The interior of the living room in the American style is equally good for city apartments and country houses. This type of decoration of the reception room is difficult to classify as typical. It is very diverse, therefore we love it in the world. In fact, in this direction of interior decor, a lot of developments from other styles have been collected. And this is understandable, because the United States itself is a product of migration. At one time, people of various nationalities came here, and each nation brought something of its own, intimate, to the culture of the country. Let's see what came of it.
Distinctive features
“For all the democracy of the living room in the style of American classics, personal space is never flaunted here”
American style emphasizes space. Ideally, all the rooms in the house should be perceived as a single space, which is very good for decorating a small home. It becomes possible to connect the unconnected. The area of the kitchen, hallway, corridor is quietly added to the living room space.
For all the democracy of the living room in the style of American classics, personal space is never flaunted here. That is, it is impossible to equip a sleeping or children's area in it. These rooms should remain out of the public eye. False columns or arches will help to harmonize the combined areas and divide them into functional corners.
Of the mandatory elements of the interior, alcoves and niches should be mentioned. In the American living room, they are voluminous, often the entire wall. They are equipped with shelves and books are placed on them or taken under stereo systems and a home theater.
Why does an American-style living room look attractive in any photo? Because in the interior a lot of attention is paid to:
- Zoning. This leitmotif cannot be ignored. He is obvious. Since the hall in an American house is always large areas, often containing the territories of other rooms, everything needs to be emphasized and delineated. And to use partitions, in any form, is prohibited here. What remains? Use other developments of specialists in the zoning of spaces. In addition to the arches and columns mentioned above, structured ceilings and floors will help to present the room in a favorable light. The difference in their heights can look very advantageous, especially in large-sized rooms.
- Finishing materials. In the design of the living room in the American style, only natural materials are used. Sometimes, in order to reduce the cost of the project, it is allowed to replace them with high-quality analogues. So, for example, MDF can be used instead of wood.
- Accents. A visually appealing object must appear in the living room. It can be a fireplace or a huge plasma.
Since the American interior is a mix of European styles, it is not surprising that motifs slip through it:
- loft;
- international modern;
- provence;
- pop art;
- English country.
Style Varieties
If you look at the photo of the American-style living room, the fact that the interiors differ in style will not go unnoticed.Responsible for dividing the direction into subspecies is the influence of subcultures.
Classic American interior
The emergence of American classics as an interior design style was facilitated by the migration of aristocrats from Old England to the continent. Very little time has passed and the principle of pairing in furnishing, the attraction to light solutions in surface finishing, classic curtains, a white stone fireplace, voluminous armchairs, locally organized lighting could already be seen in the furnishings of many American houses.
Neoclassical Solutions
More loyal in terms of high cost of implementation, the interior. Here it is permissible to replace the tree with plastic panels, the real hearth - a false fireplace, change the curtains to blinds or other exotic.
Designers love neoclassicism for its flexibility, because in such interiors it is possible to achieve a harmonious coexistence of classical style features and modern building technologies.
Modern American style in the interior of the living room
Great stylistic mix. The room is filled with modern design furniture, but at the same time it is arranged in compliance with all classical norms. The unusual move is emphasized by adding loft lamps, exotic figurines, paintings, vases and other original items to the decor.
american country
The name itself, just sounded, makes the imagination draw the interiors of cowboy ranches. Indeed, the American rustic interior is, above all, an abundance of wood. It is used in the decoration of all surfaces: floors, ceilings, walls. A very successful move would be the arrangement of a beam ceiling. How such an American-style living room might look like, a photo will tell.
An excellent addition to the dark-colored or varnished beams will be the walls sewn up with wooden clapboard or wallpapered with an unobtrusive floral pattern. The permanent attributes of country living rooms are a leather sofa and a large fireplace that can heat the whole room.
Features of finishing the living room in the style of American classics
“Although simplicity is in the interior of the American-style living room and in favor, it is quite possible to experiment with wall decoration”
American style is simple but not cheap. So, the floors here are traditionally plank or lined with dark parquet. As an alternative, it may be considered laminate, but it must be of sufficiently high quality and perfectly imitate the pattern of a wood cut.
American style completely rejects carpets of any quality. The maximum that can appear on the floors of the hall is the skins of animals. It is allowed to use artificial analogues.
Now for the background solution. The walls of the room are always given a light color. Wallpaper can also be used as a finishing material. The only condition is that they must be too textured and contain abstract drawings. The neutral background will be the perfect frame for a soft corner in bright upholstery.
Although simplicity is in the interior of the American-style living room and in favor, it is quite possible to experiment with wall decoration. The same wallpaper can be glued in different variations. For example, at the level of the panels, let the strips run horizontally, and above - vertically. With the same success, wallpaper of its own color can be chosen for each wall. For pure English country, this is nonsense, but in an American home, such decor looks quite appropriate.
