Of course, you need to start arranging your living room with the sofa. Its size, shape and color depend not only on your taste, but also on the size of the living room, the height of the ceilings, the size and number of windows and, of course, the overall concept of the space. That is, in general, from everything you think about when imagining the ideal living room.
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We cannot give unambiguous advice on choosing a sofa, but we draw your attention to a fashion trend: furniture sets are a thing of the past, giving way to items of different shapes and colors.
Coffee table
Low or tall, wide or narrow, made of natural wood or clear glass with a forged base. The functionality of such an item is important, but not required. The impressive appearance of the coffee table trumps its practicality.
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True, it is still necessary to combine such a table with other pieces of furniture in the living room.
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Ideas for shelves at home
There are many different options for shelves - removable, fixed, wall-mounted, floor-mounted, corner, etc. They can have a practical or decorative purpose. From a practical point of view, the shelves should be spacious and withstand heavy loads. Usually these are shelves for books, shelves for CDs, shelves for TV, shelves for kitchen utensils, etc.
They can have an open, closed or glazed design. Recently, a lot of shelves of unusual shapes have appeared; they are usually made of plastic and are distinguished by curved, crooked, fancy lines; they can imitate a wave, have arbitrary bends, have the shape of a circle, a rhombus or other shapes. Such shelves not only create functional horizontal planes, but also allow you to decorate the room, giving it some zest.
Carpet
We told you how to properly place a rug in a living room, meaning that it should decorate the floor in this room. The offensive name “dust collector” was invented for the carpet by those who are too lazy to clean it regularly. Yes, we insist that this item is a must for a proper living room. And not only as a decorative element. Using a rug, you can soften the brightness of accents, balance out asymmetrical furniture arrangements, and even narrow or expand the boundaries of the room.
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A rug can even take on the brunt of the visual load—and carry it well while you experiment with furnishings and decor.
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Upholstered furniture in the living room
A soft sofa and armchairs are integral attributes of the living room. The market offers different sofa designs - straight, corner and island. Armchairs are selected either to match the sofa or contrast to it.
Upholstered furniture always plays one of the main roles in the interior of the living room
A popular combination is black and white furniture.
The combination of black and white colors in the design of the sofa looks unusual
Manufacturing materials and upholstery are very diverse. It all depends on your taste and the chosen interior style.
The colors of the sofa and armchairs can be contrasting
The arrangement of upholstered furniture is carried out taking into account two rules. The first is the presence of a TV or projector. Second, the sofa (or sofas) are placed in such a way as to ensure maximum comfortable viewing. The rest of the composition is built from this base. In this case, you need to take into account the size and shape of the room. This is true for cases with one and two sofas.
Sofas and armchairs are usually placed opposite the TV
Floor lamps and lamps
Lighting in the living room is no less important than the furniture and carpet. And it is very important to provide as many light sources as possible here. The main chandelier, ceiling spotlights, floor lamps and lamps, sconces and candles - all this is appropriate and in demand in the living room every day.
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A tall floor lamp with a curved leg has been at the peak of fashion for several years. Retro models and modern options look equally good in a living room of almost any style.
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Top 5 options for fashionable walls
If you still adhere to traditions and decide to opt for a furniture wall, choose the most stylish and functional model. We offer your choice of the top 5 popular furniture options:
- Modular wall . The most popular in their category, because they excel in ease of installation and ease of use. In addition, the composition contains everything you need: a wardrobe, shelves, niches, a chest of drawers, cabinets, a buffet, and sometimes a mini-bar.
- Slide wall . Represents a wider segment of cabinet furniture. In essence, it is a complex made up of individual elements. It may include: a wardrobe, shelves, a cabinet, racks, chests of drawers. Unlike a full-fledged furniture wall, the slide is smaller in size and often does not occupy the entire space along the wall.
- Mini wall . It is a compact version of a conventional wall. Includes the most necessary elements: a shelf or TV stand, several more hanging shelves, a cabinet or chest of drawers and sometimes a pencil case.
- Built-in wall . It is just as in demand as a built-in wardrobe, but unlike it it is not so closed, it has transparent doors or completely open shelves.
- Classic wall . This is a traditional version of furniture walls that are still popular today. The set includes a main wardrobe, mezzanine, bar, TV compartment. The furniture looks antique, has beautiful and textured facades, curly legs and beautiful decor. Most often, such walls are made in dark or light brown shades.
Paintings, panels or photos
One large canvas or several small ones, a collage of photographs and even thematic posters are an excellent decoration for the walls in the living room. It should be taken into account that such decor looks good on plain walls in a contrasting shade.
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An interesting art or abstract installation is a great alternative to a photo gallery or painting. The plot is optional. The main thing is to choose a suitable palette and carefully fit the installation into the main colors of the interior.
