The interior, made in white, is filled with air and light. It emphasizes the high status of its owner and does not seem overwhelmed. Previously, this design could only be found in magazines or houses with a large area. Now this technique is often used in the design of small-sized rooms in order to visually increase the space. We understand the intricacies of creating a beautiful living room design.
Features of the
White color in the interior began to be actively used with the advent of the minimalism style. Many were bored with overloaded rooms, dark furniture and wallpaper. The architects appreciated this direction for its simplicity and functionality. In white, the simplest things look stylish and respectable.
However, perception is influenced by the season, lighting, location and configuration of the room.
Therefore, it is not enough to simply repaint the walls or change the furniture. You need to know all aspects of design in order for the living room to find its own charm.
Light surfaces require more maintenance than dark ones; any stain on them immediately makes itself felt. In a white living room, the first place is not practicality, but aesthetic beauty. Moreover, now there are materials that are easy to clean and retain their original appearance for a long time. Neutral colors are able to combine things that seem incongruous at first glance. Snow-white surfaces reflect light well and allow to reveal volume.
Styles
One of the important advantages of white is its relevance in any stylistic direction.
Classical
White color will be perfectly embodied in the upholstery of antique furniture made of dark wood, which is especially important in the arrangement of country houses and cottages in the classic style. Due to it, the interior will seem more modern and cheerful. The ensemble will be complemented by a white plastered or marble fireplace. If you choose furniture of this color, it will stand out advantageously against the background of walls in warm colors (for example, yellow or ocher).
Color can be conveyed through a coffee table or carpet. It is possible to carry out interior surface finishing using white.
Country
Rustic multicolor décor will stand out effectively in a duet with a snow-white interior. Bright patchwork bedspreads, embroidered pillows, rugs diversify the strict color scheme. The atmosphere of suburban life will be conveyed by floral ornaments and flowers in clay pots. Wherein it is important that white is the dominant color in the interior composition of the living room.
High tech
Such a dwelling resembles a high-tech house of the future; achromatic colors are mainly used in the interior of the living room. You can apply various methods of visual correction of space (multilevel ceilings, zoning, glass and mirror partitions). Light walls will reflect enough light, looking harmoniously against the backdrop of furniture with a metallic surface type.
Oriental
If you replace an ordinary sofa with textiles, a mattress with pillows, decorating the material with original patterns, you will get the impression that you are in the padishah's house. Tall furniture and bulky wardrobes are not required; they can be replaced with poufs and pedestals. This solution is also applicable for small apartments, where there is often not enough space for a large sofa and headset.
It is worth remembering that the oriental style also means interiors borrowed from Japan and China. Then the basic rule is somewhat different: dark furniture and light walls with a minimum of decor or none at all.
Shabby chic
This is a relatively new trend that originated in the United States. Many of its elements are borrowed from Provence and Baroque styles. This style of the living room in white will especially appeal to the ladies. A neutral shade will overlap with ruffles, floral ornaments, pseudo-antique furniture, hearts and angels. Be sure to add more colors to add a romantic atmosphere. Use pale pink, blue, mint as additional tones.
Eclecticism
Eclecticism is a combination of different styles that allows you to combine a vintage sofa with a glass table and plastic stools. You can put a bright yellow furniture accessory next to a turquoise wardrobe, decorate a part of the wall in red. Eclecticism is a combination of the incongruous. To pick up things from different directions and combine them so that they are in harmony with each other is not an easy task.
Such a living room interior will express the individuality of the owner of the house, and not repeat the standard patterns. It will be easier to combine things of different styles on a white background.
Nautical
In the marine theme, they use attributes that are associated with the sea coast. You can add beige to the base white to create the illusion of a sandy beach. Blue and turquoise will fill the room with freshness in hot weather. By adding a blue tone and natural wood texture, you can turn an ordinary room into a cruise ship or luxury yacht cabin.
Color combinations
It is unlikely that the room will be completely white; usually, color accents are added to this shade. They can be subtle or pronounced. If you like milky shades, you can add beige or baked milk to the main color. The basic rule is 70% of the primary color and 30% of the secondary color. You can use one additional color or several shades close to it.
Often, several contrasting colors are added to the white color, the combination of which helps to create an informal atmosphere.
Yellow
If you use a bright shade, the room will be filled with a sunny mood all year round. Framed in white, even old-fashioned yellow-lacquered wood furniture looks quite modern.
Pink
This combination is often referred to as strawberry cream. A cold shade will give the living room freshness and vigor, a warm one will bring a note of comfort and tranquility. If the room is located on the north side and is poorly lit, you can paint the walls with pale pink pigment. Then all the furniture will appear white, radiating freshness and cleanliness.
Red
This contrast will add warmth and comfort to the atmosphere of the hall. The sofa and armchairs in warm red color look great against a white wall, as well as next to white curtains and a snow-white carpet.
Purple
This shade is often chosen over black as it is not so heavy. It helps to concentrate attention, creates a feeling of security.
If purple wallpaper is too extravagant for you, you can transfer this color to curtains or decorative elements.
Blue
Blue contrast is used to create a nautical style, evokes associations with fashionable yachts and cruises. But you need to use this color carefully, it is recommended to estimate in advance what the result will be.
The black
The classic black and white combination is elegant and restrained. A big plus is the fact that furniture and accessories of this color are always on sale. It is usually assumed that the floor in the interior will be dark and the walls will be white. Such an ensemble allows not only expanding a small living room, but also reducing a too large one.
