Lounge, office, gathering space, library, movie theater, dining room, nap corner. Our living rooms are our most used and most versatile spaces, and there should be so much more to a living room than a sofa and a coffee table. Even if your space is a teensy one, it deserves attention because a living room can be a powerful tool for communication, especially to guests. It can signal that they can relax, it can signal that you’re a serious person or that you’re self-aware, it can cue a cocktail party or a tea party, it can tell your guests that they should take their shoes off or that they should throw those puppies up on the coffee table.

We rifled through our house tour archives to gather snapshots of our favorite living rooms from all angles.

Why we like it

Bo and Jill, the homeowners of this little vacation cottage are both artists. Jill, in particular, has an unmistakable style and the amazing ability to make clutter look chic. I’m not typically a fan of “decor” that doesn’t serve an explicit purpose (I prefer books to statues and candles to decorative balls), but somehow Jill manages to convince me that every piece in this creekfront cottage belongs. From the little wooden shoes to globe on the shelf, I have no doubt that every piece has been deliberately selected. If you want a little more of Jill’s style, you can see the gorgeous Georgian-style home where she lives full-time.

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A Waterfront Cottage on the Banks of Hewletts Creek

Why we like it

The configuration of this room is really chicken soup to the anal retentive soul: there’s something so satisfying about the right angles. The light in this SoHo living room is tremendous, and the natural fibers of the sofas and rug make the monochromatic color scheme feel clean rather than clinical. I imagine myself lounging in a crimson velvet kimono on the love seat, enjoying a glass of Grüner, being super casual about the fact that my apartment costs $15 million.

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Tour SoHo’s Most Eligible Penthouse

Why we like it

The symmetry, the clean lines, the dark velvet mid-century armchairs. There’s something so mathematical and balanced about this nook, but it’s also peaceful and welcoming. I imagine myself sitting in one and Katie Couric in the other. She’s interviewing me.

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Tour SoHo’s Most Eligible Penthouse

Why we like it

There are a lot of reasons to like this Brooklyn lawyer’s rowhome, one of which is the fact that she had her own portrait professionally painted in massive scale and hung on her wall. You’ve got to respect that. This space achieves a perfect balance of light and dark, sleek and soft, vivid and muted.

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A Brooklyn Lawyer’s Sleek and Colorful Townhouse

Why we like it

It’s details like these that make a beautiful room more than just the sum of its parts. A mid-century modern empire armchair in a deep forest green, a table lamp pulled straight from Don Draper’s desk, and a little bulb of a half-glazed vase with a few fresh-cut stems—it’s just lovely.

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Coming soon!

Why we like it

Two words: crushed velvet. Ever wonder what happened to all of those crushed velvet scrunchies of the ’90s? They’ve found heirs in low-profile luxury sofas. This isn’t true, but if anyone’s interested in starting a recycling program, we’re in. This living room lounge is the perfect spot for a cocktail and a great conversation. Soft textures juxtaposed with clean lines creates a wonderful sense of serenity and structure.

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Tour SoHo’s Most Eligible Penthouse

Why we like it

There’s more to a great living room than sofas and coffee tables, and no living space should be limited in its function. This gorgeous burled vanity serves as the bar in the living room of a stately Georgian-style home in Wilmington, North Carolina. Want more home bar inspiration? See the best home bars from all angles.

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More Is More: A Georgian-Style Family Home Brought to Life

Why we like it

There is something so wonderfully peaceful about this living room, about the entire home, really. The color combination of straw and cream dappled in yellow and blue splashes, the vaulted ceilings and exposed beams, the abundant sunlight pouring in through a wall of windows. It’s no surprise that this gem of a home is nestled nicely on Cape Cod Bay in Duxbury, Massachusetts.

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A Cape Cod Home Made for an Adventure-Seeking Family