Classic style in the interior (photo): simple secrets of perfect design

2019-01-11

Author: Belfan

Issues discussed in the material:

How did the classic style in the interior originate?
What is characteristic of the classic style in the interior?
What are the advantages of the classic style in the interior?
What should be the interior decoration in a classic style?
What furniture is chosen for a classic style in the interior?

Classic (from the Latin “classicus” - belonging to the first class, exemplary) is called everything that is standard, ideal. By classic we mean typical, traditional and generally accepted things and phenomena. Decorating the interior of a house in a classic style means following a time-tested path. These design techniques and methods will always be in demand, because the classics will never go out of fashion. But what exactly is the classic style in the interior, you will learn from this article.

How did the classic style in the interior originate?

The origins of the principles of the classical style began in Ancient Greece in the 6th–4th centuries BC. But only the Renaissance in the 17th century allowed classicism to finally form into a separate direction in architecture and art. He inherited not only the principles of ancient painting, sculpture and architecture of the ancient Greeks, but also all the best in those places where he later spread.

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Historically, the facades of palaces and buildings were often decorated with ancient sculptures. Internal and external decoration with stucco, rich decor - all this is inherent in the French classic direction, called the “Louis XIV style”. While English classicism has its own differences: here it acquired restraint, dryness and colder forms. Traditionally, English houses have a particularly clear layout and have a front entrance or hall for receiving guests.

If we turn to Russian history, here the classical style quickly managed to become loved and owned when it came in the 18th century. Russian classicism is characterized by the presence of calm forms, clear proportions and harmony with its characteristic subtle taste in the decoration of facades and interiors of buildings. For the first time, Russian classicism clearly manifested itself in the decoration of the Marble Palace in St. Petersburg, where the regal Baroque style became more refined and restrained classical.

Traditionally, Russian classics strove to meet standards and maintained some restraint in decoration. The Italian architect A. Palladio in the first third of the 19th century significantly influenced the formation of a new direction in architecture - the Russian Empire style, which marked the completion of the development of classicism in Russia. This strict style was characterized by the use of monumental forms and decorative decoration of facades with military-themed attributes.

What primarily distinguishes a house built in accordance with the classical architectural style? These are clear shapes, symmetry and simplicity of designs. The building has a logically structured and simple overall composition. The facade should be decorated with traditional details: pilasters, balconies, cornices and balustrades, but in general the design can be very different. Classicism is very popular in the construction of buildings and country houses, but in few places the absolute purity of the style is observed.

Apartment design in light colors: nuances

When decorating an apartment, light colors have a significant number of advantages:

Optically expands the space of the room.
Light colors can be used either monochromatically or in combination with each other.
Excellent as a basis for contrasting solutions.
It is easier to decorate a room in light colors.
Bright rooms give the impression of cleanliness and freshness.

Living room

Kitchen

Bathroom

Distinctive elements of classical style in the interior

The classic style in the interior of an apartment or house is characterized by the following features:

Subordination to symmetry. Classical design was formed under the influence of the architectural traditions of the masters of Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, where everything was subject to strict geometry. That is why symmetry is the main thing that is necessarily present in this style.
Everything is built around the main axis. What is a classic style in the interior is the observance of proportions around the accepted center. It helps create the main composition. For the reference point, you can choose the center of a large room. Or it could be a corner in a small room.
The presence of a sphere and hemispheres. The classics always include square and rectangular shapes, but don’t forget about the sphere. It is impossible to imagine a true classic interior without arches, semicircular curves at the top of window openings, and columns.
Abundant decoration. A classic interior is most often presented as richly decorated, luxurious, with obligatory stucco on the ceiling, carved furniture and textiles embroidered with gold threads.
Modesty and rigor. But in addition to the luxury of Baroque, the classics correspond to rigor and moderation in decoration. Even the word “asceticism” fits the description of the modern classic style in the interior. The stucco molding on the ceiling is replaced with moldings, and light colors are used more in the decoration. Practicality and functionality have replaced excessive decor.
Love for natural materials. To create a truly classic interior, you need to forget about the use of chipboard, fiberboard, MDF and plastic. The decoration should include wood, stone, marble, and possibly the use of precious metals. The floor should have high quality parquet. Luxurious curtains, chandeliers with crystal pendants, and expensive natural carpets are purchased as decoration.
Compliance with national roots. If you create a classic English style in the interior, then you need to observe restraint and laconicism, while in the French classics there will be pomp and ostentatious luxury.

Windows and lighting

It just so happens that since the times of luxurious estates and palaces, windows have been the main source of light. As wide and tall as possible, they were framed in natural wood frames with an impeccable finish.

