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50+ stylish living room ideas to copy now
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.
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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.
Small room ideas and small space design - small house ideas
STEPHAN JULLIARD
There is something about small room ideas that tends to send people into a panic. Granted, a small room does require more thought in the decoration than bigger rooms tend to and finding the right solution for the space can take a little know-how and a lot of research to find that you may not have considered before. Luckily, our Decoration Editor Ruth Sleightholme is full of knowledge for small room ideas, having worked on spaces of all shapes and sizes over her career to date.
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How do you design a small room?
'Eliminate awkward gaps with purposeful joinery,' she advises as a first step. 'Furniture floats more in a small room, because any gap between it and the wall is awkward and small. Instead, think about using built-in furniture to fit everything in properly. For example, make a dining nook with banquette seating (with storage underneath) that goes the width of a room, or build a box bed into the length of the room, making space for niches and cupboards.
' You might think this would cause the room to feel smaller, but as everything will then have a set place, it achieves the opposite effect and keeps it organised at the same time.
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With this kind of approach – of which there are many stylish examples in the gallery below – Ruth advises you have to 'lose space to gain space. You may lose a few centimetres of floor space to create a panel behind a built-in bed but you gain space when you’re using it and have a bedside table built in, rather than one taking up floor space'. In compact bathrooms and bedrooms in particular, Ruth's advice is to keep as much off the floor as possible as a clear floor creates the idea of space. Instead, consider, for example, a wall-mounted basin and towel rail and bedside tables that are built into a headboard.
How can you maximise a small room?
'Look at all the different surfaces in the room and think about using spaces that you don’t often notice,' says Ruth.
'It's something Beata Heuman does so well, building little shelves on top of radiators, or you can consider the inside walls of a window or the inside edge of a dividing wall and sides of a chimney breast and see if there’s something you can use them for, like a little shelf all the way up the chimney breast, a shelf and cupboard underneath a windowsill, or little shelves along the inside edge of a thick wall. See things not as they look at first but in raw volumes and where you can access things from – look beyond it as it is now and be ambitious about what’s possible and where you might be able to add storage or make what you have more practical. A good example is a small Paris flat by Marianne Evennou, who installed a washing machine into a corner cupboard in the kitchen, but the door is in the hallway. That way, the corner unit is used but in an effective way, so there is no dead space. It's not something you immediately think of, so you need to take time to look at all those possibilities.
'
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'You have to solve the issue first and then apply your taste when you have the solution you need,' continues Ruth, who suggests building a bank of references about how to work with a chimney breast or bay window in a small space, for example, and rather than discounting something for its style, instead look past that at the tricks used to maximise space. Once you land on something that works for your small room, then go into the styling. 'One great thing is that you can fill a room with a single idea done confidently,' according to Ruth. 'For example, a small bathroom has far less space to decorate so you can afford to tile all the way up to the ceiling and it will look great.'
is all about the style of an English house. Photos, ideas
English style (English style) is a mixture of refined elegance and luxury, quality, moderation of forms, restraint and attention to every detail. This is considered to be the attributes of aristocracy.
The English interior evokes a sense of well-being and tranquility. It is suitable for people who care about comfort and tranquility in the house. People who choose this style honor old traditions and values.
English interior - the origins of the Anglo style
The traditional style of the United Kingdom was the result of a mixture of Georgian style, which mixed elements of rococo and classicism, and Victorian, which combined classical features with exotic and gothic. As a legacy from the Georgian era, the interior of an English house received precise proportions, harmony and a sense of proportion.
The Victorian era brought luxury and vibrant colors. Such a mixture creates, albeit a strict, but very cozy interior.
Living rooms in England cannot be imagined without 3 components: a fireplace, a heavy chair, and a bookcase.
The fireplace is a mandatory item in English homes, although it has lost its main function of heating the room.
Modern heating appliances cannot replace the flashes of fire and the soft light of the flame that spreads around the room. Traditionally, the fireplace is made high (from the middle of the wall and above), decorated with marble tiles, granite and wood inserts.
