How to choose wallpaper for the living room?
The most important thing in choosing wallpaper for the living room is that it matches the interior style of the apartment or house. It is better to choose wallpaper for the living room that is more elegant than for the bedroom or children's room, without going beyond the scope of the apartment's interior design.
We have already written in detail about the types of wallpaper and their differences, but now let’s talk about choosing the color of the wallpaper.
Design ideas
Wallpaper in the living room interior is one of the options for wall drapery. Designers often advise choosing simple combinations of different types of wallpaper for modern rooms, or even giving preference to photo wallpaper when they cover one of the walls that is not covered by a closet or sofa. If the choice fell on the option with photo wallpaper, it makes sense to place the sofa in the middle of the room or along the opposite wall.
No less interesting are the combinations of simple wallpaper with textured wallpaper, glass wallpaper or liquid finishing options. But more often, modern people choose to drape their living rooms only with vinyl or non-woven wallpaper.
About techniques for combining wallpaper in the interior of a room
Watch the video “Zoning space using wallpaper”:
Another video with tips that will definitely come in handy: “Choosing modern wallpaper for walls”:
By combining wallpaper, you can divide almost every living room into several zones, while increasing the available space:
- place to rest;
- dining room;
- TV zone.
To do this, you need to make a smooth transition from one color to another, or pasting the upper part of the living room walls with light wallpaper, and the lower part with rich wallpaper. This will only make your room more comfortable. It will look no less impressive when three walls are covered with the same wallpaper, and the fourth acts as a bright accent (photo wallpaper, for example).
Bright designer models or simple types of wall decoration in the living room
What should be the wallpaper for the living room? In the photo catalog with examples of finishing you can admire various design solutions. In particular, it is suggested to choose rolls for wall drapery from well-known brands. However, this does not always justify the preferences of the owners. Often, high-quality, non-staining and very simple wallpaper from unpromoted manufacturers transforms the living room beyond recognition.
Combinations of tones and textures
There are plenty of wallpaper design options for the living room. You just have to match them to existing furniture, or buy it to match a ready-made type of drapery. For example, it is worth combining pastel colors with dark or bright ones to create an interesting contrast of colors. This is very appropriate in the living room.
It’s good if the wallpaper of a restrained color is complemented by dark furniture or a bright sofa and armchairs. Moreover, curtains should be chosen in a contrasting color.
Tips for visually changing the dimensions of a room
If the room is small, then you should choose light shades. This optical illusion will increase the space and make it appear more spacious. Photo wallpapers are not recommended for use in such rooms, as they will complicate the perception. It is advisable to choose wall coverings that are plain or textured with small ornaments.
If the living room area is large, you can give free rein to your imagination and experiment with dark colors. Warm shades from milk to chocolate are suitable for a comfortable atmosphere.
A nuance when choosing wallpaper is that the existing furniture should be combined with the selected wall coverings. For example, against the background of a bright set, the decoration of vertical lines should not be variegated. If the walls dominate, then choose a sideboard in a warm shade.
To select the correct color scheme, designers have developed auxiliary spectra and tables that allow you to correctly assemble shades for the hall and, using them, create a beautiful and unique interior.
Accent on one of the walls
This could be photo wallpaper for the living room. In modern design, views of nature, quiet summer or spring landscapes, urban motifs, and paintings with perspective are appropriate, which greatly expands the space. This is appropriate when the living room is small. Moreover, a small pattern on the wallpaper or wall hangings in light, milky vanilla, or cream colors will help to visually enlarge the room.
Fashionable wallpaper designs for the living room
Decorative wallpaper in the living room can completely change the interior design. The choice of designs is very wide, which means that you can choose the right copy for any design style.
- In a glamorous living room, unique patterns are a must, often accentuated by brocade or mirror coverings.
- Photo wallpapers with prints depicting the structure of wood or stone are especially suitable for a rustic living room.
- On the other hand, endless meadows look good in a Provençal living room, giving the interior a romantic character, especially in combination with low edging (white, blue or lavender), which has recently become popular again.
