The living room provides the widest opportunities for interior design, in particular the choice of finishing material for the walls. In fact, any decoration will fit here, and all that remains is to carefully consider what the living room should look like after renovation. You need to take into account your own preferences, interior style, practicality and cost of both the material itself and the work involved in its application. It is also important to take into account the scenarios for using the living room: simple gatherings with family, receiving guests, organizing a dining area or play area for children. There are a lot of possible options for decorating walls in the living room, and we will focus on the most popular and interesting ones.
Decorative stone in the living room interior
Wallpaper for the living room
Wallpapering is a traditional solution that many people are already tired of. However, despite the emergence of new finishing materials, wallpaper firmly holds its high position in terms of popularity, which is explained by a number of reasons. This is an easy-to-install material that amazes with a huge range of colors, patterns and colors.
Decorative plaster
In addition, in addition to ordinary paper wallpaper, today you can choose:
- textile;
- vinyl;
- non-woven;
- metal;
- cork;
- glass wallpaper;
- linkrust.
There are a lot of different options, and with their help you can create an interior in the living room in any desired style
Wallpaper can be combined with each other, zoning the living room or simply adding variety to the interior of the living room. So, you can combine wallpaper with the same texture or pattern, but different colors, or wallpaper of the same tone, but with different patterns. Photo wallpapers occupy a special place among all types of wallpaper: they become the highlight of the living room interior, setting its mood. It is better to use one of the walls for photo wallpaper and try not to cover it too much with furniture, but use several details in the interior that will continue the theme of the photo wallpaper.
Decorating walls with wood
Traditional finishes
The choice of room design depends on the tastes and preferences of each person. Some people want to spend time in a modern room, while others are a supporter of something classic that has a rich history:
- Many design solutions of past centuries involve the use of natural materials. The permanent leader here is the tree;
- Beautiful patterned panels, vintage materials, arches and much more are used for decoration. This finish should match the furniture in the room.
Provence
The two main materials for this type of finishing are wood and glass. The wood is taken in a light color. The right combination of these two elements allows you to create a beautiful interior:
- the style was named after the small French province in which this design was used. The use of bright colors is unacceptable here, with the exception of small, single items. Provence creates an atmosphere of tranquility;
- Bright elements are used to dilute the calm. They can be represented by small patterns on the walls, stripes on the upholstery, floral colors of curtains, etc.;
- Accessories here include furniture covers with ruffles and bows. At the request of a person, you can abundantly arrange indoor plants on tables and hanging flower pots;
- if you don’t have the money to buy expensive wooden panels to create this style, you can use simple wallpaper with the desired design. Such finishing building materials are common in stores: they are produced in a wide variety of patterns.
Provence is considered one of the most popular styles: it differs from others in its special luxury and beauty
Provence is a popular finishing option that adds luxury to any home. With it you can create a cozy and comfortable living room. Its main advantage is that you can create this style on a small budget.
Classical
A simple style, the main material of which is also wood. If in Provence it is acceptable to use furniture not made of wood, then classic means a combination of finishing materials and furniture made of wood. Despite the same basis, these designs differ from each other:
- creating such an interior involves a lot of expense. For finishing, expensive types of wood are used, which are decorated with carvings, gilding or dark varnish. The furniture must be antique. It is acceptable to use paintings in golden wooden frames, beautiful figurines;
- the emphasis needs to be on one thing so that the living room does not look like a museum. Designers recommend using beautiful and expensive furniture and decorating the walls in a restrained tone;
- If you want this style, but you don’t have enough money, you can use budget finishing materials that imitate expensive ones.
Many adhere to the classic style, which gives the room maximum coziness and comfort.
The use of materials made from expensive wood can be replaced with budget wood or MDF panels simulating the texture of expensive varieties.
Country
This finish is also called rustic. Wood is also used in its design, but only to create frames on the walls and ceiling:
- in dachas, beams and rafters on the ceiling are used to create such an interior. They can be replaced by lining or bars. In urban environments, it is customary to use hollow polyurethane beams;
- This design does not provide for luxury or even small elements of luxury. Everything should be simple and beautiful, done in warm bed colors;
- The main difference between country houses is the presence of a fireplace. In an apartment building, you can use an electric fireplace;
- The use of natural country stone is also welcomed by the “rustic style”. It is used to finish the floor. If it is not possible to use such a material, take a tile that imitates its texture. Parquet is sometimes used to finish the floor;
- Country walls are finished with artificially aged wood.
The final touch of this design is the use of home textiles. Small rugs, tablecloths and curtains, made by yourself.
