Living room in a private house: design ideas and tips

The living room is a central room that performs a number of important functions. Often it is by its decoration and style that guests judge the wealth of property owners, the presence or absence of a sense of beauty and belonging to certain categories of society. It is not surprising that the highest requirements are imposed on the design of this room.

As a rule, the largest room in an apartment or house is used as a living room. This is due to purely practical considerations. The living room is equipped with voluminous upholstered furniture, a TV and a modern stereo system. There is also often a buffet with ceremonial sets, cabinets or racks with collections of rare minerals, awards, as well as a dining group for feasts.

The design and selected finishing materials for living rooms delight with their diversity, because in a private house this room can be combined with a hall and a kitchen-dining room. There is also a staircase to the attic or to the second floor of a multi-storey cottage, as well as a descent to the basement.

Functions of a living room in a private house

The importance of this room is difficult to overestimate. This is the place where:

• all the household members gather after work and study, chatting, playing and doing their favorite things;
• gatherings with friends and relatives are arranged;
• honored guests and unexpected visitors are located.

In country mansions, it is customary to place the living room on the ground floor, combining it with the hallway. In this case, racks and cabinets for outerwear, shoes, bags are provided. There is also a kind of “waiting place” for uninvited visitors, couriers.

With a lack of free space, the living room is often combined with a comfortable dining room with a ceremonial table and a set of chairs or upholstered armchairs.

If the construction was carried out on a grand scale, then the hall impresses with its splendor, high ceilings and abundance of light, marble decoration.

In conditions of lack of living space, the hall can perform additional functions:

• library, music or art studio;
• work or study room;
• a playground, a workshop and even a bedroom.

When drawing up a living room design project, experts recommend taking into account the interests of all family members, including toddlers and the older generation. In order to mix everything that is necessary to create comfort in a limited area, careful planning will be required.

If the living room is supposed only to relax while watching your favorite movies or TV shows, reading books or having a leisurely pleasant conversation, there are no problems with the layout of the room. It is enough to arrange a set of sofas and armchairs as conveniently as possible, equip a place for a TV, and enjoy life. If it is planned to create several functional zones in a single space, a careful, balanced approach will be required.

Experts recommend:

• First of all, it is necessary to determine the central group of the entire composition. Traditionally, it is a recreation area, which occupies the lion’s share of the area – from 50% and above. It includes: a sofa, a TV on the wall or stand, a wardrobe or shelves for decor, necessary accessories, household trifles. Quite often the focus is a decorative or real fireplace with a couple of comfortable chairs.
• Modern interiors suggest island zoning of the space. It is not necessary to arrange all upholstered furniture and cabinets around the perimeter of the room – so there is absolutely no room for anything else in it. The most optimal solution is to divide the hall into 2-4 independent sections, grouping compactly similar in style furnishings. At the same time, cabinets, racks, tables or sofa backs can serve as natural boundaries of zones.

A standard set of furniture can be supplemented with various items, depending on the needs and hobbies of the household. These can be bookcases, a bar counter, a podium for dancing or gymnastics, a desktop with a computer and other things.

Today, modern transformer models are in demand, which allow using almost the entire space of the room to the maximum in a certain period of time. For example, a folding sofa easily turns into a chic sleeping bed. A bed can be lowered from the closet, and a folding table and chairs will provide seating for a feast with guests.

Features of the design of the living room in a private house

How to create a spectacular living room interior, where it is not a shame to invite guests and where all family members will willingly gather after the day’s worries? The main emphasis when planning a living room in a private house is on the style of interior design.

You should adhere to the five golden rules:

• Pleasant to the eye, beautiful shades, original texture of materials.
• Own, unique style, fully reflecting the habits and preferences of the owners.
• A special, homely comfort combined with pleasant smells and cleanliness.
• The comfort of all interior items and the convenience of their use (too pretentious, made “for show” things that do not carry any practical load, inconvenient only overload the room).
• All furniture, most of the decor elements should perform certain functions, be useful.

