A harmonious interior can be created not only by a professional designer: many people are naturally gifted with good taste, know how to create beautiful color compositions, and feel optimal proportions. There is nothing particularly difficult about learning to draw up and read drawings, because the basics of geometry are taught at school. All that remains is to understand where to start and in what order to move towards a given goal. In this article we will talk about the main points of designing a living space, and give the most successful examples of design in all rooms in the house.
Interior of the house inside: photo of a living room with a well-thought-out accent and its lighting
Your own designer
You can try to bring to life any fantasy regarding the design of rooms, but you should remember that it may not be possible due to lack of space. Therefore, the basis of any design, including interior design, is measurement.
All you need is an accurate house plan, which shows the actual dimensions of the rooms and ancillary premises, taking into account their architectural features. The plan can be drawn by hand or on a computer - as you wish. The drawing should be made on a specific scale (for example, 1:50), and the cardinal directions should also be indicated.
Interior of the rooms in the drawing
Next, you need to draw up a plan according to which certain stages of work will be carried out. In the language of professionals, it is called a technical specification. In it you can express all your wishes regarding the functionality of rooms or individual zones, their content and design style.
In general, there should be all the information that will help when working on the interior. In addition, you can select several photographs of design work that could be used as a sample. Thanks to them, you can imagine what kind of home will suit you best.
Here's what the interior design of a house might look like—photos of all the rooms:
Country house design: corridor with stairs
Living area: living room, dining room, kitchen
Room interior design: matrimonial bedroom
Children's room with sleeping and study areas
Kitchen with island layout
House interior design: photo of a bathroom located in the attic
Guest toilet design option
House inside: hall-entrance hall in a modern style
Interior construction
If a new house is being built, the layout of the premises is immediately worked out in such a way as the owner wishes to have it. But the interiors of old houses often need redevelopment. In a private house, no permits are required for this, but the problem still needs to be studied - especially when it is necessary to completely demolish the internal building envelope, or make a new opening in the external wall. With such questions, it is better to contact specialists who will assess the possibility of such alterations and develop a competent reinforcement project.
On the final version of the floor plan, you can already place furniture, the contours of which must be drawn on the same scale as the dimensions of the house. To see the interior of the house not just in plan, but in perspective, you can use one of the many specialized programs (for example, SketchUp or Sweet Home 3D), in which you can see how correct this or that decision with the selection of furniture turned out to be. This will make it more clear which finishing materials and accessories are best to choose.
A house whose interior was designed by a computer program
Having acquired a clear understanding of the functionality and ergonomics of the space, it’s time to proceed directly to the design - that is, decide on the style of interior design. When choosing finishing materials, accessories, decor, lighting fixtures, balance their shapes and textures with the size of the rooms, ceiling heights, and level of natural insolation. And having an idea of what exactly you need, it’s not difficult to form an approximate budget for purchases.
Note: You must mark the installation points for switches, sockets and lighting fixtures on your existing plan. Modern design practically cannot do without a combination of finishing materials, so you need to immediately determine the boundaries at which the transition will take place, as well as a way to make it beautiful by using decorative borders or moldings. Where the tiles will be installed, it is necessary to immediately determine the option for its layout.
Economy class interior
In order to create a soulful country interior, you can use the following rules:
- Using unnecessary things. You can make new upholstery for furniture, paint a table, combine new furniture with old. Decorate a simple closet using decoupage.
- You can buy things second hand cheaper on platforms or in discount stores.
- There is no need to skimp on the quality of finishing and then the house will look good with simple furniture.
- High-quality textiles will hide all imperfections; they can also be changed without significant damage to the budget.
- Give preference to plastic and artificial stone, paper wallpaper, artificial rattan and PVC film coating of facades, which imitates the texture of wood.
Secrets of successful design
Before talking about style, we would like to draw your attention to some important stages of interior design. Each room has its own, depending on its functionality.
Modern design of a private house: recreation area
Entrance area: vestibule, hallway or hall
If no one sees the interiors of the bedrooms except their inhabitants, then the rooms at the entrance are always visible. And if you consider that they most often do not have windows, then first of all you should take care of good artificial lighting.
The easiest way to do this is by installing a suspended ceiling with built-in lighting, but there are many other solutions: hanging group lamps on the ceiling, including on a busbar; installation of spots; lighting hidden behind the ceiling or floor plinth; use of wall sconces.
A lot of light, hanging mirrors installed opposite each other - as well as a reasonable amount of furniture - will create a feeling of spaciousness.
A minimum of furniture and a lot of light is the best solution
Rooms
Sometimes a visual increase in space may be needed in rooms. Unlike vestibules or narrow corridors, at least there are windows here. The larger the opening format, the more light and space there will be, but this can also be achieved with small windows.