Electric fireplace is a modern alternative to traditional fireplaces. It does not have the flaws that ordinary wood-burning samples have: the accumulation of soot, soot, periodic smoke, the need to harvest logs and clean ash, and a high fire hazard. Electrical appliances, even in urban apartments, manage to create the impression of a live fire thanks to 3D effects.
A massive armchair is a mandatory attribute in the living room. This item has a high back with ledges at the top, for which the British nicknamed it "grandfather's chair" or "armchair with wings." In Russia, it is usually called chimney, eared or Voltaire. In the UK, this item served for the elderly, and special "ears" on the back reliably protected from the wind from the window cracks.
It seems to collect heat and wrap it around the person sitting, while protecting it from drafts and sparks. The perfect place to relax by the fire!
There was a bookcase in every home in Great Britain, because the choice of entertainment in past centuries was small, and books took up free time and entertained. The rack should fit on the entire space of the wall (from ceiling to floor) and be with non-glazed (open) shelves. Shelves should be full of books: a real library!
English interior - important style elements
Do not think that this style is only possible for houses with spacious rooms. Typical flats in Britain 19For centuries, they had an area similar to the "Khrushchev" buildings, since it was difficult to heat a large room with a fireplace, and the climate in foggy Albion is not hot. Therefore, you can create a decor in the spirit of the best traditions of Britain in an ordinary apartment, the main thing is to take into account the specifics of this design direction.
Tree - to be!
There is not enough wood in British dwellings, and refined species (walnut, beech, mahogany, bog oak). The parquet is made of oak, the walls are with wooden panels, the cornices and skirting boards are also made of this material. Large doors are the finishing touch.
English interior and luxury furnishings
The furniture that decorates English-style houses is made of expensive types of wood. There is a lot of furniture, it seems that the room is crowded. If this is a dining room, then the center is occupied by a round / oval dining table and chairs. It is customary to place the sofa and armchairs in the center, and not under the wall, as in a modern interior.
Upholstered furniture enjoys special love. There is also a lot of it: these are sun loungers, and the aforementioned “wing chair”, a Chesterfield sofa, and pouffes. Sunbeds and pouffes are upholstered with good-quality leather, textiles with a strict cage or romantic patterns.
Chesterfield is a sofa that has not changed its appearance for more than two centuries. The main features of the Chester sofa are diamond-shaped stitching, armrests and backrest, which make up a single element. The arms of the armrests can resemble a rolled scroll, the legs are small or completely invisible.
"Invisible" walls
Walls can be covered with plain wallpaper, vertical stripes are allowed. Characteristic is the use of wooden panels, which can be many. However, they should be almost invisible - this is just a background that will favorably emphasize canvases in gilded baguettes or weighty mirrors.
The framing of paintings should obey the “reverse” logic: the more intricate the plot, the simpler the frame. "Lush" baguettes will complement the modest pattern.
English interior - it's all about the details
And they must be in large numbers. All kinds of vases, souvenirs, ceramic figurines, family photos, checkered or knitted bedspreads, pillows from large to small, family relics, because for interior design in the English style, loyalty to traditions, especially family ones, is important.
But you need to remember that all accessories should look good and have a certain order. Antique items are welcome: they will turn the house into an old family nest.
Cloth gizmos are presented in abundance. Curtains - certainly chic, consisting of a curtain, a thin veil and frills. Laces with tassels, large drapery will additionally decorate the curtains.
Pillows are placed on upholstered furniture, as well as window sills. There are beautiful tablecloths on the tables, beds are curtained with canopies.
The interior decoration of apartments in England excludes bright light. It is better to replace powerful light sources with sconces, floor lamps and table lamps with diffused light.
Modern appliances, in order not to destroy the overall style solution, should be hidden in special cabinets or niches. Proper placement of electronics creates the impression of a stop of time: from the noisy 21st century, you seem to be transported to the calm 19th.
