Light and Bright Living Rooms

To give this formerly stuffy cottage more personality, this homeowner went to town splashing color, pattern and texture wherever she could. From the Moroccan graphic on the formerly beige sofa, to the touchable ottoman to the mash-up of blues and reds, strong colors and textures inject a sense of fun.

Shades of yellow effect a sandy beach feel under sweeping windows complimented by rugged wooden beams.

Designer Amie Corley (with her son Henry) has a recipe for patterns: Think in threes. She starts with a large pattern that's big and bold, like a floral. Then, she picks a smaller pattern like a tight zigzag and finishes with something more messy like an ikat or animal print.

Products Shown:

Tetrix Apartment Sofa, Carter Furniture

Throw pillows, Perch

Drapes, Fabric by Windsor Smith for Kravet Design, Pelagos.3 pattern in lime

Artwork, Sarah Ashley Longshore

Cool gray cement is softened by inviting colors and a branch sculpture centerpiece hanging over the kitchen.

A leather coffee table exudes charm and gives the designed-and- handcrafted-just-for-you impression, even if it’s not, we won’t tell!

Somehow a fringe underskirt on a couch with armrests would look outdated, but remove the arms and voila, a perfectly contemporary couch with a twist.

Mix up vintage and new pieces in your living room, like this glamorous white sofa juxtaposed with reupholstered vintage French chairs.

Products Shown:

Tetrix Apartment Sofa, Carter Furniture

Throw pillows, Perch

White Truffault Lamp, Kenneth Wingard

Cowhide Rug, Jayson Home & Garden

The homeowners built in these low-lying bookshelves in the living room, and painted a few unexpected splashes of yellow and persimmon at the backs. Painting the brick surround instantly brightened the room without compromising the cantilevered cement hearth—one of the original architect's signature designs.

A metal sunburst sculpture radiates life through the room and calls for complementing petite accessories.

Unless you need them for privacy or sleeping, drapes are not a design must. If the windows are beautiful, don't hide them—and all that gorgeous sunlight—with heavy curtains.

In this refreshing lemonade-hued room, cheery yellow walls create a soothing canvas for fabrics and furnishings just a shade or two brighter. The rug and wood floor play off the warm sunshiny vibe of the room.

Glass doors step out to a walkway that wraps around this house. Just inside, two Gerald Summers bent maple and plywood chairs grace a sitting area.

French doors cast light on the black accent wall and charming fireplace enlivened by two overhanging pictures rather than a typical mantle.

Wide stripes in this living room's plank floors hide flaws in the floor and anchor large furniture. Small rooms don't mean small furnishings; use large-scale items as a visual trick to make the room look larger.

A dangling star light unites this intimate seating space but doesn’t outshine the natural light flooding through french doors.

A studded wing chair nestles into the corner of a cyan accent wall that stands in opposition to the starkness ruling the remainder of the space.

Sprouts of magenta on a white landscape transform a living room into one collective blossoming flower.

A carved mantle brings a classic touch to a rustic brick fireplace that overlooks a tufted ottoman doubling as a coffee table.

The combination of purple and yellow with gold undertones is about as regal as it gets; keep it royal chic by adding modern pillows and retain some drama with floor-to-ceiling drapes.

A cushy green couch looks in harmony centered below a bright window shining just enough nourishment on fresh flowers.

A classically designed stone fireplace sits pristine in white juxtaposed by the worn, exposed brick of the interior.

Exposed brick walls counteract the modernity of an L-shaped couch engulfing a petite glass bistro table nestled atop a tripod stand.