- Of course, curtains will help with this. Refuse heavy and dense curtains in favor of translucent fabrics with tiebacks. If you need to protect yourself from the sun, a regular curtain can be combined with a roller blind or Roman blind.
- Or you don’t have to combine them: curtains up to the window sill can be self-sufficient if you choose a beautiful fabric for them, it’s interesting to line the slopes or decorate the window sill area with shaped panels. And by the way, a table, sofa or chairs installed by the window frees up space in the room for other, larger furniture or a zoning partition.
- The window sill area is usually the most inconspicuous in the interior, since this is where heating radiators are traditionally located. There are different ways to give this area an interesting appearance - from using decorative grilles to painting the battery itself. An excellent choice would be built-in furniture: a couch or tabletop on the windowsill, which will both decorate the room and make the interior original.
This could be the interior of a country house - in the photo there are real options for a convenient layout:
Home interior design with Roman blinds on small windows
Window sill-tabletop
Home interior with decorative grilles in the window sill area
The entire wall with the window is used functionally
Small bedroom with comfortable built-in furniture
Dressing room with adjoining bathroom
Most often, furniture is placed around the perimeter of the room, and the wall with the window is empty, which makes it impossible to perform functional zoning of a small space. However, a wall with a window can and should be used when building an interior, because along it you can install a shelving unit or a built-in wardrobe with a table, a couch or even a bed, and organize places to store all sorts of small items, seasonal shoes, and sports equipment.
Bathrooms
Despite the narrow specialization of this room, its interior design also needs to be thought through. And here, like in no other room, it is necessary to make competent zoning. This refers to a combined bathroom, which is found in almost all modern houses. Despite the presence of a separate toilet, the toilet is also installed in the bathroom, which is very convenient - after all, in the house these rooms can be located on different floors.
To make a combined bathroom functional, it is necessary to carry out constructive zoning. For this purpose, installations are created from sheet material mounted on a frame - sometimes DSP, but more often plasterboard. You can use them to make a screen under the bathtub, a niche with shelves for detergents, a countertop around the sink and a place for the washing machine. Well, then you can think about how to decorate it all beautifully: with tiles, mosaics, wood or even wallpaper.
In general, it’s better to see once:
Glossy stretch ceiling as a bathroom design element
Combination of different finishing materials on the walls
The attic is an ideal place to place a bathroom
Zoning the bathroom with partitions
Highlighting functional areas with color
Arrangement of a small house
The country interior of a small house can be cozy and functional if you select compact furniture and properly zoning the space.
- The kitchen can be organized in the corner of the living room using a corner unit, where all the condiments and organizers are attached to the wall.
- The bedroom can be combined with a living room, where there will be a sliding chair and a sofa book. Also, the bedroom can be on the veranda or attic. For children, a bunk bed or a loft bed on a closet is suitable.
To separate zones, a folding bar counter, a screen, or a rack are suitable.
The interior needs to be organized to suit your needs, for example, you can abandon the coffee table in favor of a rocking chair and vice versa.
In a small house you can organize stove heating or heating with a mobile radiator.
Color and geometric balance
Much, if not everything, depends on the choice of color - after all, it is not only aesthetics, but also our psychological comfort. There are, of course, generally accepted canons for choosing a palette for a particular room, but there are always people with individual taste who are ready to paint the walls black or install furniture in a poisonous shade. In fact, both can be present in the interior and even look harmonious - the main thing is in what quantity it is and what it is combined with.
Contrasts are always appropriate if it complements a neutral color
Many people love white, but it is also not as simple as it seems. It can be combined with almost any shade, but if it prevails and is not diluted with anything, you can get sterility, which does not lift your spirits, but creates the atmosphere of a hospital room. It's boring to say the least, and most people feel very uncomfortable in such rooms. All you need is a few spots of color, as shown in the photo below.
A black stripe in the flooring breaks the monotony of the white surroundings
Interior of a private house: bright furniture as a contrast
Just one large element on the wall - and the issue of harmonizing the white interior is resolved
Note: You can always diversify the interior, even if it is dominated by boring pastel colors, with the help of accessories, furniture with original upholstery, curtain fabrics and other textiles.
Here are some helpful tips for choosing and arranging shades:
- The overall color scheme depends on how often the inhabitants of the house stay in a particular room and what the nature of the decoration should be. Warm shades visually expand the space - but only on the condition that at least one wall is painted in a cool color. In the living room this is the TV area, in the bedroom it is the foot of the bed.
- Some shades of green (olive, pine, jade) will help make the interior elegant. Shades of burgundy (salmon, paprika), which combine perfectly with greenery, have the same effect.
