Paints for living room modern
50 Best Living Room Color Ideas
Read McKendree
When it comes to living room design, a flattering color palette is one of the first aspects you need to nail down. It will likely drive the whole design scheme and set the mood for years to come. Plus, your living room is probably the most-used room in the house, so choosing colors that make you look forward to spending time in it is a must! Whether you want something bold and bright, neutral, or dark and moody, we've laid out tons of designer-approved living room paint color ideas to help you get inspired. All you have to do is put on your overalls and grab a roller—or, you know, hire someone else to do the dirty work. The hardest part will be deciding between all of these living room colors. But once you do, you can start shopping for the decor.
🏡You love finding new design tricks. So do we. Let us share the best of them.
Seth Smoot
1 of 50
Gray-Purple
In a Cape Cod-style home for a couple of empty nesters, designer Lauren Nelson painted the living room walls in Farrow & Ball's Dove Tale—a warm gray with purple undertones. It keeps the atmosphere neutral yet inviting.
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Pearl
A soft white paint with a slight gray tone to it can easily make your living room a spot you want to spend all day in. Take it from designer Sharon Rembaum, who dressed this living room with textured pieces in a neutral color palette to boost its overall coziness.
TREVOR PARKER
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Cerulean Blue
Designer Garrow Kedigan made use of Lakeside Cabin by Benjamin Moore on the walls of this cozy corner. The faded cerulean blue acts as a soft backdrop to the rich orange and gold decor and dark gray sofa.
Sean Litchfield
4 of 50
Cloudy Green
Reminiscent of the outdoors and luxurious spas, sage green can instantly make your living room feel welcoming. In this speakeasy-inspired room by Brooklinteriors, Art Deco, Eastern World, and bohemian elements are blended together on a background of Clare's Dirty Martini paint for an opulent but casual atmosphere.
Alyssa Rosenheck
5 of 50
Sunny Yellow
Sunny yellow walls can instantly brighten up your living room— no matter if you have big windows or small openings for natural light.
In this room designed by Taylor Anne Interiors, Farrow & Ball's Citron adds energy to the tropical-yet-modern space.
Haris Kenjar
6 of 50
Ebony
Set a moody yet cozy scene by painting your walls and ceiling in a soft shade of ebony. For designer Sean Anderson's client, comfort and function in the living room were crucial for entertaining. He painted the room in Iron Ore by Sherwin-Williams and layered items that told the homeowner's story to enhance the welcoming atmosphere.
Mali Azima
7 of 50
Red Clay
Designed by Melanie Turner, this living room's walls are painted in Windswept Canyon by Sherwin-Williams. The assortment of furniture styles is united by a common colorway that pairs nicely with the paint.
LAUREY GLENN
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Frost Blue
Frost blue walls—in Benjamin Moore's Philipsburg Blue, to be exact—offer the right amount of softness in this formal dining room designed by Jenny Wolf. Gold framed art and a textured rug add warmth near the fireplace.
2022 TREVOR PARKER PHOTOGRAPHY
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Teal
"It’s a vibrant happy blue while not being too overwhelming, says designer Rudy Saunders of the color on the walls of his Upper East Side studio apartment. It's Fine Paints of Europe Jefferson Blue from the Dorothy Draper paint collection.
Bjorn Wallander
10 of 50
Sangria
Designer Krsnaa Mehta aimed for a salon feel in the heart of his India home. The sangria-and-blue palette of the living room achieves that inviting look that's best suited for entertaining.
Lisa Romerein
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Cream
This sunny living room designed by Thomas Callaway exudes warmth, despite the grand size and ceiling height. Callaway broke the room into zones to enhance intimacy and then used soft buttery glaze on the walls to give the room a golden glow, and layered rich yet mellow fabrics.
Jared Kuzia Photography
12 of 50
Dark Blue-Green
Designer Cecilia Casagrande chose rich jewel tones for this Boston Colonial living room.
It's classic yet fresh. The paint color—Farrow & Ball Hague Blue—in particular, straddles that duality of modern and traditional styles, perfect for a historic home. Casagrande also mixed contemporary elements with more traditional ones to further play with that juxtaposition between old and new.
Thijs de Leeuw/Space Content/Living Inside
13 of 50
Dusty Rose
Atelier ND and homeowner Carice Van Houten used a variety of plant species to liven up the room and create visual intrigue with different heights and shapes. It really freshens up the bold pastels and rich earthy tones for a unique composition. Pro tip: Don't forget to paint the ceiling for a more immersive impression.
