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English design living room


10 Fantastic English Country Living Rooms You Must See

Searching for English country decor ideas to decorate your living room on a budget? The English country living room aesthetic gathers much inspiration from its peaceful, rural surroundings. English country decor style allows a living room to be a lot more communal and relaxing where the family members may serenely pass along the day. English country decor allows you to escape the hustle and bustle of city life to lean across your favorite sofa, comfortably placed by the warm fireplace mantel. Here you can reminisce about your favorite memories or curl up with a book that you used to love as a kid. That’s what’s so great about spending time in the living room – it’s a place for good fun and relaxation.

You are free to select the color scheme you prefer as there is no designated color palette to limit your creativity when it comes to this aesthetic. English country decor is all about sophisticated charm with a cottage twist. The shade of the walls can be in a contrast with the color scheme of the floor. You can go for an area rug with rich colors and intricate patterns to contrast with a plain or decadent sofa or the frame of your doors and windows. Don’t be afraid to play with color, textures, and patterns!

With lockdowns happening in countries all over the world, more and more people are seriously considering the benefits of country living. From the extra space to the gorgeous views, there’s much to love about the sprawling hills of the countryside. The English are quite fond of their countryside and their particular style of interior design has captured the hearts of many around the world, which is why I’m excited to share with you some notable English country sitting room styles!

Let’s talk about a few notable trends in these English living room designs. What I love most about these charming living rooms is the trend of mixing multiple prints and patterns – like a floral sofa with an oriental rug, or a plaid sofa with a floral wallpaper behind it. Using an ottoman as a coffee table is another fantastic English interior design idea. Pastel-colored walls help to brighten the cloudy English days. And of course – the thick, printed curtains are a key feature of these designs.

Let’s go over some exciting yet budget-friendly ideas to create a gorgeous English country living room. We hope these English cottage living rooms will inspire you endlessly!

Built-in Bookshelves

The quiet life in the countryside involves plenty of reading to pass the time. Why not install some beautiful built-in bookshelves along your wall to store the many novels you’ve collected over the years? It’s the perfect alternative to a dedicated reading nook elsewhere in the home.

Molly Mahon

Exposed Wood Ceiling Beams

Let your wood ceiling beams shine by leaving them exposed in their natural color. This popular English interior design trend will give your family room a rustic, cozy feeling. Exposed ceiling beams emphasize the height of the room and recall the old world home construction days where thick beams like these were necessary to support upper floors.

Amanda Brooks & Architectural Digest

Install A Cozy Fireplace Mantel

You can install a fireplace on a budget to get the most adorable English Country decor for your living room. As the countryside is usually damp and cold throughout the year, the dreary weather and low temperatures become quite intense during winter. Keep your spirits lifted with a warm fireplace and surrounding mantel that you can decorate with family heirlooms and precious objects!

Charles O’Connor and Edward Greenall House and Garden

Let the Floral Prints Go Wild

Decorate your English country living room on a budget by incorporating as many floral textures, patterns, and upholsteries as you can. Be it an accent wall having dreamy floral wallpaper, floral wall artwork, a soft sofa cover rich in florals, or an area rug dominated by floral patterns. The possibilities are limitless!

Lonny

Incorporate A Gallery Wall with Pictures and Photos

Photo galleries and collections of artwork are the most popular wall decor pick for an eighteenth-century English country decor aesthetic. After all, this is the place where every guest of yours loves to come and spend some time checking out those amazing old group photos. They’ll also admire your fine pieces of wall art framed in antique metallic photo frames, perhaps passed down through the family. Toss some English country throw pillows on the couch to keep it cozy.

Traditional Home

Go for Layering

Be it the curtains, upholstery, blankets, or rugs, English country interior design is recognized by its extensive use of fabric and pattern layering. You can create an inspiring living room aesthetic with one broad and textured area rug coupled with a vertically striped accent chair and perhaps a floral-patterned settee to wow your guests.

Plum Sykes Vogue

Plaid Couch

@claremariedesign

Make It Communal With Comfy Seating

English country decor offers plush seating all around the house, but especially when it comes to a living room. It makes great use of classic tufted chesterfields, overstuffed armchairs, or matching love seats to ensure everyone can sit for a long while chatting and enjoying their tea. What you must decide on is the personal touch to really make you feel at home in your space!