English style kitchen design
The floors of the kitchen, as well as in other parts of the house, are covered with parquet boards. A practical option is provided - ceramic tiles in the color of natural stone or tiles in a "checkered" pattern, the photo of which is below.
The walls are painted with a plain matt paint in pastel shades. You can stick paper wallpaper or similar to fabric. Part of the wallpaper can be plaid or striped. The kitchen apron is lined with light tiles in the form of bricks.
The set is made of wood, sometimes decorated with carvings. The table is round, around it are chairs with textile or leather upholstery. Benches also fit well into the decoration of the kitchen.
Only built-in household appliances, retro-style models look great. Plumbing is also stylized: a sink made of ceramics, and a faucet made of brass or other metal.
Textiles in the dining area are represented by tablecloths, potholders, napkins.
The color and pattern of fabrics should resonate with the overall hue of the space.
The accessories are floral patterned dishes with images of dogs and horses, which are so loved in the British Isles. The shelves are lined with cookbooks, food jars, herbariums, clocks, and miniature paintings. Bouquets of fresh flowers on the tables.
British kitchen design combined with Russian decor elements. Tiled stove, samovar, Gzhel will reveal new facets of moderate design.
English style bedroom decor
The decoration of the bedrooms necessarily includes floral prints and floral motifs. Floral prints are present in the design of furniture, walls and, of course, textiles. Plant elements are mixed in decor items: such a floral mix is typical for the English style.
Scottish cage is actively used in decorating the bedroom. It is also combined with floral motifs, with a strip, a regular cage, a houndstooth pattern.
Wall decoration of the bedroom includes colorful draperies made of fabric or wood paneling.
Victorian chic will completely convey the bed. You should choose high, with a large back and a canopy canopy at the head.
But the room must not be empty. Armchairs, tables, couches, cabinets - let it all take up free space. The walls should be occupied with shelves with books, lamps, drawings. English interiors, photos of which are below, are an example of this kind of furniture.
Bathroom decoration
Tradition calls for a combination of natural panels and painted or wallpapered areas in the wall decoration. Tiled tiles are not entirely appropriate, but if the choice fell on her, then it is better to choose a pattern that imitates classic wallpaper.
The stiffness of the British dictates to decorators to make floors in the bathroom from natural wood. As an alternative, laminate has proven itself well. Another idea is a black and white "checkerboard" of small tiles on the floor.
Plumbing is very aristocratic. The bath must certainly stand on large curved legs.
Fittings in copper or bronze color complement the sink, toilet and bidet.
The furniture is made of wood. But, given the humidity of the bathroom, you can replace the material with plastic with a printed pattern.
Decorative small things are also placed in this place. Large frames on mirrors, golden hooks and towel rails, prints, flower pots are great ways to decorate a room.
Some may find England's decorating style old-fashioned, but classic lovers will love it. Stylish and discreet, it will create home comfort in your apartments.
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English interior design: traditional styles of British interiors.
Let's start with the Georgian style
Georgian style is an important milestone in architecture and interior design. The era began in 1714, when George I ascended the English throne, and ended in 1830 with the death of his great-great-grandson, George IV.
Prerequisites
The Georgian style came to replace the elegant baroque, the luxury and excess of which had time to tire the British.
In 1689, the Glorious Revolution took place in England, as a result of which the ruling dynasty changed, and the new kings had to learn to negotiate with their subjects. At this time, new financial institutions appeared, trade routes opened, the British gained access to goods from all over the world. Changes affected leisure: urban space and public spheres of life developed. Many members of the nobility moved to the cities.
Style history
The early Georgian period (1714-1750) was inspired by Palladianism, an early form of classicism. The style grew out of the ideas of the Italian architect Andrea Palladio. It is based on strict adherence to symmetry, borrowing the principles of architecture of Ancient Greece and Rome, and the absence of frills. The late Georgian style turned out to be more flexible.
Symmetry remained obligatory, but the British ceased to be so strict about the decoration and decoration of the house, they allowed the presence of elegant rococo.
Music gallery in the royal pavilion in Brighton, built in 1815 by British architect John Nash. In the photo we see a mixture of Georgian style with Indian during the late period.