Painting the walls in the living room
Painting walls is another classic option, which has the following advantages:
- ease of execution;
- maintaining the usable area of the room;
- the ability to use any of thousands of shades, combine several colors, creating an accent wall or even entire drawings;
- It is difficult to damage such a coating, so it is used in homes where there are children and animals;
- if there are complex elements in the living room, painting is much easier than, for example, hanging wallpaper;
- low cost.
An accent wall looks very impressive in the interior, with the help of which you can visually make the room larger, bring the highlighted wall closer or remove it. When choosing a paint color for the walls, it is important to consider not only the style of the living room, but also its size, as well as its orientation relative to the cardinal directions.
Laminate flooring on the wall in the dining area
For a small room it is better to use light colors; for a living room with windows facing south - warm shades; for windows facing north - cold ones. Among all types of paints, water-based paints are excellent for painting living room walls: they dry quickly, do not smell, and can be tinted. Glue and silicate paints also perform well, but it is better to avoid using oil paints.
Living room with painted walls
Among the disadvantages of such finishing is the need to carefully prepare the original surface, because it must be even and smooth. If you are going to use glossy paint, then you need to approach the alignment of the walls even more carefully.
Decorative plaster in the living room
Easy to apply liquid wallpaper
Liquid wallpaper is more affordable. They create a very pleasant aesthetic background in the living room, are environmentally friendly, and can be applied to the surface without any experience in apartment renovation.
Their only drawback is their narrow range. In total, construction stores offer no more than seven mixture options for finishing the living room.
Decorating the walls in the living room with decorative plaster
Plaster is ideal for decorating living room walls. Its appearance can be completely different depending on the type of composition used: silicate, silicone, mineral, acrylic or Venetian plaster. In any case, the end result is a unique surface with shine or little volume.
Wall paint
In addition to excellent decorative qualities, plaster has other advantages:
- seamlessness of the completed coating;
- breathability;
- durability and practicality;
- ease of care;
- the ability to mask small defects in the wall surface.
MDF panels
Plaster, like paint, is easy to apply to any architectural form in the living room, and you don’t have to suffer as with wallpaper or panels. The cost of such a coating is not the lowest, but it is fully justified by its durability. Among all types of decorative plasters, Venetian plasters look especially interesting, which forms a smooth glossy surface reminiscent of marble. This finish will fit perfectly into living rooms in a classic style. Textured or structural plaster looks harmonious in interiors in a modern minimalist style.
Bright wallpaper with a three-dimensional pattern
Photo examples of living room or hall furniture
Examples of furniture arrangement in the living room are given below.
Small with combined finish
A small living room with a combined finish is suitable for an apartment with a small square footage. It will give the owner a corner for pleasant relaxation and communication. Combined finishing will create a feeling of bright style and sophistication.
Interior with upholstered furniture
Often upholstered furniture is used in the Art Deco style. It allows carriage screed and velvet trim.
Kitchen-living room with bright accents
And this is a good example of a kitchen-living room, designed in soothing colors and a bright accent in the form of carpets.
Living room with modular furniture
The best solution for a small living room is the use of modular furniture. It is functional and looks good.
Artistic interior of the hall
The artistic interior of the room is manifested in unusual decor and designer furniture.
Interior with velvet trim
Velvet is an aesthetic and pleasant to the touch material. For some time it went out of use, but recently returned to interiors. A similar finish can be used in the upholstery of a sofa when decorated in the Art Deco style. Sometimes wallpaper with an imitation velvety texture is used.
Kitchen-living room with reading corner
This is a good example of successful zoning in a decorated kitchen interior with a living room and a reading area. Here everything fits together, there is a greater sense of comfort.
Drywall for finishing walls in the living room
Drywall can be used to level the walls in the living room if plastering and puttying work seems too tedious and time-consuming. In addition, it is plasterboard that allows you to quickly and inexpensively create interesting interior solutions in the living room: arches, niches, partitions and other elements, which can then be further illuminated.
Natural stone in decoration
Among the disadvantages of using drywall, the most significant is the reduction in the usable area of the living room, since you will have to additionally install sheathing. It should also be noted that drywall needs decorative finishing, and is often painted or plastered.
Combined finishing
Wide color range
Decorating the living room with vinyl or non-woven wallpaper allows you to use a wide range of colors and shades, but it is generally accepted that such decor is not environmentally friendly.
Quite a long time will pass until the persistent smell emitted by the wallpaper finally disappears and ceases to pose a danger to the lungs.
Wooden lining in the design of the living room walls
If your budget allows, the living room can be made as environmentally friendly as possible by using natural wood in the decoration. To make wooden lining, different types of wood are used. For residential premises where there is no high humidity and strong temperature changes, it is recommended to choose pine wood: this is one of the most inexpensive options, which has a pleasant warm shade.
