When choosing wallpaper for the living room, you must first of all consider what kind of room you plan to design. The lighting conditions, the size and shape of the room play a decisive role, because color, tone saturation and the pattern of the wall covering can significantly change the perception of the interior.
Living room: types of wallpaper
The history of this type of decoration began in China, around the third millennium BC, when they began to stick rice paper on the walls. Modern wallpaper for the living room can be either traditional, paper-based, or washable, based on other materials. According to the base material, they are divided into:
- Paper;
- Vinyl;
- Acrylic;
- Fiberglass;
- Metallized;
- Liquid;
- Natural (textile, bamboo, leather and others).
Each type of wallpaper has its own advantages and disadvantages. Let's consider them in more detail.
Paper
Classic wallpapers for the living room are made on a paper basis. They are not moisture resistant - but, as a rule, this is not required in the living room. Caring for such a coating is simple - from time to time they need to be cleaned with a vacuum cleaner. A variety of colors and patterns allows you to choose the right design for any interior, be it classic or modern style. The paper can be of different texture, color, smooth, textured or embossed.
Vinyl
Interesting designs are created using polymer fibers. Vinyl coverings on a non-woven base have a leveling effect and work as an additional heat and sound insulating layer. The silk-screened living room wallpaper design is suitable for classic styles. Vinyl with silk threads used for the top layer allows for impressive modern wallpaper designs for living rooms.
Acrylic
Toboi have a paper base on which a polymer is applied by the dot method. This gives them a definite advantage over vinyl, as it facilitates air exchange. However, they are less resistant to water and their service life is much shorter. The paper base is not able to mask wall defects, and the design possibilities are very limited, so this type of coating is not widely used.
Fiberglass
Fiberglass wallpaper for living room walls has its advantages: they are very durable and strong, breathe well and can be washed. However, the disadvantages are also obvious: there is only one finishing option - painting, and you can repaint a limited number of times, since the paint gradually hides the relief, worsening the decorative properties. The high cost and complexity of dismantling also do not contribute to the popularity of this coating.
Metallic wallpaper
They are able to favorably emphasize the design in high-tech or techno style. Some options are also suitable for classic styles. The base is non-woven fabric, on which aluminum foil is applied on top with a thin layer. An embossing or pattern is applied to the foil, usually under the metal: gold, silver, platinum, bronze.The foil has heat-insulating properties, is resistant to moisture, does not fade, and does not wear out for a long time.
Liquid wallpaper
The composition of this finishing material includes cellulose as a base, silk fibers, dyes, decorative components (mica, mother-of-pearl, various minerals in crumbs, glitter, gold and silver threads), as well as substances that protect against mold, decay and binders. In appearance, they resemble plaster, are supplied dry and diluted with water before use.
Natural
Wallpaper can be made of fabric, bamboo or jute fibers, leather plates. Coverings made of natural fibers applied to non-woven fabric are also called natural. Real dry plants can be woven into these coverings. The original interior design is not the only advantage of this coating. Natural wallpaper has heat-insulating properties, does not fade, and is environmentally friendly.
Wallpaper color for living room
Using the color of wall coverings and its saturation, you can create various interior effects - for example, highlight functional areas, “raise” low ceilings, “push” walls, “brighten” a room, or, on the contrary, create an intimate atmosphere. This technique is widely used in the design of premises.
Light wallpaper in the living room
They will give it a splendor, add illumination, especially in those cases when the windows face the north side. Gradual, gradient fading from top to bottom will create the illusion of high ceilings. The traditional design of living rooms is the finishing of the lower, faster-dirty part of the walls, with dark, and the upper with light tones.
Dark wallpaper in the living room
more often used to highlight a particular part of the wall - for example, in the fireplace area. The color scheme is selected in accordance with the chosen style of room decoration and the personal tastes of the customer, while there are several general rules that must be followed to create a comfortable interior:
- Too bright and "acidic" tones should be avoided, especially in large areas;
- In rooms with a lack of natural light, do not paste over the walls with wallpaper in dark, saturated colors;
- In small living rooms, it is better to use one tone for the walls, and it should be light.
Combining wallpaper in the living room
The room set aside for the living room may have an irregular shape, or too low ceilings. A very large room is also not always good: a person will not feel very comfortable in it. These and some other shortcomings can be corrected by combining wall coverings of different colors, patterns and textures.
Geometry
Highlighting one of the walls with photo wallpaper, or wallpaper in a contrasting tone, you can partially correct the geometry of the space. Using combined wallpaper in the living room in the vertical direction, visually "raise" the ceilings, in the horizontal direction - "expand" the walls.
Zoning
Various combinations of wallpaper colors in the living room are used to divide the space into functional areas - fireplace, reading area, TV viewing area and others. The same technique helps to highlight the living room in open plan layouts.
Wallpaper - decorative element
Both two colors in the living room can be used to create an original wall decor from wallpaper with a pattern or pattern. For example, all the walls are light, and some areas are dark with a pattern, they can be framed using a wooden, metal or plastic strip.
Wallpaper in the living room: photo of interiors
The photos below show examples of the use of modern wallpaper in the interior of the living room.
Photo 1. Gray wallpapers in the living room interior highlight the fireplace and TV area.
Photo 2. Wallpaper in the living room in two colors gives graphicity to the interior and divides it into functional zones: fireplace and sofa.
Photo 3. White wallpaper in the living room, combined with dark elements - furniture and flooring - give the interior a graphic look.
Photo 4. Traditional design with light wallpaper with floral designs.
Photo 5. Decorating the living room with brick-like wallpaper highlights the sofa area in modern interior design.
Photo 6. The combination in the living room of light-colored wallpaper with an unobtrusive pattern and dark furniture gives the interior an expressiveness.
Photo 7. An interesting wallpaper idea for a living room in an eco style design.
Photo 8. Beautiful wallpaper for the living room in pink tones creates a romantic interior.