Anna Spiro Design
14 of 50
Buttercream
Instead of painting the walls blue, designer Anna Spiro covered the hardwood floors in a cheerful blue color. She also made the windows extra sunny by painting the frames buttercream yellow.
Brie Williams
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Pitch Black
Dark black walls and lots of warm gold and caramel tones make this living room designed by Ariene Bethea super cozy but also formal and regal—the ideal balance if your living room doubles as the family room.
She used Tricorn Black by Sherwin-Williams.
Kendall McCaugherty
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Peach
The open floor plan in this Chicago family apartment designed by Bruce Fox called for cohesion between the dining and living room areas. That soft peachy paint and deep pink sofa are reflected in the printed armchair at the head of the dining table, and also mimic the rosy glow of the pendant light. The color scheme was inspired by a photograph taken of the family in London during spring when the city was veiled in cherry blossoms.
Read McKendree
17 of 50
Clay
Dark gray walls can be a bit brooding, like storm clouds, but in the case of this sunny Manhattan apartment by Elizabeth Cooper, they look playful and contemporary. Cheerful pinks, a dash of cobalt blue, traditional granny-chic patterns, and whimsical artwork lighten the mood.
Nicole Franzen
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Off-White
While bright colors can help liven up a room, it's not the only route.
Take this neutral-toned living room by Kristin Fine: Soft and texture-rich upholstery mix with off-white paint, rustic wood pieces, and plenty of antique accents to make a surprisingly modern impression with lots of character.
Robert McKinley
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Olive
Robert McKinley wanted to keep the color scheme in this country retreat earthy and neutral but also wanted to inject it with a little warmth. He opted for a quietly sophisticated shade of olive green for the walls while the chose a cream color for the wood-paneled ceiling.
Chris Mottalini
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Steel Gray
This New York City living room designed by Nanette Brown is a lesson in dark paint decorating that strikes the balance between formal and casual, sophisticated and easy-going, elevated and cozy. The exact color pictured is Amethyst Shadow from Benjamin Moore.
Paul Raeside
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Light Lime Green
Take your cues from the bold pattern mixing and modern artwork on display in this living room designed by Les Ensembliers.
A light green color on the ceiling is an unexpected surprise that ties the whole room together. Here, it pairs beautifully with the yellow curtains, geometric green ottoman, and plenty of gray tones throughout.
Paul Raeside
22 of 50
Lemon Yellow
Does the thought of painting your living room yellow scare you to your very core? How about now that you've seen this timeless and cheerful living room designed by Michael Maher? One glance at this space, and we're about ready to repaint our own: It radiates warmth and offsets the cool blue tones.
Heidi Caillier
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Light Fawn
This muted fawn color in a living room designed by Heidi Caillier is hard to pin down, and that's exactly why we like it. Not quite brown, not quite beige, it's a nice offbeat eath-tone option that functions as a neutral.
Simon Watson
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Glossy Black-Green
Deep, dark, and glossy, the lacquered black-blue-green color makes this living room by Kristin Hein and Philip Cozzi seductive and mysterious.
Paired with bohemian furniture and accents, the more moody qualities become more approachable and cozy.
Maura McEvoy
25 of 50
Kelly Green Splash
"I love the juxtaposition between the traditional space and the modern staircase," says Eliza Crater of Sister Parish Design. The rich kelly green accent wall and decorative floral curtains help bring some fullness and warmth to otherwise all-white surfaces in her home.
Bjorn Wallander
26 of 50
Charcoal
The traditional, neutral furniture in this room designed by Balsamo Antiques and Interior Design make a minimal visual impact so the moody colors, artwork, light fixtures, and other decorative accents can stand out. A deep, almost purple-gray tone turns out to be a wonderfully complex and evocative backdrop, so don't be afraid to try something different.
Douglas Friedman
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Navy
Ann Pyne worked with decorative painter Arthur Fowler to create a contrasting geometric pattern on the walls.
"I think of the puzzle-like shapes as a metaphor—it's a game of fitting all these disparate 'treasures' into a graphically coherent whole," she says. Matte navy blue and a gritty mustard tone work together to set a pensive and seductive backdrop—perfect for a smaller living room.
Heather Hilliard
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Crisp White
A crisp, matte white is totally timeless. Sherwin-Williams Pure White is there for you when you're not interested in going for a trending paint color.
Francesco Lagnese
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Mint Green
Channel a lush tropical oasis, as Thomas Jayne and William Cullum did, with this fresh color. In a living room where the paint stretches all the way up to the rafters, the hue changes depending on the way the light hits it, shifting between sharp mint and soft sea foam green.