However, we must not forget about the classics, that is, flowers. The once common pattern is now available in variations that are hardly old-fashioned. Developed buds against a uniform background often occupy most of the wall.
It happens that they give the impression that it is hand-painted or graphics created with a pencil. Some photo wallpapers are live reproductions of famous paintings. However, we have to take into account the fact that the more original the pattern on the wallpaper, the higher its price will be.
Paper wallpaper
The simplest and most ancient option for wall decoration. Such wallpaper for the living room was used by our distant ancestors - residents of Japan, Italy, and Greece. And today this option has been preserved and is available in a wide range of colors, patterns, and textures.
However, the paper type of wallpaper has disadvantages. These include fragility, the ability to deform under the influence of high levels of humidity and temperature changes.
On the plus side, such wallpaper is a very budget option, it is safe and environmentally friendly. If you get tired or spoiled, they can be easily replaced with new ones. It is only important that the walls under such wallpaper are perfectly smooth.
Principles for choosing finishing materials
Even in such a seemingly simple task as wallpapering rooms, several rules should be followed to ensure a durable and stylish design:
- To choose wallpaper for your living room, consider what threats could ruin the appearance of the wall materials. For example, in areas where a fireplace is located, there may be exposure to fire and high temperatures, and in the area where indoor flowers are located, there may be accidental ingress of moisture. Based on such factors, choose the optimal type of wallpaper for your walls: paper, vinyl, non-woven or others that have not only acceptable quality, but also a stylish design.
- There are several features in choosing the shade of such materials. How to choose the right color wallpaper for your living room? It's very simple - pay attention to the lighting of the house. Rooms located in the north should be as light as possible, while the living room on the south side can be decorated in darker and cooler colors.
- Please note that the color of the wallpaper for the walls will also affect the perception of the size of any room . In the living room, observing the features of this effect is important: such rooms are intended for many purposes, and there should be enough free space for everyone. Dark background wallpaper will visually reduce the interior, while light wallpaper, complemented by glossy effects, will expand the area of the room.
- The design of wallpaper with patterns and ornaments must correspond to the chosen style of furniture and accessories. If the furnishings in your living room reek of antiquity, do not use wallpaper with modern effects in the decoration.
- Some styles involve the simultaneous use of several wallpapers for walls. Experts advise finishing by combining no more than three different wallpapers : such variety is enough to emphasize the dynamism of the design, but the room will not be perceived as overloaded with materials of different styles.
- Wallpaper with large patterns in contrasting shades is never used to create a background in the living room. This room is intended for relaxation, and colorful wallpaper on all walls will cause negative emotions.
- When implementing stylish design combinations, do not combine wallpapers of different thicknesses and textures . This approach is allowed only with careful selection of patterns and shades and masking of transitions with the help of decorative moldings.
The choice of wallpaper for the living room should not be spontaneous.
It is advisable to start planning the finishing at the stage of purchasing furniture for such an interior, since the range of wallpapers is very diverse.
But wall design is far from the most important aspect of decorating a living room. The practical features of the selected materials should also be taken into account.
Vinyl drapery option for living room walls
Their base is polyvinyl chloride. Very hard and reliable material. Thin fabric or paper is applied on top of this in production. And then there is a drawing, or the main tone of the paint. Ideas for combining vinyl wallpaper in the living room using the amber technique are winning. These are smooth play of related tones.
For example, from dark brown below, to light beige upward. The same options are possible with a combination of blue and light blue, burgundy and pink, vanilla and dark olive.
Tips from designers
Decorating a room is a process that should be taken seriously. And in order for the living room to please you with the final result, you should listen to the little tricks of the experts.
When choosing wallpaper, you should evaluate not only the practicality of the material, but also the tint structure.
The influence of colors on the human psyche:
- Green – promotes relaxation and does not burden visual perception.
- Blue – lowers blood pressure, suitable for phlegmatic people.
- Black – focuses attention on something.
