We decorate the living room in a classic style
Classics in the interior look great both in private houses and in city apartments. The classic design can look especially organic in the living room. Since most of these interiors are designed in light colors, a classic setting can be successfully created both in a spacious and in a very small living room. There is a misconception that classic interiors are very expensive, but more affordable counterparts can always be found for decorative elements with a high price. To make the interior harmonious and budgetary, it is important to think over all the details in advance - from decoration to furniture and accessories.
Peculiarities
A living room in a classic style is not an easy design project. The furnishings should be moderately restrained, sophisticated, but by no means boring. If you are planning the design of the hall on your own and you are attracted by the classics, you may encounter some problems. Firstly, often overly restrained interiors look uncomfortable, the living room can look empty and uninhabited. Secondly, in an attempt to make the interior more interesting, you can choose too diverse elements that will not combine well.
To make the design successful and stylish, take into account the features characteristic of the classic style in the interior:
- Classic interiors are almost always bright. Bright and dark colors are typical only for neoclassicism, but they are found in furniture and accessories, but not in decoration. Light colors visually expand the space and will look good in a living room with any layout. At the same time, there is a risk that such an interior will become boring and impersonal: in order to avoid this, designers are advised to minimize the pure white color and use more complex pastel colors.
- It should be borne in mind that for such a design, the rough finish of the apartment must be of very high quality. If uneven walls and ceilings in a modern interior can be made invisible due to the texture of wallpaper and dark shades, on smooth light surfaces typical of classic interiors, all flaws will be noticeable.
- It is necessary to distinguish between baroque, classics and neoclassics when decorating the interior - mixing these styles will not look organic. Classics in the interior are characterized by restrained luxury, and any decorative elements and decorations should be unobtrusive. Baroque, on the other hand, is characterized by an abundance of decorative accessories, curled patterns on furniture and gilding. Neoclassicism, on the other hand, is a combination of elements of classical and modern style - such interiors look simpler and more diverse in their design.
- Although initially it was customary to design spacious rooms in classic interiors, they are the best fit for a small hall. The classic assumes a light color scheme and a rather minimalistic restrained design - it is thanks to this that a small living room will look good. If you are decorating a spacious room from 17 sq. m, it is worth taking care of accessories so that such an interior is interesting and comfortable.
Finishing materials
Decorating is the first place to start bringing your living room design project to life.If in many styles the decoration can be done independently, then for the design of a classic interior it is better to use the services of professionals: the quality of the finish for the classics is of paramount importance, since any flaws will be clearly visible.
Previously, it is worth considering the finishing of the floor, ceiling and walls so that they are in harmony with each other.
Floor
Floor finishing is very important not only for beauty, but also for comfort.
Consider the following classic living room flooring options:
- The best option is, of course, parquet. Most often, oak or cherry boards are chosen. Artistic laying of such parquet can look very stylish - you can create the most unusual patterns. Such a floor will not only look very beautiful, but it will also be pleasant to walk on - parquet is considered a fairly warm coating. Of the minuses, it is worth considering the high price of parquet, as well as the fact that the wooden flooring requires care and respect.
- Often in classic interiors, carpet is also used. It can be red, green, beige, or any other color, usually solid. It is a pleasant finish that looks great and can be a highlight of the entire interior. At the same time, without proper care, the carpet can quickly deteriorate - especially if you have chosen light shades.
- Tiles are another option for finishing the floor for an interior in a classic style; they can be monochromatic, multi-colored, and even mosaic. Its main disadvantage is the cold floor covering. If you like to walk around the house barefoot even in winter and do not plan to do floor heating, this option is unlikely to suit you.
Walls
The decor of the walls in the interior is of particular importance. It is on the walls that our attention is drawn when we enter the room. Therefore, it is important to consider color, texture and decorative elements, as well as make sure they blend in with the ceiling, floor and walls. For neoclassical furnishings, color or dark options may work, but if you want to make the setting as traditional as possible, you should choose exclusively pastel colors.
Wall painting is one of the most popular finishing methods in classic interiors. However, they must be perfectly smooth. You should not choose a pure white color - you can always replace it with a milky or ivory shade. You should also consider beige, pink, blue and their various combinations.
You can buy wallpaper in light colors that will also fit perfectly into a classic or neoclassical living room. For a strict setting, plain wallpapers or with subtle ornamental prints are suitable.
If you like a modern interpretation of the classics, you can choose wallpaper in richer colors with floral patterns or wallpaper with stripes.