Paul Raeside
30 of 50
Khaki
Designer Garrow Kedigian defines a neutral as "anything that isn't jarring," which is a super helpful way to reframe things if cream, white, or gray simply isn't cutting it in your living room and you can't figure out why.
Certain spaces just call for something outside the box, whether it's because of an architectural style, light exposures, or existing furniture. Here, the walls are painted Benjamin Moore's Rattan.
29 Best Blue Paint Colors in 2023: Shop Designer-Approved Picks
GladiathorGetty Images
When it comes to swathing your walls in a calming hue, you can’t go wrong with a neutral shade. And if you ask us, blue fits into that category. Whether you’re going pale and icy or dark and moody, nearly every blue tone pairs beautifully with a myriad of colors (not to mention woods and metallics). Don’t believe us? See for yourself. Ahead, you’ll find some of the most renowned blue paint colors interior designers love.
Surrounding yourself with cool-toned blues is also said to instill tranquility and calmness, so there’s no better time than now to cover your walls in the pretty shade. That said, there are a lot (and we mean a lot) of options out there, which can make choosing the right one a challenge.
Our suggestion? Buy a few swatches or small cans and test the colors on your wall. Otherwise, check out these elegant spaces with walls that are as stylish as they are soothing. What’s more, experts have offered their tips and opinions on the best shades for specific types of rooms.
You'll see that no matter your decor or style, there’s a blue for you. All you have to do is find the right one, and we guarantee you’ll discover your perfect shade in our designer-approved list. From big names to smaller brands, these blues will make you feel anything but, well, blue. So if you're interested in transforming your space without having to do a whole lot, you may want to scoop up a can and pick up a paintbrush!
Water's Edge by Benjamin Moore
PAUL DYER
Icy blues bring clear skies indoors. “For a client’s library that opens to a garden and pool, we chose this beautiful blue-gray to give the illusion of bringing the outside in," says designer Paloma Contreras, who matched Water's Edge by Benjamin Moore to a high-gloss lacquer for a mirror-like finish.
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Borrowed Light by Farrow & Ball
Farrow & Ball
"There's a kind of clarity in the air after a rain, and this color has the same feeling," says designer Katie Maine. She adds: "It suddenly makes the ceiling of a room seem taller, and the space somehow becomes larger. It totally changes the room's energy and makes you feel like you can finally take a big, deep breath!"
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Smoke Ring by Pratt & Lambert
Pratt & Lambert
"This icy blue has a cool crispness that's refreshing," says designer Robert Stilin. "I'd add fabrics in different tones of the same shade, like navy and slate, to create a layered, monochromatic look." Or, as Stilin recommends, you can bring in contrasting colors like brown and red to add warmth and coziness.
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Oval Room Blue by Farrow & Ball
Trevor Tondro
Painting an office? Try a gray-blue.
"Studies have shown that blue helps your ability to focus," explains Sheila Bridges, who used Farrow & Ball's Oval Room Blue for this room. "This particular shade has a little gray in it, and that makes it even more soothing."
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Early Frost Blue by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"Some people would call this pale gray, but it actually has blue and purple in it," says designer Brian Paquette. He continues: "To me, it's the color of the fog out here in Seattle. I used it in a living room with massive windows overlooking the Pacific Ocean, and at certain times of the day, you couldn't tell the difference between the sea and the sky and the walls. They were all the same color."
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Blue Veil by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"This has the coolness of a long, tall drink of water on a hot day," says designer James Michael Howard. "I use it frequently for ceilings because it's subtle.
It catches your eye but doesn't yell. Or, if you want to dazzle, do it in high gloss on the walls, and the space will be electrified!"
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Light Blue by Farrow & Ball
Farrow & Ball
Designer Susan Ferrier adores this light blue shade. "When you think of the color of a lake, you have to think about trees and shadows and clouds," she explains. "It's muddled, like this gray-blue. It's not a clear jewel tone, like the ocean. The ocean, with its breaking waves, is all about energy. Lake water is more soothing. It laps at the shore. This gray-blue kind of washes over a room, and you don't see the clutter."
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Sweet Bluette by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"My favorite blue paint is Benjamin Moore 813 Sweet Bluette, says New York City designer Marie Burgos. "This color is part of the Benjamin Moore Classics, and its timeless appeal complements styles from traditional to modern and everything in between.
It is such a soft color tone which brings an overall sense of relaxation and healing—perfect for a bedroom design or a nursery."