Today, not every room can boast of such a scale, so to demonstrate the classic style it will be enough to visually enlarge the window openings using the lightest color scheme of niches and snow-white curtains.

Daylight is replaced in the evening by stylized pendant chandeliers, richly decorated with glass and crystal. Depending on the size of the room, it can be one central chandelier, or several located along the axis of symmetry.

To complete the effect of maximum illumination, which is a mandatory parameter of a classic interior, additional light sources are also required. These can be noble floor lamps, with gilded elements and a laconic lampshade; stylized table lamps or sconces. In any case, the selected lamps must be paired and not break the symmetry.

Advantages of classic style in the interior

Classic style in the interior has a number of advantages. Here are the main ones:

classics always remain popular; adherence to them indicates good taste and wealth;
the interior can be easily updated by hanging new curtains, replacing pillows and bedspreads, or adding other new accessories;
classic corresponds to the calm, unhurried way of life of people who observe traditions;
The design uses calm neutral shades, so it is difficult to go wrong with the combination of colors in the interior.

Classic color palette

Classic interior design is a balanced combination of color and light. As the interior artist and founder of TB studio explained. Design Tatyana Bezverkhaya: “classics relies on natural, natural and light colors.”

There should always be a base - a common color and, as a rule, a neutral one. If the design is planned to be light, the base will accordingly be “milk”, “pale graphite” or white. This base implies the presence of dark colors to complement. This could be furniture, carpets, tapestry paintings in deep gray and brown shades. The final noble touch is a few spots (pillows, chair upholstery, curtains) olive, purple, emerald spots and “sand”.

According to the same advice from Tatyana, for regions where sunny days are directly proportional to bad weather, a room in a light beige palette will definitely not be the same as in the southern part of France. Therefore, focusing only on white or dark is a mistake. You need a proper balance of cold and warm colors, light and dark.

Classic prefers a calm mood and an orderly construction of color schemes. Often, designers resort to a palette “for its intended purpose”: the bedroom is in a peaceful blue color, the front door is in sunny and welcoming vanilla, the office is in the colors of mahogany and green cloth that historically developed during the war era, the kitchen is a storehouse of “shades of dairy products” ( pink fermented baked milk, stewed milk foam and yellow cheese).

Interior decoration in classic style

Design in a classic style is appropriate both in the interior of a small apartment and in the decoration of country houses and cottages. Classic is suitable for decorating a kitchen, living room, office, bedroom, bathroom, and even the interior of a hallway will be good in a classic style. Each case requires its own approaches to the choice of materials and colors. Before starting work, remember the main points:

you need to choose high-quality natural materials for finishing;
Calm color combinations suit classic design;
the use of large bright ornaments and prints should be excluded;
it is necessary to observe geometry and symmetry in the arrangement.

On the floor, as already mentioned, it is advisable to put parquet made of high-quality wood. For reasons of practicality, granite or marble slabs, as well as ceramics with a wood-like pattern, are more suitable in the kitchen.

For the ceiling, choose a discreet and elegant design. These can be suspended or tensioned options, as well as hand-painted finishes. Even with paint you can get an even, smooth ceiling. And the addition will be stylish cornices, pilasters, and stucco molding.

A beautiful interior in a classic style will not work without appropriate wall decoration. It could be:

silkscreen printing;
paper-based wallpaper;
tiles in elegant shades;
veneer wood panels.

Frames for windows and door panels should also be ordered from high-quality wood. It is advisable to use varnish to process them.

Textiles, decor, details

Textiles, along with decorative elements, are always an integral part of the design of premises. And the classic style is no exception. Curtains act as the main textile element in any room. The higher and more spacious the room, the denser and heavier the fabric for decorating window openings should be. The priority is multi-layered design, which includes thick curtains, flowing, visually weightless curtains and spectacular additions in the form of lambrequins, tassels and tiebacks.

Fabrics used for sewing curtains must be in harmony in texture and color with other textiles, from furniture upholstery to carpets. By the way, the latter will not be at all out of place in the living room or bedroom.

A quite important and very recognizable attribute of a classic interior is also a fireplace. Therefore, at least in one room, it is worth setting aside a place for it. And best of all is the central one. Placed in a stylized portal, it may well become a key element in the design of a living room or bedroom, setting the mood and demonstrating involvement in the historical past.

The classic style actively encourages the use of decorative elements in the interior. Depending on the purpose of the room, these can be original paintings or reproductions in solid frames, mirrors in spectacular frames, pilasters, moldings, rosettes, stucco moldings, luxurious chandeliers and even hand-painted ceilings and walls. However, when dealing with decorative design, you should remember the restraint and aristocracy of the chosen direction. That is why you should not clutter up the space with cute trinkets. It is wiser to give preference to elegant antique items that make the interior exclusive.

