space without becoming overpowering.

Bright jewel tones are a great way to add vivid colour to your living space. Although this colour scheme leans towards the moodier end of the spectrum, it can give a contemporary touch by including lighter hues, such as the stunning green velvet sofa and teal walls.

A modern geometric pendant light, various wall art, and a vintage Danish modern armchair add layers of elegance to any Scandinavian living room. A pink couch with a plump and enveloping contour adds a strong dose of modern Nordic charm.

Consider Wood Slat Walls

A contemporary interpretation of the traditional midcentury modern wood slat walls offers cosiness and establishes a focal point for items and décor. Another homage to the midcentury style (a subtype of modern style) is contemporary furniture in orange and turquoise hues, which still feels as modern as it did in the 20th century.

Even though we adore the transformational power of wood panels, they aren’t always appropriate for modern living rooms. Use whitewashed pine panels rather than some of the other more traditional hues to create a lighter, cleaner interior.

Don’t Forget About Texture!

A textured feature wall provides a contemporary touch and serves to deflect attention from the wall-mounted TV, complementing a diverse mix of furniture from different eras and styles. While white walls add warmth and a playful modern edge, straightforward built-ins, and weaving accessories can be functional or amusing. A gentle neutral colour scheme and layered natural textures, which range from the sheepskin throw on the back of the sofa to the wood stump end tables, give any living room a contemporary vibe.