• Home Tours
    • Dwell Exclusives
    • Before & After
    • Budget Breakdown
    • Renovations
    • Prefab
    • Video Tours
    • Travel
    • Real Estate
    • Vacation Rentals
  • Photos
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Bathrooms
    • Kitchens
    • Staircases
    • Outdoor
  • Magazine
    • Current Issue
    • All Issues
  • Shop
    • Shopping Guides
    • Furniture
    • Lighting & Fans
    • Decor & More
    • Kitchen & Dining
    • Bath & Bed
  • Projects
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Modern
    • Midcentury
    • Industrial
    • Farmhouses
    • Scandinavian
    • Find a Pro
    • Sourcebook
  • Collections
    • Editor’s Picks
    • Shopping
    • Recently Saved
    • Planning
SubscribeSign In
  • FILTER

    • All Photos
    • Editor’s Picks
    • living
  • Furniture

    • Bench(113)
    • Chair(69)
    • Sofa(61)
    • Sectional(11)
    • Recliner(6)
    • Ottomans(19)
    • End Tables(27)
    • Coffee Tables(55)
    • Console Tables(14)
    • Bookcase(113)
    • Media Cabinet(11)
    • Table(14)
    • Stools(6)
    • Bar(3)
    • Storage(33)
    • Shelves(40)
    • Desk(4)
    • Lamps(16)
  • Lighting

    • Ceiling(41)
    • Floor(12)
    • Table(13)
    • Wall(12)
    • Pendant(22)
    • Track(5)
    • Recessed(26)
    • Accent(10)
  • Floors

    • Medium Hardwood(22)
    • Light Hardwood(30)
    • Dark Hardwood(2)
    • Porcelain Tile(1)
    • Ceramic Tile(2)
    • Travertine
    • Concrete(29)
    • Vinyl(1)
    • Limestone
    • Slate(1)
    • Marble
    • Terra-cotta Tile
    • Linoleum(2)
    • Bamboo
    • Laminate(2)
    • Cork
    • Painted Wood(1)
    • Brick(4)
    • Cement Tile
    • Plywood(2)
    • Terrazzo(3)
    • Carpet(4)
    • Rug(26)
  • Fireplace

    • Standard Layout(21)
    • Corner(2)
    • Hanging(1)
    • Ribbon(2)
    • Two-Sided(1)
    • Gas Burning(4)
    • Wood Burning(17)
All Photos/living/furniture : bench/furniture : bookcase

