Economical apartment design. Modern economy class living room

Not all people can afford a spacious apartment or a large house, but this does not detract from the desire for comfort and graceful life. On the contrary, the design of individual rooms, including living rooms, is only becoming more relevant. Designers have developed a number of techniques to help deal with this problem.

Peculiarities

The living room has an area of ​​18 sq. m (this is a relative figure, in reality it may be a little more or a little less) it is undesirable to put such furniture, the protruding edges of which take up additional space. The solution to the problem is to combine the kitchen and the hall, but this step needs to be carefully thought out, to take measures against the spread of bad smells.

Even if the budget option is chosen, it is necessary to be more careful in choosing colors and their combinations with each other.

It is recommended to focus on multifunctional solutions in the interior, since it is more attractive and aesthetically pleasing, and also allows you to at least partially solve the problem of the eternal shortage of space in the "Khrushchev" or in the apartment of a panel house.

Even the best classical compositions are noticeably inferior to the living room, furnished in a modern style, which is much more practical and rational than the old-fashioned one.

Zoning

In addition to choosing a style, you should take into account a certain division into zones. In most typical houses, central rooms have a number of functions at once, and it is desirable to implement each of them in a certain part of the room. If there is sufficient space, the living room is isolated from other rooms, and then zoning separates the actual guest part from the recreational one. The main design solutions, in this case, are a visually prominent carpet or a sharp change in the type of floor covering.

If you don't like this scheme, then you can divide the space into shares with various wall decorations or columns and installations. According to designers, the best points for zoning a hall in a two-room apartment are areas around the TV and sleeping place. A more beautiful and romantic solution in this case is the use of curtains and curtains, screens.

An important condition for success is maintaining a stylistic match between two separated parts of the room. White curtains look good in combination with expressive yellow walls, and the use of lamps and paintings on the walls helps to emphasize the comfort of the room.

Partitions can also separate the guest area from the bedroom, and this step turns out to be the cheapest.

Sometimes the living room needs to be visually separated from the kitchen, and the range of possible solutions is quite large. It should be remembered that it makes sense to use arches, two-level ceilings and floors, as well as columns only if the height of the rooms to be divided is large enough. Regardless of the footage, such a move is unacceptable if small children or elderly people live in the house. A cardinal gap can be made using both blind and partitions equipped with interior doors.

Surface decor

Window blocks can be as beautiful and graceful as you like, but to give them the necessary completeness, you need to use curtains. The only exceptions are interiors in the spirit of hi-tech and minimalism, but even in them you can fit short curtains if you don't like a fully open window. A living room in the shape of a square can add coziness by hanging carpets on the walls. Contrary to popular belief, this can create a completely modern and rational interior. The disadvantage of this measure is the excessive concentration of dust.

The use of handmade accessories helps to make the space more comfortable, but when the goal is to create a feeling of gloss and luxury, you need to use decor with a glossy sheen, easy to remember.

Tapestries and woven panels are often found as alternatives to carpets. Candlesticks help to bring notes of romanticism into the atmosphere. When the interior is designed in the loft style or in another urbanistic key, such an element of decor as paintings by contemporary artists or large-format posters is attractive. You can choose a subject to your liking, although artistic photography is the best solution.

Stucco design can be beautiful and original. If we take not classic plaster solutions, but modern ones (based on polyurethane), then it will even be possible to arrange the space in the spirit of neoclassicism or Victorian style. Moreover, such a solution helps to reduce the time required for major repairs. Imitation of stucco elements is no worse in appearance than real gypsum blocks, and its cost is much less.

When choosing decorative elements, attention is also paid to the purpose of using a certain area in the room. So, opposite the guest accommodation, it makes sense to put plasma panels, large aquariums, art canvases (both classical and contemporary artists). A good alternative to such solutions is often a fake fireplace, a miniature karaoke stage, or a decorative wall. Replace paintings if you don't want to pick them up, or you find it difficult to make a decision, you need mirrored plates.

The selection of material, regardless of the size of the room, should be linked to the main motive that you are trying to bring into the room. The appearance of the finishing material and decor must match stylistically.

So, when all the efforts of a designer are aimed at giving originality, at emphasizing it, then a good step is the use of natural stone or its skillful reproduction.

In an environment dictated by an ecological style, it is recommended to use a vertically landscaped wall, but always only one.

