Living room in Italian style

Decorating the living room in the Italian style can be a panacea for those who for some reason find it difficult to choose the design for this room. And in fact, the school and the traditions of Italian artists have a centuries-old history – so why not use their achievements and experience in planning the appearance of the room that is the face of the apartment? The impression that your home will make on the guests, primarily depends on the design of the living room – the room in which you will receive them.

On the other hand, in this room you and your family will spend a lot of time: resting after a day’s work or simply communicating with each other. This means that the living room should not only be “status”, but also comfortable and comfortable. The Italian style combines all these qualities, and is equally appropriate both in the home of a rational entrepreneur and in the studio of the artist, the inhabitant of the world of bohemia.

Decorating the classic Italian living room

Marble or granite porticoes, semi-columns and columns, stucco moldings, moldings and rosettes lined with natural stone or tiled fireplaces, aged bronze or gilding – this is not a complete list of the main elements of the Italian living room.

What distinguishes the living room, decorated in Italian style, from the living room in Japanese style or high-tech style? The first and main difference is smooth, graceful lines, classical geometric figures, symmetrical elements and a strict hierarchy of all components of the interior. No random items that do not fit into the overall concept, and certainly – quality, status, expensive things and materials.

Marble or granite porticoes, semi-columns and columns, stucco moldings, moldings and rosettes lined with natural stone or tiled fireplaces, aged bronze or gilding – this is not a complete list of the main elements of the Italian living room.

It is permissible to use mirrors that visually increase the space of the room, provided that they are framed by massive frames under a natural tree. Welcome paintings, sculptures, if space allows, floor and table vases. It is also desirable to replace the windows with stained glass, or at least use stained glass inserts.

What is a living room in a classic Italian style:

• The walls are decorated in light and golden colors, decorated with mirrors and paintings;
• smooth lines of classical furniture, very often – antique, upholstery for which are leather and velvet;
• The marble or parquet floor of the room on which lies the patterned carpet of rectangular shape;
• ceiling with one or more chandeliers, ornate and voluminous.

The interior of such a living room is a compromise between rationality and luxury, and when decorating a room with furnishings it is very important to choose the right balance: equally excess of moderation and its lack are harmful.

The combination of colors in the classic Italian living room

In addition to white, when decorating the room the main colors can be blue, turquoise, light green, beige. In general, the Italian style is characterized by the use of light shades of soft, natural colors.

The choice of colors is the first step in the design of the interior design of the room. For a living room in the Italian style, the primary color is in most cases white. With it excellently combines the basic elements: stucco molding, gilding, natural stone, wood. Selected as a dominant, pure white color along with these elements gives the impression of luxury.

In addition to white, when decorating the room the main colors can be blue, turquoise, light green, beige. In general, the Italian style is characterized by the use of light shades of soft, natural colors.

Cold colors will be appropriate in the living rooms, the windows of which look out on the southern, sunny side. When decorating such an interior, it is recommended to furnish the room with furniture made of fumed oak or another dark wood. In general, this will mitigate the effect on the interior of bright sunlight. Warm tones, on the contrary, are chosen if the room is oriented to the north side. Furniture is better to choose from natural light wood – walnut, plum, wenge.

The combination of light and dark tones opens up ample opportunities for experiments, allowing to achieve interesting optical and visual effects. A small pattern on light walls, for example, visually increases the space of the room horizontally, “pushing the walls”, and vertical elements, such as columns and falshkolons – vertically, “lifting” the ceiling. If you use dark colors to decorate the floor, while making the ceiling light, it will significantly increase the height of the room.

The basic rules of finishing the living room in a classic Italian style

Finishing works in the living room are started from the top, i.е. from the ceiling. First, the ceiling must be leveled, which is done in two stages: first starting, after – finishing plaster. After leveling, they start painting, for which they use latex paint of white color, ideally – matte paint.

The aristocratic appearance of the living room gives the ceiling a white color, so when decorating it is strongly recommended to use the highest quality paints from the leading manufacturers. This paint is resistant to external influences, does not turn yellow over time and is easily cleaned of contaminants.

After the ceiling is finished, you can go to the walls. The classic design of the living room in the Italian style assumes either the wallpapering of the wallpaper with wallpaper, or their monophonic coloring. Similarly, the finishing materials must be of the highest quality only.

The last stage of finishing is the floor. There are only two types of materials acceptable for finishing the floor in Italian style:

• Parquet, as artistic, with a pattern, and simple, from a parquet board. Material – only high-quality natural wood, very desirable, expensive and valuable breeds. After laying the parquet, the tree is covered with several layers of varnish, for additional protection and a shiny surface. Please note that the protective coating needs periodic updating;
• tiles of marble, granite and other natural stone. It is acceptable to use a tile that imitates natural material qualitatively. In the latter case, products with a glazed and matte surface can be used. When finishing the floor, you should know the following rule: the larger its area, the larger the tile should be.

Both parquet and tile can create patterns. For example, rosettes of stone of different shades will look good in the center of the room.

The optimal material for the doors will be a solid wood of the appropriate color or a high-quality wooden veneer with brass and bronze pads. Also in the living room of the classic Italian style will look good empty doorways, decorated in the form of arches.

The design of windows should correspond to the design of the doorway. It is unacceptable to use plastic, even laminated – only wood or wood with aluminum. It goes without saying that the color of the window frames should be in harmony with the color of the doors.

Interior of the Italian living room

The interior of the Italian style living room consists of three main elements: furniture, textiles and lighting.

Furniture. All pieces of furniture in the room must be of the highest quality, made of natural wood. It is best if it is made to order, but in the absence of such an opportunity, it is possible to select suitable factory models. They can be decorated with brass and bronze pads, gilding or carving – the main thing is that it fits into the overall interior concept. Adornment with decorative elements made of forged metal is also acceptable.

From the furnishings in the living room of the classic Italian style will be appropriate soft corner or sofa, covered with natural leather or cloth. On the sofa will be appropriate cushions of the same material and the same color. The fabric of the upholstery should be 3-4 tone darker than the dominant color of the interior decoration. Such furniture will make the living room stylish, even a little solemn, but at the same time comfortable and cozy.

Textile. This element of the interior should be selected for furniture – it should be in harmony both with it and with the finish. Classic Italian style fabrics – velvet, velor, satin, jacquard and silk. It is admissible to use both monophonic fabrics and fabrics with a discreet drawing. Paul, as a rule, decorates a carpet with ornate patterns, and windows – large curtains or curtains, with brushes and fringe. If the ceilings in the room are high enough, the window composition can be supplemented with a lambrequin.

Lighting. The final touch in the design of the living room classic Italian style – the creation of a lighting system, which consists of chandeliers and lamps.

The best solution is a multi-lamp chandelier made of crystal or its high-quality imitation, with numerous pendants. Its base should be of an elegant form, best of all – forged, gold or silver. It will be good to harmonize with the interior and a large bronze chandelier with shades in the form of candles or balls of frosted glass. An obligatory addition to the chandelier are floor and wall lamps made in the same style.

Conclusion

High requirements for the design of the living room in the Italian style, unlike many others, do not suffer errors and savings. The planning, development and implementation of the interior are complex and costly – but it’s a hundredfold pay off by the end result, which will delight both you and your guests!

Photo gallery – living room in Italian style:

---

Author: Mikhail Bond

---

---