Decorating walls with living plants
Among the advantages of this finishing method are:
- environmental friendliness;
- chic appearance that brings special comfort to the living room;
- heat and sound insulation properties;
- durability with proper care;
- ease of installation.
Volumetric painting in the living room
But there are also some disadvantages:
- high price;
- the need for careful care to protect the wood from the influence of moisture and pests;
- reducing the area of the room.
Combined wallpaper for wall decoration
MDF panels for walls in the living room
MDF panels are a budget alternative to wooden lining, but at the same time this material can perfectly imitate the surface of any type of wood, stone, or leather. Such panels can be sheet, tile or slatted, and the latter are very similar to lining. The material is based on an MDF board, which is laminated or veneered on top, or less often painted.
Wall panels in the TV area
The main advantages of MDF panels:
- a huge assortment, so choosing the right option for a living room in any style will not be difficult;
- acceptable price;
- environmental friendliness, since epoxy resins are not used in the manufacture of MDF panels;
- ease of installation and maintenance;
- durability.
For a living room, this method of wall decoration can be called virtually ideal, especially since with its help you can create a very interesting interior. However, before choosing this finishing option, it is worth considering several disadvantages of the material: the high weight of the panels and their low fire resistance. In addition, when using accessories and hanging furniture, you will have to use special fastenings.
Painted walls in the living room
Use of a wide range of artistic media
To advantageously emphasize the overall artistic style of the room, you can use any well-known pieces of furniture, paintings, photo wallpapers, or hand-painted paintings. All kinds of accessories such as souvenirs, shells, toys, branded labels, pieces of amber, porcelain and crystal plates are also suitable for this. You can get many other design ideas by studying photos of living room decoration on the World Wide Web.
Unusual and interesting: laminate in wall decoration
Instead of MDF panels, you can use regular laminate for wall decoration, and you can choose the simplest one, since its high strength or wear resistance is not needed. Using laminate, you can create an interesting decoration for walls or parts of them, since this material perfectly imitates the texture of any wood, as well as stone and some other materials.
Wallpaper and panels on the walls in the living room
Installing laminate on walls is simple, the coating is interesting, durable, durable and easy to maintain. There are few disadvantages to this type of finish. You can find fault with the fact that this is not a completely natural material, and also that it is susceptible to moisture, but due to the totality of its qualities, it is excellent for decorating living room walls.
Decorative plasterboard shelves
Noble stone in living room design
Natural stone is beautiful, durable, but very expensive and heavy, so this type of finishing option is quite rare. When people talk about using stone for wall decoration, they most often mean artificial stone: it looks like natural stone, is lighter in weight and has a more affordable price. Conscientious manufacturers use a lot of blanks in the manufacture of artificial stone, so identical elements in the finishing will be found very rarely, which brings the material closer to its natural counterpart.
Silk-screen wallpaper in the living room design
The advantages of artificial stone include its strength and durability, ease of maintenance, and excellent appearance. Of course, in some performance qualities it is inferior to natural, but in a living room the difference will be practically insignificant. If the stone fits into the interior of the room, then you can safely use it and not worry about the durability of the repair.
Floral wallpaper
The only thing that needs to be taken into account is the need to combine the stone with another material, otherwise the living room may turn out to be rough and cold. Stone is usually used to decorate part of the wall, the area near the fireplace, TV, arches, and you can also highlight the dining area in this way.
Venetian plaster in the living room interior
How to choose finishing material
Wall decoration is the final touch of renovation; how the walls look will determine the perception of the entire interior. Therefore, realizing the importance of this step, the owners approach the choice creatively and evaluate the characteristics of materials comprehensively. The decision is influenced by the following finishing features:
- Price. Any finishing material is offered in a wide price range, and the share of the economy sector is always quite large. You can always compare several budget options and choose the most acceptable one. Here it is important to consider not only the price of the material: sometimes the cost of finishing and its installation are comparable.
Beige bedroom design Source aviarydecor.com
- Compliance with room conditions. The finishing of the room must match the characteristics of the room for which it is purchased. Parameters such as moisture and wear resistance are assessed; Sometimes the ability to withstand regular cleaning is important. A material that is ideal for a bedroom may not be suitable for a kitchen, and vice versa.
- Compatibility. Modern design ideas welcome the combination of different types of finishes. A popular solution for any interior is an accent wall. For it, more expressive material is usually purchased; For the remaining walls, choose a budget finish. The main thing in this decision will be the compatibility of colors and/or textures of the accent and other walls.
