Living room decoration tips
The living room is an important place where many people relax after a hard day, spend time with family and friends. Therefore, it is important to pay special attention to the interior. The design of the living room is aimed at embodying the atmosphere of coziness and comfort. The area, layout, room nuances affect the final result. Therefore, you should take into account the existing pros and cons of the room to create a suitable design..
The living room space can be designed in one direction or assemble a mix of different styles. All methods are good, the main thing is to find the best suitable option
How to decorate a living room in an apartment
Thinking about how to design a living room, you should carefully approach this issue. It is important to organize everything so that every family member is comfortable. Consider the available space. It is important not to create a kind of clutter, clutter. First you need to decide on the style. This will help narrow down the range of suitable color palette, accessories, furniture arrangement..
The living room looks stylish, decorated in two or three colors
There are several rules
There are certain rules when decorating a living room. Observing them, it will turn out to create a harmonious look..
- Mandatory presence of the center. This is the area around which people will gather. It can be a fireplace, where family members and friends can get comfortable. The TV can play the role of the center. Furniture should be placed in a semicircle, U-shaped or at a certain angle. Then the TV will become the background. If you install furniture opposite, all attention will be directed to it. For the center, a table, an aquarium, an installation are suitable.
- Lighting requires special attention. It can transform a space or ruin even a perfectly decorated room. Therefore, you should carefully consider lighting. There should be enough natural and artificial light.
To designate certain areas in the living room, directional lamps are used in addition to the main lighting.
Choosing a style for decorating a living room
An important stage on which further design depends. It is recommended to make a choice based on the dimensions of the room, the level of natural light. Some styles are not suitable for small spaces. There is a design that maximizes and frees up space. In the first case, it is recommended to consider minimalism, high-tech. They are distinguished by the presence of mirror, metal, glass surfaces. The use of a large amount of furniture is not required. A few multifunctional items are enough. A minimum of accessories allows the living room to look spacious and free. The loft is suitable for lovers of modern design. It involves the exclusion of the use of unnecessary furniture and decorations. Only the necessary elements, and the lines are strict, clear.
Strict high-tech living room
You can use a retro design when decorating a living room. Unpredictable color combinations should be used, including black and pink, yellow and green. It is necessary to organize high-quality lighting by adding fringed lamps, lampshades, floor lamps in a retro style. To enhance the effect of antiquity, it is worth installing a gramophone, hanging black and white photos, and a rocking chair. Accessories should emphasize the overall interior.
In a retro style, antiques or furniture in the style of past decades must be present.
To embody modernity, you need the maximum amount of free space. Therefore, you should equip only with the necessary, multifunctional furniture, and minimize accessories. The palette is predominantly light with the addition of gold, red, brown tones. It is worth using mainly wooden, glass parts. The decor should look simple, natural and cozy..
Modern is saturated bright colors, but without unnecessary aggressiveness
For a small room, an ethnic style is suitable, for example, African. Minimalism does not overload the space with unnecessary details. Differs in lightness, abundance of light. The classic is great for large rooms, especially if the living room is connected to the dining room. Inherent in luxury, expensive, natural materials, sophistication.
Eco-style is rarely embodied in apartments. A suitable cottage is characterized by its spaciousness and the presence of large window openings. Eco unites nature and living space.
When creating an eco style, natural materials are used, including live plants.
You can make the living room decoration more original by choosing one of the listed style directions, adding your own details. This will make your room stand out and add a touch of uniqueness..
Living room layout
To organize a rational and functional space, it is important to think over the layout correctly. If you plan to connect to the dining room, it is recommended to carefully consider the location of the table. It should be determined how to visually mark the boundaries between the soft area and the dining area. It is recommended to divide the area visually across, which will create several square segments. When delimiting along, only a narrow pencil case will appear.
For zoning the living room, you can use furniture, colors or carpet.
Before you design the living room in a modern way, it is worth considering whether the organization of the working area is supposed to be organized. An excellent place for him would be the area near the window, where there is a lot of natural light. Or you need to organize high-quality lighting. If you want to allocate an area for children to play, it is worth insulating the floor and placing a lot of developmental elements. You can organize a karaoke segment by making a podium. There are many different layouts. First, you need to determine what exactly is planned to equip.