It is customary to allocate the most spacious room for a living room, because it carries the largest functional load, unlike a bedroom or a study.

If the room has the shape of a square or not very elongated rectangle – it’s wonderful! But an elongated narrow room will have to be correctly zoned using glass or capital brick partitions, highlighting with color, furniture and screens.

A semicircular living room in a domed cottage looks surprisingly organic.

When planning the interior, it is necessary to remember that experts recommend leaving at least half of the free space. Such a room is full of light and space, it is easier to breathe and psychological comfort is felt in it. This nuance is especially important for people suffering from claustrophobia.

It is also important to define for yourself the basic concept of the living room. If everyone in the family is fond of watching TV shows and videos, then the central composition that defines the whole idea will be a recreation area with mandatory upholstered furniture and a TV.

For lovers of classical recreation, the semantic center is a fireplace and a pair of comfortable rocking chairs. If frequent feasts are planned, then the main emphasis is on the dining area.

The fashion trend of recent years is living rooms combined with a kitchen, and not only in small studio apartments. Often such a design solution is used in low-rise private construction, in accordance with the wishes of homeowners.

Such a room looks spacious and quite functional, since rest can be combined with eating. But, already at the design stage, it is required to lay a powerful hood and a good ventilation system, since kitchen smells are not always pleasant and appropriate.

Color scheme

How to choose a color scheme for the interior of the living room in the house?

A room facing the sunny side is the easiest to design. The owners of such a living room are limited only by their own tastes and hobbies. You can show imagination:

• Play on contrasts by choosing a cold scale for the walls, and a warm one for furniture and accents.
• Choose a modern design method of decoration “on a blank sheet”, finishing the walls and ceiling with white paint or plaster. Against this background, furniture and accessories of any, the most modest or non-standard colors, will play with bright, bold colors.

The perception and overall atmosphere depend on the saturation of additional colors: gently cozy, elegant with pastel shades, passionately romantic with red accents or conservatively respectable with classic colors.

If the windows face the north side or are constantly shaded by surrounding objects – tree crowns, nearby buildings, the cold color scheme should be abandoned. Only warm, light tones will do, which compensate for the lack of sun and create a cozy, homely atmosphere.

In such a room, it is advisable to take care of good artificial lighting. In addition to the central chandelier or lamps above each functional area, spot lighting is used at all levels, including podiums. Work corners and areas for reading books are equipped with wall sconces, floor lamps or table lamps.

A few more tips on choosing a color palette:

• If the living room is designed for youth parties or creative personalities with non-standard tastes? Feel free to use bright colors and combinations.
• The desire to relax and unwind after a busy day should be supported by a suitable atmosphere in the living room. Choose airy-light, pastel colors. Calm, deep shades of green, turquoise, blue are suitable. And also gray, brown, burgundy.

Color solutions depend on the preferences of homeowners, since color perception refers to deeply personal, individual characteristics.

Options for finishing the living room in a private house

What materials should I choose for finishing?

Before buying finishing materials for walls, ceiling and floor, it is necessary to understand in what interior style the room will be decorated. So, for eco-trends, Scandinavian and all rural styles, natural materials of calm colors or their high-quality imitation are preferred.

For laconic minimalism or high-tech, cheerful floral wallpaper or rough wooden boards are absolutely not suitable. And romantic Provence does not go well with bright glossy panels and psychedelic prints. A well-chosen finish corrects the existing construction flaws and shortcomings of the layout. The advantages of the room come to the fore.

Walls

For the interior of the living room, the interior decoration of walls, floors and ceilings is of decisive importance, the benefit is that in a private house the choice of materials is extremely wide. Will it be walls made of natural wood with its unique natural pattern, or prefer decorative plaster? Are you captivated by the amazing patterns of wild stone or do you want calm monochrome shades of acrylic paint? Everything depends solely on the wishes and financial capabilities of the homeowners.

Finishing materials for walls are chosen taking into account the interior design, dimensions and lighting of the room.