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Drenched Rain by Dunn-Edwards
Dunn-Edwards
"This is a romantic and charming blue with soft undertones of gray," says designer Ryan Saghian. He adds: "For me, it embodies Paris in the rain—the silvery reflections on the streets, the misty sky, the coat-grabbing wind. It's a very soothing color, so I see it in either a bedroom or a breakfast room. Pair it with yellows and oranges to make the blue look even richer."
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Jet Stream Blue by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"I used this in the study of a Manhattan apartment with panoramic views out to the Hudson River," says designer Raji Radhakrishnan. "It blurred the edges of the walls and seemed as if the sky was lulled inside to wrap the room in one fell swoop. And the blue of the sky was reflected in the river.
Spike it with shades of green, inspired by the treetops and lots of white."
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March Wind by Pratt & Lambert
Francesco Lagnese
Walls lacquered in Pratt & Lambert’s March Wind help brighten this north-facing room in an apartment designed by Nick Olsen.
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Caribbean Sea by Glidden
Tk
"In Turkey, the sea is so clear and so bright—a true ocean blue, like this color," says designer David Phoenix. He adds: "You see the same blue in the tiles in the Blue Mosque. It has endless depth, and that makes it very calming. I'm imagining it in a high-gloss finish in an entry or a library. After all, it's only paint. Take a risk and go for it!"
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Dynamic Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Dane Tashima
"Dynamic Blue by Sherwin-Williams is a blue bursting with joy," says designer Courtney McLeod, who used it in her own living room.
"It strikes a wonderful balance between being bold and bright but also quite livable. It is also a great backdrop for other bold colors."
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Major Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
"Certain shades of blue immediately take me away to a tropical island, and this is one of them," says designer Debbie Viola. "Even though it's a medium-bright tone, it's still calming yet vibrant enough to make me feel happy as soon as I enter the room." She suggests adding accents of tangerine and lime green to enhance the tropical flavor.
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Cruising by Sherwin-Williams
ROBERT PETERSON / RUSTIC WHITE
In designer Vern Yip's Florida home, a kitchen with cabinetry painted in Cruising by Sherwin-Williams is the epitome of life at the beach. It offers a welcoming energy that can't be beat, especially considering the rest of the home is covered in other bright colors, patterns, and textures that give it great liveliness.
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Celestial Blue by Valspar
Valspar
"I like real colors, as opposed to those that are just a hint of something," explains designer Harry Heissmann. He continues: "I love clarity, and this is a clear blue. Anything you put against it—a black bamboo bed, a bright abstract painting—will pop. And the light in the room takes on a wonderful atmospheric quality. You feel good in it."
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Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore
COURTESY OF KIRILL ISTOMIN INTERIOR DESIGN
"This sitting room was inspired by the ethereal blues found in Kandinsky paintings hanging in the Hermitage Museum," says Kirill Istomin of this muted turquoise hue, Thunderbird by Benjamin Moore.
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Turquoise Tint by Valspar
Lowe's
"On vacation in the Caribbean islands, I was walking along a street and stopped to sit on a ledge so I could look down at the water, which was exactly this color," says designer Erinn Valencich.
She continues: "And suddenly, just three feet away, all these tropical fish were swimming by in the most amazing purples, yellows, and greens. We humans can make many beautiful things, but nothing is more beautiful than what's already here in nature."
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Green Blue by Farrow & Ball
Farrow & Ball
"My favorite blue paint color is Farrow & Ball's Green Blue #84," says designer Chad Graci. He explains: "I love using this clear, mutable blue for its chameleon-like quality. It can feel coastal, historic, or just plain fresh when you need it to."
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Clare Good Jeans
Courtesy of Ashley Izsak
Designer Ashley Izsak selected Clare Paint's Good Jeans for this entryway because it worked so well with the wallpaper she chose (Endless Summer by York Wallcoverings). "This shade of blue almost feels like a neutral because of its toned down soft qualities and works well in our open-concept space to add a little bit of drama without feeling intense," the designer gushes.
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Antiguan Sky by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"Aqua is a calming color, which balances a fiery red-head like me and makes for a pretty room," says designer Lindsey Coral Harper. "Actually, most people look good in aqua, and when you look good, you feel more confident."She likes to use a range of one color, so she'll add a darker teal or Prussian blue with this one. "Red or pink would punch it up and give it more pizzazz," she adds.
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Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball
Simon Watson
When it comes painting to pint-sized rooms, designers often reach for a deep, dark blue, like perennial favorite Hague Blue by Farrow & Ball. "Because the library is small, it lent itself to a rich jewel-box treatment," says Jeannette Whitson of this stunning space.
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Santa Monica Blue by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"This is the deep, almost Prussian blue of the ocean in the Bahamas at low tide," says designer Alessandra Branca.