Living Room Bench Bookcase Design Photos and Ideas

Designed for extra seating and to complement the small window, the built-in bench has become the family’s go-to spot. The Artemide mini Anglepoise lamp (£400) sheds light on nighttime reading. Other lampshades, bought while traveling (to places including Bangkok), serve as cherished mementos.
Though the living room only has large windows on one side, an upper window at left helps create what the clients call double sunrises and sunsets, by creating reflections on the larger windows at right.
With the bed and desk tucked away, there’s more room to move about in the shipping container.
When architects Thomas Karsten and Alexandra Erhard toured the raw industrial space, they were struck by how much light streamed in, a gift bestowed by large windows and the rare presence of a private patio.
After purchasing a decrepit 1971 Airstream Sovereign for less than $5,000, Seattle-based couple Natasha Lawyer and Brett Bashaw completed a DIY overhaul of the 200-square-foot trailer for approximately $22,000. The daybed area in the front of the Airstream transitions into a small kitchen with a bathroom, while a sleeping area with a king-size bed occupies the rear.
Oliver Furth's designs permeate the space from the updated rooms down to the furnishings.
The woolly looking ceramic piece on the side table is by Olesia Dvorak-Galik<span style="font-family: Theinhardt, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, &quot;Segoe UI&quot;, Roboto, Oxygen-Sans, Ubuntu, Cantarell, &quot;Helvetica Neue&quot;, sans-serif;">.</span>
View to the Entrance
Built in the early 1970s, the house's kitchen, living, and dining areas were originally divided into three distinct zones. In order for this great room to flow as one, Klopf Architecture removed the glass doors and solid walls separating the enclosed atrium from the kitchen and living room.  A Herman Miller trade poster, Design Within Reach book tower, and IKEA sofa mingle in the space.
In the Izquierdos’ living room, the slipcovered sofas were designed by Cristián based on specifications by his wife, Maida. The rug was made by a Chilean artisan whom the couple met on a trip, and the Anna XXL armchairs by Crassevig were a wedding gift.
Foldable furniture helps save space in the small house.
The design team sprayed the metal structure’s inner walls with thermal insulation. Then they framed the interior with studs and clad it in spruce plywood.
On one side of the house, a white central staircase leads to a split-level landing the Robertsons call "the reading room." "We needed a place to hang out and for the kids to read," explains owner Vivi Nguyen-Robertson. Awaiting the birth of the couple's son, she relaxes in a built-in reading nook in the library.
Floor-to-ceiling shelves and storage bookend a cabinet that conceals the television.
The pair replaced the cluttered firewood storage with a floating hearth that can double as a seat and display for art.
Raj and Watts extended the fireplace column to the ceiling to highlight the room’s expansive scale, and had it coated in concrete plaster. It was important to retain the wood-burning fireplace—a rarity in the city—but “we wanted to re-clad it in a material that also spoke to the industrial past of the building,” says Raj.
In the living room, two shades of gray paint from Sherwin-Williams complement the upholstered furnishings from Knoll.
The home was gutted in the remodel, and the living spaces were oriented to take better advantage of the existing window plan.
The sunken living room created an opportunity for a bespoke joinery unit that can be used as a bench overlooking the courtyard as well as a storage space for books and objects. Topped with the same Iranian travertine marble that is used for the flooring in the entrance, it extends the hallway along the courtyard into the living room.
Maison Gauthier was intended to serve as a permanent family home rather than as a simple summer residence, and it adopts a more substantial sense of scale and materiality. The residence was designed for Jean Prouvé’s own daughter, Françoise—who was married to a doctor—and her young family. The site near Saint-Dié is to the southeast of the city of Nancy, where Prouvé had built his own family home some years earlier. The single-level home perches on the side of a hill, looking towards the town. It features walls made of insulated aluminum panels sitting on concrete foundations, along with horizontal strip windows around the bedrooms at one end of the building and more extensive glazing around the living area at the other.
The built-in sofa anchors the living room and faces the existing fireplace. The Leather Oval Chair with a red steel base sits off to the side, and the coffee table was fashioned by attaching vintage steel legs to another tile sample board.
The original living room was converted into an open-plan kitchen and dining area with a living room that can be reconfigured into a bedroom. The use of natural materials and the large windows that flood the space with natural light and frame the views make the small space feel bright and airy.
The curvy shape of this pink sofa gives it a fun, playful quality.
If they can’t leave a used bookstore without copping at least three paperbacks at $1 apiece, we’ve got a gift for them.
Ladder to loft adds a playful element.
A built-in window seat across from the kitchen gives guests a spot to sit close to the cooking action.
Thirteen windows in the apartment help maximize the fantastic views. The seating—including a sectional from West Elm and daybed from BoConcept—is now complemented by a fireplace specified by the firm.
Simon chose two differing fabrics for this entryway nook, textiles from Morocco, a throw from West Elm, and a stool from CB2. The oil painting above is a vintage find from Round Top.
Wood features prominently on the interiors as well. There are reclaimed wormy chestnut floors throughout.
Front entry and living area.
Adding in live-edge details via countertops, freestanding furniture pieces, or built-in shelves is something that O’Donnell enjoys. "It’s fun to come up with uses for funky live edges and incorporate that into the design and still make it functional," he says.
Francis Mill emphasizes the importance of "uninterrupted looking" at home. This niche in the cave offers a tranquil place to read or contemplate art.
Orcas Island Retreat by DeForest Architects offers a sustainable, soulful getaway for a young couple. This spacious reading nook is tucked away from the living spaces.
As the only handicap-accessible building designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, the Kenneth and Phyllis Laurent House (so named for the couple that lived there from 1952 until 2012) was completed in 1952 as one of the so-called Usonian homes. The couple married shortly before World War II, and Ken Laurent underwent surgery during his service in the Navy that left him paralyzed from the waist down. Wright listened closely to his clients' needs to create an accessible design that was decades ahead of his time, including thresholds and floors that are level with the exterior ground for easy transitions between inside and outside. Wright designed much of the furniture in the house.
"The wood structure has a depth that creates a play of shadows through the day and a calm atmosphere resembling the feeling of sitting under a tree," says the firm.
Short staircases lead to sequestered nooks made for contemplation and getting work done. "The concrete floors and stairs dissolve the division of inside and outside," says Atelier Oslo. "The interior becomes part of the landscape, and walking in and around the cabin gives a unique experience, where the different qualities from the site become part of the architecture."
The first floor is a continuous public space featuring a dining area, kitchen, and living room.
Built-in furniture extends throughout the home.
Each cabin comes equipped with a fully functional kitchen. Above, a wooden countertop echoes the hand-hewn, reclaimed wood on the walls, which was provided by John Loerchner's brother.
Living Room 01
The fixed-gear bicycle hanging above the couch serves as an art piece; Chen no longer rides the bike. Le Corbusier Projecteur 165 pendant lights hang in the corner.
Clare Conklin's living room features subtle earth tones and a mix of wood finishes.
Finding a wheelchair accessible home in New York City can be a challenge, but after a diving accident left David Carmel paralyzed from the waist down, Carmel knew he was looking for a home that was "accessible but not institutional." Working with Della Valle Bernheimer, they made an apartment that is both beautiful and accessible, with a lightweight sliding wall that closes off the bedroom from the living area.
A dramatic vaulted foyer leads to a formal sitting room flanked by two custom seating areas with built-in day beds and louvered sun screens.
From the main room, passageways lead to the bedroom and bathroom.
A purposeful nook for storing coats and taking off shoes is lined with vertical subway tile. The brick floor elegantly meets the pistachio green tile floor, which helps to define the alcove from the main space.
Light cascades onto the window seat from glazing placed high on the wall.
A built-in bench below the window is ready for a good curl-up, with a full wall of shelves nearby.
Cubbyholes in the bedroom provide storage for clothing.
The common area in this penthouse by Studio RHE boasts a digital cube ceiling, stunning views, and an immense book collection by the bar.
A full-height wall of glass brings additional natural light into the open-plan living area. The step down creates a cozy divide in the space.
A pullout desk is hidden underneath one of the shelves.
A few steps lead up to the dining room area.
The elegant space is anchored by a brick, wood-burning fireplace.
12Next

About

  • About
  • Contact Us
  • FAQ
  • Editorial Standards
  • Careers
  • Advertise
  • Media Kit

Subscriptions

  • Subscribe to Dwell
  • Gift Dwell Magazine
  • Dwell+ Subscription Help
  • Magazine Subscription Help

Professionals

  • Sell Your Products
  • Contribute to Dwell
  • Promote Your Work

Follow

  • @dwellmagazine on Instagram
  • @dwellmagazine on Pinterest
  • @dwell on Facebook
  • @dwell on Twitter
  • @dwell on Flipboard
  • Dwell RSS

© 2026 Recurrent Ventures Inc. All rights reserved.

  • Privacy
  • Terms
  • DMCA
  • Sitemap
  • Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information