Preparing to renovate the living room
Having planned the renovation of the hall, you should carry out preliminary work to clean all surfaces of used coatings and finishing materials.
Every effort must be made to ensure that the old paint, plaster, wallpaper, linoleum, and carpet are completely removed, otherwise the new coating may come off and crumble.
Tip: After freeing the walls from the old coating, you should think about laying new electrical wiring directions if there is a need to install a new outlet or switch. The cutting, cable laying and sealing of the channel is carried out.
Next, in order for the new coating to adhere very firmly to the surfaces, the walls should be primed. The primer guarantees excellent adhesion to the finishing material. And if the surface previously had defects, you will have to hide the detected defects with putty before priming.
In conclusion
When planning a renovation in the living room, especially if it is a major one, it is important to imagine in advance as clearly and in detail as possible what the end result should be. The sequence of work and the final result depend on this, and the completed project will help to avoid many mistakes in choosing furniture, lighting schemes, etc. By the way, it is important to soberly assess your capabilities and determine which jobs can be done independently and which are better to entrust to professionals. Following the plan, choosing high-quality materials for repairs and conscientiously performing all the work is the guarantee that a major renovation of the living room will not be needed for a long time.
The article was written for the site.
Tags: Living room, Preparing for room renovation
Selecting the type of finish
First of all, you should decide on the color that has a decisive influence on the perception of the renovated room. In addition, color will help correct interior imperfections, divide the room into functional zones, visually expand the walls and raise the ceiling.
Tip: Don’t skimp on wallpaper; choose only the highest quality samples. Cheap wallpapers look appropriate on the walls, while expensive designer wallpapers will give the room a special mood.
How to combine colors?
If unification is necessary and now the kitchen-living room after renovation will have to represent a single space, then it is important to correctly approach the combination of colors. The combination of white and brown, or rather even with a chocolate tint, looks interesting. These colors are ideal for the Provence style, to which you should add only lavender notes.
More contrasting color schemes include combinations of white and black. This combination is risky for a small space, since with a predominant presence of black, the living room can turn out gloomy. In addition, do not forget that black will further reduce the already small space.
But, if such a combination is still a priority, then you should be puzzled by the appearance of bright accents in the living room, and they can be posters on the wall, pillows, vases and much more. Preference should be given to regular shapes that have a geometric component.
Types of Wallpaper
- The most popular option is paper wallpaper. It is easy to work with, the result lives up to expectations if you choose a beautiful color. Paper wallpaper is glued very simply, using store-bought or homemade glue. The downside is fading. After a few years, the difference will be noticeable if the pasted wallpaper is compared with a spare roll.
- For rooms where children play pranks or pets play, it is better to choose anti-vandal wallpaper made of durable material.
- Silk wallpaper looks very dignified on the walls, reminiscent of palace rooms and museum halls. Linen wallpaper will fill the atmosphere of the room with an indescribable aura of health, cleanliness and freshness, while velvet wallpaper will create a unique atmosphere of coziness and comfort.
- If perfect cleanliness in the room is important to you (for example, because you have allergies in the family), buy washable wallpaper, which can be returned to its original state in the simplest way, that is, by wiping with a damp sponge.
- Non-woven wallpaper will allow you to radically update the interior in the future without replacing the covering. This wallpaper can simply be repainted. By the way, craftsmen are very fond of this material because during installation the glue must be applied not to a sheet of wallpaper, but to the wall, which greatly simplifies the process.
- Pay attention to such an interesting finishing material as liquid wallpaper. Construction stores offer dozens of types of dry mixtures, which are prepared for application by simply soaking in water. The composition of liquid wallpaper can include natural and artificial fibers, cellulose, sand, marble and granite chips, glitter, tinsel. The finished coating looks great and creates a feeling of warmth.
Tip: With the help of liquid wallpaper you will greatly simplify the task of decorating the room.
- Firstly, all surface defects will go under the material.
- Secondly, there is no need to make cutouts for switches and sockets.
- Thirdly, if in the future some piece of wallpaper turns out to be damaged, restoration is carried out simply and quickly - by cutting out the unnecessary part with a sharp knife, followed by filling the gap with a prepared composition of liquid wallpaper of the same color.
