Ideas for decorating the interior of the living room in your private home.

Design Features

Since the living room plays several functions in the house, it is important to organize the space correctly. Below I will tell you the main nuances that you should remember when decorating the interior yourself.

• When creating a future living room project, you should decide on the semantic center of the room in advance. For example, for those who prefer to spend the evening watching TV, the main elements will be a home theater and a sofa with armchairs.
• To prevent the interior from seeming boring, think over the main “feature” in advance. This can be decorative finishing of the wall around the TV, an unusual accent wall or original decor from your next trip. All this will help create a cozy atmosphere in your home and show the depth of your personality.
• Use various design tricks to correct the shortcomings. For example, a small living room can be combined with a kitchen, and if you like light and space, then organize a second light in the house.
• Comfort and coziness in this room come first. Therefore, give preference to ergonomic furniture, but without compromising the chosen style of the entire house.
• No less important is the competent organization of lighting, which affects the atmosphere in the room. Large windows in a private house provide a sufficient amount of natural light. If installation of panoramic windows is impossible, it is necessary to equip the room with additional light sources.

Layout and zoning

A square room with the same length and width is best suited for a living room. A room of this configuration allows you to highlight functional zones using any partitions.

For a hall in a private house, an area of 50 m2 will be ideal. You should think in advance about how many window openings will be located in the room. To provide good natural light, the room should have two or three windows.

The photo shows zoning with a bar counter in a combined living room.

• Place a sofa to mark the relaxation area, and add even more coziness with a rug.
• To expand the space, it is better to combine the living room with the kitchen. In the cooking area, you can finish the floor with porcelain tiles, and lay laminate in other areas. This way you will get a practical and cozy interior with fully-fledged allocated zones.
• Use a compact bar counter to delimit the space – it takes up a minimum of space and looks modern.

In the interior of a large living room, it is important to correctly perform zoning and highlight several separate areas. Functional segments can be purely individual, depending on the specific preferences of the family. However, there are universal zones in the form of a place for watching TV, a fireplace area and a fireplace, an entertainment area, as well as a corner suitable for relaxing or reading.

The most common zoning is the one that does not require complex redevelopment and significant changes in the renovation. You can highlight areas using contrasting colors, light, finishing materials, decorative wall decoration, arches, mobile screens, furniture, or different ceiling or floor levels. For example, in the interior of a hall combined with a kitchen, the work area for cooking is placed on a podium or separated by a bar counter, shelving, sofa, dining table or glass partition.

An excellent solution would be to separate the space with lighting, the recreation area can be equipped with devices with a subdued light flow, and more intense and powerful light sources can be installed in another part of the room.

The photo shows the layout of a small living room with a bay window in the interior of a private house.

Finishing options

Before choosing materials for finishing the living room, keep in mind the main rule: a stylish and practical design should not stand out from the overall style of the house. Below I will separately consider the walls, floor and ceiling, and also give recommendations on the choice of materials.

The walls in the living room are usually covered with wallpaper. Any materials will do (paper, vinyl or even liquid). You will easily find both budget options and luxurious canvases. Do not hesitate to combine wallpaper or even materials. For example, you can decorate the wall around the TV with wallpaper with an original print, and cover the other walls with plain wallpaper or paint them.

Wooden or plastic panels are appropriate for the hall. And more non-standard materials with leather, fabric or mirror texture are suitable for creating accents. Stonework is quite popular in decoration. Use natural rocks, porcelain stoneware or tiles with imitation stone. Bamboo and reed panels or cork covering are used as original and exotic cladding.

You can achieve a beautiful relief texture with the help of decorative plaster. Thanks to this finishing material, uniform patterns or plot illustrations are created on the walls, giving the atmosphere extravagance and uniqueness.

To create a neat and stylish design of the living room, the floor is covered with parquet made of natural wood. And for a more budget-friendly finish, use laminate with imitation of valuable wood species.

If you decide to use heated floors, it is better to use ceramic tiles or porcelain tiles. You can also finish the floor with carpet – it looks quite budget-friendly and neat. But if you have pets, I do not recommend this type of flooring.

The photo shows a guest room with a floor laid with ceramic tiles under marble.

Nowadays, more and more designers, and even builders themselves, offer to use self-leveling floors. Suitable for more modern styles. It looks laconic and is quite easy to install and clean. If you prefer an eco-style, then consider a cork floor – an aesthetic and environmentally friendly option.

The most popular option for finishing the ceiling in the living room is stretch systems. They fit perfectly into any style and are inexpensive. Since cottages usually have high ceilings, you have a huge number of opportunities to create an intricate multi-level design.

Also, the ceiling in the house is covered with plasterboard and then painted. But this option will cost more. However, you will be able to implement any design solutions on the ceiling and play up the shortcomings in the living room interior.

The photo shows a white stretch ceiling with beams and walls finished with decorative brick.

For a house in a classic style, decorative baseboards and various moldings are used as ceiling decor. Photo printing is becoming a thing of the past, so I advise you to abandon this solution.

Decorative or real wooden beams, which will echo other interior items made of natural materials in color and texture, will be a harmonious addition to the interior of a country house.

Recommendations for choosing furniture

Usually, a fireplace or a TV are chosen as the central elements in the interior of the hall. Depending on their location, you need to correctly arrange the furniture in the room.

