Living Room Decorating Styles

Living room decorating styles can vary greatly, depending on the look you’re trying to achieve.

There are quite a few different living room decorating styles out there to choose from.  I’m going to go over several of these with you, and show you what sets each style apart.

The living room is typically the space that sets the tone for the entire decorating style in your home.  I hope these examples will help you in choosing the one that’s right for you.

Are you looking for bold colors, a more neutral theme, or something that has your own personal touches?  Do you prefer an open and airy atmosphere, or something more cozy and rich?

These are some questions to ask yourself when deciding which of the many living room decorating styles would best suit your tastes, as well as your home and existing architecture.  Check out these beautiful architectural styles.

So what are some of the different living room decorating styles?  There are actually quite a few, but I chose to go over some of the more popular styles, as well as some of the quite interesting ones!

These styles include –

• Modern
• Romantic
• Eclectic
• Mediterranean
• Contemporary
• Asian
• Transitional
• Old World
• Traditional
• Mid-Century Modern
• Cottage

Let’s break down each style, and talk about the characteristics that make each one unique from the others.

Modern Living Room Decorating Styles –

Modern refers to a design style created in the 1920’s – 1950’s time period. This is decorating that doesn’t change; It’s a defined style that will always remain that way.  There is a smooth, polished feel to it, usually featuring white walls and neutral color palettes.

Hints of color are used in careful moderation.  Bold colors are not typically common with modern style.

Natural materials such as wood, leather, teak and linen are incorporated into this style.  Modern is clean and streamlined, which also generally features bare floors and the use of area rugs.

This is a great example of a modern style living room.  It’s simple, yet comfortable, and you can incorporate as much or as little as you’d like into this particular design.

From the furniture to the area rug, everything blends together well.  The throw pillows add just a touch of color.  Minimal art hangs on the walls, and even the curtains blend well with the neutral tones.

Romantic Living Room Decorating Styles –

The romantic style looks and feels just as it sounds.  It’s a relaxed style that charms the senses.  There’s a feminine vibe that uses sheer, light fabrics such as chenille, velvet, silk, and even a little sparkle!

If a romantic style is what you’re after, using pastels or floral designs will help you achieve this look.  Furniture usually has either a painted or vintage look.  You can even incorporate crystal and silver accents to give it a more glamorous aura.

You can give the romantic style a more traditional look – just be sure it’s not too stuffy.

Add a few fragrant floral arrangements, and even handmade or sentimental pieces as accents.  Soft colors like these in the picture above are a perfect example of romantic decor.

Eclectic Living Room Decorating Styles –

Eclectic style is a mixture of styles and periods, but uses similar textures, patterns and colors.  It’s kind of a funky mix – it doesn’t adhere to any particular style.

Don’t let it fool you though, eclectic style is a careful gathering of interesting elements that all work together in harmony.  It can be a calm mix of periods and styles, integrating unique art and furniture.

Everything has its place with this interesting design style, even though it may appear cluttered.

It definitely is a style all its own.  If you enjoy mixing and blending both old and new decor, eclectic style is the way to go!  It’s a fun blend of uniqueness and color.

Mediterranean Living Room Decorating Styles –

Originating in countries north of the Mediterranean Sea, this is a more Spanish inspired style.  It’s often a blend of not only Spanish, but French, Moroccan, Turkish and Grecian styles.

This amazing Mediterranean inspiration comes from the natural beauty of the Mediterranean landscape.

It features a palette of blue-greens, terra cotta and burnt orange colors.  Warm hues of yellow or lavender can also be found within this style.

Another prominent feature in this design style is the use of textured walls, like the stone walls featured above, as well as mosaic tiles and tapestries.  It gives off a warm, earthy vibe that would suit a living room or sitting area quite well.

Contemporary Living Room Decorating Styles –

A lot of times, modern and contemporary style tends to be confused with one another.  Often people think of them as being interchangeable.

This, however, is not the case at all.  My post on modern vs. contemporary explains it in a little more detail, if you’d like to check it out.

Contemporary style is one that is ever changing, of the moment.  It borrows pieces and styles from all different eras.

Features include furniture with clean, rounded lines and slim silhouettes.  It combines neutral elements with pops of bold color.

Throw pillows with vibrant hues or geometric patterns are used to accent the natural palette, while also using bold area rugs that make a statement.

Contemporary design in architecture typically features large windows, unique or odd shapes, and an open floor plan.  The above photo is a perfect example of both contemporary architecture and style.

It’s a quite clean and sleek look that is very popular and easy to achieve. There is an elegant, yet soft appeal to this style.

Asian Living Room Decorating Styles –

Asian style has a variety of looks that include Japan, China, Vietnam and Thailand.  It’s designed around the ancient Chinese belief of Feng Shui – the belief that the way your house is built or the way you arrange objects can affect your success, health and happiness.