"When you combine it with coral-colored fabrics, it's amazing." Branca has used this color in a bedroom with blue-and-white toile. The designer recommends going for it if you live near the sea or want to constantly be reminded of it.
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Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams
EMILY FOLLOWILL
“I love the kitchen—it suits their personality: cool and sophisticated,” says designer Melanie Millner of the Atlanta kitchen she designed for a pair of coastal bon vivants. The backsplash has a nice hint of blue in it that pairs well with the cabinetry painted in Sea Serpent by Sherwin-Williams, making the space one seriously dreamy place to cook.
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Pitch Blue by Farrow & Ball
Jana Davis Pearl
"I love this color because it changes throughout the day," says designer Kelly Finley. "The pigments are so rich that sometimes it reads as if there is a little periwinkle in the blue and from another angle, it is a true dark blue.
" Finley notes that the color adds a ton of depth when used on furniture that most other paints can't achieve.
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Pitch Blue by Farrow & Ball
Farrow & Ball
Designer Dan Barsanti is another fan of Pitch Blue. He explains: "I'm a big blue-and-white freak. It says nautical, crisp, and timeless to me. I painted my kitchen cabinets this great blue—almost a navy but with some periwinkle thrown in—and did white statuary marble on the countertops."
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Blueberry by Benjamin Moore
SANDA STOJAKOVIC
Designer and blogger Sanda Stojakovic used Benjamin Moore's Blueberry paint to give her Illinois library a vibrant, happy atmosphere. “Incorporating bold colors was important to me because we moved from the sunny states of California and Texas to the Midwest where there are many gloomy, cold days that really can have a negative effect on our mood,” she says.
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Searching Blue by Sherwin-Williams
Sherwin-Williams
"This painterly blue proves a color can be tranquil and exciting at the same time," says designer Mary Douglas Drysdale. "You almost sink into the calmness, but it's still confident."
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Polo Blue by Benjamin Moore
Benjamin Moore
"A deep, dark blue in a dining room will evoke the deep, dark Atlantic," says designer Tom Scheerer. "The paint finish is matte to absorb as much light as possible and let the objects arranged on it shine."
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The most popular blue paint shade continues to be Benjamin Moore's Hale Navy, which is part of the brand's Historical Colors Collection. This shade is a gentle maritime-inspired hue that boasts the perfect amount of drama.
In recent years, blue has become a wildly popular interior color because it's colorful enough to add a bit of spice to a room without overpowering the eye.
It's also known to reduce stress and put the mind at ease.
While we consider ourselves well-versed in beautiful design elements, we turned to the interior designers to do the talking this time. After all, when it comes to outfitting the most beautiful spaces in the world, they tend to know best.
Sienna Livermore Senior Editor Sienna is a senior editor at Hearst.
Emma Bazilian Senior Features Editor Emma Bazilian is a writer and editor covering interior design, market trends and culture.
Jessica Cherner Jessica Cherner is House Beautiful’s associate shopping editor and knows where to find the best high-low pieces for any room.
Art Nouveau style in the interior of the living room
Living room in the Art Nouveau style (or Art Nouveau, if we use another well-established designation) is something more than a room for relaxing and meeting guests. Only those who are close to this style from the very beginning will be able to appreciate it, since the interior is far from the modern understanding of fashion.
Content:
Color
Layout
Finish
23 Walls- Plain painted walls
- Paint + decor
- Paint + wallpaper
Furniture
Textile
Do-it-yourself Art Nouveau decorations!
"Color"
Rooms in Art Nouveau style, including the bathroom and kitchen, feature subdued and warm colors. Since wooden furniture and the same accessories predominate, brown can be safely designated as the main background color. The color of the walls usually plays along with the filling of the room - shades of white or the same brown are chosen for it. Art Nouveau calls for avoiding contrasts and choosing colors in almost the same tone.
"Layout"
A living room, like a bedroom in Art Nouveau style, cannot be half empty, there should be room for a dozen pieces of furniture and a large number of accessories. We will not be able to give a clear layout scheme, the furniture is arranged in many respects chaotically, depending on the possibilities of the interior of the living room in the Art Nouveau style. By the way, the “studio” version of the layout of the apartment is also allowed, when the living room is combined with a hallway or a small kitchen. nine0003
"Finish"
Decorating a modern living room is difficult to do on your own if this is your first experience of implementing such a large-scale style. In particular, it is not always realistic to get by with the usual means, and the task cannot be solved in one raid on a building supermarket.