Color in interior design in a classic style

By definition, the classic style corresponds to calm shades. It is necessary to exclude extravagant and unnaturally bright colors. Wallpaper in a classic-style interior should be natural, discreet shades.

The following colors will look harmonious in classic decor:

natural wood;
black and white;
cream, beige, golden, sand;
soft blue, pale green;
pastel shades - peach, salmon, pale pink;
mother-of-pearl, purple, blue;
coffee, burgundy, light yellow, all brown colors.

Classics in the kitchen

When developing the design of a classic kitchen, you can turn to photos on the Internet, because it will be difficult to fit modern household appliances into classic furniture.

But you can find a way out:

Built-in technology. It will help to combine antique furniture and modern appliances;
Various color options. Nowadays there is a huge assortment of kitchen sets in various shades on the manufacturers’ market; here you can use not only beige and pastel colors, but also blue and lilac;
Accessories must match the classic interior; plastic and glass will not look good here;
An apron in the kitchen should be designed in harmony with the flooring.

Furniture in a classic interior

Classic forms of furniture are associated with the furnishings of aristocratic houses of the 17th - 18th centuries and remain popular today. Such furniture is invariably chosen by those for whom it is important to emphasize luxury, high status and material wealth, as well as exemplary taste. Natural wood, elegance of form, decorativeness combined with functionality and long service life will always attract attention and find new admirers.

The interior of a room in a classical style subtly emanates aristocracy. Traditional forms and high quality materials are combined in the hands of modern craftsmen with new ideas and reinterpreted in a new way. Lacquered, waxed or tinted surfaces are especially attractive. Carvings on wooden parts, frosted or clear glass, bronze and copper fittings - all these elements speak of luxury and sophistication of furniture.

Cushioned furniture.

In a classic interior, the upholstery of upholstered furniture is usually light and made from natural high-quality fabrics. As a rule, made of linen, silk, tapestry. Luxurious velvet and velor, as well as genuine leather, give the furniture solidity and nobility.

It is acceptable to use floral patterns and floral patterns; embroidery and embossing can serve as decorative elements. The furniture has rounded soft shapes, characteristic smoothness and completeness. Classic is precision, thoughtfulness of design down to the smallest detail. Furniture made of solid wood, created in compliance with all the traditions of the classics, is presented on the market today in the widest range.

Modern classics are not only beautiful, but also functional: if necessary, you can purchase transforming models. You can also create a classic design in a children's room and furnish it with reliable and practical furniture. Sofas with a convenient transformation mechanism can be easily converted into a comfortable sleeping place in the evening.

Cabinet furniture.

Manufacturers use strict and symmetrical classical forms to create modern sets. And built-in furniture options help solve the problem of saving space. Today, factories are developing a variety of models that can satisfy the taste of any buyer.

Modular cabinet furniture is loved by many because of its spaciousness, functionality and, of course, because of its beautiful appearance.

Wood is the main material for making classic furniture. Or it is used as finishing. Mahogany and ebony, apple, pear, eucalyptus - facades made from these tree species look great. Decorations include moldings, cornices, and consoles - they emphasize the classic style and make the interior more sophisticated. The fittings must also fully match the style.

Style furniture

Last but not least is the right furniture. Only natural wood, no fiberboard or MDF. Elegant and massive pieces of furniture are made in the best factories, using valuable and rare types of wood. Antique furniture will also be an excellent choice. Classic flowing shapes without unnecessary curls are a tribute to style. Furniture is often inlaid with semi-precious stones and decorated with carvings. For upholstery, natural silk, velvet, and cotton of noble colors are used.

Living room interior in classic style (photo)

Color solutions.

So, you have decided to decorate your living room in a classic direction. The next step is to choose a color scheme. A bright interior in a classic style looks calm and harmonious, but other design options cannot be ruled out. Color serves as a starting point for further design work, which is why this point is so important.

White living room in classic style.

For the classic interior of a small living room, you can choose a white design, which will make the space light and spacious. But to avoid looking like a hospital and not causing unpleasant emotions, add warm colors to the decor, for example, lay down a beige or brown carpet.

Beige living room in a classic style.

Calm and discreet beige color has the right place in a classic interior. Finishing in beige, like white, makes the room lighter and more spacious, and also more comfortable and warm. When decorating and furnishing a living room in beige tones, it is necessary to combine various textures to make the space look “alive” and not boring. It is good to dilute beige with pastel shades: blue, olive, yellow, pink, lilac. The combination of beige and gold looks great.

