How to create a harmonious interior for a small living room?

The living room is the most important room in the house, which can tell a lot about its owners, their hobbies and lifestyle. In the case of a successful design, this room becomes a subject of their pride and people are happy to show it to their guests. Therefore, everything here must be carefully thought out not only from the point of view of aesthetics, but also practicality. In small apartments, every centimeter of space counts, so the area should be used to the maximum.

A small living room is not a reason for frustration. Even if you have at your disposal a room with a very small area of ​​12 or 15 sq m, you can also create an oasis of comfort and home warmth on it, in which you and your guests will be comfortable. All you need to do is turn to suitable finishes and furniture.

The interior of a room largely depends on its shape. If you are dealing with a narrow elongated space, the most reasonable thing in this case is to place a couch with a sofa and an armchair along one of the long walls. If the length permits, you can complement it with a small serving table, at which it is pleasant to gossip with your best friend over a cup of coffee.

It would be logical to install equipment on the opposite wall. - TV, music center, home theater and other similar devices. In this case, it is better, if possible, to do without bulky bedside tables and monumental walls. It is worth using open shelves in several levels. As an additional decor on the walls, it is possible to use mirror tiles and wall sconces. The light reflected in the mirrors will brighten the room.

In order not to violate the integrity of the wall, you can decorate it with plasterboard niches, on which you can place books, photographs, small vases and other decorative elements. The main thing is that there are not too many of them.

Traditionally, for small rooms, designers do not recommend using colors that are too dark or too bright. A too large pattern on the wallpaper will not be appropriate here either. It is better to make the walls one-color in soothing colors, and accents will add brightness.

Decorative plaster is ideal for decorating the walls of a small living room., wide or liquid wallpaper, or you can simply paint the walls with paint. The main principle is that no transverse seams should be visible on the walls - they visually reduce the area. The drawing should be as simple and understandable as possible - leave complex patterns for more spacious rooms. Geometric lines, imitation of masonry, as well as 3D wallpaper will be appropriate.

As a floor covering in the living room, natural parquet or self-leveling floor would be good. If funds allow, you can add extravagance to the interior using a porcelain stoneware slab with a glossy surface - it will visually add a few centimeters of height to the room. Another thing is when it comes to a small area, which means there is a high probability that this is an economy class housing. And many consider it impractical to make expensive repairs in a small apartment, so laminate can be an excellent alternative to parquet. It costs several times cheaper, but it looks no worse.

If you have small children or cool floors, you can put carpeting on top of them. In this case, it is better if it is fixed with plinths around the entire perimeter of the room. When choosing a carpet for the living room, give preference to products with discreet ornaments. Its value depends on the shape of the room.In elongated rectangular rooms, a carpet runner will look good, and in a square room it is worth laying a small oval or round rug.

If the height of the ceiling allows, tension multi-level structures can be used for its design. In this case, the lower ceiling should be around the perimeter of the walls, and the higher space should remain in the center of the room.

In a room with low ceilings, you can also install a tension option. In this case, it is better to use a glossy or mirror texture. But you should not hang massive heavy chandeliers in a small living room. Consider recessed ceiling lights, wall or floor sconces made of shiny metal. White chrome is great for hi-tech, while gold is versatile and suitable for almost any style.

You can also decorate the ceiling with drywall. This is a more economical option than a stretch canvas, but no less interesting compositions are obtained from it. It is permissible to paint it in the color of the walls or repaint it in a contrasting shade. In addition, it can be used to hide all existing irregularities or communications. If you have restless neighbors, drywall will significantly reduce the noise level.

It used to be fashionable to glue PFC plastic panels on the ceiling, but today there are fewer and fewer fans of this type of finish, and cork can be used as an alternative. In this case, a distinction is made between roll and tiled cork. The first type is more suitable for small areas - it leaves a minimum of joints. But the tiles are easier to glue and cheaper in cost.

This material has a lot of undeniable advantages:

• As with drywall, cork absorbs all noise perfectly. Where, if not in the living room, to arrange cool parties, and the cork ceiling will save you from the noble wrath of your neighbors.
• It is a completely natural material that does not cause allergies.
• The cork retains heat perfectly and you can save on additional heating.

This material is especially good for humid climates as it retains moisture well. The cork does not require preliminary preparatory work and is beautifully decorated - the ceiling from it can be repainted many times. However, despite all the obvious advantages, this type of finish is not particularly common for mass consumption due to its high cost.

It's no secret that for a small living room it is better to use a single-color decor. But if this option seems too boring to you, you can afford finishing with a small and not very frequent pattern. In the limited space of a small room, no more than 2-3 colors are allowed. In this case, one of them dominates, and the rest are used as additional decorative elements.

It can be textiles - curtains on the windows, cushions and cushions on the sofa, carpeting, photo frames. Let's take a look at the recommended colors that are considered the most appropriate to create a cozy interior for a small living room.

It is a favorite of all colors, as it can be used both as a main background and as a secondary shade. It goes well with all other colors, so it can be used on both vertical and horizontal surfaces. White is perfect for a Scandinavian style.

This neutral shade is not as easily soiled as white, but it can also be used dosed in decorative elements or as a base. At the same time, he allows the most daring combinations, softening and muffling too bright and avant-garde colors. For a classic interior, you can take several shades of gray - from almost white to dark asphalt.

