Choosing a classic style for the interior of the living room is a decision that cannot be regretted, because discreet and cozy classics will not become outdated and will not lose their charm over time. But how to create the perfect interior and not make mistakes? What colors should I use? How to properly zone space? Everything you need to know about a living room in a classic style is in our article.
Features of the classic style
There are interior design styles that are rapidly gaining popularity or have already gone out of fashion, and there is a design that will never become outdated or lose its relevance. The classic living room is a unique and universal concept that involves creating a luxurious, elegant and cozy interior that demonstrates the respectability of the owner.
Moreover, unlike pompous baroque with flashy gilding or art deco with complex curved geometric elements, the classical style is quite restrained and carefully simple, without becoming boring or losing its attractiveness over time.
Creating a living room in a classic style will require ideal taste and subtle calculations, because, unlike many modern design options, the classic does not forgive negligence and mistakes in execution. It is not for nothing that the word “classic” itself is of Latin origin and is translated as “delightful” or “ideal.”
Complicating the task is the need to place, combine in color, materials and texture many elements necessary to create a classic living room. You can discard one or more, but without using most of them it is impossible to create a reference design:
- Fireplace with a portal and live or artificial fire;
- Furniture made of natural wood or veneer;
- Molded parts - ceiling rosettes, cornices, baseboards, columns;
- Accessories - paintings, candlesticks, figurines, vases and mirrors;
- Lighting details as a decorative element - chandeliers, sconces, floor lamps;
- Natural materials with rich texture - fabrics, wood, stone.
Symmetry and organic arrangement of furniture, strict lines and discreet patterns, exquisite details and perfect composition - these are the basic rules for organizing a classic space.
Empire style
The French style represents order, strict symmetry of lines and a complete balance of interior items in bright colors with eye-catching patterns. Characteristic of this style is a lot of mirrors, which can be above the bed and between the windows.
The furniture is made from natural wood and finished in bronze. She looks massive and heavy;
Colors: white living room, beige, gray
The constant constancy of the classic style is also ensured by the win-win combinations of shades in its execution. There cannot be any flashy, dissonant or unnatural combinations of colors in such a living room by default.
The choice of palette for a classic interior depends on the size of the room and the level of illumination in it and is based on the soft contrast of light and dark pastel shades.
Important! If the room is not very large, then you should choose a light background with relatively dark furniture and accents, and a large, open space will allow you to use thick dark shades on the floors and walls, diluted with light furniture and textiles.
The most popular color combinations to bring this style to life:
- Beige-chocolate palette with different shades of cream, sand and khaki;
- Beige-green palette with chocolate, mustard and pistachio shades;
- A blue and white palette with various shades of ivory and blue;
- Sand and burgundy palette with chocolate or pink shades;
- White and gray palette with caramel and cream shades.
You can use more colors, but they should all be soft, natural pastel tones. Professional designers can successfully complement such an interior with bright accessories, but just a few incorrectly selected details can completely destroy the restrained harmony of the classics.
The exclusivity of the classics
When making your choice in favor of a classic-style living room, you should be aware of the distinctive features inherent in this fashion trend. The room will look impressive and attractive if symmetry is maintained in the arrangement of furniture, paintings or prints on the walls.
The color scheme excludes the use of bright and provocative colors. Calm and warm tones and shades of sand and brown will become familiar to this style. Without disturbing the integrity of the space, plain carpets and wallpaper will become a good backdrop for elegant, formal furniture.
To maintain the stylistic harmony of the living room interior, the windows are draped with a light day curtain and night curtains made of velvet in warm undertones. Pieces of furniture for the living room in the classic style are distinguished by the severity of their lines, the high cost of finishing, and the quality of natural materials.
Living room in a classic style: modern interior design
Just a few decades ago, a classic interior could only be created from expensive natural materials - precious wood, natural stone, silk, velvet, and so on. Today, a variety of finishing materials allows you to successfully imitate wooden, plaster and stone surfaces and avoid enormous costs .
However, fine imitation and crude counterfeiting are not the same thing, so the quality of artificial materials should be met with no less demands than with natural ones.
When choosing a coating, you should follow several immutable rules in order to maintain the chosen style and not disturb the overall composition.
White wall in the hall
A traditional element of hall design is a finished wall. This set includes storage cabinets, a TV stand or TV compartment, and shelves.
The size and configuration of the wall may vary. Most often, straight walls are found; they are placed along a long wall, which is not always successful from the point of view of the interior. Corner models are more interesting because, on the one hand, they allow you to use a corner, and on the other hand, they do not change the proportions of the room.
A living room design with white furniture cannot only include a wall. It is complemented by other white objects - a sofa, table or white chest of drawers. It is important to choose the exact shade.
But if the walls and ceiling of the room are also decorated in white, additional white furniture (except for the wall) will not be needed in the room. In such cases, the latter is perceived as one of the base walls and does not require addition.
In traditional furniture, most sections are closed: solid or glazed. The modern style white wall unit includes many more open sections. This is a plus for a small living room, as it allows you to structure the space.
Walls
The walls of a classic living room can be either a neutral and unobtrusive background or a decorative element. This style allows you to create compositions on the walls from stucco moldings, wooden or fabric panels, use wallpaper with prints and plain ones at the same time, and create an unusual texture using decorative plasters. However, you should use such artistic techniques carefully so as not to oversaturate the interior with details - the use of complex wall decoration implies restraint in furniture and textiles .
Textile
Important attention should be paid to textiles - the use of cheap fabrics is prohibited. It is acceptable to use velor, velvet, taffeta, and tulle.