Balance of colors and textures Source mir-s3-cdn-cf.behance.net
- Decorative effect. The finishing is always selected for a specific interior. Therefore, before purchasing, you need to decide not only the style of the room, but also other details. The finishing material must be combined with the furniture, floor and ceiling finishes. Textiles and accessories are easier to choose last.
- Ease of installation. An important criterion for those who are planning to carry out repairs on their own. Each type of finishing requires its own approach, sometimes a special tool is required, which also affects the final cost.
Wood-look PVC panels Source design-homes.ru
- Environmental friendliness. Mandatory characteristics of modern finishing materials. All of them have a complex chemical composition, so it is important that they comply with safety and quality standards. Conscientious manufacturers certify their products; this means that the finish is safe for health and will not cause an allergic reaction.
Photo wallpaper in the bedroom Source affresco.ru
Ceramics for living room wall decoration
If you are a fan of non-standard solutions, then using tiles in the living room should interest you. Of course, in this case you need to select a different material than for a bathroom or kitchen. You can pay attention to tiles that do not have the highest resistance to chemicals and moisture, since there is no constantly high humidity in the living room, and drops of grease here are rather a rarity than a normal occurrence.
Eurolining on the walls
For the living room, you can choose the most unusual tiles that will have an interesting pattern, imitate brickwork or something else. This material is best used in combination with other methods of wall decoration. So, you can, for example, highlight a dining area.
Wallpaper companions
Ceramic tiles are interesting for their excellent performance properties: they are easy to care for, are not afraid of moisture and fire, are hygienic and environmentally friendly, and are striking in a wide selection of colors. However, this method of finishing will not fit into any type of interior, and will look especially good in the Provence style. The process of installing tiles is not the easiest, and this is its only significant drawback. Instead of tiles, you can use mosaics, creating real artistic panels on the walls.
Stone and paint in wall decoration
Ceramic tile
In the photo, modern ideas for decorating living room walls with tiles look relevant and aesthetically pleasing. Ceramics are welcome in the design of surfaces, because they are environmentally friendly, fireproof, and are not afraid of chemical care products and humidity. To make your interior no worse than a designer one, combine types of coating.
Remember some important features of ceramic wall coverings:
- the larger the surface is covered with ceramics, the less decor there should be on the tiles themselves;
- large areas of coverage give officiality and deprive the room of comfort;
- ceramics is a durable but cold material.
When laying, pay special attention to the tile joints. In the guest room they should be invisible, so the renovation will look neat and complete. You can read about how to choose tiles here.
Soft wall panels on the walls in the living room
Wall panels trimmed with textiles or leather fit well into classic-style living rooms, but they are best used for part of the walls. The panel consists of three layers: plastic, sound insulation and an external decorative layer.
Textured wallpaper
The material has a soft surface with a pronounced relief. With such panels you can create a unique interior, increase the sound and heat insulation of the living room, and hide uneven walls. Installation of this material is relatively simple, and it is very pleasant to the touch, perfect for decorating a seating area in the living room.
Decorative stone in the interior
However, soft panels are still in little demand, which is explained by some disadvantages: high price, the need for careful regular maintenance, reduction in area, and it is easy to damage such material, and in which case this element will have to be replaced.
Wallpaper companions in the living room
Easy to paint
The decoration of a living room in a private house is often done by painting. This method, as old as the world, allows you to put your home in order quickly and without spending a lot of money, which is especially important for those who have just built a summer house and therefore have spent almost all their savings.
Painting can be used both on bare walls and if they are already covered with some kind of wallpaper. To apply this finish, all you need is a new paint roller.
In case the microrelief of the walls is uneven, causing drips and streaks, you should purchase several smaller rollers. Another way to prevent drips is to strictly follow the instructions for preparing the liquid coloring substance.
The most unusual wall decoration options in the living room
In addition to standard finishing methods, there are also very unusual ones. The most interesting of them:
- Glass. Glass blocks are used, which can be transparent or matte, have an engraving, a pattern, be silver-plated, etc. This finish looks very unusual, and is already gaining popularity in Europe.
- Textile. Cotton or other natural fabrics with or without a pattern are used, which depends on the type of living room interior. The room becomes soundproofed, looks cozy and interesting, but will need regular frequent maintenance, since the fabric strongly attracts dust.
- Inserts made of various materials: under the glass you can place pebbles, shells, wine corks or other objects, setting the mood of the living room.
- Mirror tiles are not only an original design solution, but also a great way to visually enlarge the living room. mirror tiles in the living room.
Psychological component of finishing
Any decor enters into a certain interaction with the psyche, creating a mood, calming or irritating, giving rise to certain images and recalling pictures from memory. Thus, when choosing a finish, it is necessary to focus not only on its aesthetic qualities, but also on how exactly its contemplation affects psychological comfort.