You have two ways - to seek help from a design bureau or adapt modern to modern style, making your work easier and reducing repair costs. nine0003
“Walls”
You have several options for decorating the living room walls, and we will describe each of them in turn. What colors to use for modern style? Do you need wall painting? Wallpaper or paint?
"Solid Painted Walls"
- The first is to cover the walls with paint, usually muted beige, green or plain white. The laconic version of the design of the living room in the Art Nouveau style allows you to dwell on this, but if possible, it is better to place a few characteristic accents. For example, invite an artist and decorate the upper part of the wall with ornamental painting, or stick a thin layer of stucco under the ceiling yourself. nine0032
"Paint + additional decor"
- The second option of finishing involves the use of the same paint as a background, but the walls will be complemented by wooden moldings, which are convex drawings on a plant or other suitable theme.
The method is expensive, since the decorations will have to be made to order, but such a living room will look the most authentic.
"Paint + wallpaper"
- Another way is to use wallpaper to decorate the living room walls in Art Nouveau style. We draw your attention to the fact that it is not worth pasting over all the walls with a uniform pattern. You need to break the surface into several vertical parts, possibly asymmetrical. "Interrupting" different types of wallpaper is wide borders or all the same wood-like moldings. nine0032
If you carefully examine all modern interiors, you will notice that the planes of the walls, ceiling and floor are usually clearly demarcated. To do this, use wide borders, high skirting boards or strips of wallpaper. In an apartment with low ceilings, where the listed elements can greatly “compress” the space, we recommend limiting yourself to painting or stucco, matching the ceiling, but different from the color of the wall.
"Floors"
The unspoken rule of modernity is to choose the material for finishing the floor to match the wood from which the furniture is made. There are two options: parquet and marble floors. In the Art Nouveau style, floor zoning began to be used in the interior of the living room for the first time, by means of a bizarre junction of irregularly shaped materials or a characteristic pattern right on the surface.
If you are going to use carpeting, then choose light textiles with symmetrical patterns. Ideally, the carpet should not cover the entire floor, it is better to use small pieces in the right areas. nine0003
“Ceiling”
All the surfaces accessible to the artists were instantly filled with the characteristic elements of Art Nouveau. Even the ceiling is not left without attention, although compared to previous classical styles, it looks much more modest.
Ceilings are almost never made multi-level, as in art deco, but their surface is actively decorated at the same time - with murals, whole paintings or plasterboard and wooden ceilings, reminiscent of intertwined tree branches. nine0003
"Furniture"
Art Nouveau living room furniture deserves a separate treatise - you can see it in the photos. The world has never seen such complexity and unusual forms! Graceful lines, which are not easy to draw, have found materiality in the hands of brilliant masters. Such works of art do not need additional finishing, gilding and other synthetic increase in value. There are practically no sharp corners, regular shapes, smooth straight facades. Nothing more elegant has appeared in interiors since modern times, so replacing furniture with something more modern will not work. nine0003
Textile
Art Nouveau interiors are highly artistic and bohemian.
This image is also emphasized by fabrics that have the art to convey the mood of the design. Like ornaments, they appear light, fluid, and graceful. The emphasis is not so much on color and ornament, but on tactile characteristics. To do this, loose fabrics are selected, translucent, the texture of which allows you to reflect light well. By tradition, furniture is covered with upholstery, which has a small delicate pattern - floral, polka dots, small cells. nine0003
Now the design of the living room in Art Nouveau style has ceased to be a mystery to you, and the photos will consolidate the acquired knowledge. In addition, we decided to tell you a little about how you can make some decor items yourself - read about this in the next section.
DIY Art Nouveau Jewelry!
The legendary Art Nouveau style in the interior can make you fall in love with you once and for all. But its full implementation in a standard apartment is a very difficult and very expensive pleasure.
However, its individual elements can easily fit into almost any interior with an eye for retro. No need to look for original accessories, because some things you can do yourself. nine0003
A rich heritage was left to us by the artists who worked in this era. The most famous of them are Alfons Mucha and Gustav Klimt. Their work is highly decorative, recognizable, and is still actively exploited by interior decorators. The works of these masters are replete with all the characteristic ornaments of the Art Nouveau style - and we can use them when decorating the interior of the living room, as in the presented photos.
Whole pictures or their small scenes can decorate anything - boxes, plates, vases, doors, surfaces of chests of drawers and cabinet doors, mirror frames. To do this, you just need to visit a store offering decoupage products. Collections of decoupage sheets and art nouveau cards will allow you to transfer any pattern you like to the desired surface, and special varnishes and pastes will fix the result and make it indistinguishable from the original.
