Year In Review: The 20 Best Living Room Designs of 2020
It’s time for our annual Year in Review! While 2020 didn’t turn out how any of us expected, here’s one thing that did go well: home design. At Modsy, we designed countless rooms this year—and today we want to share some of our favorite designs.
The most popular room we helped customers design this year were living rooms. As the hub of the home, these are rooms that saw a lot of action in 2020 and holding so many different functions.
To celebrate the end of the year (and we really are celebrating!), we’re looking back on the 20 best living room designs of 2020. It’ll inspire you with so many living room design ideas. Explore and shop them all below!
1. Modern Farmhouse
This Modern Farmhouse living room is full of comfortable foundational furniture—but it has more modern appeal that a traditional farmhouse look. This space features a mix of materials—like wood, linen, brass, marble, ceramic, and seagrass—which gives it a dynamic look. You might not think of mod velvet club chairs or marble and brass side tables for a farmhouse look. But, when mixed with more down-to-earth elements and arranged in a symmetrical layout, you get a look that perfectly blends the warmth of rustic design with the elevated nature of modern decor.
Why We Love It
This space is full of unexpected elements that add a refined element to rustic decor.
2. Bohemian Elegance
This living room takes all our favorite parts of bohemian design—the eclectic, collected nature; the global colors and patterns; the warm materials—but in a way that’s more pared down and curated. The result? What we like to call Bohemian Elegance. The use of color and pattern isn’t center stage, but it’s still very present in the throw pillows and rugs, giving some definite personality to this space.
Why We Love It
This space is proof that boho design can come alive in a more formal and elegant way.
3. Modern Southwest
A living room full of earth tones and natural materials has us dreaming of a desert getaway. This Modern Southwest living room is brought to life through a mix of rustic and mid-century design elements, which are combined in a way that recalls the desert Southwest.
Why We Love It
The muted colors used throughout this space are exactly the hues you’d find in the desert, which really creates a sense of place with this look.
4. Scandinavian Rustic
This Scandinavian Rustic living room brings all the coziness of hygge to life. A neutral color palette with a ton of textures and natural materials create a layered look that makes hunkering down for the winter actually sound appealing.
Why We Love It
It has all the simplicity of Scandinavian design and all the warmth of rustic spaces for a living room that’s peak coziness.
5. Bohemian Glam
Love the opulence of glam design but the laid back appeal of boho? No need to choose when you can combine them for this stunner of a design style! Bohemian Glam is a more modern and casual approach to glam—but in a way that definitely still celebrates moments of opulence. We love the lavish but cheeky nature of this eclectic style.
Why We Love It
We’re swooning over the mix of glam materials with a boho color palette and natural materials.
6. New Traditional
This New Traditional living room takes all the best parts of Traditional interior design, but with more streamlined and contemporary silhouettes. While it has a more formal, symmetrical layout, it still feels cozy and inviting—the perfect space for conversations with friends or for curling up with a good book.
Why We Love It
A blue and white color palette and traditionally inspired furniture bring to life our favorite parts of traditional design—but unexpected moments like the upholstery and modern shape of the wingback chairs give this space a contemporary spin that we absolutely love.
7. Bold Contemporary
When you think of Contemporary interior design, you may think of a very neutral color palette and minimally styled spaces. But not this living room! While it has the streamlined forms contemporary design is known for, the bold use of color and graphic black and white patterns—plus the more maximal take on bookcase styling—give this space a ton of personality.
Why We Love It
The simple furniture forms mean the bold colors and patterns in this living room get to steal the show and let the homeowner’s personality shine through.
8. California Modern
The California Modern look is all about comfort. The foundational pieces are comfortable and cozy—but the high-contrast color palette and mix of materials and textures in this space take this look from rustic into a space that’s a bit more modern. The result? An easy, elevated look that prioritizes livability.
Why We Love It
Subtle eclectic elements through the living room give the space a personalized and approachable vibe.
9. Modern Glam
This jewel box room brings the bold-colored rooms trend to life with a fun mix of jewel tones. The color palette and materials used in this living room establish a decidedly glam vibe. But the shapes of the accent furniture bring in modern design elements that make this look feel fresh and of-the-moment.
Why We Love It
There’s some major contrast happening in this space with all these bold colors. And we are here for it.
10. Contemporary Collector
This is a living room made for lounging. The large sectional is the perfect space to gather for a movie night or to curl up with a book. The vibrant earth tones and natural materials gives this living room an eclectic but down-to-earth vibe!
Why We Love It
This sectional maximizes the space in this living room, offering enough space for the whole family to pile on!
11. Victorian Farmhouse
This Victorian Farmhouse living room combines rustic, classic, and eclectic elements so beautifully. It’s full of adorned elements—like the elegant chandelier and the ornate, gold-framed floor mirror—that have a classical vibe. But the foundational furniture also makes it feel very livable and comfortable.