Among the fashionable novelties in wall decoration, it is worth noting textile wallpapers. It is a natural covering containing silk, linen or bamboo fibers. Such wallpapers can look very interesting - they resemble real fabric. You can find options with different patterns or embroidered tapestries in a variety of colors. It should be borne in mind that such wallpapers require careful maintenance and have a fairly high price.
In a classic interior, additional decor is often placed on the walls.
The following items may be suitable for you:
- A molding is an embossed wall cover that can be made of plasterboard or plastic. They are usually white in color, in the form of frames or patterns. Different moldings can be combined with each other to create a unique design. First of all, it is an option for painted walls in the living room.
- If you want to place frescoes in an apartment, the living room is the best for this.A decorative fresco on the wall can become the semantic center of a room and add a special twist to your decor.
- Often, the walls of classic interiors are decorated with stucco moldings. Most often these are plaster images of human figures or objects that are attached to walls. With the help of such figures, you can create very interesting compositions - the decor of the room will really resemble a real palace.
Ceiling
Ceiling designs usually do not differ in variety. In theory, you can make it colored or even place some kind of image there. However, more often than not, such decisions turn out to be inappropriate, especially when it comes to classic interiors. Therefore, ceilings are usually made white and as invisible as possible.
You can consider the following finishing options:
- A simple stain will work well for ceiling designs with a perfect rough finish. On a flat surface, it always looks stylish and does not require much effort.
- If you need to hide small bumps or cracks, try lining the ceiling with foam slabs. This is an affordable economy class option that will look great and give any ceilings a neat look.
- Suspended ceilings are, on the contrary, a rather expensive finishing option. In addition, this solution is only suitable for owners of apartments with high ceilings. At the same time, it is the suspended ceiling that can be made perfectly flat without the slightest flaws.
Furniture
Classic furniture should be discreet but very sophisticated. Materials such as leather, silk, wood and stone are often used. These are quite expensive coatings, but they guarantee the durability of the products, and classic-style furniture never goes out of fashion. Nevertheless, if your budget is limited, it is quite possible to replace expensive items with cheaper counterparts - synthetic textiles, imitation leather, chipboard and plastic. If you choose high-quality pieces of furniture, they will look just as good.
A sofa is an essential piece of furniture in almost any living room. It can be large or miniature, straight or angular - everything will depend on the layout of your hall and its size: obviously, you should not choose too large models for a small room. In terms of finishes, the sofa can be completely textile or have a wooden base. The natural color of the wood is suitable for neoclassicism, and for a traditional interior it is better to choose wood painted in white - perhaps with gilding or painting. As for the material, light leather and silk look great with interesting embroidery.
Chairs should be placed in a spacious living room if you have a large family or like to gather in this room with friends. Often they are chosen for a sofa, sometimes they are even made of the same material and in the same style. At the same time, an interesting solution can be the placement of chairs that are fundamentally different from a sofa - this is especially typical if you want to divide the living room into zones.
The combination of different materials, colors and design solutions can be interesting to look at - so you can add flavor even to a strict classic interior.
A fireplace is often placed in private houses - it can become the semantic center of a classic-style room and will look very organic in such an environment. Even if you are furnishing a room in an apartment, it is quite possible to purchase an electric fireplace. Now you can find a wide variety of models, including in the classic style. This detail will surely make the room cozier.
A coffee table is another must-have in the living room. Often there are even several of these tables, if there is such a need. For an interior in a classic style, you can purchase very interesting models made of marble, artificial stone or wood - most often these are white models, with the exception of neoclassical interiors.Models with curved legs, baroque ornaments and built-in cupboards can look interesting and organic. In neoclassicism, you can try to pick up a table made of cast iron and stained glass.
Almost every living room needs a bookcase or shelving unit with open shelves, drawers and cupboards. In classic interiors, these are often miniature and low cabinets - if you need to store a lot of things, it is better to put several of these models. The choice of color and design will depend on which finish you choose. You can store books, magazines, photo albums, discs, children's toys, vases, dishes and various decorative accessories in such cabinets.
Lighting
In a classic interior, competent lighting will be very important. Many people do not pay attention to the choice of chandeliers, but it is the right light that determines our perception of the interior, allows us to place accents and creates a feeling of coziness in the room. For a small hall and a medium-sized living room, one chandelier is suitable, and for a spacious room you can choose several light sources.
Luxurious chandeliers with intricate designs and multiple bright lamps will look best in a classic interior. Usually these are models that imitate traditional candelabra, in which lamps are installed in the form of candles. Also, such chandeliers can be decorated with crystals, ornaments referring to the Baroque, and gilding.