• For a small living room, choose light, white tones, pastel shades. Against their background, glossy facades, bright accessories, furniture upholstery, paintings look very advantageous.
• Fans of original design widely use various constructions made of drywall: openwork and arched partitions, semi-arches, wall niches-shelves with lighting.
• Thanks to a huge range of wallpapers, modern property owners are practically unlimited in their choice. You can choose the right finish for every taste. From delicate light colors and luxurious gold embossing in the Baroque style to laconic black and white colors. The materials are also different, for any needs – washable, ordinary paper, fabric and non-woven, fiberglass and liquid. If you choose wallpaper for painting, you can radically change the interior at will.
• Modern trendy interiors welcome smooth, plain walls. To do this, they are plastered with decorative mixtures or painted. Water-based and acrylic paints are harmless, dry quickly and do not give a disgusting smell, they can be washed carefully.
• If you choose decorative plaster with a special texture, you can design an unusual accent wall.

One of the actual techniques is the use of different materials for finishing. Some of the walls can be wallpapered, and some can be painted. You can take wallpaper of different types and with different patterns, as well as use plastic and wooden panels, ordinary brick or masonry. With this design, it is very easy to visually highlight functional areas.

The following are used as finishing materials in country houses:

• Durable fabric or vinyl wallpaper, wear-resistant, with the possibility of wet cleaning. At the same time, it is not necessary to glue the entire room in the same way. The allocated space above the fireplace or sofa looks great for painting, with a fresco or mosaic, solid wallpaper.

• Painting the walls and ceiling with acrylic paints or enamel allows you to choose the right color yourself, create a unique painting or start lines of a fancy pattern. A significant advantage of such a finish is the ability to update or change the design at any time and without much cost.

• Another excellent solution for a private house is decorative plaster.

• For those who love natural style, the decoration of walls and ceiling with wooden panels, imitation of timber, lining, cork is relevant. In such a living room there is always a special, comfortable atmosphere and a feeling of warmth even in the winter cold.

• Plastic panels are a variety of different shades, different sizes and ease of installation. They are UV resistant, easy to clean, durable.

• Also, ceramic tiles of various designs, natural stone – large pebbles, marble, granite, sandstone, and artificial analogues are used for finishing and decoration of individual sites.

Floor covering

The floor in the living-dining room can be laid out with a set parquet, it gives the room solidity and light conservative notes, showing the reliability and well-being of the family. This option is especially relevant in a classic design. Instead of parquet, you can use polished lumber, parquet board, laminate.

Porcelain stoneware, artificial stone or ceramic tiles are perfect for the living room, as these materials are resistant to damage, durable and perfectly tolerate the effects of household chemicals. Usually such floors are equipped with a heating system or covered with thick carpets.

You can creatively combine the types of finishes, guided by your own taste and functionality. So, the tile is laid out in front of the entrance and the dining area, and in the recreation area they prefer warm wood.

When choosing finishing materials, it is worth paying attention primarily to practicality and convenience. After all, the living room, especially combined with the hallway and dining room, is a frequently visited place that needs careful cleaning.

Ceiling

When choosing, it is necessary to focus on the size of the living room.

• If the room is small in size, the ceiling height is low, then there can be no question of any multi-tiered structures made of drywall or stretch ceilings. No matter how beautiful such constructions look in the picture, they will simply “eat up” the precious space of a small room. The most harmonious option in this case is a simple light or white paint and overhead ceiling lights without a rod. You can supplement them with spotlights or spots. If there is a desire, you can put a narrow cornice around the perimeter of the room, which will add height.
• An excellent solution for low ceilings is suspended ceilings with a slight drop in two tiers. Lighting is built into them, creating a feeling of high, soaring, space.
• If a room of small dimensions has high ceilings, various hinged structures, warm ceiling panels made of wood, lining with clapboard are just right.
• In a spacious room with high ceilings, experiment with ceiling design as your heart desires. These are multi-level illuminated structures, stained glass chandeliers, arched, painted and stretch ceilings in the form of real paintings. It makes sense to use sockets for chandeliers, ceiling moldings, false columns and festoons, luxurious cascading chandeliers.

