Decorating a rectangular room: design characteristics and interior photos.

Features of rectangular rooms

A rectangular room is easy to zone, but there is a risk of turning it into a narrow corridor. To prevent this from happening, follow these rules:

• Move the walls apart using light shades, mirrors, and other techniques.
• Think through the layout carefully: don’t place all the furniture and appliances along the long walls.
• Give up partitions for zoning in favor of a play of color and light.
• Pay attention to the floor; a podium is a great option for a rectangle.
• Use a minimum of furniture, leaving plenty of free space.
• Make sure there is adequate lighting — a central chandelier will not be enough.

Recommendations for layout and zoning

We have already noted above that placing furniture along the walls will aggravate the problem of incorrect geometry, so the layout of an elongated room needs to be thought out in advance. Massive furniture across will visually expand the space, using the central place will also create a feeling of spaciousness.

Tip: Do not forget about ergonomics: so that the room does not look cluttered and it is comfortable to walk, the width of the passage should be 70-80 cm.

Zoning is a good design solution. The number of functional zones and their division depends on the intended functionality and size of each individual room. A rectangular living room can combine recreation, work and dining areas. Rectangular bedroom — a work and sleeping place.

In the photo, zoning in the bedroom-living room is done with a rack

In large spaces, partitions are suitable, but it is advisable to choose translucent models. Screens have their drawbacks: do not place more than one in a room, so that the room does not become a labyrinth.

Furniture is often used as a physical divider of zones: a sofa, a shelving unit, a console. If this option suits your case, implement it.

Visual ideas for a rectangular room: different levels or materials on the floor, separate lighting in each zone, unique wall decoration or furniture colors.

A podium is a great solution that will make a rectangular room more square. You can install almost any zone on it: a bed in the bedroom, a sofa corner in the living room, a desk or a dining table.

Choosing the right color scheme

Since rectangular spaces differ not only in size, but also in aspect ratio, the choice of color scheme is individual for each case.

• Small rooms become visually larger in light colors of decoration and furniture. Add bright and dark contrasting accents in moderation, in small objects.
• The lucky owners of spacious apartments have no restrictions in choosing colors – proceed from personal preferences and the chosen style.
• Narrow oblong rooms need to be made wider – to do this, paint the long walls light, and the short ones – deep dark.
• In sunny southern apartments, use cold tones: blue, turquoise, lilac. Spaces with windows facing north will be decorated with warm yellow, orange, beige shades.

The photo shows a living room in gray tones

What to consider when renovating?

• Ceiling. A standard ceiling (up to 3 meters) should not be made darker than the walls, otherwise it will be oppressive. Classic white is the best color, but do not leave it without decor. Molding shapes, perpendicular stripes or ceiling rosettes can help correct the geometry. A stretch ceiling made of glossy fabric will enlarge a small room. A matte one will decorate a large one.
• Walls. We have already discussed the color palette of the long and short sides, let’s decide on the finishing materials. Photo wallpaper with perspective really makes the space wider, as do horizontal stripes. Vertical lines will “raise” the ceiling if necessary. In large rooms, feel free to use large drawings and macro images, in tiny rooms – wallpaper with a small pattern and a scale of 1:1.
• Floor. The classic technique for pushing boundaries is the transverse arrangement of the floor covering. For zoning, combine 2 different shades or materials, for example, tiles in the kitchen work area and laminate in the dining room. A rug thrown along a short wall will also decorate the room.

Arrangement rules furniture

Furniture in a rectangular room serves the same purpose: to approximate the shape of a square.

The simplest arrangement scheme is to choose one central element and form the room around it. Coffee table in the living room, dining table in the kitchen, bed in the bedroom.

The photo shows an example of furniture arrangement in a rectangular bedroom

Another rule for choosing furniture is to use two short pieces of furniture instead of one long one. Or a tall one instead of a wide one. This means that a full-length wall should be replaced with a pair of elegant cabinets. Instead of a 3-meter sofa, choose 2 by 1.5 meters.

