20 Innovative Modern Living Room Ideas

Innovative living rooms that are both timeless and timely

A couple having a pillow fight in a modern living room
Photo: Diego Cervo / Adobe Stock
A couple having a pillow fight in a modern living room
Photo: Diego Cervo / Adobe Stock
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If you’re looking for new living room ideas and you love a clean but stylish aesthetic, incorporating elements of modernism might be for you. If a completely minimalist living room isn’t quite your style, you can still blend modern and contemporary design to create a stunning space. 

Take modern living room design elements like monochromatic color, white walls, low wide furniture, and wood accents, and mix them with contemporary or traditional designs to create your aesthetic. Whether you use cozy throw pillows and rugs or statement lighting, you can DIY a modern living room design you’ll love to live in.  

Modern Living Room Design Ideas

These classic modern living room designs are sure to inspire you. Go full minimalist, or mix and match to suit your mood.  

1. Embrace Clean Minimalist Design

A modern living room with minimalist design and white furniture
Photo: XtravaganT / Adobe Stock

This modern white living room is a perfect example of minimalist design. If you like everything tidy and in its place, this magazine-ready look might work for your space. Even with a mostly monochromatic room, carefully placed art and pictures can still present your personal style. 

2. Keep Everything on One Level

A modern living room with white furniture and a retro fireplace
Photo: 4th Life Photography / Adobe Stock

The low white furniture in this modern living room works to open up the space and make the statement fireplace a focal point. The replica Barcelona chair and footstool add a touch of Bauhaus influence to contrast the modern aesthetic. A few green throw pillows unify the design and help bring a touch of the outdoors inside. 

3. Bring the Outside In

A modern apartment with floor-to-ceiling windows, wood walls, and plants
Photo: Victor zastol’skiy / Adobe Stock

Floor-to-ceiling windows are a staple in modern interior design. This chic living room blends beige, gray, and green to create a naturalistic look. Modern textiles add contrast for a feeling that’s both calming and homey.

4. Incorporate Scandinavian Influences

A simple living room with Scandinavian style couch and minimalist design
Photo: FollowTheFlow / Adobe Stock

This Scandinavian-influenced living room seamlessly blends minimalist elements with more neutral-toned contemporary touches. Comfy contemporary textiles, a rattan planter, and a marble pattern painting keep this modern space simple but cozy.  

5. Let in Natural Light

A modern loft with a black accent wall and white living room furniture
Photo: XtravaganT / Adobe Stock

This lofted space is elevated by its natural lighting. Skylights and floor-to-ceiling windows really open up the room. The black accent wall and dark floor add contrast with the white furniture for a striking look. 

6. Incorporate Contemporary Design

A contemporary gray living room with modern elements
Photo: Cinematographer / Adobe Stock

This unique contemporary living room expertly blends old and new. Bright throw pillows and blankets complement low gray furniture and wooden accents for a contemporary look with modern touches. 

7. Mix In Mid-Century Modern

A Mid-Century Modern living room with blue and gold accents
Photo: teeraphan / Adobe Stock

The mid-century modern aesthetic adds stylish flourishes like artistic side tables, sculptural floor lamps, dynamic designs, and other decorative accents. This modern space mixes rich orange, teal, and gold accents with rounded edges for a dramatic impact that still feels unified. 

Modern Living Room Decor Ideas

The simplicity of a modern living room leaves space for your decor to transform your space. Use unique elements to create focal points, or pick complementary living room decor to create cohesive harmony. 

8. Use Statement Lighting

A modern living room with boho elements and a rattan chandelier
Photo: FollowTheFlow / Adobe Stock

This stylish rattan chandelier takes center stage as the focal point of this modern living room. Boho design touches like mismatched throw pillows and blankets create textural interest against low-profile modern furniture. 

9. Highlight Natural Wood

A lofted living room with an exposed wood beam ceiling and matching accents
Photo: alexandre zveiger / Adobe Stock

This gorgeous loft with exposed wood beams is a natural location for a modern-themed living room. A black sectional sofa and low-slung chairs match the room’s earthy flow. A wooden coffee table, a side table, and a rattan lounge chair help unify the ceiling with the other decor. 