This color is ideal for the main decoration of a small living room in a classic style. Furniture and textiles in brown tones go well with it. Lamps with a warm diffused glow are good for beige.

There are many shades of this color, from wet sand to dark chocolate. Use this color scheme in small rooms with care. If you want to paste brown wallpaper onto the wall, it is best to do it on one surface only. Materials with a textured decorative finish look very interesting. The brown color looks original in various imitations - under the skin, under the old plaster or under the sand.

Psychologists say that it has a pacifying effect on the psychological state of a person. In the living room, decorated in such colors, it is pleasant to return home after a working day and, stretching out your legs, comfortably sit in your favorite chair with a control panel or with a book. Blue cools, so all its derivatives are recommended for hot climates. It works well when paired with white, beige and brown. The pair "blue and yellow" looks good. Remember how a few years ago everyone went crazy for the famous wallpaper with stars - yellow on blue and blue on yellow.

The color of spring, hope and the beginning of a new life - it has a positive effect on the general well-being of the household. It looks most advantageous in combination with wooden furniture, houseplants and a waterfall - yes, even in a small living room you can arrange your own waterfall, at least an imitation of it. Such ideas can be supplemented with illuminated paintings and with the image of water. A small table lamp with a built-in mini fountain will fit well.

All shades of lavender and purple are suitable for a small cozy living room where a couple of lovers live. The atmosphere created by this color sets you in a romantic mood. Lilac shades look most advantageous in contrast to white, pale blue or pale pink.

Designers recommend combining either warm or cold shades. They don't work together. As for the styling of small rooms, experts traditionally advise choosing a minimalist interior. In a small space, everything should be functional and well thought out. No unnecessary and unnecessary items. But that's not an excuse to give up cute décor pieces that personalize your space and make it complete.

If desired, even in cramped conditions, you can equip a modern home theater - hang the plasma on the wall, place the speakers in the corners, hide some of them behind curtains, and use some as flower stands. For stuck up guests, you can offer a folding sofa. If the space is very tiny, you can use an air mattress and soft bean bags. Also, any types of transformable furniture will be appropriate here: folding chairs, a table on wheels that slides under the cabinet for equipment, a folding sofa or a bed that is attached to the wall.

Interior designers advise zoning the space using a variety of techniques. All available surfaces must be used. If the room has wide window sills, do not cover them with long curtains, but use them as a table for buffets. In this case, the cornice should be hung as high as possible, and preferably under the canvas itself. It is better to choose a simple design of curtains (without complex folds). If a lambrequin is supposed, it should also be purely conditional, without hanging elements.

If you are the lucky owner of high panoramic windows, you can organize an additional sofa., sitting on which he will watch the street. It is permissible to put it on a podium, under which additional storage space should be created. With the help of light, you can also make a conditional division of a room into zones. The main thing is that there should be a lot of it, and it should be multi-level.

In a youth living room with noisy parties, a spinning disco ball will be appropriate on the ceiling, and for a family of several members, it would be nice to divide the room into zones using a curtain or a decorative plasterboard slide. For those who prefer a more conservative interior, it is preferable to choose furniture with high backs - this way, the living room will appear taller. Furniture with horizontal striped upholstery and curtains to match the sofa will help to push the walls wide.

With the help of interesting photo wallpapers with 3D effect, you can visually expand the most important room in the apartment. For a classic interior, a natural theme is suitable - the sea, forest, flower field, waterfalls, delicate bouquets and other similar images. In the decoration of the hall in a modern style, the image of a night metropolis is often used.

Space themes will look unusual on the wall, for example, the rings of Saturn, the constellations of the Zodiac, the solar system or just the night sky with the illumination effect, which is provided by the spotlights built into the wall. You can take the image on the Internet, order large-format printing, and install the LEDs yourself or entrust the specialists.

Often the living room is also a bedroom at the same time, and in a studio apartment it is also a kitchen. In this case, it is advisable to install a bar counter that will act as a dining table, as well as separate the kitchen from the resting place. Moreover, depending on the shape of the room, it can be done both along and across the room.

Quite often, adjacent rooms are used to expand the boundaries of space. So, if there is a loggia next to the living room, the wall is demolished, and the loggia itself is insulated and precious additional meters of usable space are obtained. However, if the wall that you want to demolish is load-bearing, then you need to draw up a project to strengthen the interior space, which must be coordinated with special bodies. Be prepared for the fact that you may not be allowed to demolish this wall, because it can threaten the integrity of the whole house.

But expanding the living room at the expense of the hallway can be quite painless for the home. If you like entering an apartment and immediately getting into its heart - into the living room, then this is your option. In this case, it is worth installing a sliding wardrobe near the entrance with mirrored doors to the entire height of the room. You can hide all outer clothing in it, and the order in the room will not be disturbed, and mirrors on the entire wall will further expand the existing room.

It would be logical to lay out a few meters of the floor near the threshold with ceramic tiles, and lay the laminate to match the tiles on the rest of the surface. In this case, it is better to refrain from large carpets and carpet, since even with daily cleaning, dust from the street will fall into the room, and cleaning the carpet is much more difficult than washing the floors. If you still want to lay anything on the floor, throw a small decorative rug in the middle of the room. Alternatively, you can not demolish the entire wall entirely, but only expand the doorway by decorating the jambs with mirrored tiles. With such a non-standard approach, the opening itself will be practically invisible, but the living room will look original.

For tips on how to visually enlarge a small room, see the video below.