The most suitable layout for a rectangular room is asymmetrical. Do not group furniture in one place, distribute it evenly around the room.

Making competent lighting

One lamp in the center looks sad and does not cope with its task: it is dark in the far corners even with the brightest bulb.

Competent lighting of a rectangular room consists of placing independent sources in each zone. When dining in the kitchen, you leave only the pendant above the table on, turning off the spotlights of the set. Common options for a modern interior of a rectangular room:

• Spotlights. Conveniently installed in stretch and suspended ceilings. Suitable for the recreation area in the living room, work area in the kitchen, hallway and bathroom.
• Hanging pendants. Placed above the bar counter, tables, bed.
• Sconces. Hang on the sides of upholstered furniture.
• Table lamps. For bedside tables and desks.
• Floor lamps. Placed near the sofa and armchairs, next to the bed.

The photo shows the embodiment of the bright fusion style

The nuances of arrangement by rooms

We have already found out that any spaces in the apartment can have a rectangular shape – we suggest figuring out how best to decorate each of them.

Design of a rectangular living room

A rectangular living room is the best fit for zoning. It can be combined:

• with a dining room, installing a dining table with a sofa or chairs;
• with a bedroom in a studio, placing the bed behind the partition;
• with an office, equipping a comfortable workplace.

Whatever additional furniture you place, avoid symmetry: it emphasizes the irregular shape of the hall. An asymmetrical layout in a rectangular living room looks more attractive.

The photo shows a rectangular hall with a balcony door

Furniture based on the principle of “sofa along one wall, wardrobe along the other” is used only if these walls are short. For this, the window should be on the elongated side.

If the window opening occupies a narrow wall, it is preferable to arrange the furniture perpendicularly, occupying the central part.

Design of a rectangular bathroom

In a rectangular bathroom, change the horizontals to verticals:

• a high shower cabin instead of a wide bowl;
• laying tiles with the short side parallel to the floor instead of the walls;
• pencil cases instead of low cabinets.

If you don’t want to change the bathtub for a shower, install it along the short wall, and the sink and toilet in the remaining part of the room. Another option is a bathroom along the long side, but with high partitions.

The photo shows a rectangular bathroom with a shower cabin

In small spaces, choose clear rectangular shapes; rounded ones interfere with the rational use of space.

By using a minimum of items, you also free up space and improve the appearance of the toilet. For example, instead of a freestanding sink and cabinet, build the washbasin into the countertop or hang it above it.

The photo shows an option for expanding the space using mirrors

Design of a rectangular children’s room

In a children’s room, it is necessary to find a useful use for the window and correctly arrange the sleeping area.

Most often, a tabletop for study and creativity is placed on the windowsill, and a frame of shelves is made around it. Regular blinds will have to be replaced with Roman or roller blinds.

The photo shows a children’s room for two children

Furniture in 2 rows is not suitable, we change it to U- or L-shaped. We place the bed with its end facing the table on the windowsill, and in the opposite corner we attach a Swedish wall. If the rectangular room is really tiny, a two-story group will save the day: a table and a place for games below, a cozy bed above.

Don’t limit yourself in decorating the space for the child: a round carpet is suitable for games and edits the geometry, bright decorative photo wallpaper or a picture on the narrow side attract attention and look great.

Rectangular bedroom design

A wide bed is a great buffer that will prevent the bedroom from looking like a corridor. However, you shouldn’t get carried away with the longitudinal arrangement of wardrobes and chests of drawers.

If only one zone is planned in the bedroom, the bed is placed in the center of the room, providing convenient approaches.

If necessary, the work area is placed by the window – for this you can use the windowsill or put a separate table. A dressing table for the girl is also placed here.

A tall wardrobe will do as a storage system, if the layout allows it – place it to the right or left of the door along a narrow partition.

Rectangular kitchen

The easiest way to zone a rectangular kitchen is to place a kitchen set and a table with chairs. The design of the kitchen structure in this form can be different. From the classic linear placement of the work area, to a convenient corner and spacious U-shaped. In a room with an attached balcony, a place for rest or eating is taken out onto it.