Lilac living room in a classic style.

The presence of pastel shades of purple (lilac, lilac, lavender) looks gentle and cute. And the combination with gilding adds sophistication to the classic interior.

Gray living room in a classic style.

It's quite rare to see a living room decorated in this color, but gray has many shades that can be used to create a striking look. This tone is perfect as a base tone for decorating walls or floors. Its elegance is more pronounced in combination with a cool color spectrum. A few warm colors will make the atmosphere of the room more cozy.

Brown living room in a classic style.

According to the designers, the brown color scheme can be called conservative, and this brings it closer to the classic style. Such tones have a calming effect and are associated in the human mind with a reliable, safe and stable life. In the interior, it can serve as a background against which other shades will look good; it is distinguished by the fact that it gets along well with most colors.

Finishing and materials for the living room.

As we said, classic style involves the use of high-quality natural materials. But times change, and sometimes modern artificial materials are not inferior to natural ones in quality and appearance.

Floor.

Ideal if you decide to buy parquet with a geometric or floral pattern. Don't forget to coat it with glossy varnish to complete the finish.

Laminate and wood planks can also be used for flooring, and for an elegant addition, use a beautiful rug. Marble is perfect for a classic-style bathroom interior.

Walls.

The following types of wall decoration correspond to the classic style:

— Finishing with decorative painting, fabrics, wallpaper with light patterns. The walls will have a solemn and strict appearance due to the use of textured and high-quality materials, rather than bright and catchy colors.

— Monochromatic design using pastel shades. In this case, stucco molding, decorative plaster, columns and half-columns are suitable as decorative elements, which will remind you of the historical roots of classicism.

Always relevant for classic design is the installation of a fireplace.

Ceiling.

According to traditions, it can be decorated with painting, stucco of the same color or with gilding and friezes. These finishing methods will turn it into a masterpiece of design craftsmanship.

Living room furniture in classic style.

The decor plays an important role when creating a classic living room style. Pieces of furniture should convey elegance, nobility and subtle taste. The best choice would be to purchase a set made of solid wood or finished with veneer. Furniture can be decorated with carvings, enamel, and metal parts. For chairs, armchairs or sofas, choose upholstery made of cotton, satin, silk with barely noticeable patterns.

In spacious rooms, it would be useful to place stands or small tables with lamps or fresh flowers, an unusual-looking coffee table, and a chest of drawers.

It is better to arrange furniture in a symmetrical way.

Decor and textiles.

To fully match the style, a classic interior must contain expensive decorative items. These could be figurines, candlesticks, a chandelier, mirrors, paintings - without these attributes, a classic will not be a classic. Of course, the decor should also be harmonious with the image being created.

An excellent addition would be expensive porcelain, bronze antiques, marble figurines, carved frames on paintings and mirrors, but not all at once. Otherwise, the interior will look tasteless and bourgeois. Several well-chosen accessories will emphasize the style of a classic living room and the elegant taste of the owners.

Textile design, like furniture upholstery, should be made from high-quality natural fabrics. You need to purchase curtains, pillows, and carpet in accordance with the overall color scheme of the room. For a classic interior, a plain carpet or one with restrained color transitions is suitable.

Bathroom

The walls are decorated with natural marble or ceramic tiles reminiscent of the texture and ornament of real stone. An important accent of the room is the mirror. It is framed in a carved frame, often gilded. Wall lamps are mounted on both sides. It is better to choose classic-style plumbing fixtures and faucets.

Kitchen interior in classic style

Important principles:

Classic style is, as we have already found out, adherence to clear lines and geometric shapes. The photo shows the interior of a kitchen in a classic style, where you can see that the kitchen set is located in the shape of an angle. Arrangement in one line is also possible.
Classic looks great in spacious kitchens, where all the details and finishes will be presented in all their splendor.

The classic style will not look ridiculous even in a small kitchen; only designers will have to approach the development of the project more carefully so as not to overload the interior with details and ensure coziness and convenience.

Today it is easy to order kitchens made of oak, cedar, walnut or cherry wood.

An important point is that porcelain or ceramic dishes will look very beautiful and stylish in a classic kitchen.

Which color do you prefer?

Monochrome colors are most often used to create designs. And thus, a couple of tones will be present in the decoration and furniture. In this case, the classic kitchen will become the family’s favorite place and will not irritate or get boring.

Light classic kitchens.

Light-colored models are popular and always remain in trend. You just need to take into account that pure white color is still not worth using, since it does not fully reflect the nobility of the classics.

