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Paintings in the living room: ideas and inspiration

When the repair is completed and furniture is brought in, another small detail but very important remains – paintings on the wall. Along with a painting, the interior will gain individuality and aesthetics.

Among all rooms, the living room will require more attention. As the main room and with the most open walls, it needs a special decor. Wall areas free from photo wallpaper, wall painting and other decorative paintings will be an ideal platform for this.

How to choose a painting

The room in which family evenings and weekends are held, as well as guests meet, should be landscaped in such a way that everyone is comfortable in it. But when the question is about design, you will have to be guided by the features of the already created interior. The height of the ceilings, the size of the rooms, the color of the wallpaper, the design of the floors, the texture of the fabrics, the material and dimensions of the furniture, and much more will greatly affect whether the purchased painting fits into the setting or not. Therefore, to avoid mistakes when choosing, you should not avoid all these factors.

In a room exposed to many visitors, the whole atmosphere should be built in such a way that not a single element, including the paintings, gets out of the stylistic concept. This is the first and most important rule. Observing it when choosing paintings, there is a great chance to buy exactly what you need in the living room.

Modern style

The design of the living room in a modern style allows you to fantasize freely. Here, classical and vintage, and modern, and almost any direction in painting will be appropriate. It all depends on the design of furniture and other living room furniture.

Minimalism

Minimalism implies the artlessness of details and the absence of bright colors. For this style of living room, monochrome images or black and white photos are well suited.

Classic 

Classical style is characterized by an abundance of expensive decor and accessories. Especially suitable for such an interior are paintings of the Pre-Raphaelite era, which was distinguished by the denial of blindly following academic art. If the room is large, it is very good to center one or two large canvases. Appropriate in the interior of the English living room will be the images of the owners, made in the genre of a palace portrait.

Pop art

Full of bright colors, involves the design of the same bright posters and photos. One of the advantages of this style is accessibility for those who are looking for budget solutions.

Art Deco

For the art deco style, the creations of expressionists are perfect. Oil paintings, watercolors, photos, graphics and even posters will also be quite appropriate here, since this style involves a variety of interior details.

Eco style

Eco style, which is a kind of country style, involves the presence of botanical themes in the design of decorative elements. 

French country or Provence style

Here, flower still lifes will be indispensable.

Color

Sometimes a well-chosen picture literally merges with the surrounding space. And it seems that it was just not enough to complete the decor. But the matter is all in color, the painting with the right color will fit perfectly in its place.

Do not choose paintings for the living room with a frame that matches the color of the wall on which it will hang. As an accessory of aesthetics, the painting should stand out against the wall.

Quantity and size

It is one thing when you need to hang a picture in the living room above the sofa in a typical apartment and quite another when the wall in the large room of a country house requires it. This raises the question of how to design a wall so that the decor matches its size.

The living room with high ceilings is decorated with a large proportional picture. Or two smaller ones. At the same time, do not place large and very small paintings next to them. In some cases, it is advisable to create a small art gallery consisting of 5-7 paintings of different sizes. For the design of high walls, vertical portraits are used in full growth.

Types of paintings

It is customary to call a painting an object of painting, made by a professional and talented artist. All its copies are reproductions, which can have a different format, various copy technologies. The style of the painting largely depends on the technique in which the work was done, on the frame used and the design in which the work was realised.

Modular

Modular paintings in the interior of the living room are perhaps the most popular today. They fit perfectly with most modern interior styles. A huge variety of options for sale will not cause difficulties with the choice of color, size and type of image. The modular picture is two or more paintings that share the same image. Such a design looks modern, stylish and unusual in the interior. With such paintings is not difficult to create a fashionable atmosphere in the living room.

Depending on the number of segments, they are called differently: triptych – 3 sections, diptych – 2 sections. There are more complex models consisting of 4 and 5 sections – polyptych. They gather on the wall literally like a puzzle. This design of the walls in the living room with paintings should be given to professionals, because in many cases the whole composition can have a far from rectangular shape. Which in general can complicate installation, since each individual canvas should hang strictly vertically with respect to the other. And the whole picture composition is strictly horizontal with respect to the floor and ceiling.

Modular paintings, or rather their sections, have a vertical or horizontal orientation. In the second case, the segments are the same size or different. Modular paintings in the living room hang not only over the sofa. Vertical is appropriate to use on a loose narrow wall. Such a modern technique can dilute standard design solutions.

Posters

Posters in the living room are always in demand. The main advantage in price, they can be purchased literally for several dollars. And if the desired option is not found in the store, you can order a poster at a printing company. To print in the desired format, you must provide a file image. The only requirement is that the image is clear, the picture must have a high resolution. To solve the problem is easy enough, you just have to search the picture on the Internet.