Dark brown
The chocolate shade combines with white softer than black. The result is an interior filled with warmth and comfort. It is not necessary to paint the walls with brown paint, you can use wall panels or cabinets made of chocolate-colored wood in a minimum amount, otherwise the white tone will be lost against the background of bright contrast.
Grey
This shade is unobtrusive, less tiring than pure black. The eyes will be less tired from the abundance of white objects if they are diluted with this color. This is an excellent solution for a high-tech style living room, and is also quite applicable for the classic direction.
Green
The color of lush greenery will appeal to followers of the eco-movement and those who want to be closer to nature. This is the best option for the bedroom, as this color soothes the psyche.
When the interior is made in a single color scheme, it is imperative to use different textures.
You can lay a white fur blanket on the sofa, decorate the floor with a long-pile carpet with a relief pattern, and place glossy plastic chairs next to it. This simple trick will create a sense of depth, as if professionals were working on the design of your living room.
Finishing options
White can be used as a total solution, or as fragments. For example, if the walls, ceiling, floor, furniture can be white, it will be chilly in such an interior. Therefore, against such a background, avant-garde paintings, sculptures, and other artifacts can look great. If white appears locally, for example, only walls and floors, you can dilute it with soft, pastel colors.
A cream-colored or mint-colored sofa, a chandelier for gilding, chair covers made of natural linen-colored fabric - all this will help create coziness. Some furniture or furnishings may be colored orange.
Wall decoration
The traditional type of decoration is wallpaper. Today, such material is especially common, since it has an acceptable cost. It is presented in a wide range, which allows you to easily buy a finishing coating with any texture. You can choose glass wallpaper and paint it with white paint. This solution is practical: the surface of this material can be washed without much hassle.
Paper wallpapers are cheaper, but you can often re-glue them if you want fresh notes in the interior. Silkscreen and vinyl wallpaper can have a matte or glossy surface. Glossy will look more formal, while matte will create a more intimate atmosphere. Embossed varieties look expensive and beautiful: they can be used to show the special taste of the living room interior.
Plastering followed by painting is an actual solution. The wall can be plastered with regular or embossed plaster, then painted with acrylate or other wash-resistant paint. Paints are available with a matte or glossy effect. Matte is somewhat more expensive, but a wall painted with such paint looks calm and comfortable.
If there are niches in the walls and there are shelves, you can put figurines and other objects on them. Optionally, you can add backlighting for a more eye-catching look. The ceiling can be decorated with imitation beams. In a private house, white-painted logs will look good. This is the hallmark of many modern stylistic trends.
You can decorate a white wall with a brick or stone.
Choosing furniture
In the living room, a coffee table is placed in a prominent place, which plays one of the first roles. It is not at all necessary to subordinate it to the general color scheme. If the table is dark, it will emphasize the weightlessness of the white walls and furniture. A countertop with an unusual texture will look more unusual.
Since the room should be light and airy, it is advisable to choose a spacious wardrobe with a facade to match the walls. Guests will not even notice the closet, as it can be almost invisible or disguised as a wall panel. You can purchase a set of MDF or solid wood.
It is recommended to choose furniture from one set that has the same design.
The selection of a sofa deserves special attention. A white sofa will look fashionable. And if you get tired of such a color scheme, you can cover it with a blanket of any other color, getting an already modernized room with a slightly different style. The sofa can be upholstered with fabric, artificial or natural leather upholstery.
Decorating
The walls of a white living room will be an excellent backdrop for photographs, paintings, art objects. In recent years, a fashion has appeared to decorate the shelves of cabinets with interior letters. You can buy ready-made figures in the form of inscriptions or make them to order according to your own idea. Several colored inscriptions will dilute the monochromatic interior and make it dynamic. A classic interior requires special attention; without high-quality decor, it will look minimalistic.
A festive atmosphere can be created with an elegant chandelier and an original mirror frame. Metallic surfaces noticeably enliven the room, made in restrained colors.
Textile
Spacious rooms with light walls often have a minimum of decor. If there is panoramic glazing, the landscape outside the window will decorate the living room no worse than pictures. But even if only a brick wall gets on view, you can hang curtains with photo printing. An interesting solution is the use of upholstery textiles, the shade of cushions, furniture covers. At the same time, the interior looks especially interesting if pillows with different textures are used in the design.
If you want something new, you can decorate the floor with unusual carpets.
Lighting
In order for the white interior to play and delight, it is necessary that the room is well lit throughout the day. If there is a tall house opposite the windows, the trees block the sun, you cannot do without additional light sources. Otherwise, the walls will appear gray, and the room - dull. The lighting cannot be ignored, otherwise the room will look unnatural.
This problem can be fixed. To do this, it is enough to place several spotlights. Adherents of the loft style and other modern trends may prefer fluorescent lamps. To make the ceiling appear higher, you should choose a white chandelier with a long suspension.
If you want to draw attention to the table, you should place an unusual lamp over it. If antique furniture is used in the interior, a crystal chandelier will help to create a feeling of lightness.
It is advisable to place several lamps on the walls. Then the lighting will be volumetric, highlighting each object. If the ceiling is low, a suspended model will do. But then you will have to place several spotlights on the sides in order to get rid of dark corners, in which there is much less light.
Beautiful examples in the interior
You can appreciate the beauty of the interior in white using examples of the photo gallery. The white living room with gold is a classic. This combination looks luxurious and rich.
For romantic natures, a white living room, which is complemented by a lilac color, is suitable. The lilac shade goes well with white. This makes the room seem cozy.
To make the white color of the living room expressive, it is worth adding an original chandelier, wall sconces and living greens to the interior composition.
Useful tips for living room interior design will be told by American interior and landscape designer Paul Allen Smith in the next video.