By the way, about the walls. Empty surfaces on the back of sofas are often a source of concern to people. It seems that this design problem is very difficult to solve. Designers suggest the following win-win moves:

• the use of modular paintings;
• clock, the appearance of which repeats the general concept of the room;
• a shelf made of durable tempered glass, on which items made with your own hands are placed;
• a small musical instrument on an original suspension;
• installation developed according to an individual project.

As in any other room, in a modest living room, a black and white photograph of someone from the household turns out to be an attractive decor element. You need to choose wisely, so that the angle is good, and the general view does not cease to please after a few months. Print the image fragmentarily, and now a good replacement for industrial photo wallpaper is ready.

And if you don't want to see yourself and your loved ones, then use any other silhouette shot, choosing it just as carefully.

Speaking of ready-made decorative elements, decorative panels are worth mentioning. Particularly good are narrow types that are brought to the ceiling in two or three stripes, mixed in succession with the usual wallpaper or textured plasters. This technique creates the feeling of elongated walls, especially when narrow mirrors are used. Any other material can also be used, enhancing its appeal with carefully selected textures or visuals.

Furnishings

The use of furniture in the living room does not have strict standards. Moreover, every manufacturer creates kits, focusing on their ideas about the ideal. This applies not only to appearance, but also to a certain composition. In a rectangular and square living room, in a room of any other shape, modern designers recommend installing interior items that are ergonomic, easily move to a new place if necessary, and perform at least two functions.

The rooms where you are going to relax, watch movies and TV broadcasts, involve the use of a soft band.

If you do not want to use sofas, armchairs and poufs in high quality, then the leading role should be given to the home theater, placing seating around it.

Living rooms with dining rooms are furnished around dining groups. In any case, you should take a closer look at furniture options equipped with casters or casters. They allow you to quickly change the composition if the need arises. What categorically should not be, even with the most classic living room format, is the usual large-sized "wall" reaching the very ceiling.

Systems formed by lightweight modules look much better. Plus, they are more practical to use. An even more avant-garde (and therefore less acceptable) type is constructions with glass. There are already several hundred modern options in total, and it is not difficult to choose the wall that suits you.

Maintaining tradition when choosing a classic style is important, but it should be borne in mind that cabinet furniture of truly traditional design can be bought only for a solid amount of money. But there is a way out. This is a contemporary style that allows you to fit furniture products into any interior. It is recommended to "arrange" both upholstered and cabinet furniture initially on the plan in order to avoid gross mistakes. Correcting them will require significant time and additional costs. Corner interior items simultaneously perform three key functions:

• decorative;
• functional;
• delimiting.

Moreover, their undoubted advantage is maximum space savings. The spaciousness of the compartment-type corner cabinets is large in comparison with straight products of comparable size, and this is important for a limited living room area. If you want to have a hall with a fireplace, it is not enough to ensure the compatibility of furniture with it.

Selection should begin with determining the optimal style, and it may not coincide with the dominant style. The classic version of the hearth will remain popular, in demand even after decades.

Lighting

The ready-made lighting option, which the builders leave behind, does not suit everyone. It is sometimes too simple. There is no individuality, there is no zest here. Before buying and installing lighting fixtures, you need to take into account both the design side and the reliability of communications. Complex electrical calculations are almost always required, and, in accordance with their results, decide which ideas can be implemented and which cannot.

In this article, we will tell our readers about a truly magnificent home, refurbished and furnished at no extra cost. Katherine Fugit and her husband Conan fell in love with the house at first sight, even though the property was previously owned by a bank and was in very poor condition.

“My husband came across this option on his way to lunch. At first, he didn't even want to tell me about this apartment because it seemed like there was too much work to do, ”says Katherine.

A few weeks later, she accidentally saw the house online. The rest is history today.

They had to work very quickly because three months after the purchase they had 50 guests at their wedding.

House area - 230 square meters, there are 4 bedrooms. The building was once a women's boarding house.

The 1940 census allowed the Fugits to trace the family that had run the mansion in the last century. The granddaughter of the former owners shared interesting facts about the house, such as how her grandparents slept in the dining room and the upstairs bedrooms were fully occupied by the tenants.

In the kitchen, the couple removed a layer of old plaster to expose the wooden beams. They painted everything white, including the old cabinets, added new kitchen appliances and an old stove. They also removed several layers of linoleum and polished the wooden floors.