Framed

The classic format will always be in trend. In the frames are inserted not only works of art, but also ordinary photographs or your own creation. And it doesn’t matter at all if your interior is in high-tech style or can be in ethnic style. A picture in a metal or wooden frame will solve the problem in both cases. It is not rare that it is the picture frame that sets the stylistic tone for such wall decor. The most interesting thing is that compositions from empty picture frames on the wall are in fashion today. A beautiful baguette is itself an ornament.

Placing the paintings in the living room

Above the sofa

The traditional place for paintings is, of course, the space above the sofa. Years ago many had carpets on the wall. But along with the history movement, carpet fashion also left. Things took their place much more interesting and more appropriate. But in modern interiors, a lonely hanging picture above the sofa is a sign of bad taste, unless it is a painting by Monet, Chagall or another world famous artist.

Attractively and stylishly above the sofa looks like paintings hung in horizontal stripes. The classic version is three or four medium-sized expositions fixed at the same interval from each other and at a distance slightly less than the width of the sofa. At the same time, the design of the frames and the theme of all the paintings should match. The same applies to geometric dimensions and shapes.

If the paintings above the sofa are planned, even at the stage of interior design, it is advisable to paste plain wallpaper or with a discreet monochrome ornament in this part of the living room. Large ornate drawings on wallpaper are unacceptable, since they literally take away the functional load from the paintings themselves.

Above the fireplace

A fireplace in the living room interior is another place in which, by default, a masterpiece of art should hang. A great option is a portrait of some sort of historical figure or the head of the family. No less impressive and worthy is the picture above the fireplace in the classical style of the work of famous artists of the past. Thematic work associated with the interior design of the room will also be welcome.

The painting may hang on the wall or stand directly on the fireplace. In the latter case, for the painting to not stand alone, she will need companions. A pair of decorative porcelain figurines or figurines made of metal or wood on one side will qualitatively complement the decor of the fireplace. A pair of large candles on a candlestick from the opposite side will fill the empty space and bring a touch of romance.

If the fireplace is angular , there should be two paintings and both with the same theme. They are hung opposite each other. Thus, it will be possible to achieve a complete exposure of the fireplace area.

In the niche with backlight

In any gallery of works of art, the work is well covered. This technique is necessary especially for expensive paintings and those that are placed in interiors with elements of classicism. Their illumination is carried out by special lamps, which are located from the top. But this is the case when the painting hangs on a flat wall. When it is placed in a niche, the spotlight built into the upper part of the niche may well become a light source. Such designs are made using drywall and metal profiles.

Niches for paintings in the living room can be located both above the sofa and where the TV is. In both cases, a small art gallery highlighted in this way looks attractive.

It is not difficult to choose suitable copies for a house or apartment if you additionally look at the photo of the paintings in the living room interior in ready-made projects. Thus, it will be possible to create an objective representation of what you would like to see in the hall of your own house or apartment.

Rules for composition

A composition refers to several images, which are completely independent works, and at the same time constitute a certain general group. There are several rules for creating such compositions in a modern living room interior.

Paintings of one author are better to hang next to each other. You can combine several images, decorating them with the same baguette. Combinations of paintings of the same size or made in one color looks good. Based on the overall storyline, you can also make an attractive composition.

Mindlessly hung canvases or photographs, instead of decorating the living room, can, on the contrary, disfigure it. Therefore, when choosing the location of the paintings, several rules should be remembered:

  • Canvas and large photography should be located at some distance from each other so that the viewer can appreciate the image on each of them. It is good if they hang asymmetrically. The same rule applies to modular paintings;
  • Hanging images of different sizes along non-matching lines will create a sense of dynamism. If the goal is a strict classic, then the canvases should, on the contrary, be of the same size and hung at the same level, with alignment along the bottom line;
  • To create symmetry in the interior of the living room, paintings are hung in the center of the walls. For zoning the premises, paintings are placed in certain places. For example, a landscape above a recreation area or above a dining area;
  • Three images of the same size, placed in a row on the wall, will relieve the feeling of emptiness.

There are a lot of artistic styles, the main thing is that the picture should be liked and harmonized with the interior of the living room. The canvas should cause only positive emotions.

Some of popular painting:

  • Steampunk (mechanical images of nature);
  • Pop art (easel painting);
  • Art Deco (symmetry and straightforwardness in the paintings);
  • Modern (paintings with flowing forms and decorative elements);
  • Provence (romantic landscapes in pastel colors).

The benefits of using paintings in the living room

The design of the living room with paintings has several advantages. With their help, it is easy not only to effectively dilute a boring interior, but also to make corrective amendments. And it’s not about torn wallpaper. Using a picture is easy to correct design errors. For example, for a living room with dark walls, you can buy paintings with bright colors.

Large paintings in bright colors attract the eye, such an emphasis will distract from the errors of interior design in other places. In addition, they can be used for zoning in the apartment, paintings can separate the living room area from the bedroom or kitchen.

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