A panel of a noble green shade against the background of paprika-colored walls
Interesting home design using warm and cool shades
Scandinavian fusion style: bright details on a neutral background
- Some rich colors, such as red, purple, orange, make a strong impression on those who look at the interior for the first time, but contemplating such combinations for a long time can be tiring. Therefore, never forget about a neutral background, which will not only emphasize the perception of the contrasting color, but also balance it.
- When selecting and combining finishing materials for ceilings and walls, many people somehow forget about the “secondary” color scheme - the floor covering. Most often it is neutral in color, but if desired, it can play the most active role in the interior. Only if attention is focused specifically on the floor, it should be the only contrast in a monochrome interior.
Note: This accent is often a beautiful rug, but it can also be a structural floor covering, often with an artistically executed mosaic or ornament.
This flooring option can only be played with furniture
When the floor is such a beautiful one, why do we need other accents?
The carpet is the main decoration of the room
- Accenting today is a key way to avoid monotony in the interior. Most often, for this purpose, one wall is decorated with a different color, with a different pattern or texture. It will certainly attract the eye, so for such decor you need to choose a wall or a fragment of it, which can be seen not only from the entrance, but also from any corner of the room.
- You can make accents not only by decorating walls or floors, but also by choosing an expressive shape and, again, with an unusual color scheme, a piece of furniture, a poster, or curtains. You need to try to make sure that the colors or patterns that appear in them are duplicated somewhere else. This will get rid of visual chaos and bring harmony to the interior.
Home interior design: bed textiles and curtains are made from the same fabric
The color and pattern of the cabinet is duplicated in the curtain fabric
The patterns on the fabrics, although different, are geometric throughout, and in the same color scheme
And of course, when purchasing furniture or any other interior item, it is important to correlate its proportions with the size of the room. You are guaranteed to feel cramped and uncomfortable if a small room is occupied by one huge bed, there is a huge closet, or a powerful chandelier hangs overhead. It’s the same with a large room, in which small objects will simply get lost. In general, the interior requires balance - and not only color, but also geometric.
Country interior straight from an artist's painting
This is exactly what a corner for rest and relaxation on the veranda of a dacha will look like if pieces of furniture, walls and window frames that have been around for a long time and have an unpresentable appearance are decorated in a single color combination.
- Bright spots that add color variety can be flowers in vases, bright pillows, or a homemade rug. This will help dilute the monochrome color palette of the room, which is often painted in boring, monotonous tones.
- Interiors decorated in this style are often reminiscent of Provence or the Mediterranean. And the illusion is created that in the distance you can see the expanse of the sea.
- Useful accessories in the form of clocks, shelves or baskets for needlework can be purchased in an online store, spending a small amount of money and time.
Candles
The founders of hygge, the Danes, light candles several times a week, and 28% - every day, thereby instantly immersing their home in an atmosphere of comfort and warmth. To make the interior look stylish, it is best to choose plain candles of a simple shape, collected in a group. This way they provide more light and are ideal for romantic and intimate meetings.
A cozy home is one where it is pleasant to return. It is comfortable to receive guests, study, engage in hobbies and relax. It is not necessary to spend a lot of money to turn an apartment into a stylish space - it is important that the apartment tells the best about the person living in it.
Textile
Curtains, tablecloths and rugs are the best way to add a lived-in feel to your space. Thanks to the flowing fabrics framing the window openings, the room seems to be dressed in comfort. Curtains must be chosen to match the decoration and furniture: it is better if they are several tones darker or lighter than the walls. If the room has wallpaper with patterns, give preference to curtains without patterns.
The use of carpets in the interior is again relevant: products in ethnic style in natural colors, as well as strict geometric patterns, look very stylish.
You can add coziness to your living room or bedroom with the help of an ordinary blanket casually thrown over the back of the sofa. This simple trick will add texture to a minimalist interior.
Materials
Excessive use of plastic and cheap film deprives the room of comfort. A room overloaded with gloss and mirrors ceases to seem homely. Get at least one item made from wood that is warm to the touch: furniture and decor made from textured wood never gets boring and brings a stable feeling of comfort to the interior. This could be a table, an antique chair or an ordinary shelf.
A course towards environmental friendliness
How amazing it smells in a house built of natural wood. Many people value their dachas for this reason, putting the environmental friendliness of the building first. And interior design can be done using natural materials. Massive wooden bases of sofas upholstered in natural fabrics, tables of various sizes and purposes, models of which are available on the website of the furniture online store, buffet groups and shelves on the walls will make up an interior with an environmental focus.