Office setting: Martha Stewart for The Home Depot; lighting: Lowe's; housings: 1000 bulbs; lamps: The Home Depot; blankets: Atwoods Farm Supply.

Katherine and Conan painted their old fridge to look like a chalkboard and used an old basement beam as a shelf above a stove to add even more character and history to the space.

The total cost of the kitchen remodel was slightly less than $ 400. Now take a look at this premise before upgrading.

This photo shows an old stove and a completely ordinary refrigerator.

You can see a kitchen with outdated appliances, dirty floors and sagging ceiling tiles.

The young couple were able to make the renovation without buying new appliances, cabinets or countertops. The fresh paintwork and the renewal of the main elements made the kitchen almost perfect.

The basement beam was placed as a kitchen shelf above the stove. To do this, they cut it off and used two brackets (for about $ 3.50 each) to attach the structure to the wall.

Here is a view of the living room before it was refurnished.

Katherine and Conan have decided that the National Geographic collection will be part of their living room, as this passion is of great importance to their family. The shelves have been specially designed for this purpose.

The color of the walls was subdued due to the colorful magazine covers, but very warm so that the finish looks pleasant under artificial light. The main goal was to create a cigar box-like room full of treasures and pretty paintings.

The young people rearranged the furniture so that the newly purchased sofa is now in front of the windows and shelving.

The color of the walls echoes the magazine covers and yellow decor. The stylish sofa was just a godsend and only cost $ 25.

The pair have also re-glazed bivalves. And now you can open them at the same time as the back door to create a light breeze in the evening.

Wall paint: CrumbCookie, Olympic.

This is how the fireplace screen looked before the update.

Katherine and Conan painted the mantel and dining room, as well as added molding and a new light fixture. In order to find a suitable option, they spent countless hours studying in detail the blogs and projects of famous designers on the Internet.

Door painted: Black Magic, Olympic.

The Fugits family bought this Eden pendant light from CB2. He approached the gray walls.

Paint: Ash Mist, Olympic

The 1917 bathroom lost its character somewhere along the way to the present time, and then it also began to fill in the kitchen below.

Katherine and Conan cleaned the area of ​​plaster, removed the old tiles under the layers of linoleum, recreated a sample of it, and polished an antique bathtub with legs in the form of paws. Found an unusual sink on Craigslist.

There's a $ 100 legged bathtub here, painted black. If you're creative and willing to put in a little energy, you can do amazing things even on a tiny budget.

Exterior paint: Montpelier Madison White, Valspar; walls: White Knight, ACE Hardware; bath: Black Magic, Olympic; floor tiles: Merola, Home Depot.

Originally, forest green was painted on this cabinet with blue shelving, but the dark color did not match the rest of the neutral theme of the room.

Katherine and Conan purchased these shutters from a thrift store for only $ 4. Two coats of paint and new hinges - perfect for a vintage bathroom!

The young people have made from the third bedroom, which was previously painted in rich colors, a modern stylish office. They started with Olympic white paint and placed a built-in desk and shelves with compartments for a printer, scanner and office supplies. Bookshelves add bright spots and are eye-catching.

The guest room also speaks volumes about the savings: the metal bed frame was purchased for $ 10, it is painted with glossy black paint. The paintings were bought at a charity shop.

Almost every piece of furniture in this cozy home was found at a thrift store. Working on things that are in good shape and putting a little love into them is one of the best things you can do for the environment and your home.

Containment:

Versatility, low price and good quality- three basic principles of creating an interior with an optimal combination of "price-quality". The apartment in question is an ideal option for a young modern family on a budget. The preference was given to furnishings and finishing materials. The whole apartment is decorated in the same color scheme, furnished with functional and stylish IKEA furniture.

As a result, it was possible to create an interior, interesting in terms of design and comfortable for life... The interior is emphatically modern; at the same time, it is not dry, not boring, rather it can be described as laconic.

Design of a small kitchen-dining room

Photo 1 - Small kitchen in a three-room apartment with furniture from IKEA

Photo 2 - Design of a small and inexpensive kitchen with furniture from IKEA

Photo 3 - Design of a dining area in a small kitchen in a three-room apartment

Small kitchen-dining room solved in traditional style, with a division into a dining area and a utility area with a kitchen set in an angular configuration. The working area has autonomous lighting, cutting tables and a stove are united by a common tabletop. The dining area is located parallel to the utility area, it is accentuated by decoration and color. The wall is faced with light decorative bricks, and there is a large apricot lamp above the dining table. The whole room is designed in one color scheme: steel gray and white with the addition of brown. The floor is covered with a practical linoleum carpet pattern in contrasting colors.