- White is the color of peace. It is used to visually increase the area.
- Red – conducive to energy. If you have too much, you may feel a sense of anxiety.
- Violet has a depressing effect on the psyche.
- Yellow – reduces phobias and has an optimistic effect.
- Gray is a universal color that goes well with any shade.
It is not recommended to choose the following wallpaper combinations: black with yellow, blue with white, yellow with red and white with orange.
Vinyl lifespan
It is quite durable due to the use of a polyvinyl chloride base. This wall design can be repainted more than 5-6 times. That's why you can't get tired of vinyl wallpaper. In addition, they serve for at least 20 years. Having invested once, you can save on renovating your living room for many years, tidying up the walls with only cosmetic repairs.
Types of wallpaper for the living room
What wallpaper to choose for the living room? Here are the most popular options:
- Paper wallpaper is very thin and difficult to install because it tears easily. Not suitable for wet cleaning (except for items coated with washable enamel);
- Acrylic wallpaper - consists of two layers: bottom (paper) and top (foam), easy to glue, but susceptible to damage when wiping or wet cleaning;
- Vinyl wallpaper - two-layer, made of paper and foam vinyl, which is a more durable material than acrylic; resistant to water and repeated cleaning;
- Glass wallpaper - imitating fabric, demonstrating high resistance to abrasion and wet cleaning, is suitable not only for the living room, but also for rooms such as the kitchen and bathroom;
- Textile wallpaper - made of natural material glued to paper or a material simulating material glued to a paper base; fabric wallpaper allows air to pass through well and makes the microclimate in the interior favorable;
- Cork wallpaper - consisting of a layer of paper and cork, perfectly soundproofing a living room. They are characterized by a rough structure and mask even very noticeable wall defects, are resistant to moisture and do not attract dust;
- Photo wallpaper - made of paper, fleece, vinyl or latex. Covered with a photorealistic print (for example, with a picturesque mountain landscape).
Of the above wallpapers for the living room, vinyl, cork and fiberglass are the most durable and most expensive.
Durable wallpaper is a reliable investment that will last for many years. However, even lower quality options may be suitable for the living room because there is no moisture or greasy fumes in this room, which reduces the need for frequent and thorough cleaning of the walls.
You should also consider waterproof and washable wallpaper in a home with small children. In addition, you need to remember about the environmental friendliness of the material so that the wallpaper does not emit harmful substances.
To minimize costs and at the same time get a very durable wall covering, it is worth trying wallpapering one wall in the living room. This is a new trend that ensures that the interior is not overloaded, becomes dynamic, and the composition is full of other strong decorative accents.
Fabric options for finishing the walls of the hall
Textile types of drapery can be used as combined wallpaper for the living room, when they are placed on one of the walls or a section of the wall.
Fabric finishing materials are very expensive because they are environmentally friendly and made from natural materials. These include: silk, linen, satin, velvet. This wallpaper looks very rich, but it is not practical to drape it all over the walls of the living room.
Glass - as a basis for decorating living room walls
Such wallpapers are very environmentally friendly, safe, and durable. Manufacturers make them based on thin glass threads. It turns out to be a very beautiful canvas. There are models with drawings and plain ones. Fiberglass wallpaper can be repainted as many times as desired. A huge advantage of this material is fire resistance. Glass melts at a very high temperature - above 500 degrees. The warranty on these types of wallpaper is over 35 years.
Liquid wallpaper
In essence, this is a type of decorative plaster. This finish is very durable due to the acrylic component and the presence of natural materials: cellulose, silk, cotton. The color of this wallpaper depends on what pigment is chosen. The liquid type of drapery is a very practical solution when the walls of the hall have some flaws: cracks, unevenness. Liquid wallpaper is textured, due to which it perfectly hides surface imperfections.
Very fashionable bamboo varieties of wall decoration
This type is very useful for the living room. Bamboo draperies are environmentally friendly, durable, reliable, but not very budget-friendly. But they are worth the expense because they look great.
