40 Mid-Century Modern Living Room Ideas (Photos)

Above via Redfin.

Need design ideas to create a fabulous mid-century modern living room?  Check out our collection below.

Photos

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Natural light streams in through the glass paneled windows and skylights in this mid-century modern living room accented with an L-shaped sofa that’s paired with a round coffee table on a gray area rug.

Spacious mid-century living room with smooth hardwood flooring and full height glazing overlooking the serene outdoor filled with abundant greenery.

Mid-century modern living room features yellow tufted chairs and a white couch facing the fireplace that’s accented with a stone panel. It has concrete flooring and full height windows with a scenic view.

Various styled pillows lay on the green sofa in this mid-century living room showcasing glass top coffee table on an eye-catching rug and metal nightstands topped with lovely table lamps.

Mid-century living room decorated with a huge abstract canvas mounted on the white wall. It has a corner fireplace and glass top coffee table that sits in between beige leather seats accented with gray and patterned pillows.

This living room offers a pair of ottomans and an L-shaped sectional facing the white console table and television. It has concrete flooring and glass sliders that open to the patio and the sparkling swimming pool.

White mid-century living room accented with lovely wall arts and a coral sofa accompanied by metal tables and white tufted lounge chairs.

This living room is designed with a stunning gallery wall and stone fireplace that faces the metal coffee table leather tufted sofa filled with various styled pillows.

Open concept living room with two seating areas and a stone fireplace fixed in between glass paneled windows overlooking the outdoor yard that’s framed with hedge plants.

A closeup look at this living room boasting light blue armchairs, beige sofa and a stone fireplace surrounding a glass coffee table that sits on a striking area rug.

Mid-century modern living room features a blue sofa and comfy recliners facing the fireplace and television mounted on the stone brick pillar. It is attached with a wooden breakfast bar that’s paired with counter chairs.

Airy living room with tiled flooring topped by a lovely rug and panoramic windows overlooking a breathtaking mountain view. It includes a white tufted bench and leather lounge chair lighted by an arched floor lamp.

A round coffee table sits on an eye-catching rug in this living room decorated with charming wall arts that hung above the gray sofas.

Mid-century modern living room accented with yellow armchairs that face the coffee table and gray tufted sofa illuminated by a gorgeous chandelier.

White living room showcases tiled flooring and shiplap ceiling lined with wood beams. It has a glass top coffee table surrounded by coral tufted seats and gray cushioned bench.

Mid-century modern living room with two seating areas and a glass-enclosed fireplace fixed on the purple accent wall that’s framed with chrome columns.

This living room boasts sleek white tufted seats and a round coffee table on a smooth rug along with a stone fireplace lighted by wall sconces that are mounted on the beadboard wall.

A chrome arched floor lamp illuminates this living room offering a stone fireplace facing comfy seats and coffee tables that sit on a beige shaggy rug.

Mid-century modern living room decorated with lovely photo frames and a bursting red canvas that hung above the red velvet armchair accompanied by a white sectional and metal console table.

Cozy living room with built-in bookshelves and a curved gray sectional paired with a round coffee table and ottoman that’s wrapped in a white faux fur cover.

A black statement wall lamp is mounted on the white brick wall in this living room with gray comfy seats and panoramic windows bringing plenty of natural light in.

This living room features beige armchairs and a built-in wooden sofa topped with sectional cushions and earthy pillows. It has black tiled flooring and floor to ceiling windows overlooking the outdoor scenery.

Mid-century modern living room with black leather armchair and gray console table situated on the inset pillar and topped with table lamps and framed wall arts.

An open living room showcasing a stump coffee table on a gray shaggy rug complementing with the hardwood flooring along with a gray sofa accented with yellow and blue patterned pillows.

Bright and airy living room with a double-sided fireplace fixed on the stone brick pillar and a gray velvet sectional paired with a yellow lounge chair and oval-shaped coffee table that sits on a striking rug.