Rita Konig

Skirted Furniture with a Colorful Palette

Having a skirt beneath the sofa or accent chair in your living room will give the space a tidy and comfortable feeling. It will hide the legs and let your chosen upholstery shine! You can do English country decor on a budget by picking one or two bright tones that make you feel cheerful and happy. For English country living rooms, you should choose rich colors such as earthy browns, soft grays, sunny yellows, light pinks, verdant greens, or sky blues.

Rupert and Anna Bradstock

Thick Floral Curtains

Thick chintz curtains are a must for keeping the cold air outside your home during the brittle and cold English winters!

HouseandGardenUK

These English country sectional sofas will help add extra seating if you have a larger family.

I hope you found some inspiring ideas for your home living room!

English country decor has become one of today’s most timeless decorating styles that is loved and appreciated across the continents. What makes it the most charming and practical is the freedom of choice that it offers you to make your own living room more stylish and comfortable.

Television shows like The Crown on Netflix have helped elevate this decorative style to the masses. I can’t imagine this decorating style going out of fashion any time soon, so it’s really a great choice for your living room if you find it appealing!

Keep reading about English country home design by room:

Curated Interior

We share the best home decor ideas, furniture recommendations, coolest products, and interior design tips for America's most stylish women.

87 stylish living room ideas to copy now | House & Garden

There are so many elements involved in decorating a living room and it's a room that we spend a lot of our time in so you want to get it right. To make it more complicated, you need to consider the fact that you'll spend time in a living room at various points of the day, so it needs to work as well at midday as it will with the curtains drawn and candles lit. Starting with the bones of the room, there are paint colours and flooring to decide on, which will set the tone of the space. We love the distinguished feel of wooden flooring, preferably with some rugs layered on top for softness. Consider putting in some joinery and bookcases that can help you make the most of the room's height and provide valuable storage. If you're lucky enough to have a fireplace, make it a focal point, arranging your sofas and chairs to face it, and decorating the mantelpiece with pictures and ornaments.

How do you design a living room?

You should start with the space itself and map out where all your big furniture could go – so your sofa, any armchairs and freestanding bookshelves for example. Certain things are easy, such as an ottoman or coffee table will go in front of a sofa or in between two facing each other, but others depend entirely on the space you have. Once you have that in your mind, consider the light the living room receives and that will help you choose the paint colours. For how that might influence your decision, you can read Joa Studholme's guide in our gallery of Farrow & Ball paint colours in real homes. When you've mapped your key bits of furniture and chosen the paint colours, that's when you can add in the flourishes to make it cosy and choose cushions, a rug, storage and so on to fill the space out.

MAY WE SUGGEST: Christmas decoration ideas

How to choose your living room furniture

At that point, it's time to consider how to choose your living room furniture, taking into account how you use the space, what kind of sofa you prefer, how many armchairs you can fit in, whether you need a sofa bed, and the importance of a coffee table or ottoman, and of course side tables to put a drink on. The right furniture can make a huge difference to the feeling of a room. Consider the scale of it - you don't want tiny furniture drowning in a huge room, although small living rooms can often benefit from some oversized furniture. In an open plan living room-cum-kitchen, furniture can be essential for breaking up the space; a sofa with its back turned to the dining table is a handy way of differentiating between the living space and the dining space. And consider how you use your furniture before you make the final decision - do you prefer to lounge on a squashy sofa or is this a more formal room where you'd prefer to sit upright?

How to accessorise a living room

Finally you can get to the really fun bits, the textiles and accessories. The size and shape of your window might dictate your choices when it comes to curtains and blinds, but there's a huge variety out there to choose from. Perhaps you like simple, elegant curtains in heavy linen or wool, or something brighter and chintzier for a more eye-catching feel. In a small room, you may well prefer to stick to blinds, but think about getting them in a fun pattern so that they become a decorative feature. Almost every living room will be in need of a good rug, whether you opt for rustic sisal, a modern Berber rug or a traditional Turkish carpet. And then what’s a sofa without some beautiful cushions? They’re essential for adding colour and pattern to a room.

The art of the living room

Turning our attention back to the walls, the final thing you’ll need is some art, so don't miss our shopping guide to affordable art, as well as our advice on how to start a collection. And once you’ve assembled it all, find out the best ways to hang your pictures on the walls, with helpful tips for gallery walls, statement art and everything in between.

