Aesthetic Home. real-home transformations and expert-designed schemes
Like a burnt trouser leg, the open-plan boardroom has been reborn in the last few decades. The era of the self-contained room is over, meaning that our mother-in-law’s annoying phone calls, fire alarm-sounding cooking incidents, and 15-episode TV series are all in one big room. Maybe at the same time. Coincidentally, the modern boardroom design paradigm has also evolved to meet the changing needs of its modern occupants.
What does it look like? It’s not what you think—at all. As Sarah Sargent, design director and co-founder of Cochineal, points out, the term modern boardroom can conjure up an idea that is “sterile, austere, and monotonous.” But in reality, modern boardrooms can cleverly bridge the gap between welcoming and well-appointed. Indeed, “modernity has a streamlined sound that balances historic forms with a fresh sensibility,” adds ELLE DECOR A-List designer Augusta Hoffman. This can mean incorporating everything from minimalist to midcentury, from soft to neutral, from chrome to concrete.
But where do you start when looking for your own version of modern? “The most successful modern spaces find beauty in functionality while using rich materials to soften the minimalism,” Hoffman explains. Sargent agrees: “For us, modern means fulfilling a lifestyle need while also being minimalist. “We believe that mixing eras, tones, and textures can achieve a contemporary look.”
To help, we combed through our favorite living rooms from the ELLE DECOR archives to find beautiful spaces that push modernity to the limit. Think of the list below—with can’t-miss lighting fixtures and clever organizing ideas—as your 2024 design list.
August Hoffman’s Home Tour
Team Lens
1
The Takeaway
One of the best things about modern living rooms is that they don’t have to be overly stuffy or expensive. In fact, Augusta Hoffman specifically enlisted a pair of Blasko Cliché swivel chairs to amp up the chic factor of her Upper East Side apartment. “I like these chairs because they bring the comfort that my client was looking for as a young person who loves to watch movies and hanging out with people,” Hoffman says. “It doesn’t always have to be that complicated.”
Marissa Toomey’s Homecoming
Douglas Friedman
2
Living Room Models
If you like her movies, you’ll probably like her living room, too. Designer Alexandra Hayden showed Oscar-winning actress Marisa Tomei beautiful things in this New York apartment—and her living room is her crown jewel. It features a maxi sofa with Kuba fabric floor cushions, an amorphous floor lamp, and Dedar velvet. Take a seat? Why, we don’t mind.
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Nicole Hollis Modern Living Room
Douglas Friedman
3
Desert Place
Interior designer Nicole Hollis knows the living room. In this minimalist Indian Wells, California, desert space, a flexible Vladimir Kagan sofa and blown-out armchairs make it a sophisticated space. Whether you come here for a much-needed meditation session or a boisterous dinner party, there’s something for everyone.
Mediterranean and black accent furniture and an open seating area with doors to stone-like tables, a pearly blue area rug, and a tall, single fireplace in the center.
Stephen Juilliard
4
Hard-Matt-Soft Living Room
What’s a person to do if their pre-modern living room feels a little cramped? Soften things up with a soft rug. A wool and silk layer by John Keith lends a homey feel to Rod Abelama’s industrial-leaning living room.
Advertisement - Continue reading below
Summer Thornton L. Decor
Tómas Ásta
5
Chicago Living Room Maxim
Anyone with a keen sense of aesthetics will find much to like about this charming Chicago apartment. Designer Summer Thornton emphasized boldness with jewel-toned chairs, pendants from Urban Electric Co. and a sweet wall covering from De Gurney.
Modern Living Room in a Hamptons Home
Douglas Friedman
6
Marble Living Room
A clean, delicate room will always have a timeless aesthetic. For Andrea and John Stark's Hamptons home, this Azura marble fireplace, flanked by a pair of love seats, sets the stage for face-to-face conversations with loved ones.
Advertisement - Continue Reading Below
Florian Marquardt Modern Living Room Frank Gehry Architecture
Sam Frost
7
Eclectic Taste
This late-1970s house in Venice, California, designed by Frank Gehry and redecorated by owner Florian Marquardt, features a living room of harmonious contrasts. Next to the stunning blabby cocktail table by Mike Ruiz Serra with a vintage sofa by Mario Bellini, we'd bet even Gary himself would feel right at home here.
Mumbai Apartment
Fabian Charo
8
Bold and Bright
Srila Chatterjee and Mahesh Mathai put their bold aesthetic on full display in their Mumbai living room. Vibrant purple walls are paired with flea market finds, a tiger sculpture from Kerala, and a traditional ottoman.