A vintage grandfather clock is placed in the corner and next to the full height windows in this living room boasting gray leather sofa and chair along with a glass top coffee table on a gray area rug.

Small living room with wood plank flooring and glazed windows covered with blinds. It includes a gray upholstered bench and black wingback chair paired with a stylish side table.

Mid-century modern living room with full height glazing and a towering wood plank ceiling mounted with track lights. It has cozy gray seats and a marble fireplace fixed on the white paneled wall.

This living room showcases a gallery wall and wood plank flooring topped by layered rugs. It has gray wingback chairs and light blue couches that complement with the fireplace vent hood.

Mid-century modern living room with glass sliders and a double-sided fireplace fixed on the stone pillar serving as a separator from the two sitting areas.

A striking striped rug lays on the natural hardwood flooring in this living room with a glass top coffee table and cozy seats illuminated by a pair of white flush lights mounted on the wood beam ceiling.

This living room features comfy seats and a round coffee table on an eye-catching rug along with a brick fireplace accented with a fiddle leaf fig plant that creates a refreshing ambiance to the area.

A glass top coffee table sits on a jute area rug in this living room with white shiplap ceiling and floor to ceiling glass slider that opens to the sparkling swimming pool.

Open concept living room with black tufted sectional and a stump coffee table on lovely layered rugs accompanied by knitted ottomans.

Mid-century living room boasts a geometric mirrored coffee table surrounded with brown leather sectionals and stylish seats along with a glass enclosed fireplace fitted on the cream wall clad in wood plank panels.

Clean white living room accented with a stone fireplace and planter filled with lovely succulents and pebbles. You can feel the serene ambiance of the enchanting forest through the full height glazing.

By Tindall Architecture Workshop

The warm and cozy living room features a gray sofa facing the wooden coffee table and fireplace lined with a wooden mantel. It has tiled flooring and wood plank ceiling fixed with recessed lighting.

By Studio Schicketanz

Fluffy brown pillows and white faux fur blanket lay on the L-shaped sofa in this living room showcasing a sleek coffee table illuminated by a gorgeous chandelier that hung from the white wood beam ceiling.

By Woodhull of Maine

Mid-century modern living room accented with lovely wall arts mounted on the white walls. It has a gray tufted sectional that sits in between end tables accompanied by white cushioned armchairs and a round glass top coffee table on a shaggy rug.

Authenticity, Or Presentability?

The most authentic mid-century living rooms are cluttered areas, with little natural light and all appliances and pieces of furniture oriented toward the television. Bookcases may line the walls; antique lamps may perch on slightly too-large end tables.

The authentic mid-century living room doesn’t have any free space to spare on its flat surfaces—everything is accounted for, whether with a picture frame, a rug, a runner cloth, or a lamp. This doesn’t necessarily make for compelling design options in the modern-day, so much as a contest of recreating clutter where it doesn’t need to exist.

Capturing The Feeling Of The Era

The better route is to take elements of the mid-century living room—the close-in intimacy and big, comfortable seating—and unite them with more modern elements like flat empty spaces and throw rugs instead of carpet.

Taking the modern design elements which look good and hybridizing them with the best of the mid-century style ensures that your living room design will end up looking chic instead of like something you’d see at an estate sale.

Don’t Let More Modern Concerns Get In Your Way

The joy of the mid-century living room is that anything goes. If you’d prefer a large lazy boy style chair to a more modern yet less comfortable equivalent, go for it. Large ottomans will be right at home in the mid-century style living room, too—and that can’t be said for too many other living room designs.

The most important part of designing your mid-century living room is to optimize it for comfort. Though we’ve talked about many design features in this article, the mid-century living room was built for comfort, and that’s the spirit that you should use when it comes to deciding whether to include an older and less aesthetically pleasing element or its more modern counterpart.

If these ideas don’t appeal to you, check out our larger gallery of living room design ideas.

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