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Modern interior design - Derufa Topcoat Boutique
Modern style
Art Nouveau is a style of the late 19th and early 20th century that created whimsical, emphatically individualized interiors. Art Nouveau introduced fundamentally new decorative elements into interior design. Art Nouveau stood at the dawn of a new era of the twentieth century, and therefore simply had to become magnificent and unique. The founders of this interior style brought all the best achievements of the past into it. The Art Nouveau interior style has collected the most refined and sophisticated trends of its time. nine0003
Art Nouveau style is called decadent and mannered. Forgetting that this style of interior came about thanks to the industrial revolution of the nineteenth century. At one time, Art Nouveau was considered extremely progressive and radical. The Art Nouveau style rethought and stylized the features of art from different eras of time, Art Nouveau developed its own artistic techniques based on the principles of asymmetry, ornamentality and decorativeness.
It was called Art Nouveau in Russia and Great Britain, and in Belgium and France it was the Art Nouveau style, Liberty in Italy, Jugendstil in Germany, and in the USA it was the Tiffany style. nine0003
The main idea of Art Nouveau was the idea of creating beauty, which is so rare in the surrounding world, and its goal was to transform life by aesthetic means, a kind of “healing life with beauty”. The Modernist Manifesto - to combine professional artistic creativity and the production of household products caused a revolution in applied art, and formed a new type of universal artist, acting both as an architect, and as a decorator, and a painter, and a graphic artist. A distinctive feature of Eastern European Art Nouveau is plastic expressiveness and elegance. In the decor of facades and interiors, patterned ceramic cladding, forged bent iron with vegetable interlacing in decorative lattices and stair railings are used. Stained-glass windows are widely used, most often with an abstract plastic pattern of complex color tones and shades that do not contrast, but complement each other.
Stained-glass windows are also used in interiors as interior partitions, in doorways, lamp shades are also made using the stained glass technique. nine0003
The Art Nouveau house is an outlandish whirlpool: curved plastic forms of drawing on the parquet, twisted staircases with wrought-iron railings and intricate interweaving of "climbing plants" made of metal. The walls are covered with fabric with a floral pattern, interior partitions in the form of windows with stained-glass windows, a stucco ceiling in the center of the ceiling, parquet made of noble wood. The oval windows are draped with fabric to match the walls, the lambrequin of complex shape repeats the pattern on the fabric. Decorative carved oak details adorn the wall lamps with frosted shades, carved, with the same motif, the doors have glass and bronze inserts. There are mirrors on the walls - in wooden, complex, curved shapes, frames. The furniture is solid and respectable, made of solid wood with a noble decor of dark bronze.
In the dining room there is a round table and comfortable chairs with curved backs, and a special glass processing technology gives the windows the effect of shimmering ice, which is also very much in line with the “mysterious” spirit of modernity. The walls are finished with wooden panels, lamps create a cozy diffused light. In the living room there is a crystal chandelier with a lot of “candles”, armchairs with backs in the form of halves of a shell, soft sofas upholstered in striped silk with wooden armrests and curved carved legs, marble and bronze sculptures – Art Nouveau interiors resemble precious boxes made with excellent taste. and a sense of proportion by a wonderful master. nine0003
Unlike eclecticism, which formally borrowed individual details of national and historical styles, the Art Nouveau style organically assimilated the features of art of various styles and eras through stylization. In samples of architecture of the past, as well as in nature, drawing ideas of integrity, the principles of interconnectedness of all parts of the artistic image.
The main means of expression in Art Nouveau was an ornament of characteristic curvilinear outlines, often permeated with expressive rhythm and subordinating the compositional structure of a work of art. nine0003
In the interiors, graceful linear weaving, mobile plant patterns are scattered on the floor, walls, furniture, stairs, and ceiling. The patterns are concentrated in the places of their conjugation, unite the architectural planes, activate the interior space. The Art Nouveau style is characterized by the interpenetration of easel and decorative applied forms. Works of painting and sculpture lose their independent character, being included in the overall ensemble of the interior in the Art Nouveau style. In painting, panels are predominant, and in sculpture, reliefs. The idea of the synthesis of arts permeates the entire Art Nouveau style. Architecture was seen as the basis of the synthesis, uniting all other art forms from painting to clothing models and interior decor.
