When planning an apartment renovation, many of us think least about the design of the ceiling in the living room . Interestingly, the stylish design of this area can be the starting point for creating a general concept for the entire interior. From year to year, designers develop fashionable “tricks” for ceilings, giving the interior decoration a certain elegance and a new rhythm. Let's take a closer look at the main features and trends in the design of ceilings in the living room interior.
Features of ceiling design in a modern living room
Many options for ceiling structures remain relevant - from complex multi-level to the most simple solutions. But the main distinguishing feature of a modern ceiling in the living room is not its shape, but the original use of light sources, thanks to which unusual and exciting lighting effects are created. In particular, it is encouraged to install lamps of different shades, paint the ceiling surface in interesting colors, and apply original drawings to it.
Among suspended structures, white ceilings . Of course, an ordinary white surface may seem somewhat impersonal, but when complemented by original lighting, a combination of textures, three-dimensional shapes or cutouts, it acquires a certain fashionable vision.
Painting and whitewashing
Remains the most affordable type of repair. When whitewashing, an aqueous solution of lime or chalk is used, and painting is carried out with water-based paints. But before carrying out work, it is necessary to level the ceiling, clean it from uneven areas, and seal cracks and joints between the floor slabs.
Painting materials dry quickly, are easy to maintain, easy to select the desired color using the color scheme, are vapor permeable and environmentally friendly. When using them, the height of the room is not lost.
What types of ceilings will be in demand in 2022?
The following options will be popular this year:
- Beamed ceilings will add elegance and style to the living room. Typically beams are made of wood, but other materials are acceptable;
- Wooden surfaces are an ideal solution for a living room in Provence, loft, or country style. The latest trend is a white wood plank ceiling that matches the overall white interior of the living room. In combination with a panoramic window and glass door, the space becomes even more open and spacious;
- Whitewashing the ceiling or hanging wallpaper are “retro ideas” that have not lost their relevance and are increasingly used by modern designers;
- Surface painting . Don't be afraid to use bold and bright colors like red or green. Undoubtedly, the living room should be completely consistent with this color concept.
- Stretch ceilings - give a sense of spatiality;
- Concrete ceiling in loft style is a bright trend in modern design. A gray rough surface will give your living room a unique charm and will also save money. But in this case, you need to be very careful when choosing the rest of the decor.
Stretch ceiling
Stretch ceilings are made from polyvinyl chloride fabric by welding the sheets on a high-frequency machine according to the size of the surface. When installed on the frame, the canvas is heated to a temperature of 700 C with a heat gun. The film softens, its plasticity increases, and it is stretched and secured to the profile with clips or glazing beads.
Before installing it, you need to mark and install the mounts under the chandelier or ceiling lights. The process of installing a 70 m2 canvas takes 7 hours. There is no dust, dirt or waste during operation. All irregularities, defects and communications are hidden.
The matte canvas resembles plaster, while the mirrored one visually increases the volume of the room due to the reflective ability of the material. It is easy to clean and is not afraid of high humidity. A variety of colors (up to 100 shades) and photo printing will help create the illusion of a starry sky or floating clouds.
The disadvantage of a vinyl ceiling is that it is susceptible to mechanical damage and is easily pierced by sharp objects and cut through. It can be repaired, but the seam will be visible.
Which style should you choose?
It is important to choose the right ceiling finishing style. It should match the design of the living room. Essentially, the key areas of design are:
- Modern design;
- Classic design;
- Ethnic design.
Modern style involves the use of the latest technologies and their capabilities, a matte or glossy ceiling surface, clever compositional lighting, including a large central lamp and additional lighting. Often LED spotlights or linear type lamps are placed along straight or curly lines.
The second group includes classical, neoclassical, English, Italian styles. In this case, the presence of stucco or its imitation is mandatory. Depending on the height, ceilings can be multi-level or simple.
Ethnic design combines different techniques. Particular attention is paid to the number of accessories and pieces of furniture. For example, in a large living room with a dining area, a multi-level ceiling will look harmonious, but the room should not be cluttered with small details. In a two-level living room, you can make a multi-level design with many LEDs that locally illuminate all areas of the room.
Wooden lining
Wooden lining is suitable for a log house, a room with a characteristic Scandinavian or Old Russian design. A light, pleasant color with a unique texture and eyes will add elegance and originality to the room.