If you’re in need of inspiration, we’ve gathered the best living room designs and lounge ideas from the House & Garden archive here to help with your decoration, from country houses to studio flats and London townhouses.

Living room in the English style - photos of interiors - Portal about construction, repair and design

Contents 6 Curtains

  • 7 Accessories
  • 8 Conclusion

    • Restraint, conservatism and adherence to tradition are all hallmarks of traditional English style. It is possible to repeat it in your living room if you strictly adhere to the rules that the inhabitants of foggy Albion use when decorating houses. It is worth remembering that an English-style living room should be practical and comfortable, then it will become an ideal area for the whole family to relax. It will be possible to sit comfortably over a cup of hot tea, read a book or chat with loved ones. But, it is worth remembering that adherents of minimalism will not be comfortable in such an interior.

    English-style living room in blue tones

    Natural wood in the interior of the English-style living room

    Distinctive features of English design

    All over the world, the British have become the most practical nation. The interiors of their houses are ascetic and chic at the same time. The most important principle according to which the living room in the British house is planned is that there should not be anything superfluous in it, while all family members are provided with the necessary comfort. Changing the design of the living room in accordance with English traditions, you should adhere to the following principles:

    English style white living room

    Wooden and leather furniture in the English style living room

    Spacious living room in the English style

    The special style of the British interior was formed over many centuries. He is strict, it is very easy to go beyond his aisles. Therefore, when planning an English-style living room, always think about each of your ideas and purchases - how much they correspond to the planned interior.

    Colors

    The Queen's subjects are moderate people. In a traditional English home, you will never find sharp contrasting color combinations. Here everything is natural, settled over the years, and close to the surrounding nature. The following color palettes are recommended for decorating an English-style living room:

    - Honey. Here you can use a large number of colors: the color of oak bark, the color of linden honey, all shades of ocher. This range is used in furniture and interior materials such as leather, velvet and tapestry;

    Honey palette in the interior of the living room in the English style

    - Cherry. Warm shades of burgundy are typical for wallpaper and velvet curtains, they will successfully fit into the interior of living rooms facing the north side of the building. Also in burgundy and cherry tones, floor carpets are often performed;

    Cherry palette in the interior of the living room

    — Pastel. All shades of beige, white, marsh. Also in this range there is the only cold color used in interior design in the English style. This is a cold blue, which is used to paint the walls in sunny rooms to give them a more austere mood.

    Bed colors in the living room in the English style

    For those who do not like monochromatic interiors, made in different shades of the same color, there is an opportunity to combine different colors. For example, you can put a brown leather armchair against a background of burgundy wallpaper, or hang blue curtains in a room with light walls. Other, more contrasting combinations (for example, bright yellow with black) will go beyond the traditional style.

    Furniture

    The main piece of furniture in the English living room is the sofa. It should be solid and heavy, and made in the Baroque style. In addition to the king of furniture - the sofa, the room should have: a sofa (or banquette), a pair of armchairs, a massive dining table, Chesterfield chairs, a wooden coffee table.

    The design of the living room in the English style implies the use of only natural materials. The following are recommended for furniture:

    - Leather. Usually this natural material is upholstered with a sofa and armchairs that stand in front of a fireplace;

    Leather furniture in a London style interior

    - Tapestry. Paintings made by weaving natural fibers, both by hand and by machine, are widely used in the English interior. Couches, banquettes and chair seats are upholstered with tapestry. It is also used for sewing pillow covers, inserted into frames, like separate paintings;

    English style tapestries

    - Natural wood. Bases for upholstered furniture, tables, chair frames and various benches are made from it;

    - Forged metal. Usually banquettes are made of forged metal, sometimes it is used as a table base. Another purpose of forged elements is various suspensions and a grate for a fireplace.

    Forged products in the interior of the living room in the English style

    Important! All English style furniture is made of solid wood. Chipboard and fiberboard are not allowed, as well as plastic.

