Formal living rooms carry an air of elegance, shaped by high-end furniture, plush rugs, eye-catching fireplaces, spectacular light installations, stirring artwork, luxe decor and stylish accessories. They are the grand reception room where guests are welcomed, entertained and impressed. A formal living room design can be achieved under many different aesthetics, so we’ve gathered together 51 of our favourite ideas to inspire you on how to design yours. We've got just about every eventuality covered from traditional living rooms and neoclassical spaces to modern mansions and minimalist interiors, plus a dose of rustic romance and industrial style living in between. We’ll focus on the details that make these spaces really shine and offer tips to help you get there.
Mix color and class. Classically tasteful in its approach yet colorfully executed, this rich, eclectic formal living room exudes character and vibrant energy from contrasting sofas and stools. A large area rug pulls the contrasting arrangement together. Need some help in mixing and matching colors for your own living? Go check out our post on living room color ideas. 
Bring in a bench. Conversational seating arrangements make a welcoming, sociable layout in a formal living room. Enclose the seating area on all four sides without cutting it off from the larger space by employing a sleek modern bench design. Modern side tables flank the bench on either side adjacent to the sofas. 
Soften a square space with a curved sofa. The smooth silhouette will detract the eye from the encroaching corners. Add a large ceiling rose and a spherical chandelier to complement the rounded shape theme. 
Frame with a blast of botanical beauty, like this plant lover’s modern french interior design. Introduce green accent furniture to expand upon Mother Nature’s colour palette. 
Two facing sofas produce a smart but rigid layout. Try softening out those edges with two curved sofa alternatives to create a more relaxed setting. 
Play with light and shade. This mesmerising living room chandelier is given a contrasting black background to draw attention to its exquisite detail. 
This modern crystal chandelier gleams in the sunlight from clerestory windows, whilst an imposing TV wall makes an impressive statement in bold black and gold finishes. 
Sunlight and nature. If you’re the fortunate owner of a double height living room that’s flooded with natural light, then use that bright influx to feed an indoor garden, as well as your soul. 
Bring balance. In this large and luxurious formal living room, the core lounge area is picked out in pale grey, whilst black drapes and black accent chairs darkly balance out the border. 
A space for reflection. White marble wall panels make luxe framing for a prized piece of artwork, and all are reflected in a mirrored ceiling feature directly above. Channel tufted sofas gather around the spectacle, peacefully interspersed by indoor plants. 
Take it to the top. More of an art installation than a lighting feature, these freeform mesh pendant lights float like wispy white clouds above an airy living space. 
Bring the outside in with edge-to-edge picture windows and patio doors. Unique modern chairs add another point of interest. 
All about the architecture. Whether it’s a fabulous sweeping staircase design or towering windows, let architectural wonders take the spotlight. 
Set a scene for good times and good company with a prominent wine storage wall. Stack bottle racks all the way to the ceiling line and back with mirrors. Install a thin border of LED strips to accentuate the result. 
Construct a multifaceted focal wall. With the TV taking the prime central spot on this focal wall, the modern fireplace is situated off-centre of the floating tv stand to avoid potential heat damage to the screen. Built-in bookcases balance out the opposite side of the hearth, whilst illuminated curio cabinets brighten the upper volume. 
If crystal chandeliers feel too grandiloquent for your tastes, then consider filling a tall ceiling void with a structured sputnik chandelier instead. 
Tackle double-banked windows with custom-made ceiling-to-floor drapes. The full-length white drapes in this wonderfully light luxury living room create a uniform march across the window wall, almost like a colonnade. 
Pockets of pleasure. A plethora of furniture gives this formal living room a more lived-in look, where piles of coffee table books provide entertainment and a wet bar is on hand for refreshments. 
Crisp and concrete. Linear sofas, contemporary artwork, and an elongated modern fireplace draw a crisp layout across this living room, where cool concrete rules. 
