Living room-study design ideas

This option is only possible for singles or couples without children living separately from their parents and other relatives. Therefore, most people working at home have to combine different functions in one room. One of the most popular options is a living room with a work area.

With the right layout, the use of modern furniture and space zoning techniques, even a small living room or studio apartment will look cozy and functional. How to equip a comfortable work area in a small area? Use the recommendations of experienced designers offered in this article.

Dimensions of the living room-study

First of all, it is necessary to determine the size of the working area. This factor depends solely on personal needs and the specifics of the workflow:

• If the execution of the tasks takes no more than 1-3 hours a day, and only a laptop or tablet is required from the equipment, then a small table, console or wide window sill is enough.

• For a desktop computer with a system unit and a monitor, a wider table is required. You can purchase a compact and roomy corner model or a transformer table.

• If additional materials, books, office equipment are needed for work – a printer, scanner, copier, then you will have to take care of their placement.

There are several options: a long and wide table top with cabinets and drawers, a compact table with hinged shelves, a narrow and high corner rack; a full-fledged cabinet with doors installed next to the table.

Arrangement of furniture in the living room combined with the work area

The working area harmoniously fits into the furniture set for the living room. Lockers and shelves for stationery, folders, office equipment are selected by design and style for existing furniture, or are bought in a set.

The table can be placed at your discretion, depending on the layout of the room and your own tastes:

• along the wall, as a logical continuation of the furniture wall with a TV;

• visually separating the space at the window;

• in one of the corners next to the window;

• on the same line with the sofa and armchairs.

One of the popular modern options for small living rooms is a window sill table of sufficient width. Floor cabinets with drawers, hanging cabinets, shelving and shelves in the walls and corners next to the window are added to it.

Even if there is not enough space for a small table, experts recommend using modern ideas of designers. Models of hinged work tables with pull-out shelves for the keyboard and an additional module for the system unit have been developed for small living rooms.

Chairs or armchairs are chosen taking into account the laws of ergonomics. A person spends up to 8-12 hours a day at work, so the seat and back should be as comfortable as possible. A high-quality chair provides a comfortable fit:

• does not constrict the blood vessels under the knees;
• supports the back, relieving the load from the spine;
• the armrests allow you to lean on your elbows and forearms.

The seat and back should be soft enough, elastic. At the same time, the dimensions of the chair – the height of the backrest, width, depth and height of the seat are selected individually, according to the person’s complexion. Ideally, the chair should have an adjustment mechanism that allows you to adjust its parameters.

So that the work area does not catch the eye, it is decorated in the same style with cabinet furniture in the living room. If the owners do not like to focus on their work, it is permissible to design lockers with smooth facades without fittings to match the color of the walls. In this case, the work area will be perceived as part of the interior. In addition, this design visually increases the space of a small living room.

But chairs or armchairs serve as spectacular, expressive accents.

For those who do not like standard solutions, designers offer alternative options for the placement of the work area:

• On a glazed and insulated balcony or loggia, a full-fledged study is obtained, isolated from the living room with the help of swing or sliding doors made of plastic, tempered frosted or transparent glass, wood, or dense curtains. If the owners prefer to remove the window and door blocks, then the remaining concrete ledge serves as a natural partition.

• A wall niche with accordion doors is a great way to hide the work area. A convenient option for those who sometimes work at home.

• You can fence off the work area with a plasterboard structure, a lattice or an openwork partition made of wood or metal. The open shelves placed across the room, matte, patterned glass walls perfectly fit into the interior.

The layout of the living room with a study

To simplify the task of arranging furniture, it is worth drawing a plan diagram on paper or in a computer program. Visualization helps to design the room in the best way, to avoid offensive mistakes.

First you need to take measurements – the length, width and height of the living room, transfer it to the drawing in accordance with the scale. The usual ratio is 1:20, but it can be changed if necessary.

The diagram shows the location and dimensions of windows, doors, niches. Be sure to draw the layout features – beveled corners, bay windows, heating batteries. After that, the pieces of furniture that are planned to be placed in the living room are cut out of paper, observing the proportions. We will give some practical advice on the arrangement of furniture.

The main area in the living room is usually occupied by a sofa or a set of upholstered furniture. There is one rule common to all rooms: a place to rest should not be placed in a draft, on a line running from the window to the door. Therefore, it is best to move it to the adjacent wall, diagonally relative to the door or window. Opposite it, the second main element of the living room is installed – a large TV.

Another convenient place for a sofa is not far from the door, along the wall or across the room, with its back to the aisle. Corner sofas are placed in the opposite corner from the door, or across the room, making upholstered furniture a natural partition for functional areas.

Depending on the chosen design, the door to the hall can be different: an open arched or semi-arched opening, a thread or fabric curtain, sliding doors, accordion, swing doors. If in the last two cases you choose a model without platbands and a shade to match the walls, then the door completely merges with the surrounding environment, without attracting too much attention.

When planning, it is necessary to take into account which way the swing door will open – inside or out. The door should not block the free passage, access to lockers. As a rule, the most convenient way of opening is inside, to the near wall or outside.

The TV is usually placed in the recreation area, opposite comfortable seats – sofas, armchairs, poufs. As a stand, separate cabinets or a special element of a ready-made furniture set for the living room are used. Also, modern TV models feel great on the wall.

The distance from the sofa to the screen does not matter today, since the screen practically does not emit heat, the image is comfortable for the eyes. But, it is inconvenient to watch TV with too large a diagonal up close, since the eye does not cover the whole picture as a whole.

You can replace the TV with a movie projector. For its correct operation, you will need a white screen or a perfectly flat wall painted with white paint or with an appropriate finish.

In addition to the TV, additional equipment is often installed in the living room: a modem, a receiver, game consoles, speakers for high-quality sound. It is worth considering their placement and ways of masking the wires.

Unusual accents in the form of modern, classic or high-tech chairs look great.

Large paintings, photo wallpapers or plaster paintings create an appropriate atmosphere of romance, sophistication or a bright holiday, help to bring to life an interior with an individual character. Such a living room clearly demonstrates the tastes and habits of the owners, their preferences.

High-quality, multi-level lighting gives the living room additional comfort. And in the work area you can not do without good local lighting. In addition to ceiling chandeliers and spotlights, original floor lamps and wall sconces are widely used. LED strip lighting is popular today. And the desktop is illuminated by high-quality desk lamps, ceiling lamps on a long rod are placed above it.

If there is enough space, you can place a fireplace in the living room – it creates a peaceful, homely atmosphere, helps to relax, focus on solving important problems.