Looking for some living room ideas to help you layout your room, give it a fresh new look or even to plan a remodel? Below you’ll find some of our favorite living room ideas. We’ll show you how to work with awkward room layouts, solve common furnishing issues and how to update your living room design.

Add an Accent Wall

An accent wall is a fantastic and easy update that you can do yourself. However, you want to be careful how you do it – too much pattern or color can be distracting. Choose one wall to be the focal point of your room. Add a paint color or wallpaper to create your accent wall. In this living room, we used a deep burgundy red paint color to energize the room without overwhelming it.

Frame a Fireplace

Frame your fireplace with a set of built-in shelves. This is a great way to create a feature wall in a living room. Feature walls look best when they are symmetrical, so make your shelving units equal in size. In the living room design above, we used open shelves. You can also add doors to cover the lower portion for closed storage. Add a pair of sconces and a mirror or painting above the fireplace to complete the look.

Cluster Coffee Tables

If you find yourself with too many small tables but in need of a coffee table, try clustering your small tables together. You can use a pair of matching tables or group coffee tables of varying heights to create a multi-height coffee table. Try mixing and matching styles, finishes and shapes to create an eclectic look like the one in the living room below.

Make Awkward Space an Asset

Does your living room have an awkward setback or quirky corner that’s tough to furnish? Turn it into an asset by adding a built-in desk to create a functional and attractive home office space. A built-in desk does not have to be complicated, expensive or even require a contractor to install it. You can make one desk yourself like the one above with a few basic items – a desktop, a few wall shelves and a drawer unit.

Try a Dark Wall Color

Try a dark wall color for bold living room update. Dark walls create an intimate and inviting feeling in a room. They are great for living rooms, libraries, dining rooms and bedrooms. When you use a dark color on the walls, keep the floor and ceiling finishes lighter. The deep blue wall color in this living room highlights the coffee table, making it the focus of the room. Use this technique to show off a special table or beautiful display of objects.

Compose an Art Wall

Finding artwork that is large enough to work over a living room sofa can be a challenge. If your artwork is too small or it looks lost on a big wall, create an art wall. Group smaller artwork and photos together to create a gallery-style collage. Arrange them on the floor first to determine your layout before you start hanging. A good rule of thumb is to keep the same amount of space between each piece.