Outdoor fireplaces set the scene to dine alfresco and provide warmth for outside gatherings on cool nights.
In a modern glass home overlooking the sea, you don't want a fireplace to obstruct the picturesque view. This minimal, white fireplace adds a cozy touch to the serenity.
In a Rhode Island house designed by Tom Scheerer, the family room's sofa pairs Clarence House blue corduroy with seat covers in Peter Dunham's Samarkand. A bold-patterned Indian rug echoes azure tiles in the kitchen, framed by faux-bois–painted walls and trim in Benjamin Moore's Linen White.
Marsala may be Pantone's 2015 Color of the Year, but bold blue is having its moment. There's nothing sad or juvenile about this shade; it's a rich and royal. We love how Ann Lowengart used the color on a wall of built-in bookcases, allowing the collected items on the shelves, the fireplace and the elegant mirror to pop.
As sleek as a simple coffee table might look, if you want your living room to pull double-duty, you've gotta get some storage. Where else will you keep emergency bedding and pillows? There are a few different ways to go about this: You can get a hard-surface coffee table with hidden storage (we like the Rustic Storage Coffee Table, from $549, westelm.com) or with shelving to hide your knick-knacks (check out the mirrored Abigail Coffee Table, from $799, zgallerie.com). But the best option for ultra-storage? A huge ottoman, like the Davis Leather Storage Ottoman, from $1,099 at crateandbarrel.com.
The sunroom's salvaged casement windows, vintage fireplace surround, and Plexi-Craft coffee table exemplify the owner of this Connecticut farmhouse's new-meets-old mix.
If you're designing a wood-burning fireplace, consider carving out a space for the firewood. This fireplace stands out as the star of the room — its materials and colors contrast with the wood-paneled ceiling and walls behind for a contemporary, rustic aesthetic.
The golden walls and stately Colonial four-poster bed might seem like a surprising choice for a Malibu home, but the romantic room is just right for the cold, wet winters.
On a two-week timeline, the family room was transformed into an inviting bright gathering place. The red, white and blue palette is appropriate for the colonial architecture of the house, and the playful touches and interesting shapes are modern and fun.