Small Bedroom Design (Inexpensive)

Photo 4 - Interior design of a small bedroom with furniture from IKEA

Photo 5 - White wardrobe from IKEA in the design of a small bedroom in a three-room apartment

Photo 6 - Inexpensive bedroom design with beige painted walls

The bedroom is decorated in modern style, but without extravagance, in a neutral and balanced color scheme. This is the best option for a married couple. The interior lacks flowers and frills, so annoying for men. But there is also no feeling of asceticism, which women do not like very much. The monochrome tone of the walls allows you to favorably position your favorite posters. Neutral beige-sand and gray-blue tones allow, depending on desire, to create both cold and warm spaces for perception. Light textiles with the addition of bright red add an element of expression to the neutral color scheme. A large chandelier in a minimalist style with white lamps combined with snow-white organza curtains creates a feeling of cleanliness, freshness and lightness of the entire interior.

Living room design in a three-room apartment

Photo 7 - Interior of a small living room with furniture from IKEA

Photo 7- Gray sofa from IKEA in the interior of a small living room

Photo 9 - Working area in the interior of a small living room in a three-room apartment

Conciseness, functionality, convenience- the main design principles of this living room, kept in a calm, discreet color scheme, built on the principle of "white top - dark bottom". This makes the interior elegant and festive. The predominance of white - ceiling, walls, furniture and curtains - makes the space open and fills with air. A classic dark brown floor of a beautiful texture, upholstered furniture in graphite color, sand-colored curtains form a harmonious unobtrusive combination. Original, stylish modern lamps and a chandelier of an unusual square shape add a touch of extravagance to the overall impression. Without disturbing the general mood, it naturally blended into the interior and workplace with a computer. The presence of a small amount of "temperamental" red and crimson tones dilutes the calmness of the interior, bringing a little energy into it.

Children's room design. Inexpensive furniture from IKEA

Photo 10- Decorating a small children's room with furniture from IKEA

Photo 11 - Inexpensive renovation in the children's room with furniture from IKEA

Despite the contrasting combination of red and white colors in which the nursery is decorated, there is feeling of softness, coziness... This is facilitated by the decoration of the bedside wall with wallpaper with a small "chintz" pattern and soft lighting of the room using lamps with frosted glass. The wardrobe of an unusual dark red color does not make the interior heavier, as it is combined with the colors of decoration in textiles: numerous soft pillows, red border on the curtains.

Making a bathroom in a three-room apartment

Photo 12 - Interior design of a bathroom with furniture from IKEA

Photo 13 - Bathroom decoration with furniture from IKEA

Photo 14 - Hanging sink and toilet from IKEA in the design of a small bath

Combined bathroom superbly decorated in marine colors. White built-in wardrobes, made in niches, white sanitary ware form a single zone with the lower part of the walls, decorated with white matte tiles. The upper part of the walls and the ceiling are painted in aqua color, on which posters in contrasting colors look great. The principle of minimalism is ideally combined with a maximum of functionality.

Designer Tatiana Pichugina

www.pichugina.od.ua

Apartment owners strive to order a room design inexpensively for various reasons. Some need to turn a small economy-class apartment into an attractive rental property, while others do not have a large amount of money to renovate their newly purchased housing. Using the YouDo service, you can quickly find interior designers who will offer to develop an inexpensive but attractive design for rooms of any size.

The advantages of working with the executors of the Yudu website include:

• ease of filing an application for the performance of services;
• a large selection of qualified specialists;
• the opportunity to get a beautiful room design at a good price.

In the profiles of the performers from the Yudu website, you can see reviews of the work performed and examples of inexpensive design of small rooms and small apartments. This will allow you to choose from a list of designers whose style is as close as possible to the owners' idea of ​​beauty and comfort.