Natural material, does not emit harmful substances into the room, gives the aroma of the forest, durable, easily combined with other materials. But it must be treated with impregnations and antibacterial agents to avoid damage by mold, bacteria and insects.
Color solutions and decor are key aspects of stylish design
The color and decor of the ceiling directly depend on the size and specific style of the living room. In a large room, a rich palette of colors is allowed, but it is better to avoid too bright colors. A safe option would be light pastel colors that maintain a calm, relaxing atmosphere, such as white, beige, milky, blue and light gray.
The contrast of a rich tone with a dominant light shade will add expressiveness. But this technique is appropriate in a spacious room with a high ceiling.
It is highly undesirable to use a mirrored ceiling in your living room design. Such a decision will be too provocative, eccentric, and contrary to the atmosphere of home comfort. An abundance of black is also unacceptable, especially with a monochrome ceiling design. It is better to complement the leading light tone with brown or bronze as an accent for greater expressiveness.
Ceiling style and color scheme
The design style of the ceiling should correspond to the overall interior of the room. If the entire living room is decorated in a classic style, then a futuristic ceiling will be out of place. The same applies to color design. When developing a design project, you should stick to one color scheme or play with contrasts. Much depends on the chosen style direction. But in any case, the ceiling should not be darker than the walls, otherwise it will put pressure on a person and visually make the room smaller. It is better to choose a light, pleasant tone. The ceiling in the living room is usually not distinguished as an independent element; it only complements the overall design of the room with new textures or colors. Of course, the ceiling can become a bright accent in the interior, but such a design requires complex installation and serious study of the design project of the room.
Provence
Wooden ceiling inserts and beams look great in this style. They can be painted with white water-based paint or lime. When painting the ceiling yourself, you need to abandon the roller in favor of a brush with coarse bristles. Also, ordinary plaster is suitable for decorating the ceiling surface: relief, uneven and textured. Provence is a fairly simple style, so the ceiling does not need to be decorated with complex geometric figures made of plasterboard. Modest floral and delicate plant patterns are suitable. For decoration, you can decorate a small flower-shaped edging made of stucco around the perimeter of the ceiling. We need to abandon multi-level solutions and spotlights. For lighting rooms in the Provence style, only chandeliers made of simple materials in discreet colors are suitable. The ceiling should be painted white or other light shades:
- lavender;
- beige;
- brown;
- light turquoise;
- creamy yellow, etc.
Loft
Loft is a rather interesting style of room decoration. A classic loft resembles a warehouse or production workshop. Pipes and ventilation ducts on the ceiling are not hidden under special tiles. They are painted in contrasting colors and left open, placing emphasis on this. The ceiling is not covered by anything. Ideally, its surface should be worn and rough. This style allows for small chips on the ceiling surface. As for the color scheme, it is better to go with an industrial palette: gray, white, brown or black. You should not cover the ceiling in the loft with tension fabrics or tiles; it is better to tidy up the concrete surface. Concrete goes well with brick, wood and glass. It only needs to be leveled and coated with a special protective compound.
Chalet
Chalet translated into Russian means a rural house. This style is somewhat reminiscent of Provence, but stands out for its special rustic originality. All materials used must be natural. They do not need to be painted in acidic shades, the colors should be as natural as possible: gray, green, terracotta, white, cream, beige, brown, etc. Natural combinations are taken as the basis. To accentuate the ceiling, you can use bright shades: burgundy, chocolate, gold. Wide wooden floor beams can be used as a decorative element. They do not play a load-bearing role, but simply emphasize the rustic style of the living room. But these beams will be superfluous in rooms with low ceilings. In this case, you can decorate the ceiling with untreated boards. To give the chalet a special charm, you can hang a candelabra-shaped chandelier on the ceiling.
Baroque
Baroque style looks good only in large rooms with high ceilings. It is characterized by the presence of artistic painting, triangular and square figures. The color of the ceiling should be rich: golden, brown, burgundy, etc. The color palette should emphasize the rich decoration of the room. Baroque can effectively combine cold and warm shades. The ceiling can be decorated with elegant mosaics, stucco or carvings. Also suitable for these purposes is placing high reproductions of ancient paintings or frescoes. Fresco painting should have large and bright elements. Moreover, Baroque allows for an abundance of gold and images. The ceiling should look luxurious and pretentious, because Baroque is the interior of the kings and classics of the Renaissance. Smooth straight lines are not typical for this style. All patterns must have a complex ornate shape.