    Walls

    The British were among the first to cover the walls in their houses with wallpaper. They prefer classic drawings printed on thick paper. There are several traditional patterns that adorn the wallpaper in the English style:

    - Wide stripes. Typically, such a pattern is used in rooms designed in a simple style. The stripes on the wallpaper should be wide and contrasting with each other. The following color combinations are commonly used: wine and white marble; brown and dark beige; dark green and light marsh;

    Wide stripes on British-style wallpaper

    - Monograms. Decorating walls with monograms is a tradition that came from noble houses. English aristocrats made special orders for wallpaper factories. Heraldic symbolism was taken as a basis. In modern design, wallpaper with monograms is also not uncommon. They are used for pasting walls in spacious rectangular living rooms. In order not to create a feeling of excessive variegation, in this case the interior is decorated with plain carpets and curtains;

    - Floral patterns . Lovely, pastoral motifs are suitable for the central room in a country house. The English style is characterized by wallpaper with images of roses, wild roses and lilies. The color scheme is warm shades of red, blue and beige.

    Delicate flowers in the living room

    Tip! The most English version of the walls will be upholstered with wooden panels. It is not necessary to decorate the entire wall with them, up to the ceiling. You can upholster the upper half of the wall with a cloth, or paste over with wallpaper. It will turn out very English!

    Floors

    In a real English interior, you will never find a light floor. Only natural materials, and only dark colors. Practical English people love cleanliness, but they don't like to waste time picking up dust particles from light surfaces. Therefore, the main floor coverings in their houses, renovated in a traditional style, are:

    - Parquet. The most expensive flooring option, but also the most spectacular. Most often choose oak parquet. It has a long service life, and looks prestigious and solid.

    Parquet on the floor in the living room in the interior

    Preference is given to boards with a pronounced wood structure, which are laid in traditional English patterns: transverse, squares and longitudinal stripes. In large living rooms, you can use parquet mosaics. Two versions of the traditional English pattern can be laid out from the parquet board:

    1. repeating rectangular motifs;
    2. An ornament with classical elements radiating from the center of the living room.

    — Tiles. In England, tile flooring replaced stone flooring in the mid-19th century. This flooring option is used in formal living rooms, or in rooms where it is possible to install underfloor heating.

    Floor tiles in the interior of the hall

    The most common option is one-color tiles with small contrasting patterns; another option - with baroque motifs. Imitation of natural marble is also used. The color scheme is represented by beige tones, as well as wine and dark brown shades;

    - Natural board. Another classic material that will organically fit into the interior of the living room in the English living room. Most often, oak boards are used, etched with a dark stain. With a small budget, you can use pine, which is tinted and varnished.

    Light wooden floor

    The wider the boards, the more impressive the room looks. To create an authentic flooring, high-quality lumber is used, which is treated with stain or varnish. Another option to achieve good quality flooring and a high aesthetic effect is to use tongue-and-groove boards that fit into a single sheet without visible gaps.

    Curtains

    Textile sets the mood for the entire room. If it is incorrectly selected, then all attempts to create a certain style in the room will be in vain.

    It is not possible to experiment in this case. The British are conservative, and any deviation from tradition is impossible. But, for those who want to add variety, there are stylistic tricks that allow you to adjust the interior to your tastes. For example, curtains can be decorated with the following decorative elements:

    - Lambrequin . A piece of fabric finished with decorative stitching to cover the top of the wall and window. It can be cut along an oblique line, and form a decorative semicircle with folds. Another option is vertical folds on a straight canvas. The lower part of the lambrequin is processed with an oblique trim to match the fabric.

    Lambrequins in the interior of the living room

    - Tieback . It is made from the main fabric in the form of a rectangle with loops, or from a decorative twisted cord. Its function is to support the curtains, and prevent them from completely closing the window;

    - Fringe. Britain has owned colonies on other continents for too long not to absorb foreign cultural traditions. One of them is the design of home textiles with twisted fringe. This decorative element is decorated with sections of curtains, tablecloths, cushion covers.

    Curtains for English style windows

    Please note! Only natural fabrics correspond to the English style. Do not buy synthetic analogues - they will destroy the image of your living room.

    Accessories

    The most important accessory in an English living room has always been a fireplace. He was the center around which all life revolved. An armchair was placed next to it for the patriarch of the family, and a carpet was laid for the games of the younger members of the family.

    The fireplace was never placed in the middle of the room, like the Russian stove. He always attached himself to the end wall of the building, and most of the heat went outside. In modern homes, the heating function of the fireplace is practically not in demand. City houses have central heating, while suburban houses have autonomous heating. But, the beauty of tamed fire does not leave people indifferent to this day.