The Basics of Inexpensive Design

The phrase "budget room design" can be associated with dull walls painted with oil paint or cheap wallpaper. However, there are many ready-made design solutions that allow, with a small investment, to make a room bright and create a unique atmosphere in it. An example of such solutions can be:

• painting the walls and ceiling of the room instead of using more expensive finishing materials with less expensive ones;
• transformation of the existing furnishings of a small room by changing the color of furniture, curtains, upholstery;
• the use of cheap but attractive finishing materials (a floor made of boards instead of parquet or laminate, with the right approach, will look attractive);
• interior design in the loft style, allowing you to beat the open texture of the walls (especially often used in old brick houses).

An elegant room design can also be created using original accessories bought at a sale or made yourself. To create a budget room design, you can use:

• pillows of different sizes and colors;
• screens that facilitate space zoning;
• ornamental plants, collected in the composition.

The cost of these items is low, but their skillful use can make inexpensive interior design no less attractive than luxury projects.

Why you should entrust an inexpensive room design to a specialist

The creation of the simplest interior using simple materials often requires much more effort from the designer than the preparation of expensive projects. It is necessary to use the services of specialists with a small budget because they are able to select materials at the lowest price and suggest ways to inexpensively change the decor of a room.

Having decided to order an inexpensive design for Yuda, the owners will receive a project that will make guests or future guests feel comfortable and harmonious.

Finally! It is done. I finished another article.
This time I want to touch on a very burning topic.

Many are in the belief that design is available only to people with a large wallet, and if the budget for repairs is very limited, then you can forget about beauty and harmony. I would like, if possible, to dispel this misconception.

Of course, if you have sufficient funds, it is much easier to restore beauty than if you do not have them. But just as the availability of money does not guarantee a good result, so modest finances are not a reason to give up.

I want to warn you right away - this article is not about how you can save on construction work. Rather, it is about how, even with a very small amount, you can get not only a "simple repair" that meets certain practical requirements, but create a stylish, harmonious interior that meets modern trends.

Before revealing simple secrets, I want to separately note three things on which in no case you can't save if you are doing an apartment myself and for a long time .

1. Technical communications... Piping, plumbing, electrical, low current, heating, ventilation and air conditioning. Their repair, replacement and installation after the completion of the repair will cost you not only additional costs, but also nerves.

2. Preparing the base: (floor, walls, ceiling) before finishing. Make a high-quality screed, align the walls and ceiling (if you do not intend to use a stretch one).

No expensive wallpaper can distract from the slanting, crooked and humped walls. And this will be especially noticeable at the joints of ceramic tiles.

Think in advance how to close the pipes in the bathrooms and in the kitchen, as well as the pipe from the hood to the duct. Take care of cable ducts in which you can hide the wires going from the TV or computer to the auxiliary equipment.
Nothing spoils any interior like wires and pipes sticking out of place.

3. Redevelopment. I put it in last place only because not everyone needs it. But, in fact, a competent planning decision is what all thoughts about renovation should start with.

You can probably handle on one's own, if:
- the apartment is located in a typical "panel". The possibilities for redevelopment in them are very limited and all possible options are usually easy to find on the Internet.
- you are planning very minor changes. Move the wall a little or shift the opening ... Just make sure that the notorious wall is not capital. And you, by your actions, do not violate the law on redevelopment. Do not try, for example, to enlarge the bathroom at the expense of the room, or vice versa, to expand the bedroom at the expense of the kitchen or toilet.

In other cases, it is necessary contact specialists, if:
- you decided to break down all the curtain walls and rebuild them more efficiently.
- you bought an open-plan apartment, but the layout proposed by the Developer does not suit you.
- you want to radically change the distribution of areas. For example, make a three-ruble note out of a kopeck piece. And even carve out a dressing room.
- your apartment is atypical and you haven't found any options.
- this is especially true for apartments with original architecture: radius walls and corners different from 90 degrees. ( In this case, I do not mean the "jamb" of builders, but the idea of ​​the architect)

It will be very difficult for you to cope with such tasks yourself. It is unlikely that you can find the BEST solution for this type of property.

Contrary to the opinion that designers are a very expensive pleasure, you can order a PLANNING SOLUTION for quite reasonable money. ( For the Moscow region it is about 200-300 rubles. per sq.m.)

On the other hand, it will allow you to:
- Assess the potential of your home at its true worth.
- Choose the best option, taking into account the characteristics of your family.
- Get the most out of every cm of area.
- To act within the framework of the law on the conversion of premises.
Because you will be unpleasantly surprised if, after the repair has already been completed, it will not be possible to legalize it, and you will hardly be happy if an angry neighbor waving a subpoena appears on the doorstep, because your toilet was right above his son's crib.
- Do without sloping walls and ridiculously protruding corners.
- Choose the most rational and least costly solutions for further implementation.