Why We Love It
A design style that mixes Joanna Gaines’ down-to-earth farmhouse aesthetic with Victorian styling and antique-inspired elements? What’s not to love!
12. Desert Modern
The mix of olive green and terracotta is one of our favorite earth tone color palettes—and a great way to try out a trendy but unexpected green color palette. A mix of natural materials adds to the earthy nature of this living room, for a look that’s warm and welcoming.
Why We Love It
The combination of these rich, saturated takes on earth tones gives this living room a lot of warmth.
13. Traditional Comfort
Is it possible to use traditional silhouettes and a formal layout in a way that still feels relaxed? Look at this living room and you’ll say a resounding “yes!” While this space has classic formal design elements, the combination of plus materials, mixed wood finishes, and clean lives gives this space a Traditional Comfort vibe.
Why We Love It
This is a really approachable take on traditional interior design while still leaning into classic patterns and motifs and a traditional blue and white color palette.
14. Earthy Eclectic
A deep green wall mixed with warm wood tones and leather creates a very cozy living room indeed. The wood tones pop against the saturated, earthy green of the wall. Bonus: This particular shade of green can compliment just about any wood tone. This look made it into our favorite fall color schemes round-up—but it’s a look you can embrace year-round.
Why We Love It
This look is simple but feels both cozy and refined. Plus, you can easily layer in pops of other earth tones for a no-fail color palette.
15. Modern Coastal
This Modern Coastal living room has major beach house vibes. The furniture is very Mid-Century-inspired. But the beach-inspired color palette, weathered wood, and tons of natural textures tap into that coastal vibe—creating a relaxing but stylish space.
Why We Love It
We’re big fans of coastal-inspired spaces. But we love how pops of dark contrast keep the look feeling fresh and modern!
16. Grandmillenial Americana
Floral patterns, a quirky mix of decorative objects, and a nod to classic Colonial design captures some of the best of the trendy Grandmillenial look. With an appreciate for heritage pieces and vintage-inspired designs, this living room feels both modern and timeless all at once.
Why We Love It
The colors, patterns, and decor throughout this space pack a ton of personality into this small living room.
17. California Coastal
This living room is a more West Coast take on coastal style—a look we call California Coastal. Mid-Century forms, pops of cheerful colors, and mix of natural materials embodies that laid-back, cool, and unfussy Southern California vibe.
Why We Love It
This living room has a bohemian edge that makes it feel so casual and comfortable.
18. Industrial Glam
Industrial and glam design elements might be an unexpected pairing—but if this living room is any proof, it’s a combination that absolutely works. This Industrial Glam living room highlights and celebrates the architecture of the space (a very industrial move) but brings in materials and textures that add a definite glam factor.
Why We Love It
Bold, dramatic, and elegant, this look is absolutely striking and packs a big punch!
19. Saturated Southwest
Jewel tones are used in a big way in this living room. But the mix of textures in this space, plus the injection of some desert-inspired earth tones, gives it a decidedly eclectic flair—something you don’t always see in a jewel-toned space. Meanwhile, the leather sectional helps ground the look.
Why We Love It
The clean lines of the contemporary furniture means that the colors can do all the talking in this living room!
20. Rustic Retreat
This cozy and serene living room has rustic farmhouse vibes—but in a way that feels very elegant. With its minimal styling color palette of soft neutrals, this living room feels light and airy. The perfect place to retreat at the beginning and end of each day!
Why We Love It
This living room has such calming vibes. It feels like a space you might find in a cozy mountain getaway!
Want even more living room inspiration? Check out our best living room designs of 2019.
2. A Space-Saving Studio Apartment
3. Carrie Bradshaw’s One-Bedroom, Reimagined for 2018
4. A Neutral-Hued Living Room
5. A Marrakesh-Inspired Room with a View
6. A Bedroom Designed Ala Chris Loves Julia
7. A Functional and Stylish Studio Apartment
8. A Living Room Where Rustic Meets Cozy
9. The Iconic Friends Apartment with a 2018 Upgrade
10. A Pint-Sized Living Room Finds the Perfect Fit
11. A Textured Living Space Inspired by Iceland
12. A Mid-Century Living Room With Playful Patterns
13. A Refined Take on a Rustic Living Space
14. One of Mandy Moore’s New Mid-Century Living Rooms
15. A Modern Living Room With Extra-Sneaky Storage
16. A Bold and Layered Living Space
17. A Bland Basement Turned Modern Family Room
18. Blanche Devereaux’s Tropical Bedroom Update
19. A Living Room that Proves Neutrals Don’t Have to be Boring
20. An Industrial Yet Inviting Dining Space