Bamboo finishing of all or one of the walls of the hall should be preferred when the room is made in the style of Provence, Baroque, Renaissance, Art Nouveau, eclecticism, loft, hi-tech.
Suitable wallpaper for the living room
Our consultants will tell you which wallpaper is suitable for your living room. But, since there are quite a lot of varieties of suitable materials, it would be nice to navigate the features of each type.
Standard wallpaper, known to everyone, is produced on a paper basis. Such materials are quite suitable for short-term wall decoration (if used carefully for a couple of years, they will still retain their original appearance).
However, paper-type wallpaper should not be used in areas exposed to fire and moisture. Such materials are glued exclusively to a finished, leveled surface, and due to their thin structure they can even tear during the gluing process.
Tip: using paper wallpaper you can decorate the most remote areas of the walls, which are least susceptible to unnecessary contact. The cost of such wallpaper is the lowest, so little money will be spent on background decoration.
A more durable option, which is suitable for decorating living room areas exposed to the threat of mechanical damage, scratches and even soiling of the walls, is non-woven wallpaper.
Using such wallpaper for decoration, you do not have to worry about the possibility of damage to the appearance of the walls from exposure to moisture or sunlight.
Vinyl wallpaper on paper and non-woven backing will serve as a high-quality alternative to the first two varieties. In addition to good strength, wear resistance and long service life, such materials are famous for their ease of cleaning and the ability to use detergents to remove stains and dirt.
Tip: Vinyl wallpaper is ideal for background decoration. Firstly, high-quality materials of this type, when combined on the wall, do not form visible joints . Secondly, most vinyl wallpapers made in the silk-screen style have an exquisite pattern that emphasizes the coziness of the living room interior.
Some materials do not play a special decorative role in the space, but, thanks to their high quality, they allow for a durable finish. For example, glass wallpaper, which usually includes one shade and has a light relief pattern, is suitable for creating a background in the interior of a living room. Such wallpaper is not only elastic and durable, but also fire resistant .
And some glass wallpaper can be washed and repainted, so you can maintain the appearance of your walls for a long time.
Natural wallpapers are becoming increasingly popular. One of the leaders in this category is bamboo wallpaper, emphasizing the naturalness of the interior decoration of your room.
The safety of such wallpaper can be maintained by periodically wiping the surface of the walls with a damp sponge.
Otherwise, they are not capricious, so you will forget about the problems associated with the loss of the appearance of finishing materials.
Textile wallpaper will help you create a stylish decor on one or more walls. The advantages of such materials include the complete absence of toxic substances, safety for health, ease of gluing and operation, ease of surface care, as well as an amazing appearance created by embroidery, painting and high-quality printing on canvas.
Since purchasing such wallpaper is not a cheap pleasure, textile wallpaper is increasingly used to highlight an accent wall or create small inserts on plain surfaces.
Textile wallpaper can be conveniently combined with curtains, upholstered furniture, carpets and other fabric details to emphasize the integrity of the created design.
Have you decided which wallpaper to choose for your living room? Let's now look at their design and color scheme: the most fashionable and interesting shades that match the purpose of the living room are available in an assortment of almost every type of wallpaper for walls.
Wallpaper for a living room in Art Nouveau style
A modern solution when decorating walls is unobtrusive motifs. And practicality today dictates the need to decorate living rooms in monochrome. It is advisable to make small rooms in light colors. Dark walls are inappropriate here; they visually reduce the space, which is so necessary in very spacious rooms.
Fashionable colors in 2022
Capricious fashion makes demands on its own standards. Color range for 2022:
- In first place is the purple color. Experts have found that such colors reflect the creative thinking of a modern person. It is not neutral and when using it with other highlights it is advisable to adhere to certain knowledge.
Purple color is a dominant color, and does not look harmonious with every shade, so when using it, you should show a competent combination in interior design. For lovers of calm compositions, violet can be compared with notes of white and beige. For eccentric people, a combination with raspberry and brown is suitable. But this tandem is designed for large spaces.