A sofa for the living room is selected taking into account the convenience and style of the entire house. The size of the model should correspond to the number of people living in the house. A spacious hall can be supplemented with a corner model with an ottoman or a furniture set with two sofas.

A sofa equipped with a minibar is suitable for a spacious guest room. And for a large family, add cozy armchairs to make your evening rest as comfortable as possible.

Next to the sofa in the recreation area, do not forget to install a regular or multifunctional folding table. The material should match the style of the surrounding interior, and the size should take into account the needs of the whole family.

The photo shows a living room in a Mediterranean-style house, decorated with wicker upholstered furniture.

Put different storage systems in the living room, but when choosing, consider the number of things and the overall design concept. Modern interiors are best furnished with compact shelving units and built-in wardrobes that are quite spacious.

How to organize lighting?

Install central lighting in the hall and complement it with local light sources in the form of small wall sconces, floor lamps, table lamps or spotlights.

A large room can be decorated with exquisite chandelier, and highlight the fireplace area with symmetrical sconces or a floor lamp with a subdued light flow.

The choice of lighting fixtures depends primarily on the style – for the Scandinavian style, use simple and lightweight forms, and for the classic style, luxurious chandeliers with contour lighting are suitable. In a modern living room, chandeliers of unusual shape in industrial style or lamps with adjustable lighting levels and colors will be appropriate.

The photo shows the lighting design of a spacious living room in the interior of a country house.

In a private house, the technique with a second light is relevant. An open space with maximum natural light looks much more spacious and airy.

What decor to use?

The interior of the living room is decorated with designer decorative items that attract attention. The room in the house can be decorated with large floor vases, figurines or original wall clocks.

It would be appropriate to place candles, live plants or flowers on the shelves, and decorate the walls with paintings, photographs, posters and mirrors in a variety of frames.

To create a cozy atmosphere, dilute the interior of the living room with cozy and large sofa cushions, on which you can sprawl in the evening while watching a TV series. Add soft warm blankets so that you can warm up on cold evenings in front of the fireplace. The recreation area can also be complemented with a modern carpet.

What curtains and textiles to choose?

For the living room, it is best to use textiles made of natural linen, cotton, silk, dusty velvet and denim materials. Floral patterns are very common and fit especially harmoniously into the interior of a wooden house.

Velour, tweed or velvet upholstery is suitable for a sofa. The use of plain textiles in gray, brown or beige tones is relevant. A combination of different materials in one color palette is welcomed. For example, a sofa can be decorated with pillows and a blanket of the same color, but with a different texture.

The photo shows a living room in a house with panoramic windows decorated with white translucent curtains.

Curtains are used to implement original design experiments. The combination of light curtains with a delicate and neat pastel pattern is best used in the Provence or Scandi style. And for modern styles, monochromatic restrained tones or calm combinations with contrasting geometric prints are suitable. Rustic country or chalet can be appropriately complemented with fur (or its high-quality imitation) or warm blankets. Sometimes they use skins that will look great on the floor, in the design of the sofa, armchairs or chairs.

What style is best for decoration?

Minimalist design is characterized by free space, functional furniture and a lack of decorative details. The decoration is maintained in neutral colors, furnished with restrained furniture with strict straight lines and decorated with practical textiles. In such a living room you can relax and forget about the frantic pace of life in a noisy city.

The Scandinavian style is becoming the most popular in our country and it looks great in a private house. To create a cozy Nordic atmosphere in the living room, you will need to follow the basic rules: nothing superfluous, maximum functionality and aesthetics.

Choose cozy sofas in gray, but complement them with soft knitted blankets. Hang minimalist posters or modern paintings on the walls. Be sure to complement the interior with indoor plants.

The photo shows a small living room in a house in Scandinavian style.

The hall in a private house is most often decorated in rustic styles: country, chalet or Provence. Walls made of eco-friendly timber or logs are the main characteristic elements. To enhance the effect, the furnishings are complemented with wooden furniture: coffee tables, TV stands, simple shelving units, open shelves with interesting accessories.

The refined classic style is distinguished by a warm and natural color palette, adding a special softness to the atmosphere. Light brown, beige or olive background is sometimes diluted with violet, silver, turquoise, gold, purple or blue accents. The walls are covered with Venetian plaster or pasted with expensive wallpaper with noble patterns. They use high-quality furniture made of natural materials, which gives the main room a ceremonial look.

Design Ideas

The main decoration of the living room design will be the fireplace. It is decorated with stone, mosaic, brick, decorative plaster, wood or plaster moldings. The shelf above the fireplace is decorated with all sorts of decorative elements or a TV is installed.

The photo shows a fireplace finished with natural stone in the living room interior.

In a large guest room you can install a pool table and equip part of the room as an entertainment area.

The photo shows the design of a modern living room with a pool table.

The color scheme in the interior of a private house is associated with nature. It is appropriate to use natural wood, stone or leather shades here. It is better to replace acidic, neon and glossy paints with muted halftones and matte textures. These colors will create a calm and relaxing atmosphere in the room, setting you up for a pleasant rest.

Remember, the living room should not only be the face of the house, but also be the most comfortable room in which you can have a good time with family or friends. Due to the responsible and creative approach to design, it is possible to create a comfortable interior that meets all the requirements.