    In the modern interior of the living room in the English style, you can use an imitation of a fireplace. To do this, they construct a frame from chipboard, and glue it with decorative tiles imitating bricks. A special screen is placed inside, on which an image of burning firewood is constantly displayed.

    In addition to the fireplace, the following accessories are often found in British homes:

    - Pillows. This is the only weakness of the stiff English that goes beyond the strict limits of the English style. Decorative pillows can have any shape (rectangular, square, round, rolled), and any finish. Traditionally, they are laid out on a sofa and armchairs;

    Pillows in an English-style interior

    — Carpet. Every British living room has a carpet. Usually these are Persian carpets covered with oriental patterns. An alternative to the carpet will be the skin of a large predator - a bear or a wolf;

    Persian carpet in the interior of the living room

    — Fireplace accessories. Tongs and a poker can serve as a wonderful decoration, emphasizing the English flavor. Even if they are not used, they are hung on the wall next to the fireplace as decorative elements;

    Fireplace in the interior

    — Arms. This living room decoration will appeal to most men. But what to do, because according to our laws, weapons in houses should be kept in safes? You can hang an imitation of it over the sofa.

    Conclusion

    Practicality and comfort are the foundations of English design. When designing a living room in a traditional British style, be attentive to all the details, as the British do. Choose only natural materials and time-tested forms, and then you will get a cozy room that is fully consistent with the design of the living rooms of the inhabitants of the British Isles.

    necessary interior elements, room design photo

    English style is special. The English style living room combines the puritanical restraint of the Georgian style and the orderly chaos of the Victorian, creating a new unusual but beautiful design. The classic English interior design is chosen to emphasize the aristocracy, taste and security of the one who chooses it for his home. And nowhere, except for the living room, his discreet luxury will not be so appropriate.

    The design of the living room in the English style is determined by the damp climate of England, which has long been included in proverbs and sayings.

    There are a few basic rules to follow when designing a living room in this style:

    This is a room designed primarily for the rest of the owners of the house, the British prefer to meet with friends in clubs.

    This style looks both restrained, bright and expensive, and, like any other, has its pros and cons. Among the advantages are the following.

    The main task is to create an atmosphere of warmth and enveloping comfort in the living room, as opposed to the dampness that reigns outside the windows.

    The main disadvantage is, of course, the price. To properly equip the room in the right style, you have to fork out. For small apartments, this style is suitable, but will have its limitations. It is very important to keep a balance between the two styles, otherwise you will not get a beautiful cozy room, but something completely unimaginably chaotic.

    The presence of warm-colored finishing materials, the selection of appropriate furniture, the use of textile elements, a large amount of natural wood are important.

    For whom this style is suitable: discreet collectors who prefer to collect books or antiques, lovers of the classics in design and furniture, and just those who do not have such a large housing.

    The classic upholstery is brown, although other options are also available.

    Interior color schemes

    In old England, dense, dim, subdued lights were preferred. Of course, the colors of natural wood. Traditionally, in the interior you can find beige and brown tones, red, green, soft orange. A little later, lighter and colder tones appeared in the interior: blue, peach, light pink, purple, but in their muted form. Colors are saturated but not bright.

    All furniture in the living room must be made of natural wood, whether it be a coffee table, wardrobe, chest of drawers or any other item.

    Necessary interior elements

    Wooden living room

    The peculiarity of the English style is that there is as much furniture in the room as you can fit. In the case of a living room made of wood, these are wooden tables, chairs, bookcases, cabinets, shelves with photographs and any other interior trifles.

    The presence of a fireplace is important - the main semantic and compositional center of any living room in an English house, giving warmth and a precious feeling of home.

    English living room with fireplace

    For a traditional English living room, a fireplace is an essential attribute, not just a decorative item. The presence of fire in the hearth is comfort, so the decor should be appropriate: a sofa, several armchairs, various soft benches and pouffes, elegant tables.

    An English-style living room must have a fireplace.

    The abundance of furniture sometimes makes the room seem small. For visual expansion, you can use a large mirror by hanging it opposite the window.

    Depending on the shape and size of the room, it can be positioned centrally, against a wall or even in a corner.