10. Add Accent Furniture

A modern white living room with a blue accent wall and chairs
Photo: Javani LLC / Adobe Stock

Adding bright furniture can liven up any space. Jewel-toned velvet accent chairs stand out against white walls for an unexpected pop of color. Try adding a matching accent wall to accentuate the effect.  

11. Let Art Take Centerstage

A living room with a black and white painting and Art Deco influences
Photo: ictor zastol'skiy / Adobe Stock

This dramatic modern living room is centered around a stunning black and white painting. The room echoes the wall art with angular black-edged windows and furniture. A marble coffee table and iridescent chandelier play off the painting's black-and-white color scheme. 

12. Use Plants to Enhance Your Environment

A small apartment living room with plants and black and gray furniture
Photo: Pixel-Shot / Adobe Stock

Even a small space can be transformed by a little greenery. This small modern apartment might not have floor-to-ceiling windows, but adding plenty of plants gives off an earthy aura. The black-and-white theme and green throw pillow help tie this look together for a big impact in a small space. 

13. Incorporate a Statement Wall

 A living room with a blue-and-green statement wall and jewel-toned furniture
Photo: UnitedPhotoStudio / Adobe Stock

This living room adds a jewel-toned color scheme to a modern living room with contemporary flair. A velvet sofa and accent chairs are all tied together by a statement wall and vibrant bookshelf. Nested coffee tables and metallic accents combine to give this living room an upscale feel. 

Modern Living Room Accent Ideas 

When designing modern living rooms, it’s often the details that tie everything together. Subtle accents and rooms packed with color can be equally impactful in elevating your interior design. 

14. Break Out With Black-and-White

 A black-and-white themed living room with a geometric accent wall
Photo: Photographee.eu / Adobe Stock

Featuring a geometric area rug and a sculptural lamp, we’re floored by this standout living room. Plants and wooden accents give the room a natural quality, while the geometric wall pattern makes the room design feel integrated. 

15. Mix in Marble Accents

A modern living space with a marble accent wall and Art Deco accents
Photo: Dariusz Jarzabek / Adobe Stock

This modern living room is eye-catching, with a full marble accent wall and a black-and-white Art Deco theme. If you want to mix in marble but you’re DIYing it, you don’t need a lot to get the full effect. Try small marble sculptures, end tables, or even marble print art for a chic look on a budget.

16. Complement with Primary Colors

A gray-and-white living room with colorful pillows and coffee table
Photo: DNY3D / Adobe Stock

This gray-and-white living room wouldn’t feel complete without the complementary pops of color tying the room together. The Bauhaus-inspired primary color scheme is featured in the unique coffee table and comfy throw pillows. Bean bag chairs and a textured rug add a touch of contemporary to round out this modern design. 

17. Try Metallic Accents

An upscale living room with Art Deco influences and gold accents
Photo: rawpixel.com / Adobe Stock

Nothing brightens white like gold accents. This elevated living room highlights already stylish modern design with Art Deco influences. The retro sunburst coffee table and green velvet accents reflect the natural light for an illuminating aura.    

18. Say Yes to Yellow

A modern white living room with white and blue accents
Photo: New Africa / Adobe Stock

Nothing says contemporary like brightening up your color palette. Lemon yellow leaves a big impact on a simple living room design, especially when used in moderation. This gray-and-yellow living room balances beauty and simplicity. 

19. Go with Gorgeous Grays

A gray and white living room with a dining table
Photo: Dariusz Jarzabek / Adobe Stock

A gray velvet sofa and matching lounge chair give this white living room a luxurious feel. An Art Deco-inspired coffee table and metallic touches reflect lots of natural light. The result is an elegant space with a warm glow that’s both elegant and comfortable. 

20. Brush in Blush

A modern white living room with blush accents and a small desk
Photo: New Africa / Adobe Stock

This simple but upscale living room makes great use of a trendy blush palette. The contemporary wall art and pottery combine with light wood accents to create an earthy update layered on modern design staples.

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