Another topical option is a classic chandelier with shades. If the imitation of a candelabrum with candles brings solemn and austere notes to the interior, making the room look like a palace, the plafonds look simpler and more comfortable, creating diffused light and a chamber atmosphere. At the same time, the design of such a chandelier with shades can be different - from a fairly strict laconic version to models with an abundance of details and decorative elements.
As additional lighting, you may like wall lights - they can be used to divide the space into several zones or simply add brightness to the main lighting. The design of such lamps should be combined with the chandelier. You can find both interesting options with shades and stylish sophisticated models that imitate candles.
A table lamp or floor lamp is a thing that is also often placed in the living room. This kind of lighting can come in handy if you enjoy reading or doing handicrafts in the evening. The models can be very different. It will be good if the style of the floor lamp matches the chandelier, especially in small rooms.
If you have a spacious room, you can afford more versatile items.
Colors and decor
Color solutions within the traditional classic style are somewhat limited. Nevertheless, even for such an environment, you can pick up interesting and unusual color combinations. If you like brighter and more varied interiors, try decorating your living room in a neoclassical style - it allows for more freedom in the choice of colors.
A living room in a classic style in beige tones is one of the most successful options. The warm color scheme contrasts with the severity of such an interior, allowing you to create coziness in the room. You can combine beige with ivory, with gray or olive shades. In addition, gilding and wood will look especially good in such an interior.
A living room in muted lilac shades is a stylish option for romantic people. If pastel shades of pink often look too simple, lighter shades of purple will look much more interesting and sophisticated. Color combinations can also add zest to the interior: if the combination of lilac with blue or white seems familiar, the combination with warm gray and pastel yellow can turn out to be very original and fit perfectly into any classic interior.
A living room in shades of gray and blue can also look very stylish. At the same time, in combination with the classic design, such colors for the hall may turn out to be too cold, so special attention should be paid to bright accents in the interior.
Often in classic interiors, muted shades of green are also found, however, they most often act as additional ones in combination with other colors. For example, green can be perfectly combined with a milky shade of white and with muted shades of cherry or brick color.
Brighter color schemes are typical for neoclassicism.
You can choose a rich burgundy, dark blue, brown or emerald. They also need to be combined with rich colors so that the interior is harmonious. In contrast to light shades, it is worth highlighting only individual decorative elements that you want to emphasize.
It is especially worth thinking about the color scheme of decorative elements and accessories - decoration and furniture in classic interiors are usually restrained and not too bright, therefore, thanks to small decorative elements, you can express yourself and refresh a strict interior.
In a classic setting, the following items can look good:
- The carpet will perfectly fit into any classic interior and will become its stylish addition. It can be quite bright - monochromatic or with traditional ornaments.
- Stucco moldings, sculptures and figurines are details that do not carry any practical sense in the interior, but will help to further emphasize the luxury of a classic setting. They should be placed in medium-sized living rooms and in spacious rooms. If you have a small room, it is better to limit yourself to exclusively functional things.
- Photo albums and photo frames can take a special place in the interior. If you have long dreamed of a photo gallery in your living room, you can place it on one of the coffee tables or on a shelf. You can just hang photos on the walls - they will help revive the austere interior.
- Classical painting also looks good in such interiors. If the walls seem too empty for you, you can pick up several paintings for your living room - usually landscapes are placed, less often still lifes are found. Also now you can make a custom-made family portrait - it can be an excellent decoration for the living room.
- If you have free space, you can place a small electric fountain in the living room - it will look stylish and make the interior especially chic.
- A clock is an important thing in a classic interior. They can be wall-mounted or table-top. If you are going to hang the clock on the wall, it is best to choose options from precious woods. Table clocks can be made of metal or stone.
Beautiful examples in the interior
Whichever detail you choose for your classic interior, it is important that it blends in with the decor of the entire room.
Consider a few good designs to take note of:
- Determine the semantic center of the room - it could be a fireplace, a painting, a table, or a TV. The composition should be built around this center.
- A lot of bright accents will look good in spacious rooms - dishes, vases, unusual cabinet handles, small ornament on upholstered furniture and wallpaper. If you have a small living room, on the other hand, bright spots should be solid and large - for example, a carpet or a large painting on the wall.
- If you have a long spacious living room, you can divide the space in it into several zones - they do not have to be square, you can interestingly divide them obliquely. You can highlight different areas just with the help of light, or you can add a difference in the color scheme. Finally, an arch or column can be made to help define the space more clearly.
For tips from a designer on decorating a living room in a classic style, see the following video.
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