Cottages
Reach New Heights With Inspiration From These Grand Living Rooms
Updated on November 28, 2023
These luxe living areas prove that sometimes you only need one hardworking space to relax, entertain and gather.
Take your decorating to new heights with inspiration from these grand living rooms!
In designer Jennifer Overweel’s living area off the kitchen, she infused elements of both a family room and living room through elegant seating and draping, a TV and a wood-burning fireplace.
If you don’t have vaulted ceilings, you can create the illusion of an Old World country great room by adding ceiling beams to your family room. “I always treat the ceiling as a fifth wall,” says homeowner Hali MacDonald, who used tongue-and-groove panelling and wooden beams to add warmth to the family room.
When the homeowners of this North Toronto home told designer Ali Budd they wanted to eliminate a living room, they knew the family room needed to shine on its own. An arched doorway makes for a grand entrance, a statement chandelier creates the illusion of height and wood-panelled walls gives it a vintage vibe. “This is where we’ll be entertaining,” says the homeowner.
Full-height windows in this cottage great room extend into the dining room, giving both loungers and diners sweeping views of the water. Sleek seating and a carved wooden sculpture bring a sophisticated feel to the room.
This Whistler retreat has an open-concept living space that’s anchored by a concrete-faced Rumford fireplace. Full-height drapes soften the look, while stacked firewood brings warmth and edge to the room.
In designer Scott Yetman’s Quebec chateau, a striking light fixture hangs from the vaulted ceiling in the grand living room, creating a canopy effect “so you don’t feel like you’re sitting in this massive space,” says Scott. A glamorous mirror sits above the original fireplace, which acts as the centre of the room.
This gorgeous living room pulls out all the stops with vaulted ceilings and a porcelain fireplace flanked by custom bookends and floor-to-ceiling windows. Wooden beams add a rustic element to the newly renovated space.