In the Art Nouveau style, an organic fusion of structural and decorative elements manifested itself. The most holistic examples of the unification of the arts are given by the mansions and public buildings of the Art Nouveau era. As a rule, they are built as if from the inside out. The internal space determines the external appearance of the building and vice versa. nine0003
The facades of Art Nouveau houses are asymmetrical and resembled organism-like formations, reminiscent of natural forms at the same time, and the result of the free creativity of the sculptor. The interiors of these houses were exceptionally expressive with flowing space, curved outlines of cornices, rounded door and window openings, rich decor made of carved wood, metal and colored glass. Art Nouveau interior decoration can reach incredible sophistication. Great importance is attached to the expressiveness of flowing rhythms, the color and texture of facings, wrought iron, stained-glass windows and doors.
Art Nouveau stained-glass windows are famous no less than the stained-glass windows of Gothic cathedrals. The main theme for the Gothic stained-glass window was religion, the worship of God; in the modern era, inspiration was drawn from nature. Particularly interesting can be the design of window openings with unique patterns of wooden bindings. nine0003
The Art Nouveau interior style is characterized by a holistic approach to the design of individual rooms in an apartment or house. In addition to the decor rich in ornaments and the ability to translate the idea into a free composition of space, new combinations of volumes and dynamics of the interior layout of the premises are also interesting. So, the wall is no longer a constructive and static element, but a plastic sculptural form, which in itself is an art object.
Art Nouveau ceilings amaze with their original design and beauty. You can choose thin lines, dark wood beams framing white smooth caissons, light molding, a smooth painted ceiling with an exquisite chandelier in the center of the room.
Also, stained-glass windows with a picturesque pattern are often used for the Art Nouveau ceiling. The stained-glass window consists of pieces of glass of various shapes, textures and colors, which are interconnected, depending on the production technology. Stained-glass windows can also be used to decorate windows in the Art Nouveau style. The most interesting thing happens when a ray of the sun hits the stained glass window, which is made of the highest quality glass - the room is filled with the most beautiful colors, and the play of light and all kinds of color shades begins, which lasts throughout the daylight hours. Each piece of stained-glass window mixes its own unique color, after which the whole picture changes, this beauty can be enjoyed from morning until evening, until the sun sets over the horizon. nine0003
The shape of Art Nouveau lamps resembles plants, and the shades imitate opening buds or buds. Lamps, chandeliers, sconces in Art Nouveau style harmoniously combine modern material and ornate form.
Art Nouveau fireplaces are the snaking lines and vegetal decorations on the fireplace mantle, often fireplaces in interior design take up the whole room from wall to wall. The walls in their upper part can be covered with silk or painted, and a ceramic or oak plinth is mounted in the lower part. On the walls, the same floral ornament of the Art Nouveau style is used. The walls seem to grow upward from the floor to the ceiling, but the main thing when creating an interior in the Art Nouveau style is not to overload them with complex ornaments. For the Art Nouveau floor, both classic techniques are used, for example, parquet laid in a herringbone or squares, as well as a type-setting patterned floor, the pattern of which repeats the bending of a sea wave or the interlacing of flower stems. nine0003
When choosing ceramics or stone for a bathroom, a geometric ornament is used as a border to a plain tile, including a Greek meander, but in a drawing characteristic only of the Art Nouveau style in the form of a spiral round or square curl.
In an effort to create comfort and give individuality, originality and uniqueness of beauty in the Art Nouveau style, interior items made using artistic forging will help you. These can be stair railings, furniture items, fireplace grates or grilles on the windows of the house. As in other interior elements, the Art Nouveau style dictates the presence of a plant theme in the pattern of forged products, that is, smooth, viscous lines, bends and breaks that imitate the stems or leaves of plants. Daffodils and lilies bloom on the trellises and railings. Art Nouveau style taught to decorate interiors with living and not only flowers, now they are not only in vases, but also on stained-glass windows, stucco and forging. Metal in the interior gives an amazing result. It is this material that allows you to create very durable structures with external weightlessness, transparency and ornateness inherent in modernity. nine0003
An important element in interior design is its color scheme.
Art Nouveau style has its own special color range. Drawing, material texture and color are those decorative elements that play a decisive role in the design of the interior in the Art Nouveau style. A very popular light green gamut, where the colors are divided into halftones. Colors such as dragonfly, grasshopper or sea color are used, and purple shades are also often used. So, for example, use the color of Parma violet or the color of heliotrope. Pearl gray tones, the colors of a withered rose, are also used. Late Art Nouveau is characterized by the colors of autumn - gold, ocher or umber. Art Nouveau colors seem to be sprinkled with ashes, which gives the interior a unique chic. nine0003
We have not been surprised for a long time with various wood processing options for the production of modern furniture. Masters of their craft create great wonders from this natural material. Cabinet furniture of the interior in modern style for various purposes - cabinets, chests of drawers, slides - can be rectangular, but with obligatory aesthetic excesses.