This design is characteristic of different styles based on the use of environmentally friendly materials: Austrian chalets, English and American country, Provence.
Books
A home library is another step towards creating comfort. If books are on an open shelf, they can be grouped in several ways:
- By color, when the bindings create a gradient or smoothly transition from one shade to another. You can also select a different color for each shelf.
- By size, from largest to smallest.
- Mixed with decorative elements, tilted or stacked.
- Bindings inside.
Paperback editions reduce the cost of the interior: it is better to provide them with a closed drawer or cabinet.
Aroma
Musty or stuffy air can ruin all efforts to make your apartment comfortable. The room must be ventilated and also supplemented with your favorite scents. You can use scented candles, sticks or sachets in the shape of pillows or petals. You can make a sachet yourself: from coffee beans, cinnamon, herbs and citrus fruits. Fresh flowers and mint planted on the windowsill emit a pleasant smell.
Order
A comfortable environment in the house largely depends on cleanliness. Scattered things make the interior untidy, even if a designer worked on it during the renovation. In order for the apartment to “breathe”, you need to wash the floors, get rid of greasy towels, clean the dirty carpet and wipe off the dust on the shelves. Also, don’t forget about plumbing and windows. To carry out general cleaning, it is better to involve all family members - things will go faster and more fun, and order will be appreciated by everyone.
Handmade
Things made by hand are at the peak of popularity today. Recycling of clothing, furniture and other materials that have served their purpose is increasingly valued. Objects in which the soul is invested have a special warmth. Before creating something new, you should look around and determine what the apartment is missing. Perhaps you are dreaming of an interesting headboard, or a new lamp, or maybe you want to decorate a wall? There are a huge number of master classes on the Internet for every taste.
Homemade furniture in the attic of the cottage
Usually, attics and attics in a country house are cluttered with a bunch of unnecessary things. When the owners come here for a short time, they do not have time to sort out all the accumulated junk. But there are wonderful places to set up a children's room or bedroom. The dimensions of these rooms do not always allow the use of furniture made in production, but it is quite possible to create it yourself.
A wide podium bed with drawers and numerous storage cabinets under the roof slopes, made from furniture panels, will be in tune with the wooden decoration of the room. Leaving the natural color of the wood or covering all wooden parts of furniture and wall cladding with acrylic paint, which will only emphasize the beauty of the texture of the lining, is a matter of taste.
Additional accessories: bed linen, bedspreads will be splashes of color into the overall color palette.
Tip #7: Use plants
Have you noticed how a room transforms when there is a beautiful bouquet in it? It’s somehow immediately fresh, joyful, cozy. But for most, such transformations in the interior happen on holidays, when flowers migrate into the house as a gift.
I love fresh flowers. They invigorate the room and create a fresh aroma. Therefore, I made it a rule to keep them at home all year round (you can read about how to choose flowers here). Nobody says that you need to buy huge gift bouquets. A couple of tulips, peonies or ordinary daisies - and the room becomes more comfortable.
Another option is indoor plants. They make the rooms look so homely and well-groomed. Choose pretty and fragrant plants: jasmine, narcissus, amaryllis, geranium, citrus fruits.
Lighting
Thoughtful light is the basis of a cozy interior. For a comfortable life, a single chandelier per room is not enough: when transforming a house, you should think through various lighting scenarios. For example, select several lamps for task lighting: above the kitchen countertop and above the desk. In the evening, it is better to use warm, dim light to help you get ready for sleep. We also recommend considering lighting for reading, home gatherings during dinner or during a holiday.
Wall decoration
Empty walls deprive the room of comfort: there is nothing to catch the eye and the room resembles a closed box. An accent wall with an active ornament or photo wallpaper is a decoration in itself, but plain surfaces require additional decor. For decoration, printed posters in a single theme, favorite photographs and paintings are suitable, which you can draw yourself or buy from young artists, supporting their creativity. In the modern world, it is easy to purchase a work by just browsing thematic websites: the painting you like will come from any corner of Russia.
You can approach the design of walls in a non-standard way. Use a collection of hats, plates, musical instruments or even old mobile phones. Plates, framed herbariums, mirrors and ceiling rosettes are suitable - the choice is unlimited.
Pillows
Comfort is unthinkable without pillows: even looking at them evokes a feeling of warmth and softness. Just lay out the pillows on the sofa or bed - and the decor will sparkle with new colors. At the same time, it is not necessary to buy new copies every time you want a change: it is enough to choose replaceable pillowcases that are easy to care for. Today, the choice of prints is huge, and if you wish, you can order a pillowcase with your own picture. If the pillow will be used not only as decoration, you should pay attention to the fabric - is it pleasant enough to the touch?