Let's say we have decided on the layout. Now the final result will depend to a greater extent on how competently we decide on the style direction and colors, we will select the right finishing materials and furniture.

STYLE
No need to deceive yourself ... It is quite obvious (although, probably, not for everyone) that royal apartments, interiors of palaces and residences in conditions of a limited budget will not shine for you! The race called "expensive and rich" in such conditions, we will never win.
You shouldn't try such "expensive" styles as ART-DECO

Or
MODERN (I mean the name of a style that appeared at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is also called Art Nouveau, Liberty or Jugendstil.)

The easiest way to achieve a good result, and not only morally, but also financially, will help you MINIMALISM.

The so-called Scandinavian style.

There are practically no contraindications for them.
Almost always is also appropriate Contemporary.

For the rest of the styles, the good manners are:
The style of the apartment should correspond to the architecture of the house as much as possible.
- Choice CLASSICS, if your apartment is located in "Stalin", it is quite justified. But low ceilings are completely contraindicated for this style.

Also, it should be remembered that the classics will require symmetry in the arrangement. You will have to give up the corner sofa and other asymmetrical furnishings.

And yet, this choice will definitely increase your budget. Decor, furniture and accessories in a classic style are significantly more expensive.
- Will make your life much easier and reduce costs Light Classics- a modernized version of classic interiors.

Style COUNTRY- appropriate in the country or in a country house, but not always suitable for apartments. To recreate it in concrete walls, you will also need additional costs.

good old PROVENCE - it will also best open up in a separate house with wooden ceilings or in the attic, but at the same time it easily fits into the interior of the apartment. Lightweight and sleek, it is more suitable for women. A man may feel a little uncomfortable in him.

Style LOFT, under certain circumstances, will allow not to sew up pipes and ventilation on the ceiling, will help save on finishing, leaving open bricks and old boards, if they existed there before. But it will be extremely ridiculous to look in a cramped low panel, in which no bricks or boards were ever found. And you still have to spend money on their imitation, which is not always successful, besides.

Style Fusion characterizes the "combination of the incongruous", i.e. combining completely different ideas from different seemingly incompatible styles, but so that they do not lose their integrity and harmony.

Fusion might seem like "easy prey" due to its seeming permissiveness. If not for the last reservation “not to lose the integrity and harmony of the image”. This is a much more difficult task than it might seem at first. Therefore, it is least recommended for independent use.

If you have any rare pieces of furniture or decor left from your grandmother, it makes sense to take a chance. However, you must be creative enough to do this and be absolutely confident in your taste. Well, or in your mind, there is such a person with whom you could constantly consult. (The keyword is "constantly".)

Thus, the use of existing architectural features of the building in the interior, as well as available significant items, will allow you not only to better convey the atmosphere, mood, but also save your finances.

Conversely, any violence against style entails additional funding.

COLOUR
The choice of colors should also be approached reasonably, relying not only on personal preferences.
Of course, everyone not only has their own favorite color, but also have their own relationships with each color that have developed over the years.

Someone white walls are associated with cleanliness, freshness and spaciousness. To others, this cleanliness seems too "surgical" and suggests a hospital.

(Although, in fairness, there are few places where there are sterile white hospital wards and even the gowns of doctors in surgery may not be white at all)

Sky blue can carry airiness and lightness to some, while others seem cold and uncomfortable.

Likewise, warm peach, sandy beige shades - for some a guarantee of comfort, for others - "stuffy, cloying, beaten".

Someone can only exist surrounded by pastel shades,

while the other absolutely needs the energy of bright colors.

And someone is very comfortable in a black-black room.

There are no ugly flowers. There are not even incongruous combinations. With a skillful approach, you can make friends with absolutely all colors.
But for independent work, you will need fundamental knowledge of the topic and specific experience. Well, or perfect taste and unmistakable intuition. Better is both, and the third ...

And if you don’t have any of this, and you don’t have the time or the desire to study the problem in detail, the only way not to screw up on a large scale is to minimize the risks as much as possible. ( A radical way is to call the designer for help, we do not consider here).