Scandinavian
Scandinavian style is characterized by pastel shades, plenty of light and natural materials. Wooden ceilings with large beams fit perfectly into this interior. The wood is treated with special protective compounds, but is not painted. Ceilings made of planed cladding boards, which are profiled like timber, will also look impressive. This ceiling is called imitation timber. It is inexpensive and environmentally friendly. As part of the Scandinavian style, you can cover the ceiling with light clapboard if it has an uneven surface. This design option is also suitable for living rooms of non-standard shape. You can also decorate the ceiling in the living room with sheets of plasterboard, making several levels at once. Stretch ceilings can also look organically in the Scandinavian style if they are light colors and do not have a glossy texture.
Types of materials and subtleties of their choice
The finishing materials market today offers a huge selection of options for practical and original ceiling finishing. In order to choose the right material for the interior concept, it is important to take into account the characteristics of the room. So, for apartments with high ceilings it is best to use suspended structures. If the room has a low ceiling, you should give preference to materials that will not “eat up” valuable centimeters. In this case, whitewashing, painting or wallpapering is recommended.
Purpose of the room
This has already been discussed, and now it seems possible to consider this issue in a little more detail.
- More often than not, a designer who is busy decorating a studio apartment is faced with the need to zone the room.
- Then it is the ceiling that is required to clearly indicate the boundaries between zones.
- And the use of a two-level system is a high-quality interior solution that can help in this distinction.
- For execution, a plasterboard structure and a specially stretched fabric are used simultaneously.
- Moreover, a canvas is used that differs in shade.
In addition, different lighting methods are used in different areas: In the living room area it can be a large chandelier, and in the kitchen area there are several small lamps. If the living room is combined with a bedroom or is simply used as a bedroom, you can think about using plasterboard structures.
However, low ceilings in the room can exclude the use of these structures. And the game will look much more impressive with the help of lighting.
Design features of low ceilings
A ceiling height of 2.5 meters is relevant for residents of small apartments and private houses. A thoughtful ceiling design will help brighten up the “press ceiling” effect. The main task is to create a perfectly even coating that does not take up a centimeter of height. But other design techniques can also visually increase the height of the room:
- Pyramid effect - can be done by building a PVC box;
- Glossy surface - visually makes the ceiling a little higher due to multiple reflections;
- A light ceiling in contrast with a richer shade of the walls visually elongates the space;
- You can also expand the space using lighting effects. It is enough to remove the bulky chandelier and lamps from the ceiling. Light sources must be installed so that the lighting is directed from bottom to top. If you don't want to give up overhead light, you can integrate LED lighting around the perimeter of the ceiling.
What to do at the very beginning
In order for the hall ceiling to be able to emphasize the advantages of the room and highlight or even hide its possible shortcomings, it is necessary to design it in accordance with the construction requirements imposed on it.
To do this, you will need to follow several mandatory steps:
- First you need to carefully measure the height of the room. This will make it possible to figure out how best to arrange the intended design of the room. If the ceiling of the room is relatively high, this will give the designer a chance to take a multi-level design approach, focusing on the aesthetics of the ceiling edge, and if the height is not too high, this will encourage paying special attention to the possibilities and ways to visually enlarge the entire space below it.
- The role played by the room should be especially appreciated. Not only the need for zoning, but also the degree of illumination will depend on its purpose. If the living room and kitchen are combined, it will be necessary to clearly separate the areas that are related to the kitchen and those related to the living room. When combining a living room and a bedroom, the level of lighting must be carefully considered.
- It is better to first create a design project, thoughtfully considering all the possibilities for its implementation. And only after this can you begin to actually implement the chosen design in the room.
It is recommended to remember: Only the right start can lead to a quality result.
Wallpaper and photo wallpaper for the ceiling in the living room
An interesting idea for decorating the ceiling could be wallpaper or photo wallpaper. Wide-format decoration will give the living room ceiling an extraordinary character. It is important to choose the right topic. Photo wallpaper with images of planets or the solar system would be a good option for the ceiling in the living room. Another solution is sky-themed photo wallpaper: here you can use muted colors of clouds or bright red sunrises and sunsets.
Skyscrapers rising into the sky would be an interesting theme. Different types of landscapes are also suitable on the ceiling - you can install a flower meadow or photo wallpaper with a picture of a lake. Properly selected 3D photo wallpaper can become a modern and original idea for the ceiling in the living room. Such decorations create the impression of depth and movement. They will definitely make your space original and will pleasantly surprise your guests.