    Proper lighting

    The essence of design is its cosiness and touch of old-fashionedness, so the light in the room should be distributed evenly and not hit the eyes, while remaining soft. A central classic chandelier with numerous pendants on the ceiling is required, but numerous other light sources are also used: floor lamps, night lamps, sconces, table lamps, antique night lamps.

    English style is richness, restraint, oak finishes, wooden wall panels, parquet, traditional elegant furniture with curved legs.

    Choice of finishes

    Natural materials recommended for English style. They will be more in line with the style and blend better with the furniture. You can choose an imitation finish (under the tree), but the view will not be so beautiful.

    The coffee table is sometimes replaced with a large pouffe, which is placed in the center of the living room.

    What the floor and ceiling should look like

    The classic flooring option is natural wood parquet, but it is very expensive. Therefore, it can be replaced with a laminate decorated with precious woods - the same bog oak, for example. And for comfort - fluffy carpets with floral patterns or geometric patterns.

    Creating an English style requires pedantry in the choice of all elements, from finishing materials to accessories.

    Plain ceiling, white or light beige. Very much of it is decorated: stepped ceiling cornices and a stucco rosette for a chandelier, for example, have become almost an obligatory attribute of the English style. A frequent option is stylized caissons - recesses in the ceiling of a square or rectangular shape - as a result, the ceiling seems to be crossed by beams. Beams and moldings are often painted a tone brighter than the ceiling to give them an extra touch.

    The design of the living room in the English style does not accept metal, large glass planes, and too dark colors.

    Decorating the walls

    Walls can be decorated in many ways. In the English hall, they can be simply painted in one color. Can be covered with textured plaster. Covered in tapestry. Covered with wallpaper. Sheathed with wooden panels in whole and in part. The pattern on the walls should not be flashy and bright, this is the main condition, and the pattern itself can be chosen to your liking: heraldic monograms and emblems, floral patterns, geometric patterns, or simple vertical stripes. Walls are often decorated with stucco or overhead elements: moldings, pilasters, etc.

    Usually, beige shades, for example, ivory, are chosen as the main ones for the interior of an English-style living room.

    Fireplace

    The heart of the living room is the fireplace. Regardless of its decor (stone or brickwork, wood paneling, imitation of natural material), a shelf above the fireplace is a must. Here's what to put on it - a matter of taste: family photos, antique candlesticks. Only one detail is missing - the grate. If you can’t install a real fireplace, you can choose an electric one with the same additions to the decor.

    Mandatory condition - the fireplace is decorated in a classic style.

    Furniture in the English room

    Solid wood and expensive fabrics were used in the 18th century and continue to be used. In a modern English living room, antique furniture is ideal, if not, aged or just furniture in the right style.

    The main criterion is quality, especially when choosing furniture.

    Upholstered furniture

    The best choice would be a soft cozy sofa, voluminous armchairs, graceful banquettes and small soft poufs. Upholstery fabric is better velor, tapestry or velvet. Leather can be an alternative to fabric.

    After creating the project, the stage of choosing the finishes for all surfaces begins, taking into account the appearance and quality of the materials, as well as the furniture, its quantity and quality.

    Preferably antique or carved wooden furniture.

    Along the way, you need to think about the details - textiles, additions, accessories and even small decorations that you will use to create an atmosphere of old England in your home.

    Coffee table

    Another central point of the room is a small coffee table. A low comfortable table made of the same type of wood as the rest of the furniture in the room is a mandatory attribute of the notorious five o'clock tea, and not only - it is suitable for any evening pastime. Alone or with the whole family, or a group of friends will gather - it doesn’t matter. Newspapers, tea, board games, and just put the phone on the table to free your hands.

    When choosing materials for finishing, try to avoid bright contrasts, active colors, large patterns, ornaments.

    And others

    Since there is a lot of furniture in the room, it can be completely different. Massive wardrobes and light bookcases, cabinets and racks on which there are lamps or luxury items - almost anything. Just to match the overall design of the room.

    Taking into account that there is never too much space, they try to use warm shades as the main ones when finishing, helping to visually enlarge the room.

    Decor

    A few words about what will help reduce the overall severity of the style and add some softness and color to it:

    Preference is given to natural tones: ocher, beige, brown, terracotta, gray, olive, cream, ivory.

    If you want to avoid monotony, opt for wallpaper with small flowers or stripes.