The main task is to harmoniously combine the idea of decorating the ceiling and the design of the rest of the room so that they look as one. In addition, the presence of functional zones should be taken into account. Sometimes owners prefer to allocate areas of the room with ceiling structures, various finishes, and coloring.

Furniture

Choosing furniture for the living room is not an easy task, especially in the case of zoning, because you need to take into account various nuances.

What do experienced designers advise?

• The living room is not the best place to store street clothes and shoes. Open shelves and hangers bring dissonance to the overall style of the room. Therefore, in this variant it is worth using built-in wardrobes, the space under the stairs, closed shoe cabinets. Large mirrors on the facades will visually expand the space, completely changing its perception for the better, and will become an excellent disguise.
• If the area is limited, instead of chairs, you need to purchase a modular sofa or a transformer sofa, which are conveniently placed even in small living rooms. For the rustic style, you can use wicker, rattan and bamboo chairs, and the classics require upholstered furniture in the appropriate style, with rounded lines of backs and armrests, elegant legs, expensive upholstery.
• Another attribute of the recreation area is a TV, lockers and shelves. You can choose ready-made furniture or make it to order according to your own standards. Do not get carried away with large, massive cabinets if the chosen style does not dictate this. The living room today is light, minimally necessary stands and shelves, a couple of shelves or narrow cabinets for small things. The exception is an extensive home library, a thematic collection or an abundance of souvenirs from around the world.
• The interior can optionally be diversified with soft ottomans, open shelving shelves, screens made of glass, fabric, carved wood or artistically forged metal. A comfortable table and chairs should be selected for the dining area. To make optimal use of the available space, they purchase a sliding version of the countertop.

Lighting

Large, luxurious chandeliers are gradually becoming a thing of the past. Today, many owners prefer to mount comfortable, small ceiling lights on a rod or without it, track systems and spots, with the function of adjusting light flows and brightness. Plafonds, stained glass lamps, built-in spotlights are also popular.

Even if it is a classic chandelier with pendants or curly plafonds that is chosen, it is complemented by spot lighting along the perimeter of the room, bends of plasterboard structures hidden in the cornices.

Rooms with low ceilings are equipped with spotlights and small ceiling shades, since there is simply not enough space for long chandeliers and products on rods: residents will touch their heads, creating a danger to themselves and others.

Wall sconces are appropriate in the living room, creating a mysterious, romantic twilight. Table lamps in the study area, floor lamps in the recreation area and, of course, a live fireplace fire. If it is not possible to install a real one, there are a lot of great electric models with simulated fire, humidification system and heating. Fireplaces can be made in various designs, from classical and Victorian style to high-tech and country. They can be installed in one of the corners, against the wall or in the center of the recreation area.

Additional illumination allows you to illuminate all corners of a rather large room, feel comfortable anywhere in the room and with any type of activity, from reading to embroidery. It also allows you to immerse part of the room in semi-darkness, allowing tired family members to relax while others are engaged in creativity or work.

In addition, properly selected stylish lamps perform the functions of an original decor, complementing the interior design with spectacular touches.

Decor and accessories

How to decorate the living room?

• The main position is assigned, of course, to textiles. Heavy curtains, airy tulle, and to them – beautiful curtains and related elements. Sofa cushions, lace napkins and furniture covers, tablecloths and blankets – all these things create a special feeling of childhood, security and comfort.
• Floor and table vases, floor lamps and wall lamps, luxurious crystal chandeliers, statues, bas-reliefs and moldings are appropriate as accessories.
• Souvenirs brought from all over the world, bought on occasion, well express the character of the owners.
• Vintage and original watches, paintings and photo collages, indoor plants will do.

The living room is a mirror that perfectly reflects the taste and personality of its owners. Everything is done here for their convenience and comfort. And guests can admire the interesting details and original design.

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