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Dwell's Favorite 202 Living Room Chair Design Photos And Ideas

When designing her weekend getaway in Valle de Bravo, Mexico, architect Fernanda Canales knew the remote nature of the plateau and erratic weather conditions would prove tricky. In addition to withstanding the harsh climate, the house would need to also be self-sufficient. To embrace the beauty of the landscape while being open to sun exposure, the home wraps around four courtyards. Brick and concrete with high thermal mass create the foundation; its red hue and rough texture are juxtaposed against smooth concrete and wood inside. A unique facet to the home are the arches in the roofline—barrel-vaulted ceilings span the family room and all the bedrooms.

Rustic, Scandinavian-style The Hut, in Ohio, is a true family affair; the sustainable cabin, covered in cedar shingles, was built by architect Greg Dutton and his brother and father. Inside, views are amplified through a 25-foot wall of floor-to-ceiling windows.

In this renovated midcentury in Seattle, the living room’s fireplace has been powder-coated orange to complement the vintage furnishings, including a test bomb discovered at an antiques mall.

Rug designer Nani Marquina and photographer Albert Font created their home in a peaceful corner of the Spanish island of Ibiza. In their living room is a pair of kilim-covered chairs by Philippe Xerri, a chest of drawers by Piet Hein Eek, and a handmade Tunisian rug that provides bursts of color amidst the overall color scheme of white, ecru, and cream.

Infused with traditional materials and aesthetics, this open-plan home in Japan strengthens the bond a young family has to nature and to each other.

The master bedroom has access to the netted play nook through a whimsical door that punches through the upper part of a wall. A repurposed street lamp from Copenhagen is suspended from the ceiling.

Halfway through a pregnancy isn’t exactly the ideal time to buy a house. So after spending months scouting San Francisco’s Victorians and turnkey cookie-cutters—and almost defecting to the East Bay—Lorena Siminovich and Esteban Kerner decided to put the hunt on hold until after their baby was born. But then one afternoon Kerner, a design director with Old Navy, logged on to Craigslist on a whim. He saw a below-market listing for a single-family home in Noe Valley, their neighborhood of choice.

With crumbly brick cladding, peeling rust-brown paint, and rotting garage doors, the house lacked curb appeal. But the Argentine couple was drawn to the interior. "It was amazing and strange at the same time," says Kerner of the 1,485-square-foot, multilevel, midcentury maze. "Mind-boggling," adds Siminovich. "It was just a knot of doors and a series of insane stairs to nowhere."

The living area features a weathered metal fireplace, warm wood furniture, and travertine floors sourced by Destefano Marble & Granite.

Within the walls of this updated 1920s Spanish Colonial home is a world-class art collection that includes the work of James Turrell and Jenny Holzer. The abode was meant to contrast with the creative couple’s main residence in San Francisco—a Victorian on a steep hill. The Los Angeles getaway, designed by Síol Studios, was renovated to embody indoor/outdoor living while maintaining the original charm with beautiful bones and arched windows. The placement of the art was an organic process—some were designed in place, while others were placed afterwards such as the Barry McGee surfboards in the dining room.

When glass dominates a home, the result is a borderless residence that syncs with its environs, creating a stunning, new visual and psychological sense of space. See how these glass homes use the versatile material to create ambiance and connect with the outdoors.

All of the exterior furnishings are from Fermob. The wood-burning fireplace anchors the open living-dining space.

In the living area, sofas and a chair by Piero Lissoni for Cassina join a floor lamp by Michele de Lucchi for Artemide.

Loft Space

Houston-based designer Barbara Hill is known for a stripped-down aesthetic that blends art-world cachet with Texas modernism. Vitra’s Slow chair sits in front of a powder-coated-steel bookcase made by Hill’s go-to fabricator, George Sacaris; it was originally built for the Houston house.

“Instead of using a typical frame system, we created frameless windows by burying aluminum channels into the floors and walls,” says Richard. “It kept our glazing budget much lower than normal.” The sofas feature custom upholstery by Inverse Project and HDM.

The glass-enclosed living area is furnished with Scandia chairs and a Fjordfiesta table.

An architectural designer and an artist harnessed the collective power of their design firm to remake a dilapidated mid-century gem into a hillside perch for their family.

San Francisco’s modernists were faced with the issue of building within a firmly established stylistic tradition—think bay windows and gingerbread. Henry Hill’s 1947 renovation of a 1908 Victorian tucked away on an alley in historic Russian Hill provides a remarkable response to the dilemma.

In the living room, the custom sectional is from Village Interiors and the rug is from Turabi Rug Gallery.

In the living room, Fred sits beneath Tom Wesselmann’s Claire’s Valentine Banner, from 1973. A George Nelson Yellow Marshmallow sofa from 1956 joins a Darrell Landrum coffee table, also from the 1950s, and a pair of Verner Panton Cone chairs.

The master bedroom, previously a little dormer, has been expanded to include a massive corner window that captures the Golden Gate Bridge, Bay Bridge, and Richmond Bridge on clear days. A rug by Aelfie Oudghiri for CB2, wool-wrapped pouf by CB2, and vintage chaise by Maarten van Severen creates an impressive lounge area.

