Rectangular living room interior design ideas
The living room is the central room in the apartment and in the country house. The whole family gathers in it, receives guests, organizes holidays. Therefore, it is so important to correctly equip this room. It should be cozy, beautiful, elegant and as comfortable as possible for all household members and guests. Important factors are practicality and functionality. The living room is often not only a relaxation room, but includes a bedroom, kitchen, study area.
A rectangular living room is very common in home planning. This form of the room has its own characteristics that must be taken into account when creating an interior design.
Features of the layout
A rectangular living room in an apartment, as already noted, is a predominant phenomenon. This shape requires a special approach, especially if the room is not too large. It is better to draw up this project after you have determined exactly which zones will need to be included in the hall. In addition, the opinion of all household members is important, since the whole family spends time in this room, therefore the environment should not be depressing or annoying.
And also it is necessary that the living room was not only pleasant and attractive, but also comfortable.
If you do not plan to use the living room as a dining room, bedroom or work space, then it should be easier to equip it. In the event that the living room is multifunctional, you need to think about where the dining group and work area will be located. An additional or main berth is almost never superfluous. That's why sofa bed, folding chairs will be a great help.
The kitchen-living room is a very common and relevant phenomenon in modern design. Expanding a rectangular room with an attached kitchen is a great way to create a unique setting and balance the proportions of a rectangular room. In any case, an analysis of the main parameters of the living room will help to create a unique project:
- lenght and width;
- the form;
- height;
- location of windows and doors.
The rectangle is conducive to zoning, especially if the length is much greater than the width. Different highlighted areas will help balance the proportions. In the living room you can combine:
- dining group: table, chairs, buffet;
- the center of the composition is most often a TV area with upholstered furniture and a TV.
In this situation, upholstered furniture is placed against the walls or in the center. It is necessary to calculate everything so so that there is enough free space to move. Clear symmetry emphasizes the rectangle very strongly, so it is best if you use asymmetry for the placement of interior items.
Place the elements not only along the walls, but also in a perpendicular manner. A corner sofa, a table in the center, diagonally spaced chairs - the optimal layout, which transforms the visual form closer to a square. The working area can be placed by the window and include a table, armchair, bookcase there.
The main mistakes in planning a rectangular living room:
- placing objects along the walls will visually stretch the hall even more;
- grouping all objects in one of the corners creates a feeling of a corridor, inharmony and uneven proportions.
If you decide to combine the dining room with a rectangular living room, then proportionally it will look more harmonious. In addition, it will be more convenient to set the table, the space will visually increase. But this option has a number of disadvantages, for example, the need for silent equipment, a powerful hood, and the high cost of repair work.
Color spectrum
Color can solve a lot; with a visually well-chosen solution, many room defects can be corrected. The best way to color an oblong living room is monochrome walls. Designers recommend considering primarily light shades, pastel colors, as they make the room larger and more spacious. Bright palettes are not the best solution for a rectangular room.
If the living room faces south, opt for a cool color scheme. Shades of lilac, cold greens, blue are suitable. In a not too sunny room, you should consider warm colors as decoration: orange, beige, cream, brown, juicy green. Be sure to make the ceiling lighter than the walls. The designers claim the following:
light range hides defects, enlarges the room, makes it wider;
a combination of a painted top of the walls and a bottom covered with wallpaper with an ornament is an excellent solution;
if you want expressiveness in the living room, include shades of yellow, pink, orange in the composition, but observe a sense of proportion;
it is very important to choose not only the colors of the main plan, but also the accent one: textiles, curtains, decor can significantly revive the hall;
a contrasting design looks good, for example, brightly decorated niches;
dark and juicy shades will help to visually bring shortened walls to the middle of the room: terracotta, orange, red, black, brown;
a composition made up of a darkened floor, light walls, rich textiles looks very harmonious;
- do not use too many color combinations - three palettes are enough for an organic aesthetic picture.
Finishing options
It is very important not only to correctly choose color solutions in interior design, but also to choose the right materials. All this largely depends not only on the layout, but also on the chosen style. Therefore, this stage of renovation follows the definition of the overall design concept.
Walls
If you decide to paint the walls, choose decorative plaster, modern dyes... Unfortunately, in elongated rooms, wall defects are more noticeable, so the surface should be leveled first. Small irregularities are well hidden by wallpaper on non-woven, vinyl. The walls in a rectangular living room should be monochromatic, but a light, inexpressive, barely perceptible ornament is allowed. A massive drawing and pattern will narrow an already not too wide room.
Floor
The color and material of the floor should be chosen based on the functions that the living room will perform. If the hall is used as an area for relaxation and sleep, then the optimal material as a floor will be parquet, laminate. The covering is laid out diagonally or perpendicular to elongated walls. It is best to choose a color that is darker than the walls. The classic solution is shades of beige, brown palette. It should be noted that beige tone is quite impractical to care for and too easily soiled. If the living room is connected to the kitchen, the cooking area can be tiled.
Linoleum is a versatile solution for any room.
Ceiling
The color should be at least 2 tones lighter than the walls, so it will seem taller... The most common material is stretch fabric, drywall, tiles. Zoning a room can be effectively carried out using multi-level ceilings. One-stop solution - white ceiling of the living room.
Consider the style you choose: a matte ceiling is more high-profile, suitable for classic living rooms, gloss is more appropriate in modern interiors.
Room zoning
Ideas for dividing space visually largely depend on the style of the room, size, and the number of functional areas. Designers recommend using the following zoning methods for a rectangular living room.
Furniture. The easiest way is to separate the zones with pieces of furniture back to back to each other, but it's only good in large halls or studio living rooms.
Mobile partitions. Another method that does not require serious repair work is folding screens. Good only if there are no more than two zones.
Niches. They can be created artificially using a low cabinet with decorative elements at the top. You can also create stationary drywall structures.
Podiums. Zoning by raising the floor level in one of the zones is a very popular solution. It is only applicable in living rooms with good ceiling heights.
Finishing. This, as a rule, is a different color for the decoration of the walls, floor.
- Lighting. Almost ideal for zoning in a rectangular room. It provides ample amount of light throughout the room, which is often a problem in an elongated room. In addition, each zone will have its own light sources, which is incredibly convenient.
How to equip?
In addition to the competent arrangement of furniture and zoning, there are other ways to visually correct a rectangular room. The following design recommendations will help make such a hall more harmonious:
give up bulky furniture, massive decor;
light wardrobes, small poufs, glass items, various transformers will perfectly fit into the space;
A perpendicular striped carpet is a great solution;
transverse decor on the ceiling will also benefit the room; it can be striped coloring, beams;
use photo wallpapers if they are consistent with the style of the living room: they will correct the narrow room for the image of the landscape, historical monuments, the endless expanses of space;
mirrored surfaces only benefit rectangular rooms;
- large paintings expand the space well.
Successful examples
Light shades are the best solution for an elongated room.
Correctly placed bright accents perfectly solve the problem of a long room.
Light gloss combined with matt wood is the perfect combination.
Shelves with shelves perfectly separate the zones visually.
Monochrome and a few darker shades can visually transform the living room.