We all know that the heart of a home is the kitchen, and when designing your ideal home you probably put a lot of focus into this part of the design. However, as most modern floor plans are open-concept, your adjoining great room deserves some special attention as well. Let’s explore some ideas that can bring your great room up to the level of “wow” you crave.

Fireplace

A fireplace is a fireplace, right? No way! This is most often the focal point in the room, and the options are fundamentally endless. Select a style of fireplace that fits with the design of your entire home. Are you going for a traditional look? Find a fireplace that mimics the old world wood-burning style. Is your home going to be more modern? Consider a floating fireplace. If this feature of your home is open on both sides, a two-way fireplace is certainly the way to go.

Around the functioning portion of your fireplace is a blank canvas just waiting to be decorated. Floor-to-ceiling stone elevates the design to a superior class. If you are aiming for a modern look, porcelain tile is a very chic way to finish this space.

A mantle can be an elegant finishing touch for this part of the home, but it isn’t absolutely necessary unless you are planning to install a television above the fireplace. In this case, the mantle acts as a heat barrier, adding an element of safety. There is a large variety of mantle styles to choose from as well; consider a style that fully frames your fireplace for a more traditional, cozy look, or a minimalist single beam style if you are looking for modern.

Wainscoting

Wainscoting was originally used hundreds of years ago in homes to prevent water damage in your walls where waterproofing was not yet invented. Not exactly a comforting notion; however, today it is simply used in decoration.

There are many different styles of wainscoting available to you to add a certain sophistication to the room. These include Raised Panel, Flat Panel, Beadboard, Overlay, and Board and Batten. Each style offers a much different look and can range in price depending on their complexity of installation.

Wall Panelled is the most cost effective way in which wainscoting can be installed, as it uses existing drywall as its backsplash and only the trim detail is installed. If you're looking for a minimalist application, this would be ideal as it adds detail to the room without being excessive.

Raised Panel and Flat Panel styles add an additional panel as the backdrop against the wall, on top of which the trim is installed. This creates more depth on your wall and brings a higher level of class to the design. The Raised Panel style offers a few more details in the baseboards and inserts.

Beadboard is used quite a lot in modern coastal style designs. It consists of vertical board panels with a small bevel in between for detail.

Built-in Shelving

Convert your great room into more than a room to gather and converse. Built-in shelving can add immense function to the room by adding storage for books, movies, or your favourite décor. If your fireplace is against a wall, adding built-in shelving on either side adds a significant level of style to the room. Match the wood style and colour of your fireplace mantle to the built-in shelving around it to tie it all together.

Don’t Forget the Ceiling

Your ceiling is the fifth wall in your great room and deserves just as much attention. Consider the style of finish you want on your ceiling. Depending on the design style, wooden beams can create a cozy farmhouse or Tudor look. Install them in the traditional support beam design, or use wood beams to create a coffered ceiling. This can really warm up the space and give it that “wow” factor.

Other dramatic ceiling finishes could be backlit tray ceilings, modern wood panelling, or special wainscoting style trim work to craft a unique design.

If you aren’t looking for something that theatrical, you could simply finish your ceilings with a beautiful California Knockdown effect, or simply painted with no texture at all.

There is a diverse selection of ways to sensationalize your great room. The wonderful thing about building a custom home is that designs can really meet all your needs and wishes. Working with a custom home builder to achieve this can give you and your guests reason to truly consider every room great.

If you're still unsure about how to get your desired design look to come together, check out these three great reasons to use an interior designer.

Photo credits: modern living room, wall with wainscoting