For example, you can use a composition of white solids that seem to fall out of the entire composition - as if someone was knocking down a wall. Another solution is now fashionable wallpaper that imitates natural materials. Furnishing a living room in an industrial style will be perfectly complemented by wallpaper with a concrete motif. This solution is simpler and cheaper than installing a real concrete ceiling.
In the case of a Scandinavian-style living room, wallpaper that imitates wood is suitable. Imitation wood will give you the effect of comfort and warmth and bring you closer to nature. This solution is suitable for both large and small living rooms.
Color selection
Today, any designer has the chance to base the choice of color on the original appearance of the ceiling. However, if a special structure erected on the ceiling is used as a design element, such a ceiling can be covered with any wallpaper and painted in any color.
It is only recommended to combine the colors used, without painting the designs used in all the colors of the rainbow.
It is necessary to build on several points:
- If the ceiling height in the room is less than 2.7 m, it would be better if its color is a little lighter than the colors of the walls and floor, if on the contrary, then a little darker;
- If the natural light in the room leaves much to be desired (for example, due to an excessively small window), the colors of the walls and ceiling should not only be light, but also bright;
- If the living room is combined with a kitchen, it is necessary to use bright colors in the design of the ceiling - a bright color will promote appetite, and cold shades will spoil it;
- If the living room is used by the owner as a bedroom, soft, pastel colors should be used on the walls and ceiling;
Ceiling design in the living room: conclusions
Today, ceiling design is the most important component of any interior style, with which you can emphasize its individuality. This is especially true for the living room - a room that is considered the calling card of the whole house. Therefore, when decorating the ceiling, it is important to take into account all the features, carefully understanding the intricacies of the design.
Laminate, MDF, HDF, LDF
Laminate, MDF, HDF, LDF materials made from wood fibers and shavings by pressing with the addition of fillers and phenol-formaldehyde-based glue. An alternative to wooden lining. Lightweight, affordable material, environmentally friendly, hygienic, mounted on the frame using self-tapping screws, the plates are connected to each other using a tongue-and-groove fastening.
Polystyrene and foam boards
Polystyrene and foam boards measuring 40x40 or 60x60 are mounted on the ceiling using glue. This type of finishing allows you to level out small unevenness and cracks, and you can remove electrical wiring underneath them. Moisture-resistant, durable, easy to clean, do not collect dust. But they are afraid of bright lighting and heating with a light bulb - the plastic turns yellow.
Decorative plaster makes the surface textured and hides minor imperfections; a wide range of colors allows you to choose the finish to suit any interior and maintain the height of the ceiling.
In repairs they use budget coating options, Venetian plaster, and multi-layer coating, followed by fragmentary removal of layers, called sgraffito.
Wallpapering
The variety of colors, materials, types make it possible to quickly, efficiently, inexpensively and independently carry out repairs of the room. Traditional paper wallpapers have been replaced by vinyl, non-woven, velor, fabric, paintable and liquid wallpapers. They can be with gold and silver embossing, foam, with colorful designs, photo wallpapers and strict ones, which will create the impression of solidity.
Hall lighting
To create a beautiful ceiling design, lighting is an important point. It must have suitable brightness, the ability to control it and fit the style of the room.
There are a number of requirements for lighting the hall:
- The presence of a chandelier in the center.
- Availability of lamps.
- Dividing the room into functional zones using lighting fixtures.
Typically, the following are used to illuminate the hall: chandeliers, sconces, spotlights, LEDs.
If you position spotlights correctly, then you won’t need any lighting fixture in the center, since the amount of light will depend on the number of operating fixtures.
Types of options
We propose to consider this issue comprehensively, and pay attention to possible combinations of directions, material and color.
| Style | Color spectrum | material |
| Classic | Warm colors: brown, beige and others | Wallpaper, drywall |
| Modern | Contrasting combinations | Film, wallpaper |
| Minimalism | White, gray, milky | Paint, film |
| Loft | Red, brown | Brick, paint |
| Eco style | Green, blue, yellow | Wood, fabric |
| Scandinavian | White, blue, gray | Paint, wood |
| Antique | Cream, beige, milky | Plaster, wallpaper |
Such an integrated approach allows you to take a broad look at the issue and simultaneously satisfy all the main criteria for choosing a design. Of course, the table shows the basic colors and implementations of each direction. Next we will look at them in more detail and draw your attention to several more interesting modern trends.
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