Decor in the interior of the living room
When choosing a decor, you should remember about moderation. If you overdo it with decoration, then there will be a feeling of clutter, tastelessness. For a large area, you can pick up various decorative elements. They must be consistent in style and be combined with the overall interior. The decor includes paintings, figurines, photographs on walls and dressers, sculptures.
Various accessories add warmth and coziness to the interior
The decoration can be a lamp of an original form, unique design. Sometimes chandeliers are not enough for quality lighting. Therefore, they place floor lamps, sconces that match the style of the room. Don’t turn a place of relaxation and recreation into a museum. It is important to organize a cozy atmosphere.
Pillows, blankets, baskets, paintings and so on are used as decorating details.
How to design an interior in order to achieve a harmonious combination of kitchen and living room areas? There are different options for how to harmoniously connect the dining area with the main room..
- Bar counter. The most common option. It can act as a semi-partition, be framed as part of a wall. To organize a bar counter, it is recommended to use natural wood panels, mosaics, decorative stone or plaster.
- Wall at floor level. To realize such an idea, the floor level should be raised by 10-15 cm. As a result, a podium is formed. The advantage lies in the ability to hide pipes, wires, communications that go through this way.
- Lighting and false ceiling. Using the right lighting will help you demarcate multiple areas unobtrusively..
- Ceiling, wall decoration. The color palette perfectly distinguishes between segments for different purposes. Transitions should be smooth. Maintain a uniform palette, no stark contrasts.
- Use of furniture. It will act as a demarcation. Shelves made of plastic, wood or glass up to the ceiling, a sofa.
- Combined flooring. There is a way to use a different floor design for each zone. For the dining segment, tiles are suitable, and for the rest area, it is worth choosing carpet, laminate, parquet. In the first case, it is important to purchase a special coating that does not slip..
- Island. A dining table located on the border of several zones can act as it. Allows you to achieve the effect of orderliness.
- Special details for delineation. You can use niches, columns, if there is a lot of space. There are special partitions that become part of the interior as a decoration. There are different types of them, including completely blind, partially, without holes and with openings for windows, doors.
Niches perfectly hide the imperfections of the walls, correct flaws in the layout and make the living room more practical and functional
Fireplaces in the living room interior: several recommendations and original examples in the photo
The fireplace will become a key element in the room. Therefore, you should think over every detail and general style in advance. A niche in the walls or a loggia will be a suitable place for a fireplace. Refrain from placing a TV next to it. He gets a lot of attention. Therefore, it is not recommended to connect several key items together. Better to leave some distance between them..
Living room with fireplace looks more original and attractive
To embody a stylish, effective atmosphere, you should use only themed design. This will allow all the elements to represent a single picture and not turn the room into a collection of inconsistent parts. Take care of quality lighting. It shouldn’t be dark. On a light background, the fireplace looks more spectacular and visually makes the space wider.
The fireplace can either be the central element of the living room, or “appear” when turned on directly
Do not over-decorate the space that surrounds the fireplace. Otherwise, it will simply get lost against the background of the decor. Add details to the stands on the mantel. Follow the general style so that it does not look like a separate element. Placement of frames with photos, souvenirs is suitable. On the wall where the hearth is located, it is worth hanging a stylish picture. It will look appropriate and beautiful..
What wallpaper will look best in the interior of the living room?
In order to make the right choice, it is recommended to study all the existing types of wallpaper. This will help you understand the positive and negative qualities of each species. Standard wallpapers have a paper backing. They can be used for short-term decoration. If you follow the operating rules and handle them carefully, they will last for several years, retaining an attractive appearance. Not suitable for areas with high humidity and open fire. Low cost.
Wallpaper with a geometric pattern will add dynamism to the room, visually change the configuration of the room and even be able to hide some flaws
Wallpapers with a non-woven backing are more durable. They are resistant to mechanical stress, including scratches and dirt. Suitable for rooms with high humidity, can be exposed to direct sunlight for a long time.
Vinyl wallpaper can have a paper or non-woven backing. They are a good alternative to the types already listed. They have high strength, wear resistance, long service life. It is easy to care for, you can use detergents, the quality of the product does not deteriorate. Perfect for wall decoration due to the absence of noticeable joints when gluing.