The modern steel staircase adds a striking architectural element to the space and leads from the ground-floor living spaces to the bedrooms upstairs.

The light-filled living area is dressed with a Vipp Shelter lounge stol (available in Fall 2019), the Vipp Loft Sofa ($6,795), and a Vipp Floor Reading Lamp ($600).

Designed for “utilizing every cubic centimeter to its utmost,” the compact cabin feels large thanks to full-height glazing and clean, minimalist design.

Warm wood accents form a common thread that connects each room.

Instead of peering into the homes of neighbors, residents revel in nature.

In addition to housing the garage, the ground floor features an open living room, a dining area and kitchen, a half bath, and a flush wall of cabinetry for storage.

Artist and corrective-exercise specialist, Ruth Hiller, moved to Winter Park, Colorado from New York knowing that her home would be glass and steel with wraparound windows. She hopped on the phone with architect Michael Johnson, he drew the sketch, and it took a mere five minutes to decide on the design. The common areas are suspended and cantilevered over the backyard ravine, offering views of a winding mountain creek while also doubling the square footage. A Bathyscafocus by Focus Creations fireplace warms up the modern abode.

Designed by local architect Pedro Domingos, this four-bedroom abode in Portugal opens up with whitewashed concrete walls and geometric forms. Integrated amongst hundreds of olive, almond, and cork trees on a site that once held ancient ruins, the space opens up to the landscape with an array of patios, rooftop terraces, and large central courtyard with swimming pool. The midcentury fireplace seen here was designed in 1965 by Spanish architects Alfonso Mila and Federico Correa.

Spaces are kept minimal to instill a sense of serenity. A Pilotta chair from Cassina is the only piece of furniture other than the built-in bench.

The spacious living room features full-length windows that create a connection with nature. Pink plaster walls were restored to their original condition, as were plywood built-ins.

Located on a narrow site, Living Screen House by CplusC Architectural Workshop features a unique lap pool abutting a double-height social space. Living green wall screens to the front and side façades provide privacy.

What was once a poorly planned floor plan has transformed into open, brightly lit living spaces at the hub of the home.

The upper floor of one of the cabins features a wood-burning stove, beanbag chairs, and a hanging paper lantern.

The existing wood structure and ceiling of the former saloon were completely refinished, and the exposed rafters were painted white for a brighter and more spacious feel. The old windows, floors, and finishes were replaced to create consistency with the new house.

Large decks and walls of glass blur the boundaries between indoor/outdoor living.

“An important part of the work was to design large common spaces, and to be able to receive a large number of people,” note the architects. “The common spaces are designed for the coexistence between family and friends.”

A slender, black double-sided fireplace distinguishes the living room from the dining area.

A brick-inlay fireplace is set into a wall of glass.

The largest beams in the home are made of cenizaro—a native tree that's larger than teak but has a similar grain.

Drawing inspiration from Japanese contemporary architecture, Jorge Alonso Albendea gave the home a modern and minimalist aesthetic.

Pine plywood complements the home's bright white walls and beams, while the heightened ceilings and multiple windows make the space feel larger than its 527 square feet.

In addition to adding playful storage, the platforms also support plants and decor.

Little Kulala Lodge is the ultimate destination for modern desert luxury. It’s strategically located on the private Kulala Wilderness Reserve at the foot of Sossusvlei desert.

The sectional is from Dellarobbia, and the leather chair is the Toro Lounge Chair from Blu Dot. Annie Wise sourced the rugs and accent pillows.

Edgeland House, built on a cliff-top lot in Austin by architect Thomas Bercy for lawyer and writer Chris Brown, is topped by a living roof that helps it blend into the landscape. The concrete, steel, and glass house is divided into two distinct public and private halves.

The games room is located on the lower level. The family plays board games on the table flanked by Eames chairs.

Bedroom Open to Living Room

The couple purchased the living room’s H.W. Klein chairs with the house. Another existing piece was the mezzanine’s daybed, designed by Peter Hvidt and Orlando Mølgaard Nielsen. An original floating staircase leads to the mezzanine and then up to the second floor. The open, straight-forward spaces speak to one of Christian’s guiding principles: “Simplicity is the key,” he says.

Manhattan Daybed by Guy Rogers.

A Pluto Chandelier from One Kings Lane hovers over the relaxed seating area, complete with leather swivel chairs from Bed Bath & Beyond.

All of the lights are equipped with dimming mechanisms, and they emit a honey-hued glow to create a sense of warmth.

The corner of the living area is wrapped in glass.

Curtains separate the front—where kids dance and partake in carpentry—from the play area in the rear.

To minimize the home's energy footprint, the floor and foundation are made from cast concrete. Large openings allow for natural ventilation, while surrounding trees help create a cool microclimate. The house is powered by geothermal energy.

“The exterior walls are not happy with just being the limitation between interior and exterior,” Collectif Encore explains. “You can shower, go to the toilet, stand on stage, cook, sleep and bathe ‘inside’ the walls.”

The modern living room is one of the busiest spots in the house. It is where family and friends alike gather to share stories, watch movies, read, and unwind. As you'll find in the projects below, there are endless ways to configure a fresh living space with modern options for chairs and sofas, sectionals, end and coffee tables, bookcases, benches, and more. Innovative fireplaces add a touch of warmth.