The interior is decorated in this style by self-confident people who are very demanding of themselves and those around them.
Rest in such a room will be both pleasant and “correct”.
Ceiling
Unlike the Baroque style, the classic ceiling does not require special attention - neither painting nor gilded elements. However, if the ceiling height is sufficient, you can use plain stucco molding - ceiling roses, baseboards and moldings . If the living room is in an apartment with a standard ceiling height, it is better to avoid the use of heavy elements, leaving a flat, uniform surface. In some cases, it is possible to use a glossy texture to visually increase its height.
Decorative design
The classic stylistic direction in the living room implies the presence of exquisite luxurious decor and elegant accessories. It is possible to use figurines and wall paintings in expensive frames.
The decor will be complemented by various antiques, vases, and decorative elements made of marble, porcelain or bronze.
When designing a style in a solemn, majestic version, it is necessary to use a huge variety of golden notes in interior elements.
An interesting and original solution would be to install a fireplace in the living room, which is considered one of the main elements of the classical style. It is decorated with columns on both sides and forged elements. A burning hearth will create a calm, friendly environment.
In a large room it is possible to place a music salon by installing the piano on a mounted podium in the corner of the living room.
Classic style living room furniture
The first image that appears when you hear the phrase “classic interior” is wooden, heavy cabinet furniture in dark or natural shades, armchairs and sofas with colored fabric upholstery and carved armrests, elegant banquettes, poufs and tables.
All elements must be combined with each other, both in shape and shades, and the arrangement of furniture in the living room must obey the principles of zoning and symmetry. The use of abstract or irregularly shaped furniture such as triangular tables or asymmetrical shelves is strictly unacceptable.
In addition to wooden furniture, it is allowed to use forging, glass tabletops without metal chrome parts, stone decorative elements and fireplace portals.
Lighting
In the design of a room, correct lighting, thought out to the smallest detail, plays an important role. The chandelier is the central element of the living room; it is chosen to be massive and with pendants. Forged lamps can be placed around the perimeter of the entire living room. Candlesticks will look harmonious in this interior.
Sconces also add charm to the living room and also give the room a special intimacy.
Curtains for the living room in a classic style
Textiles are one of the main components that create the atmosphere of a classic interior. Professional designers use complex draperies made of heavy natural fabrics, lambrequins, tiebacks and tassels in combination with weightless tulle to decorate windows, creating a real work of art from curtains.
With the help of curtains, you can decorate absolutely any space - like a window in an apartment with low ceilings, a sunny bay window of a complex shape, or panoramic windows of a modern penthouse. Window textiles are another way to change the geometry of space .
You can visually raise the ceiling with the help of flowing vertical folds on the curtains or soften the sharp corners of the bay window with lambrequin waves - in the hands of a master, an ordinary curtain becomes a professional tool and the main decoration of the living room.
The main rule when decorating a window in a classic interior remains the same - maintaining symmetry and using pastel shades. In this case, you can use a wide variety of fabrics - plain and patterned, heavy and light, natural and artificial. Caution should only be exercised in the texture of the material, because the classic design involves matte surfaces without shiny lurex or organza sparkling in the sun.
Room zoning
The functional areas in this interior have clear boundaries. This is the main feature of a classic interior. They are located in accordance with the built symmetry and are located at some distance from each other.
Living room in classic style with fireplace
The fireplace is rightfully considered the heart of a classic living room. And today the range and quality of electric fireplaces is so extensive that installing a fireplace in an ordinary apartment does not pose any problem.
The most important thing in the interior layout is to correctly determine the place for the future hearth, because it will become the center of the furniture group and should be clearly visible from anywhere in the living room. When placing a fireplace in a dark room with windows facing north, you can decorate the walls framing it with mirrors, expanding the space and filling it with light.
The design of the fireplace portal also plays an important role in the design. Most often, carved wood, brick, stone or their imitations are used to create a frame. The portal should be in harmony with the rest of the interior and echo the furniture, stucco molding and other decorative elements of the room.
also be used to zone the space - for example, mount it in a column separating the dining area from the living room area with sofas and armchairs.
Don’t forget about fireplace accessories - even if an electric version of the hearth is installed, forged fireplace tools and grates will add comfort and individuality, bringing the illusion of a real fire to perfection.
Bright living room
Bright colored elements can not only enliven the interior, but also fill the classic living room with unique color and expressiveness.
Kitchen-living room in a classic style: design features
The concept of a combined kitchen and living room area appeared in our country not so long ago, but quickly gained popularity, and rightly so - because this approach allows you to expand the space and avoid unnecessary partitions and corridors.
The main principle in designing a classic kitchen-living room is to create the most light and light space, all areas of which are in harmony in style, color and shapes used. The most popular colors in decoration are shades of beige, caramel, warm gray and olive.
Classic kitchen sets are often a real decoration of the interior with carved facades, balustrades, multi-level shelves and beautifully shaped domed hoods. Manufacturers equip such kitchens with stylized household appliances, decorated with patterns and aged fittings that imitate bronze, metal or brass.
In a combined space, it is necessary to take care of the harmonious combination of the kitchen set and living room furniture, avoiding sharp contrasts and dissonance.
A kitchen island, bar counter, sofa backrest or low display case will help to separate the two zones. You can also use different floor coverings or even floor levels for separation - to do this, you need to raise the kitchen area, creating a podium. Also, thanks to the vast space in the design of the kitchen-living room, you can use columns or an arch that will help zone and decorate the room.
