Wall decoration in the living room: choice of colors, finishes, accent wall in the interior

On the picture a luxurious classic living room, where the walls are decorated with murals.

Choosing the color of the walls

When choosing a color, you need to consider:

• the intensity of natural light and the size of the windows;
• the color of the furniture set and upholstery;
• the chosen style of the interior;
• living room size.

If the windows face the sunny side, then the effect of coolness will create a blue, blue, turquoise color. If the windows are on the north side, you can fill them with light and warmth using warm colors (red, orange, yellow and pastel shades derived from them: mustard, peach, ocher).

On the picture living room, where the emphasis is on the mirror in the frame and the fireplace. Light colors in the design, glass and mirrors fill the room with spaciousness and allow you to complement the interior with any details.

The walls in the living room interior can be a background for furniture or become a bright accent. To visually highlight dark furniture, light walls in the living room (ivory, milk, light beige, pastel shades of pink and blue) are suitable. If the furniture is light (white or light wood), then when decorating the walls, the color should be deep or bright.

The color should suit all family members, as an option, you can combine several shades to decorate the walls. For example, make stripes, divide a wall in half, or paint adjacent ones in contrasting colors.

• White, gray or black in the living room can be basic colors that are complemented by yellow or orange; red or green.
• Shades of beige and light brown are neutral in themselves and can be complemented in the interior with white, pink, turquoise and blue.
• Deep colors (blue, burgundy, wine, purple) are appropriate only if there are several windows and a large space.

On the picture the interior of a modern living room, where the walls are painted in coffee color, and the bottom is decorated with white panels. The emphasis is placed only on the fireplace, which makes the style versatile.

Finishing materials

The choice of materials for decoration depends on the desired end result for a successful combination of wall decor textures in the living room and furniture.

• For painting you need to prepare the walls (they should be perfectly flat and smooth, as the paint will highlight all the roughness and cracks). The paint is not afraid of moisture, easy to clean, does not accumulate dust and walls are easy to repaint. Modern special paints do not exude odor and are intended for interior decoration.

• Wallpaper different types offer a large selection of colors and textures, this design hides defects and is mounted independently without the presence of special tools. For the living room, paper and non-woven wallpapers are suitable. To create an accent wall in the interior, you can use photo wallpaper.

On the picture example decorating an accent wall with photo wallpaper in a modern living room natural shades.

• Decorative plaster in the living room smooths out all the irregularities and will always look unique. Patterns are created with a spatula (bark beetle, rain, carpet, etc.) and then the wall is painted and varnished for greater wear resistance.

• Wooden decoration creates heat and sound insulation. It can be panels, cork or laminate on the bottom of the walls around the perimeter, or you can sheathe only an accent wall in the interior with wood.

• Decorative rock and decorative brick suitable for decorating a wall by the fireplace (TV or false fireplace) to create an interior in the Scandinavian style, country and classics. Such cladding is not afraid of moisture, is cheaper than natural stone and does not create additional stress.

• Soft panels suitable for decorating a wall in front of a TV or over a sofa, they will help to highlight accents, hide defects, and create sound insulation. The materials are suitable for leather, leatherette, fabric. The synthetic winterizer holds its shape better, and the foam rubber is suitable for creating a softer surface.

• Decoration with mirrorsappropriate in a rectangular and small room. It can be a panel, tiles or panels of a square or other shape. Light colors and the reflection of a window or doorway will add space to the living room, and the reflection of an adjacent wall or furniture, on the contrary, will reduce the space.

• Wall 3d panels in the design of a living room with a bas-relief and high-relief, they are suitable for creating an accent even in the tone of the main walls, they are easily attached and do not require additional alignment. There are wooden, glass, plastic, MDF, plaster.

Combination features

Most often, the living room is the place where you can show your imagination in the interior by combining colors and textures to create a unique wall design in the living room and highlight zones.

For example, an area near a fireplace or a place for receiving guests can be revetted with decorative stone or laminate, and a recreation area with wallpaper or painting. The banquet part can be decorated with paint or plaster, and the place by the sofa ⎯ with liquid wallpaper.

Modern designers welcome any experiment in colors and textures, but if there is no desire to take risks when decorating, then it is better not to combine natural finishes with synthetic (for example, wood panels or veneer with plastic finishes), natural colors (neutral brown, beige, white) with acidic shades of yellow and green.

On the picture shows an example of creating an accent in the same shade, but using a different texture, panels and paint are combined in the design of the walls.

Accent wall decoration

An accent wall always differs in color and texture, its task is to attract attention and visually change the space of the room.

• The accent needs to be created on the wall that catches the eye first when entering the room.
• In a small room, you can accentuate a part of the wall or a partition.
• Any material that differs from the main walls is suitable for decoration.
• The color of the accent wall should overlap with the color of some interior items.
• You can highlight the wall with color, plot, pattern and texture, but you should not combine everything together.
• When arranging wallpaper, you need to adhere to one quality, combine ornaments with plain colors and maintain a balance between a background neutral color and a highlighted bright one.
• Wall murals or painting will add individuality and a cozy atmosphere to the interior.
• Horizontal stripes when decorating will expand the room, and vertical stripes will visually raise the ceilings.

On the picture an example of interior decoration in the art deco style, which allows you to combine an abundance of gloss, glass and bright colors in decoration. Pink 3D panels and a mirror on the accent wall complete the style.

Wall decoration above the TV and fireplace

If it is not possible to highlight the wall for decor, then you can accentuate the space above the interior items.

• For decor over fireplace decorative stone and brick are suitable for a classic living room, and metal for modern design. For safety reasons, it is best not to hang carpets or paintings on the wall.

On the picture the interior of the living room in a rustic style, where it is appropriate to accentuate the wall with bricks.

• Television can be placed in a backlit plasterboard niche. Such a wall in the interior can be painted or covered with wallpaper. As a supplement, you can apply mirror mosaics, clocks or paintings. The design of the wall with the TV in the living room can be decorated in any style, but the main thing is not to overload it with details, since the TV itself is a big accent.

On the picture decoration of a rectangular living room in a classic style, where glass panels on the accent wall near the TV create the effect of wide walls.

On the picture modern interior of the room, which combines an eco-fireplace and a TV set against one wall, additionally decorated with paintings.

Living room wall decor ideas

Based on the style, you can choose the most diverse decor. For example, skirting boards, moldings, carpet, mirrors in gold frames, fabric panels are suitable for a classic interior.

For country and Provence, decorative plates, embroidered products, wickerwork, wooden clocks will be appropriate. Antique interior items (telephone, gramophone, posters and books) are suitable for retro-style decoration.

On the accent wall, you can make your family tree, a large photo or attach memorable travel souvenirs.

On the picture an example of how to decorate a wall with posters, paintings and maps. Such decor is always easy to replace or remove.

Photo gallery

The photos below show examples of using various options for wall decoration in the interior of the living room.