If you look at the photos of American-style living rooms, you can see their special craving for loft elements. Most often, these are sections of brickwork that are visible on the walls. In those houses where there are brick partitions, getting a specific decor is not at all difficult.To do this, it is enough to remove the plaster layer and work out the opened surface. The latter implies cleaning it of dust and a possible opening with varnish, for greater decorativeness.
Who is less “lucky” with housing and the walls in the room are derivatives of other materials, they imitate brickwork. Ideally, use a "flexible stone". It is obtained by attaching the thinnest sections of natural brick or other types of stones to a gutta-percha base. The decor is simply fixed on surfaces of any quality, even on drywall. The light weight of the material allows this to be done. Accent inserts look quite natural.
When designing an American style living room ceiling, prioritize white finishes.. The white spectrum is the undisputed leader in this direction, so by choosing it, you will never go wrong.
color swing
The color palette of the American interior is diverse and not tied to any particular spectrum. To decorate the room, you are free to use whatever your heart desires. If you want light and fresh - please! Craving bright colors is also not a problem! Mix, experiment, create, mix anything and everything. Any combination is possible. The main reference point is the tastes of the owners.
But still, in the living room in the style of American classics, you will have to adhere to traditional trends. Its background should be light. So it will be easier for you to add contrasting and colorful accessories, furnishings to the decor, as well as to zone the space. Even designers with considerable experience do not risk mixing more than two colors in a classic living room.
A more frivolous interpretation of the interior, although open to color experiments, may not accept beyond frills. It is incredibly important for a room that the atmosphere in it remains psychologically comfortable. It should not irritate not only the inhabitants of the apartment, but also their guests, so you should not lose a sense of proportion. How easy is it to oversaturate space?
- red;
- yellow;
- blue
- emerald.
The listed shades can not just cross out the entire compositional solution. They will make him aggressive and annoying.
It is not recommended to abuse dark colors in the interior of an American-style living room, for example, black or dark brown.. The room will turn out to be gloomy, and the atmosphere in it will be depressing.
The abundance of gray will breed depression. Even an overdose of white, considered solo in this direction, is catastrophic. Its abundance will present the hall as a hospital ward rather than a cozy gathering place. If you want to stay in this spectrum, dilute the straining whiteness with olive, milky, beige colors.
American Style Living Room Furniture
“For the design of an American-style living room, the color and appearance of objects that fall into the decor are important”
Furniture in the American interior plays a special role. She is responsible for shaping the final image of the room. So what should appear in the atmosphere of the hall?
Everything that is made of solid wood, especially noble species: oak, maple, walnut. A large, rough work sofa is required, a pair of the same massive, slightly uncouth chairs. But the chairs should be comfortable, inviting into their arms. Ideally, such things should be made to order, according to individual projects, even better - with your own hands. This eliminates the chance that something similar will appear with friends.
Not ready to splurge on natural wood - look at chipboard derivatives, but choose products in the best quality, carefully finished.
For the design of an American-style living room, the color and appearance of objects falling into the decor are important. The pretentiousness of the forms is added to the size of the king size, manifested in the elegance of the lines of the armrests, figured legs, and carved decor.Upholstered furniture is covered with leather, velor or other expensive and durable fabrics. The upholstery can be monochrome, two-tone or have a multi-colored print, possibly containing Moroccan motifs or other ethnics.
In addition to upholstered furniture, the living room in the style of American classics is furnished with a chest of drawers, several tables of different design and functionality, poufs, shelves, cabinets. All frame furniture is purchased in dark colors.
American style is a guarantee of reliability, so every detail and every fixture in stylish furniture must be perfect and made to last.
The American home is a zone of increased comfort, so everything that falls into it should be comfortable and functional. There is nothing here "for beauty". You can lie on a super sofa, sit in armchairs, put a cup of tea on the table, and put your legs on chairs, fabulous value.
For an American-style living room interior, not only the quality of the furniture is remarkable, but also the way it is arranged. Because the room is spacious, it can fit a lot of items without being overcrowded. This will contribute to the originality of the arrangement of things. Here it is customary to make a central composition and to form the rest of the situation relative to it.
Both the sofa and the low table deserve to become the main element of the American-style living room furnishing. Mirror layouts are welcome. So sofas are often placed on both sides of the table, near which soft poufs or other types of additional seating appear. Shelves, coffee table, chest of drawers are sent under the walls. Their task is to decorate the interior and demonstrate beautiful dishes, unusual accessories, and library volumes.
If there is a fireplace, its zone should also be beaten with high quality. Put a rocking chair there, add a coffee table, a floor lamp, organize a mini-bar. For examples of what this part of an American-style living room might look like, see the photo.
A separate line in a specific setting is household appliances. She shouldn't be visible. Hide devices in furniture walls, drawers, mask in niches, on shelves. An excellent move would be the arrangement of a rotary shelf between the bedroom and the hall. Install a TV on it, and the issue of leisure will be resolved for two rooms at once.