A huge number of people choose a calm beige palette for their home.

(Designers even have such a term. « bEzhevenko » , not too flattering)

But in principle, they are right. Especially those who prefer gray-beige tone.

In general, the choice as a background light neutral scale: white, all more or less light shades of gray and gray-beige - the most reliable way to make your life easier and avoid serious mistakes in space design.

They are perfectly combined with each other, including various shades and derivatives, and are ready to make friends with almost any other color.

Intense grays, as well as almost black and pure black look unusual for many as a background, but nevertheless, they always find a companion in any palette without any problems.

And here, beloved among the people, peach beige and its various modifications with the addition of yellow and pink shades are far from being so harmless. Firstly, the yellow-beige brother hates his pink-beige relative (this also applies to "wood" textures). And both of them do not get along well with bright, clear colors. Of the strong contrasts, he is shown only pure black (he is friends with everyone without looking back) and selective shades of dark brown.

But, no matter how tempting the path of least resistance is, one must remember that color, its competent use in the interior, is a powerful decorative technique, and practically free. (A can of paint with some unusual color costs almost as much as beige.)

But the risk increases with the right color choice. Moreover, it is difficult to combine several saturated colors with each other. Naturally, difficulties arise in the selection of finishing materials and furniture.

https://color.adobe.com/en/create/color-wheel/
There are also entire sites with ready-made palettes.

http://color.romanuke.com/
But you also need to be able to use these cheat sheets correctly.

Imagine that the recipe for semolina contains the necessary ingredients: cereals, milk, butter, sugar, salt - but not a word about how much each product is needed and in what order to apply them ...
I immediately remember "Mishkina's porridge", isn't it?

Often, the same "Mishkina's porridge" is obtained in the interior, even if you have chosen the right combination.
Obviously, in addition to good compatibility, there are many different aspects to consider.

It is completely unrealistic to learn how to work with color within the framework of one article, but you can still master some useful rules.

The first thing to look at is the proportions.
- you should not use two colors of the same saturation in the same volume in the interior. The ratio is approximately: 2/3 is the main color, 1/3 is the secondary color.

- the brighter the color, the less amount you need to be noticed and paid attention to.

Therefore, bright and clear colors should not be used as backgrounds. And even for large pieces of furniture and interior design. You run the risk of soon hating even your favorite color.

But, they are great as a bright touch: a strip on the wallpaper, a frame or a bright spot in a picture or on a carpet, a vase or lamp shade, pillows on the sofa. And for the background, a muted version is more suitable.

- to make the interior bright and energetic, it is not necessary to make a blue floor, paint the walls green and order a red kitchen. If the result disappoints you (too dark, too bright, too colorful, poorly combined) it will be extremely difficult and very, very expensive to correct the error.

It is much easier to add colors to a completely neutral interior in the form of textiles and decorative elements. Carpet and curtains, a bedspread on a bed, pillows on a sofa, a bright painting or a lampshade - and the result will be just as good! On the other hand, you can radically change it, spending much less effort and money.

Separately, I would like to talk about the zoning of premises using color.

We often hear:
- Bought two (or even three) types of wallpaper, how and where to stick them?
- I'd like to highlight one of the walls with color, which one? Or maybe two?
So, when is it appropriate to highlight the wall with color, and when not to?

Rooms - « EXTENDED RECTANGLE " -the most common option.
- with color we zone the room into two equal, or almost equal parts, for example, into the bedroom and living room, into the bedroom and the nursery ...

-particularly "useful" color zoning for too long and narrow rooms. Here we can highlight the center of the room with color, visually "chopping off" the edges, depriving them of color.

- perhaps we want to make one of the walls accent using color. The front wall is best suited for this (the one that is opposite the entrance to the room or diagonally from the entrance).

- for rooms that are too elongated, it is advisable to highlight the short end wall with color.

If we want to focus on a long wall, it is worth highlighting not the entire wall, but only its significant part.
For example:
1.zone in the living room where the TV is hanging.

2.part of the wall in the bedroom behind the headboard.

Rooms WRONG SHAPE
- we can "cut off" by color superfluous corners of the room that get in our way.
- it is quite logical to highlight niches, alcoves or ledges with a different color. ( But this does not have to be done a priori.).