At the beginning of the 19th century, the tastes of the British Empire began to be influenced by its colonies. The first attempt to imitate the style of India was a house built in 1803 for Sir Charles Cockerall, who served in the East India Company. It was followed by the Royal Pavilion in Brighton, pictured above. [sidebar:|"At the beginning of the 19th century, the tastes of the British Empire began to be influenced by its colonies"|]
The main features of the Georgian style:
Classicism. Strict observance of classical proportions, sophistication of the color palette, a minimum of decorations in the interior;
Colours.
The most popular are pastel colors: all shades of green, soft blue, dusty pink, burgundy;
Mahogany brought from Western India has become very popular. It was with him that Thomas Chippendale most often worked - a man who changed the approach to creating furniture and became the hallmark of the Georgian style.
Furniture. In simple interiors, it was her task to show the status and wealth of the owners. Items were made from walnut, rose, mahogany, satin, polished chintz, silk were added;
Wall and ceiling decor makes a huge difference in style. Despite the desire to reduce excessive decoration of the house, decorative plaster, wallpaper painting or the use of marble panels remained appropriate for the walls. Detailed plaster drawings were allowed on the ceiling;
Floors. Predominantly bare wood floorboards: in large rooms, floors were of expensive wood (eg oak), while private rooms used pine or cheaper materials.
The floorboards were often patterned, painted or varnished, and the patterns repeated the plaster moldings on the ceiling and walls.
Principal representatives: Richard Boyle (Lord Burlington), John Nash, Adam brothers. The main furniture designers during this period were Thomas Chippendale, George Hepplewhite and Thomas Sheraton.
Chiswick House. A small summer palace designed by Richard Boyle, Lord Burlington to house his collection of antiques. Built in the style of the Palladian villa "Rotonda".
Osterley Park was created in the 16th century, but in the second half of the 18th century it was partially remade by the Adam brothers. The changes primarily affected the interior and quite a bit of the exterior.
Victorian
The Victorian era in design came during the reign of Queen Victoria in the second half of the 19th century (1837-1901).
History:
After the rapid growth of cities and commerce in the British Empire, the next stage came: the industrial revolution.
At this time, the middle classes became a major economic force - especially in manufacturing and trade. [sidebar:|"After the boom of cities and commerce in the British Empire, the next stage came: the Industrial Revolution"|]
Trade practices improved, resulting in accelerated economic growth and rapid development of construction and engineering projects, and increased rail and canal networks. Now residents have the opportunity to live in one place and go to work in another.
The style takes its history from the “Great Exhibition of Industrial Works of All Nations” in 1851, which was designed by D. Paxton in the Crystal Palace. This show featured goods from across the empire and was visited by over 6 million people - a third of the UK's population.
The era of mass production of goods has begun. Now the middle classes could copy items previously only available to wealthy collectors. The influence of the middle class grew - more and more people could afford a stylish mansion, which they sought to decorate as "rich" as possible to show everyone their status.
However, copying and decorating was not always successful, and bad taste often “visited” such houses.
The Victorian style is said to have gone through three phases:
1. Early, neostyle period (1835-1855). It was a period of catchy eclecticism, the comprehension of traditional styles in a new, often commercial way. Neo-Gothic, Neo-Rococo, Neo-Greek styles - in fact, a greatly simplified borrowing of the classics using cheaper materials. At the same time, all styles were violently mixed with each other. [sidebar:|"Trade and intercity networks developed. Residents got the opportunity to live in one place and go to work in another"|]
The Palace of Westminster, home of the British Parliament, is one of the most famous Neo-Gothic buildings. After a fire in 1834, it was rebuilt by renowned Victorian architects Charles Berry and Augustus Welby Pugin.
2. Middle Victorian (1855-1870). By this time, a riot of fakes, incompatibility of styles caused a lot of discontent.
It has become fashionable to deny the previous period of time - anti-eclectic sentiments have arisen. Architects began to cry out for a return to simplicity and nature.