Among the pastel shades, you can choose the one that will be ideal for decoration: vanilla or caramel, cappuccino or ivory, milk, cream or wheat. Sometimes light blue or soft pink colors are used. Pastel shades combine well with each other and exactly match the style. An elegant addition could be made with gilding or silver plated.

For small spaces, choosing a light finish will be an advantage as the space will appear larger and brighter. In a spacious kitchen, in order to visually “collect” the space, a dark finish is more suitable.

Classic kitchens in dark colors.

For a classic design in a dark color, a range of brown shades is usually used. In addition, dark gray and dark blue, as well as black, are also used, but it must be combined with other tones, otherwise the classic style will become gothic. Dark tones tend to look noble, and this is always true for classics.

When creating a design, you can play with color contrasts and use combinations of dark and light tones when decorating. But be sure to remember that traditional classics do not tolerate flashy shades.

The use of the time-tested combination of beige and brown colors in the design of the kitchen space will be unmistakable. Their palettes contain many shades. Similar tones can be harmoniously combined in the interior, so designers have a large field for the expression of imagination. The result can be a classic version of the kitchen, made elegantly and tastefully.

Wood colors in classic kitchen design.

The options for light and dark finishes we considered were taken without taking into account the materials used, whereas we have always said that wood is ideal for classics. Now we can say that the proposed rules regarding color combinations primarily apply to interiors using wood or wood substitute materials. That is, the set, table, chairs and, of course, the floor should be made of wood, and then the colors of different types of wood will be ideal for a classic design.

Which color scheme should I choose?

We have already mentioned that the classic interior is light. However, not only muted tones are used in the design. A calm palette acts as a background: white, beige, ivory, gray. In interiors, a warm palette is often used - it best complements the shade of natural wood.

As for accents, the classic style is characterized by noble, dense tones - burgundy, olive, chocolate, deep blue or purple. They go well with both light colors and gold or bronze decorative elements.

The photo shows an example of a classic bedroom

The interior design will be harmonious if the combination of furniture frame and textiles is correct. Light furniture needs pastel (peach, pistachio, cappuccino) upholstery. Items made of dark wood look better in dark or bright upholstery, with the same textiles around.

Bedroom interior in classic style

As you can see in the photo, the interior of a bedroom in a classic style requires a full set of furniture - a comfortable bed with a beautiful headboard, two high bedside tables, a dressing table, a chest of drawers and a wardrobe that can accommodate a large amount of clothes. When decorating, it is important to harmoniously combine the color of the furniture with the decoration of the walls, floor and ceiling.

In the bedroom, the main place is given to the bed. According to the classical canons, it has a leading role, and therefore the bed should have a respectable size, a high headboard and footboard, and reliable legs. There should be bedside tables on both sides; this is also a sign of style.

The wardrobe also occupies an important place in the composition of the bedroom; it is usually large in size and has hinged doors. If space allows, a modular system of several sections is used. As with all furniture, wood is the best material for its manufacture.

A chest of drawers usually performs two functions: personal items are stored in it, and beautiful decor can be placed on the tabletop - vases, photographs, souvenirs.

For the decor, it is better to buy a bedroom set made in the same style and decorated with carvings or gilding.

It is better to decorate the walls with light-colored wallpaper. The finishing with textile materials looks very attractive and harmonious. Decorative plaster and painting are acceptable.

You can create soft, warm, diffused lighting by placing lamps on several levels. On the ceiling there is a beautiful crystal chandelier with many pendants, and on the bedside tables there are identical lamps. You can also use floor lamps or sconces for zone lighting next to the dressing table.

To decorate window openings, curtains made of expensive fabrics and luxurious textures are suitable. Choose cotton, silk, satin, velvet, wool types of natural fabrics - and your windows will look incredibly attractive. In the same way, you can decorate the canopy above the bed.

Home office

The most common style of office design is British classics. Dark shades in the palette. Wallpaper with a small pattern, stripes or checkered patterns. Wooden wall panels decorated with frames. The furniture includes comfortable leather chairs, a wide massive table, and bookcases.

American version

The classical style was known back in the colonial era. It was at this time that many Europeans moved to live in America. They brought to the new country things, objects and methods of organizing life that took into account the characteristics and traditions of their homeland.

Thanks to this, the classic interior became known to the Americans, with whom it took root well.

A feature of the interior is the absence of partitions and small rooms. American classics are used for arranging large areas. It looks great in a living room of more than 100 square meters. In the center of the room there is a large sofa, which is comfortable.

A fireplace is a must to add coziness to the room.