But not every person likes the proposed tonality; some people want to adhere to the laws of fashion as little as possible. The designers presented a way out of this situation: make one wall the accent of the room.
- The consultants suggest green as the second leader. His collection includes more than a hundred colors with olive and marble shades. With a creative approach, you can create a unique masterpiece from the main room of the apartment.
According to the recommendations of fashion experts, when choosing the color of nature, you should give preference to muted shades; they soften the interior and make it comfortable. Greenery easily combines with beige and light tones.
- Third place was won by several colors at once. Fans of bed shades will be pleased with the design option in white and pink tones. For adherents of the classics - dark blue pigment. People with an extravagant mindset will love trendy earth colors, from chocolate to sand. Traditionalists should consider the highlights of gray.
Classic is always in fashion
This style involves a combination of wallpaper in contrast, or a single-color drapery on all the walls of the room. In the classics, large, sloppy drawings, awkward arrangements of unrelated tones, white furniture against the background of dark walls, floors and ceilings, which is typical for the Scandinavian style, are not appropriate. Classics are more characterized by restrained combinations of colors in brown, rich gray, noble pink, olive, and vanilla tones.
How to choose wallpaper for the living room to suit different interior styles
Wallpaper is rightfully considered a universal finishing material, compatible with almost any style direction, so it is important to take into account the features characteristic of each of them.
Classic
Neutral shades look great in this style: beige, pale pink, milky, sand, olive. Large motifs are acceptable: damask, floral ornament, monogram. Prints are painted in burgundy, gold or silver. When using plain wallpaper, the decorative function is performed by moldings, cornices, frames, and plaster moldings.
Calm tones, natural motifs and natural simplicity are the main features of the Scandinavian style
Modern
An easy direction that does not tolerate bright colors. The predominant colors in the color palette are lilac, brown, and gray. Floral ornaments with graceful thin lines without sharp corners are relevant as designs. Another suitable option would be wallpaper that imitates natural materials (for example, leather, stone, wood, plaster). Canvases depicting newspapers look original.
Textile wallpaper looks gorgeous in the interior
Loft
The main features of the style are wood floors, oversized leather sofas, and large windows. The background wall is represented by simple brickwork, but you can also choose photo wallpaper that imitates a textured pattern. A key role in the design of the living room is played by an accent element - the bright decor of the background wall. This can be an original painting, panel or photograph, which gives the room a minimalist touch.
Country and Provence
Provence is characterized by light tones of decoration with images of small flowers, as if faded under the sun's rays. Country is similar to Provence, but is considered a rougher style. Wallpaper with floral prints, as well as with stripes and checkered patterns are acceptable. Plain canvases favorably set off furniture, aged doors and other interior items.
Ethnics and eco
Ethnic style involves creating a design that respects the characteristics that are characteristic of a particular nationality or region. The direction requires the use of natural materials and warm colors. The color palette should be associated with nature, so shades of black, khaki, brown, red, and orange are relevant.
Thus, the Japanese style is characterized by coatings with the texture of straw, rice paper, and silk. Suitable prints would be cherry blossom branches, hieroglyphs, cranes, and dragons. Indian style is a riot of colorful colors: turquoise, yellow, red.
Eco-style requires the use of natural materials, paints with a natural base, and a warm color palette. The walls of a city apartment can be covered with canvases that imitate stone or tiles. It is recommended to select wallpaper several shades darker than the ceiling, but keep these surfaces in the same color scheme.
Scandinavian style
Light wallpaper perfectly emphasizes the simplicity and elegance of this trend. Snow-white walls, textiles and furniture of the same color create a special luxurious interior. For contrast, it is permissible to use furniture and accessories painted in rich, bright colors.
To create a cozy living room interior, you need to choose the right wallpaper. Modern products are made from different materials, painted in any color and decorated with prints. In order for the design to be harmonious and comfortable, it is important to respect the features of the chosen style and be guided by your own preferences.