Psychological aspect of design
The influence of the appearance of a room and its interior design greatly influences a person, like music, it sets a particular mood. Sometimes the most insignificant detail at first glance can make you sad or melancholy, or, on the contrary, cheer you up. That is why it is important to know what is acceptable in the interior of the living room and what is not.
The times when home owners were guided solely by pragmatic considerations when arranging their homes are long gone. Today, the psychological aspect of room design comes first, because everyone wants their stay in the apartment to be comfortable.
The most popular and well-known criterion for choosing an interior is that the design of a single room or an entire apartment reflects the owner’s lifestyle, his habits and tastes. This fact is a component of the atmosphere of harmony and comfort. For example, if you are a calm, balanced person, not prone to excessive emotionality, then bright colors and daring accessories are of no use to you.
Other types of wall decoration
The walls in the hall can not only be covered with plaster and paint, but also covered with panels.
Panels you can use:
- Tiled;
- Rack and pinion;
- Leafy.
Regarding slabs made of natural or artificial stone, we can say that this is the most original finishing option that gives an excellent result.
Using tiles, the surface can also be styled to resemble brickwork and natural stone. Relief in combination with flat panels or wallpaper looks extremely impressive.
Lighting
The last interesting point concerns the lighting of the room. All rooms should have a background light source that will evenly illuminate the entire room, or a separate area of it.
A chandelier or a ceiling lamp is ideal for these tasks - the traditional option.
There is also a more recent solution - a ceiling structure with lighting points. This option is ideal for zoning and uniform lighting of the entire room.
At the same time, ceiling structures have one important feature - all communication lines, including electrical ones, can be hidden under them.
That is why such structures are now increasingly used, and it is not necessary to use a suspended ceiling.
Floor
The overall result depends on the choice of flooring. A cheap coating can ruin all your efforts. On the contrary, an expensive-looking floor will greatly enhance the impression.
Typically, carpet, parquet, and laminate are used as flooring for the hall. Each of these materials is unique in its own way, has both outstanding advantages and some disadvantages that you need to know about in advance.
Subtleties, nuances, sequence of construction work using various types of material
Renovating a hall is a long and hard job, which has its own nuances. Before starting work in the hall, it is necessary to replace the doors and windows. Installing doorways is quite easy to do with your own hands. After dismantling the old doors, the opening should be measured so that it matches the future door frame. Having installed the box, attach the hinges to it and to the door. Then the door is mounted and the fittings are cut into it.
Below are some repair tips:
- Ceiling. It can be treated with wallpaper, paint, polystyrene foam tiles, plasterboard, and tension PVC material.
The most economical, simple and accessible way to make a living room for any beginner is to cover the ceiling with wallpaper. This method allows you to realize various creative ideas by combining colors or using plain wallpaper.
The easiest budget option is painting. Usually painted with water-based paint.
Expanded polystyrene tiles give a well-maintained ceiling appearance with elegant charm.
All three of these options require careful surface preparation before processing. Removing old plaster and removing other debris are the first two stages in which the repair of the ceiling in the hall begins. If your choice fell on painting or pasting, then the cracks in the clean ceiling should be filled with putty. After complete drying, apply primer. Only then glue wallpaper, paint or attach foam tiles.
Making renovations in a room with suspended or suspended ceilings does not require thorough cleaning of the area. But, if you can make suspended ceilings from plasterboard with your own hands, then for suspended ceilings you will need the help of a specialist.
On a note! Suspended plasterboard or suspended ceilings must be lowered from the first stage of repair to the last.
- Walls. A beautiful hall renovation largely depends on the decoration of the walls. Like the ceiling, the walls can be covered with wallpaper, painted, and covered with decorative stone or treated with plaster. It is better to cover particularly uneven surfaces with plasterboard sheets or PVC panels.
- Floor. Regardless of what floor you choose for the room, before laying it, you need to screed it. Screed is a cement layer that levels the surface for further high-quality installation of the floor covering.
You can cover the floor with the following materials:
- Cork floor. This type has environmental properties, soundproofing and warm qualities.