Asian style features sparse furnishings with low profile sofas, tables and chairs, paired with seat cushions or pillows.  Asian style represents serenity, tranquility, harmony and balance.

Oriental influences include colors of nature.  A neutral backdrop of soft cream, light blues or an elegant grey help to create a soothing, relaxed ambiance.

Golden tones and carefully placed subtle black hues can also make up this calming decor.

Asian style uses both visual and textural balance to create a relaxing atmosphere.  Vibrant accent hues can also be used, such as cherry blossom pinks, stunning and bold reds, and luxurious purples.

Water features are also incorporated into Asian style, as they offer the tranquil and calming sounds of trickling water.  They blend well with this style of decorating.

Transitional Living Room Decorating Styles –

This style is truly about the art of mixing.  It’s the meshing of both modern and traditional elements.  Essentially, it combines two styles into one space.

Transitional style is all about simplicity and sophistication.  Merging antique furniture and modern clean lined furnishings give this look a new take on an old classic.

It’s all about neutral colors and minimal decor.  Limiting accessories, using impactful art, and incorporating textures are key elements to this style.

It’s quite close to a minimalist look.  Transitional is meant to look simple and clean, yet sophisticated.  This look is quite popular with some of the younger generations.

Old World Living Room Decorating Styles –

Distressed, textured, and dark-stained surfaces are what make up Old World style.  Age and history are the focus of this decor.  It tends to be a mixed variety of periods; Medieval and Renaissance.

Tapestries, sculptures, and elegant wall decor are a distinctive part of this style.

Incorporating marble and scrolls, along with dark furniture and area rugs help bring this style together.  Colors are typically bronze, sage, antique brown, taupe and antique silver.

Old World combines both warmth and formality, rooms with this style of decor feel grand yet homey.  The dark furniture gives the room a rich and cozy feel.

Traditional Living Room Decorating Styles –

Classic, comfortable, consistent – this is a perfect way to describe traditional style.  Combining familiar style furniture and a traditional color palette of peach, green and tan tones give this style of decor a timeless look.

Both a fresh and effortless look, it also combines bronze accents and warm woods to create an inviting, cozy sitting area.

It’s a classic home design that uses sophisticated hues along with elegant yet modern elements.  Oil paintings and ornate stands add subtle accents that make this feel like a home.

Elements feel familiar, properly placed, which creates a feeling of comfort and a sense of order.  There’s nothing wild or chaotic about traditional style.

Furnishings are classic, all the pieces match and are consistent within the design.  Plain colors, understated stripes, muted plaids, and light colors are the theme for this style.

Traditional style definitely creates an inviting atmosphere, where you can sit and enjoy spending your time.

Mid Century Modern Living Room Decorating Styles –

Mid Century Modern is a little more difficult style to define.  It broadly describes architecture, furniture and graphic designs from around the middle of the 20th century – roughly 1930’s to around 1965.

Typically with this style, use of mass production household objects can be found.  A sleek and timeless look, furniture tends to be simple and of fine craftsmanship, incorporating furniture of different heights.

Architecture focuses on simplicity and natural shapes, an open floor plan with ample windows, and the idea of bringing the outdoors in.

Mid Century Modern usually sticks to a color palette of muted tones and pastels.  It incorporates quite an interesting mix of ideas, but they tend to work quite well together.

Cottage Living Room Decorating Styles –

Colorful and comfortable, Cottage style blends pastels, botanical palettes and soft colors.  The use of textural elements such as baskets, bead board walls, and natural fiber rugs accentuate this look.

The furniture is unique to this style as well.  Any furniture that is painted with a weathered finish, wicker furniture with floral cushions, and sometimes even iron furniture is used to create the cottage look.

Here you can see the feminine floral patterns used on the sofas, which also have a vintage character to them.  Eclectic accessories accent this style of decor perfectly.

It’s amazing to see how truly unique each living room decorating style can be.  Each design has a personality all its own, kind of like people.  It’s a good thing there are so many to choose from!

All of these styles can easily be incorporated into any other room in your home.  They can easily and smoothly transition from room to room, bringing your whole house style together!

This article on decorating styles  goes over how to incorporate different styles in other rooms of your home.

What’s great is that you can experiment with things, and even create a style that’s all your own.  Having fun is what it’s all about.

I hope this information will help to give you some style inspiration and design ideas.  I really enjoyed sharing these amazing and beautiful living room decorating styles with you!

What’s your favorite decorating style?  I’d love to hear from you!  Drop a comment below, ideas are always welcome!

See you in the next post!

Oh, and if you haven’t already, check out some of our other great posts!

~ Jessica

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