Striped wallpaper is suitable for classic, modern and avant-garde interiors, the main thing is to choose the right combination of colors and pattern width
Glass fiber has one tone and has a light embossed pattern. They perfectly play the role of a background in space. They are distinguished by fire resistance, strength, elasticity and high quality. Some models can be washed, repainted.
Bamboo wallpaper allows you to emphasize the naturalness, natural finish. Suitable for a specific interior. Not capricious in leaving.
Floral print creates an atmosphere of coziness, warmth and comfort
Textile wallpapers are environmentally friendly, do not have toxic substances in their composition, they are easy to glue, easy to care for. The original appearance creates a sophisticated atmosphere. They are distinguished by their high cost. Often they are pasted over an accent wall or used for inserts. They are harmoniously combined with furniture upholstery, curtains, creating a complete look.
Determine the center of the room
The center of the room should be determined in order to correctly position all objects. The choice depends on the size of the room. Do not place upholstered furniture around the perimeter. The modern interior is categorically against such placement. Such a distribution clutters up the space with only items for rest, there is no free space or the ability to install other functional elements is reduced..
The center of the living room is where guests are most likely to gather.
Therefore, it is worth choosing a center around which the rest of the details will be formed. Often, the central part is the area where the upholstered furniture and TV are located. A fireplace can be selected as a key area, if one is expected. Standard living room elements:
- upholstered furniture, including armchairs, sofa;
- small table;
- shelves where books, decor items will be placed.
A low table may well become the center of a living room. It is convenient to have a conversation behind it, and when there are no guests, the table can be decorated with fresh flowers or other decor
If the dimensions allow, the listed list can be expanded. When dividing into functional areas, it is worth placing cabinets, a table with a laptop or computer, bookshelves.
If the room is small, choose transformer models that allow you to combine several functions and get rid of insignificant elements.
What furniture to use in the interior?
Several decades ago, furniture walls were popular, which could be found in almost every home. Designers do not recommend giving up such an item. There are many modern models with attractive, varied looks. This allows you to choose a wall for any interior. One of its advantages is functionality and spaciousness. A correctly chosen model allows you to occupy a minimum of furniture, but place a maximum of things.
For the living room, you should select functional furniture that does not clutter up the space. It is better to give up blank cabinets, replacing them with open shelves or shelving
Bulk can be avoided by choosing a modular wall. It allows you to independently compose a structure by choosing the necessary elements. By periodically rearranging them, you can update the appearance of the space. Among the furniture there may be a sofa, armchairs, a table. Other items can be added depending on the size of the room, its functionality.
Design of curtains for the living room
The final choice of curtains depends on the overall style. For classics, products of dark or light colors with painting, ornaments are suitable. Floor length and full width of the opening. Additionally, it is worth hanging lambrequins, with special grabs.
Light curtains let in sunlight well, thereby adding a good mood
The classic design of curtains involves straight canvases, collected in vertical folds
For a modern interior, choose laconic curtain models, including Roman, roller blinds. To add coziness, purchase lightweight, almost sheer curtains. Match the color to the shade of decorative elements or wallpaper.
Country means the use of cotton products with an unobtrusive floral print. It is better to combine them with the decor..
For living rooms in Provence and country styles, linen curtains are better suited
Do not mix cold and warm colors in the same space. It is better to choose several tones in a single scale, without contrast..
Decorating a modern living room
To decorate the living room, you must choose a style. The modern interior offers various design options. They are reflected in the table.
Contemporary styles | Description |
Loft | It is recommended to refuse additional finishing. Part of the room should look as if the renovation is ongoing. The wall can be left with brickwork. Wallpaper should be discarded. It takes space and a lot of light. |
High tech | Perfect for any size room. Differs in the clarity of lines, the presence of glass, metal, mirror surfaces. The decor should be kept to a minimum. |
Minimalism | Allows you to free up space as much as possible, make the house more spacious, freer. A minimum of details, rigor and exclusion of decorations in the form of ornaments, drawings. Natural materials are used for decoration, the use of wallpaper is excluded. |
Loft style industrial living room interior
Minimalism assumes interior decoration without unnecessary details
Hi-tech is similar to minimalism, but with much more artificial materials and shiny surfaces.
The modern style involves freeing up a large amount of space, which is relevant for small rooms. The house will look light, visually more spacious.
Video: living room interior in oriental style
Photos of successful interiors of living rooms