3. Late period “Free revival of the Renaissance” (1870-1901). At this time, in other European countries, "Neo-Renaissance" comes into fashion - a mixture of art from all previous periods - Gothic, Italian Renaissance, Baroque. England picks up this fashion, but in its own way, leaving the eclecticism and congestion with decorative ornaments. [sidebar:|"The era of mass production of goods has arrived. The middle classes could copy items previously only available to the rich. The influence of the middle class grew"|]
Style Features
Furniture overloaded with decor: All items are richly decorated with incredible patterns, overworked with carvings. Mass production has led to the fact that almost all previously available styles have become easily embodied in furniture elements.
The result - Greek Revival bookcases, Gothic staircases in a library, Rococo sofas and armchairs, Tudor chimneys could fit comfortably in the same room.
Walls: Divided into several sections with the help of plinth, sheathing, panels, images and cornices. Wallpaper has become more important than ever. The variety on the market was enormous, from intricate, handmade designs to mass-produced models on cheap wood pulp paper;
Details: Plaster moldings remained popular in this era. The decoration of ceilings and cornices with roses was especially popular. Fireplaces were also decoratively decorated: they were made of cast iron, wood, ceramic tiles and marble.
Floor: Parquet made of wood, most often pine, was laid on the floor, decorated with a stencil pattern imitating marquetry, or painted dark to imitate expensive hardwoods. Corridors and kitchen floors were covered with geometric patterned terracotta tiles;
Overloaded with accessories: Statues of birds and animals dressed as people, pillows, embroidered panels, decorative clocks, oil lamps, wall sconces and mirrors, candelabra, porcelain figurines, furniture and piano covers - the list is endless! They joke about this era that the British had a talent for putting things on top of other things, and adding something else to them on top.
Key representatives: Richard Norman Shaw, Joseph Paxton, Sir Charles Barry, Augustus Welby Northmore Pugin.
D Cragside House suite designed by Richard Shaw. The center of the room is an incredibly rich marble fireplace decorated with cupids, garlands, and arabesques.
English country style
Background:
The most important trends in architecture and interior design of the early 20th century simply passed by the UK. While architects in Germany were tinkering with glass buildings, and in France experimenting with reinforced concrete, in England neo-Georgian and neo-Victorian country houses were being created and new technologies that did not fit into traditional design were rejected. At 1920-30 years only a small part of the buildings in England were built under the influence of Art Nouveau, and most of them are the work of foreign architects: Serge Chermaev, Bertolt Lubetkin, Erno Goldfinger.
[sidebar:|"The most important trends in architecture and interior design of the early 20th century simply passed by the UK "|]
History:
English country music developed at this time. Designers tried to meet the emotional and practical needs of the British in renovating country houses that had suffered during the Second World War. They used the design of the Georgian era, to which they added the idea of the home, hearth and family of the Victorian era. This is how the English country style was born, which quickly became popular all over the world due to the quality of the finishes and the proclamation of comfort. [sidebar:|"Designers tried to meet the needs of the British in renovating country houses damaged during the Second World War. They used the design of the Georgian era, added to it the idea of the home, hearth and family of the Victorian period"|]
Style features:
Decor. It can be both very formal and casual, but the focus is on functionality over looks.
The ceilings are decorated with beams, the floor is usually wooden;
Colour. Colors can be bright or muted, but there should be plenty of them, as well as patterns, especially florals. Natural shades are common: pink, yellow, green. As a general rule, there should be three or four colors in a room;
Fabrics. As in any country, the English style has a lot of textiles: from soft sofas to table skirts. Chinz, floral fabrics, damask are common choices and can all be found in the same room. The furniture is decorated with covers and pillows;
Furniture should be traditional, from previous eras, mainly from wood, which can be light, dark, painted. Tables, chests of drawers, bookshelves are usually made of oak, mahogany or pine with brass details. Sofas and chairs - made of fabric or in covers;
Accessories. Most English houses have a fireplace, over which a large family portrait often hangs.
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