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Color solutions for the hall
The main color of the decoration of the room in the apartment depends on its area and the orientation of the room to the cardinal points.
- For southern rooms it is better to choose cool, light colors. It could be: pastel pistachio, turquoise or blue.
- For the north side, warm shades are suitable, but not dark ones. For example, light yellow, beige or pink. Bright accents of red or orange would be appropriate here, replacing the sun.
- For rooms with windows facing west, you should choose cool and cozy colors: pink, beige or a combination of gray with colored elements.
- For the eastern side, it is better to choose bright but light colors: turquoise, lemon, cream, pink. Dark colors in the afternoon will make the room too gloomy.
The tone is also chosen depending on the area of the room. Light colors and glossy surfaces are suitable for small rooms; they visually expand the room. Combinations of different tones of the same color also increase space. For example, neutral beige color goes well with any shades of the yellow-orange spectrum.
A large space needs to be zoned and made more comfortable. To do this, several colors and textures are used simultaneously. In a large room, contrasting combinations that will create dynamics, for example, white with red or purple with gray, will look advantageous.
Books
A good library will never be out of place in the living room of a creative person. Books will highlight your deep inner world and desire to understand the universe and yourself. The placement of these treasures depends on the style in which the living room is decorated and on your imagination.
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Open shelves will make using the library more convenient and display dozens of old volumes in all their splendor. True, you will have to wipe the dust more often and take care that the bright rays of the sun do not fall on the book covers.
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Accent - on the wall
Modern designers say that today the trend is to decorate an accent wall. This could be an option with bright wallpaper on one of the walls, while the rest are draped in a more subdued tone. Or they order photo wallpaper for one of the walls with a view of a night city or a landscape or a marine motif.
It is not necessary to focus on any color or photo wallpaper. You can pave this wall with imitation brickwork in the loft style or place a 3D image with perspective on it.
Curtains
Perhaps the windows in your living room are not large enough to block the natural light from entering the room with curtains. Nevertheless, it is advisable to decorate the windows with textiles. This will immediately make the space much more comfortable and harmonious.
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Buy two or three sets of curtains in different shades and change them once a season. Such a simple technique will radically change the appearance of the living room and even affect the perception of other objects in the interior.
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How to decorate windows
Curtains create coziness in a room, complement the style of the interior, and make the room look more noble. Therefore, the choice of curtains for the hall should be taken seriously.
If the room is small, it is advisable to hang light linen curtains to match the overall color scheme. Be sure to choose a beautiful curtain. It can be soft vanilla, milky or white, or a tone lighter than the color of the curtains. This will visually expand the space.
Often, owners of houses or apartments give preference to vertical blinds and Roman blinds when decorating living room window openings. It is very modern and looks great in modern, country, eclectic and even classic styles.
Some designers advise decorating the windows of the hall with roller blinds. These structures are attached directly to the frame, and the mechanism allows you to open and fix the canvas at any level so as to let the right amount of light into the room. Such curtains should be complemented with thick curtains or curtains made from natural materials.
Flower
There's no need to turn your living room into a greenhouse, even if you're an avid plant lover. But one large flower should decorate the interior and fill the empty space in one of the corners that you don’t want to take up with decor.
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Be sure to leave access to the plant to spray and water it regularly. As a rule, the air in the living room is dry, which has a detrimental effect on flowers, not to mention your well-being. Carefully monitor the condition of the plant’s leaves - such a “live indicator” will promptly signal you about the need to humidify the air.
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Poof
This chocolate Ottoman style ottoman features a removable tufted top and vinyl leather. An ideal option for modern living room furniture. Also, as an alternative, you can consider: soft ottomans, benches and stools. Styles: rectangular, square, round. Fabrics: cotton, linen, leather, microfiber, silk, velvet, wool. Keep in mind when purchasing: storage options, portability, stain resistance, durability.
Accessories
Yes, accessories in the living room are also necessary, but it is important to choose them very carefully, without overwhelming the entire room with them. It is better to put two or three beautiful and stylish vases than to fill a room with dozens of figurines of different styles, collections and times.
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Ethnic decorative elements are very popular in many modern living rooms, even if it seems to you that stylistically they do not fit into the decor. Just mentally try on one such accessory for an already created interior and find a suitable place for it. And this item will be the finishing touch that logically completes our list of must-have items for the living room.
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There is never too much light
When choosing the type of lighting for the hall, you should give preference to built-in lamps along the perimeter of the ceiling. It is advisable to place a beautiful chandelier or a compact lamp-shade in the center. It is worth highlighting recreation areas - a place near the sofa, as well as the living room workspace, decor. That’s why it’s so important to purchase a couple more sconces and floor lamps for the hall.