Rooms SQUARE and close to the square .
Everything that you read above to them in most cases is categorical contraindicated!
-do not select one of the walls with color, do not select a piece of wall, or a corner. This will seriously harm the original geometry of the room.
-do not emphasize a single ledge or an asymmetrical niche with color.
To emphasize the correct symmetrical shape of the room, we can:
- use inserts of a different color or companion wallpaper in the frame.

For rooms with relatively high ceilings, horizontal perimeter zoning can be applied.
It can also be used in rectangular rooms, but you should not do it in too elongated in length.
- at an average height, the wall is divided as 1/3 and 2/3 parts.

For higher rooms, it is possible to select the upper part of the wall (approximately 1/4 or 1/5)

DECORATION MATERIALS
Choosing finishing materials, we cannot always afford the quality that we would like. It is sad.

But it's even worse if the dream of luxury plays a cruel joke on us.

Linoleum, which pretends to be inlaid parquet or marble.

A cheap, small format tile with a poorly applied marble pattern that is the same on every tile.

Plastic panels - "natural malachite"

- "samovar" gold and silver

Such fakes will never be able to create the illusion of an expensive interior in your apartment, but will only turn your apartment into an evil and cruel caricature of "expensive-boHato".
If due to circumstances you are forced to use the materials of the budget segment, your motto will be:
"BEAUTY IN SIMPLICITY"

"True sophistication is especially noticeable when it is close to simplicity."
Henry Ward Beecher

Buy laminate or linoleum "with the taste" of a regular board . Neither expensive inlaid parquet, nor exotic species, nor marble, nor leather, nor fur will look organically on the surface of linoleum, cheap tiles, plastic panels and budget wallpaper coated with foamed vinyl.

When purchasing budget tiles, give preference to monochromatic collections, do not overuse decors. It is they who, with their poor-quality performance and tasteless design (good designers are rarely attracted to the creation of cheap collections), often give out the true price of the tile.

Instead of decors, ( cheap often only in appearance, but not in price) start a thin strip of "cool" mosaic. With a high price, 1-2 meters may be enough for you.

Cheat. Lay the tiles not to the ceiling, but to the middle of the wall. Currently, there are modern, very high quality bathroom paints. They will protect your walls as well as tiles. . By saving on the number of tiles, you can afford a more expensive and spectacular collection.

If we disassemble the models of budget doors, then flat blank canvases or classic modest panels look much more solid than home-grown "type-designer" models.

POORLY

OK

Walls. Do not cover rooms of a small area, and even with a low ceiling, wallpaper with large flowers, patterns, chic "damask". You yourself steal precious meters, making the room even cramped and low.

If the wallpaper has sunk into your soul so much, make small inserts within the frames or insert pieces of the wallpaper you like into frames, like posters. The background will be plain wallpaper, smooth or textured, which will not so clearly give out its modest price segment than wallpaper with a pattern.

Using such a simple trick, for inserts, you can afford to buy a roll of expensive and really chic wallpapers that will decorate your interior better than 10 rolls of cheap ones with an obtrusive lurid pattern.

Don't waste your money on the complications of built-in furniture in the form of various materials, exotic colors, inserts, curves and asymmetric shapes. A cheap wardrobe (here we mean the quality of the materials and fittings used, and not its final price) will not suddenly become presentable from all these decorations, although the price can go sky-high. On the contrary, try to “hide” this work of modern art with the help of laconic design and neutral colors, merging it with the wall as much as possible.

POORLY

OK

Be mindful of the little things.
It is they who, without pretending to be expensive, will nevertheless help you create the illusion of expensive repairs, and not fake gold and marble at all.

Neatly sewn pipes in the toilet.
Thin neat metal sills instead of humpbacked freaks,

- fancy zoning of floor coverings divided by a humpbacked sill.

All these arts replaced the Soviet uniformity in the 90s of the last century, in the era of ambitious, but mostly poorly educated, far from art, "new Russians" who want to stand out in any way.
Unfortunately, the burp of this "anti-design" exists nowadays.

These "bells and whistles" are a serious threat to your budget. The result will be a severe disappointment from the weighty "krakozyabr" hanging over the very top of the head, clumsy partitions that have turned your apartment into a labyrinth, fast-boring lurid drawings. And of course, the venomous grins of acquaintances who are more sophisticated in matters of style.
Instead of this

Improvise. Get creative. Decorate your home with original crafts. Use ordinary objects in an unusual perspective.