- Parquet. Ideal appearance, wear resistance, strength, easy installation, simple maintenance - all this is about parquet
- Laminate. Externally similar to parquet. It has the same chic appearance, but requires especially careful care and does not tolerate moisture. By the way, renovations in the hall with this method of floor covering are just right; it’s better not to use laminate in the kitchen.
- Linoleum. The variety of colors of modern linoleums, imitating the same parquet, will decorate your room for the better.
- Carpet.
- Nowadays, “warm floor” is popular. Its installation requires the hands of specialists, so it is better not to do it yourself if you are not an electrician.
Modern renovation of a hall should always start with the design of the project. Next, decide on the choice of material, its purchase and your capabilities. In addition to material and furniture, you will also need to purchase equipment and tools for construction work. The stages of rough and fine finishing of a room depend on the same project, so it is not necessary to strictly follow the proposed list. Stock up on free time, patience and the result should please you!
Window
When planning a large-scale renovation, you cannot ignore the issue of window opening design. Homeowners have the following available options:
- If there are old wooden frames on the window, it is time to think about installing plastic windows. The work is noisy and dusty, so reinstallation is usually carried out for repairs.
- You can fix a cornice above the window opening on which to hang a tulle curtain and curtain, or a translucent curtain. Depending on the style used to decorate the room, the window can be curtained with thick, heavy curtains up to the floor, or with colorful curtains below the window sill.
- A good option is to abandon the cornice altogether, preferring blinds or roller blinds. Blind leaves can be made of thin, lightweight metal or fabric. The blinds open both horizontally and vertically.
Redevelopment
Since we are talking about a large-scale renovation of the hall, perhaps we should consider expanding the room towards the balcony.
Glazing and insulating the balcony with the subsequent demolition of the partition allows you to get 3-4 additional square meters of usable area.
- You can also create a completely new space by combining the living room with the kitchen.
- Some might think that this will release all the kitchen aromas into the room, but this can be completely compensated for with the help of a powerful hood.
- But you get a huge multifunctional volume with completely new capabilities.
Advice: when it comes to redevelopment, you need to involve specialists and obtain permission. Never rush to tear down a wall without knowing its purpose. Demolition of a load-bearing wall can cause a real disaster in the entire entrance.
Design options: original ideas
Ideas for renovating a hall in the appropriate style come from the size of the room, the preferences of the owners and the amount of money for repairs. You can decorate the living room in a classic style, rococo, minimalism, hi-tech, loft, constructivism, eco, oriental style, avant-garde, techno, empire, Provence and others. In order to make high-quality renovations in the hall with your own hands, photos and ideas of some of the listed styles are provided for your consideration.
Classic is always in fashion, so many families prefer to have their living room in this style. Wood, stone and textiles are the main components of this direction.
Avant-garde is a completely opposite style to the classical one. “Combination of the incongruous” is a brief description of this direction. People with creative positions and extraordinary solutions can decorate their hall in this style. Here it is logical to use different colors, combine wood with plastic, etc. In order to renovate apartments in this design, the photo of the hall with the avant-garde should be examined more closely.
If you want to see your room in strict and laconic lines, then design it in a high-tech style. Solid colors, no scattered unnecessary items or decor. Plastic furniture and metal fragments on it are all evidence of high-tech.
Eco is a modern style of room decoration. The hall is treated only with natural, environmentally friendly items and furniture. The decoration is made of natural greenery and flowers.
Art Nouveau involves the use of a lot of wood. Wooden furniture and wooden elements in decor. Patterns in the form of plants, flowers, openwork images, installation of stained glass windows are a complement to this style. The color scheme is in restrained tones of any shade, but no flashiness or brightness.
Provence carries a feeling of lightness and French comfort. Renovating the hall in an apartment in the Provence style means decorating the walls, ceiling and floor in pastel colors, purchasing light furniture and filling the room with porcelain figurines, ceramics, and ruffled fabric.
A small living room is not a problem. It can be visually enlarged by decorating it in high-tech, Provence, minimalism and eco style. There is no need to clutter the room with furniture and a large number of decorative elements. Photos of the hall after a small renovation are presented below.