Fireplace in American style living room interior
Designing an American-style living room and not installing a fireplace in it means depriving the interior of the soul. Naturally, it is far from always possible to equip a real hearth with live fire in a standard apartment, but simulating it will not be a problem. Since this element of the decor migrated to American houses from English ones, it also has a specific design. It is customary to lay it out from natural stone, in extreme cases - from brick.
In the design of the living room in the style of American classics, the installation of a fireplace is taken even more seriously. Together with the hearth, the accompanying elements appear in the room. We are talking about fireplace sills, decorative beams, stone shelves. A good solution would be to lay out a fireplace portal in the shape of an arch.
It is important that the hearth is working. If safety precautions do not allow you to put a full-fledged structure with a real firebox for firewood, then use an electric fireplace. If we remember that the American style is a mix, then by and large the fireplace can be interpreted in any design, for example, lay out the portal with tiles, mosaics, glass. But still, photos of American-style living rooms can convince you that monumental English fireplaces have no equal.
The arrangement of the fireplace will entail the need to properly arrange the adjacent area. According to the logic of things, a cozy corner for relaxation and unhurried conversations should appear in it.Here you can put a couple of chairs and separate them with a coffee table. To prevent the wall with a fireplace from looking empty, it is recommended to place bookcases, open cabinets or just bedside tables on the sides of its portal.
Be sure to use the mantel itself, putting on it original accessories such as antique candlesticks or a collection of figurines. Don't have a fireplace mantel? Replace it with a hinged structure made of solid wood. As for the space above the hearth, it can be arranged by hanging a picture on the wall, for example.
Adding a fireplace to the interior of an American-style living room, take care of the safety of its operation. Do not move furniture or flammable objects close to it. It is also better to make the floor area in front of the fireplace portal not wooden, but stone, using porcelain stoneware or another type of tile for its decoration.
Lighting nuances
American homes rarely have problems with natural light. Usually all their rooms have large windows through which enough sunlight enters so that there are no dark corners in the room, so you will have to work exclusively on artificial lighting. And it is specific in this interior.
The problem is that the design of the living room in the style of American classics is reluctant to accept chandeliers.. The lighting here should be soft, flowing, soothing. Sconces and floor lamps, ceiling or wall lighting will perfectly cope with this task. Thrifty Americans prefer a local lighting system in order to be able to turn on the light exactly in the part of the room where they are now.
Textiles in the American living room
Since the windows in the interior of the American-style living room have beautiful wooden frames, it is not customary to curtain them. If this option does not suit you, consider wooden blinds, Roman, Austrian blinds or shutters. The latter are ideal for country houses, as they will not only shade the room and hide your life from prying eyes, but also decorate the building from the outside.
If you still decide to stay on classic curtains, then choose simple designs made from natural or mixed fabrics and in no case decorate the window area with lambrequins, fringe, lush folds. But tiebacks in the design of the living room in the style of American classics can be used, and even necessary. Thus, you can add coziness to the atmosphere, practically without violating the stylistic canon about the openness of windows.
A few words about decor
American style in any interior, whether in the living room, kitchen or bedroom, strives for simplicity, so do not expect to see antiques and an abundance of other decorative elements in the room. A win-win option would be to add fresh flowers and books to the decor. They can interspersed occupy shelves in a niche or on a bookcase.
It is allowed to decorate the empty area of the walls with retro-style photographs or hang family heirlooms like letters and pennants on them. All kinds of themed posters will do. Decorative sofa cushions, ethnic plates, etc. can act as an element of decor.
You can collect compositions from figurines, vases with a touch of antiquity and also present them to the public by putting them on the fireplace or shelves next to it.
How to zone a studio space
Looking through photos of American-style living room interiors, you probably noticed that it is unrealistic to find an example where the kitchen would not be part of the hall. This makes the direction indispensable in the arrangement of small-sized housing. However, the combined areas will look good only if they are properly designed and present the space in a single stylistic solution.To do this is really only competently zoning the room.
The American living room in the standard version is divided into three functional parts:
- Kitchen.
- Guest.
- Dining room.
The latter is a transitional segment between the "sofa" area and the kitchen. Since the style in question does not like doors and partitions, we will divide the space with arches, columns and openwork shelving structures. You can go the other way. For example, place the dining area on a podium or use a multi-level ceiling in an American-style living room design.
Want to skip the topic of the dining room - no question. Just make an island in the kitchen area or place a bar counter at the junction of the squares. Both of these designs are quite able to fully replace the dining group and even more. With their appearance, you will have a place to arrange evening gatherings with a glass of beer.
Conclusion
Living room in the style of "American classics" - the most successful implementation of design ideas, borrowed from a variety of stylistic trends. It's balancing on a fine line. The ability to present a minimalist environment as luxurious and even pompous. The pragmatism of the direction does not prevent the room from remaining cozy and incredibly functional. The American living room is a great opportunity to express yourself. Don't miss this opportunity! Believe me, your efforts will be adequately rewarded.
