Among existing interior design styles, American stands out. It harmoniously combines democracy and restraint, luxury, and elegance. These qualities make it versatile, suitable for rooms of various purposes (living room, bedroom, kitchen).
Main features of American style
A characteristic feature that many people love about American interior design is open space. It is achieved by combining several rooms and removing massive partitions. Only bedrooms and restrooms remain separate. All other spaces – living room, dining room, library, kitchen – merge into one.
Tools used to define different areas within the open space include:
- Light.
- Color.
- Various finishing materials.
Note!
Properly applied design techniques allow you to highlight the main functional areas (for relaxation, for cooking, for dining) while keeping the space open, full of light and air.
Another distinctive feature of American interiors is the furniture arrangement principle. It implies the presence of one central object, around which all others are placed.
Color palette of American homes
Designers create this atmosphere by using colors and shades such as sand, milky, cream, beige, and white. They inject vibrancy and originality into the space by cautiously incorporating red, brown, blue, turquoise, and yellow.
Tip!
To make the American interior style more fashionable and interesting, textured finishing materials with subtle patterns and geometric shapes are often used.
Surface finishing
The American style assumes a smooth (usually white) ceiling, painted or whitewashed. The boundary between the ceiling and walls is marked with moldings. These elements should be very simple in design. The presence of ornate decorations and floral motifs, as in classical interiors, is not acceptable.
For wall finishing, paint or plaster is used. Wallpaper is rarely used. They have a solid, subdued color, with occasional use of small, subtle patterns.
If you want to add some variety to the monotonous surface of the walls, you can use inserts made of other finishing materials:
- Natural stone.
- Wood.
- Plastic.
The functional characteristics of the space dictate the choice of flooring. Designers choose laminate for the living room, tiles for the kitchen, and poured flooring for the hallway. They don’t typically cover the entire floor with rugs or other floor coverings. However, they might place a soft carpet in the living room area.
Lighting arrangement
In American style, the space is maximally filled with light. The sources of light are large windows, chandeliers with crystal pendants, sconces, floor lamps, table lamps.
Tip!
If desired, you can organize additional perimeter lighting on the ceiling. It is important to make it in such a way that the lighting fixtures and technical elements are not visible.
The modern American style, which forms the basis for the fashion trends and tendencies discussed in this article, implements a rational principle for room lighting.
The living room’s central chandelier serves as the main lighting fixture. For zoning the space and creating a cozy atmosphere, additional light sources like wrought iron lamps with fabric shades may be used.
Furniture
As American style implies a large open space, it is preferred to choose large massive furniture with multiple functions. The set of furniture depends on the purpose of the room:
- For the living room, a large comfortable sofa, paired armchairs, wooden bookshelves and cabinets.
- For the bedroom, a large bed with a soft headboard, bedside tables, a chest of drawers, a wardrobe.
- For the dining room, a dining table, massive chairs.
- For the kitchen, a wooden set of furniture, a bar counter, an island.
The selected furniture should form one set, have a uniform color execution and texture. An integral attribute of this interior style is a fireplace (real or electric). It can be located in the living room or dining room.
The mandatory set of furniture for the living room in American style includes a large sofa, a pair of armchairs, and a coffee table. All items should be luxurious, made of noble solid wood (maple, oak, walnut). Ideally, the furniture should be from the same collection or have the same color scheme and texture.
If space allows, a large round dining table can be placed in the living room, complemented by a set of massive chairs.
The American style places special emphasis on the fireplace, which serves as the centerpiece and creates a cozy atmosphere.
For houses, a traditional fireplace with a real fire is the recommended choice. However, in apartments, you can opt for an electric model. For the finish of the fireplace surround, materials such as mosaic, glass, or tile are suitable.
The area around the fireplace needs proper decoration. On either side, it is advisable to place shelves with candlesticks, figurines, and opposite the fireplace, a coffee table and armchairs.
Accessories and textiles in American style interior design
The American interior design keeps decorative accessories to a minimum. Live plants, wall paintings and photographs, and figurines make up the decor.
Window treatment, a significant aspect of the decor, typically features Japanese-style blinds or flowing curtains crafted from cotton, silk, or linen. Solid colors often get the preference, but when walls showcase geometric or floral patterns, the curtains might echo these designs.
Living Room in American Style – Practical Tips for Interior Design
American style for the living room is an excellent choice for lovers of eclectic and stylish yet unique interior solutions. The living room in American style can be decorated both in a city apartment and in a private house.
Fashion trends in American style interior design
To recreate the American style in the living room, where family members and guests will gather, it is important to know the characteristic features of this style. The following traits are typically associated with American style:
- Mimicking luxury by replacing one finishing material with another.
- Zoning the open space using niches or partitions.
- Arranging large pieces of furniture in the center of the room, rather than along the walls.
- Having a focal point that attracts attention (a fireplace in a house or a large TV in a city apartment).
Open space filled with air and light marks another distinctive characteristic of the American interior style. Achieving this often involves combining the living room with the dining room.
Designers recommendations for choosing materials for finishing
In American style, great importance is given to finishing. For wall decoration, decorative plaster, plastic panels, and paint are acceptable options.
Eye-catching wallpapers will also fit well into the interior of an American-style home. They can be textile, paper, or have an embossed three-dimensional pattern (such as botanical).
For the living room floor, you could opt for laminate or wooden planks in light or brown tones. Whitewashing, painting, or decorating with a plain, pattern-free stretch ceiling could work for the ceiling. Perimeter moldings could serve as important decorative elements. In a private house, you might want to consider using beams for decoration.
White should be the dominant color when deciding on the color scheme of finishing materials. You can incorporate additional colors like beige, sandy, or brown shades. If you like unconventional solutions, consider adding red or sky-blue to your living room color palette.
Variety of Fabrics and Decorative Items
Windows in an American-style living room should be large, allowing plenty of natural light in. The following options are used for window decoration:
- Wooden curtains.
- Blinds.
- Shutters.
Classic-style textile curtains, made from blended or natural fabrics and featuring specific patterns like geometric shapes, stripes, checks, or small floral prints, are not commonly used.
The American style does not accept lambrequins or fringes on windows. Curtain tiebacks are an appropriate addition. A soft rug is recommended to be placed in the center of the living room. It can be plain, harmonizing in color with the curtains, or decorated with an ethnic pattern. In the latter case, the pattern should blend with the overall style, rather than stand out from it.
Decor in the American style is present in a minimal amount. You can decorate the living room with metal, wood, and stone figurines, posters, paintings, photographs, and framed diplomas. A signature characteristic of this interior style is the placement of books in cabinets, on shelves, and in niches.
American-style Home – Practical Tips for Space Design
An American-style home – who hasn’t dreamed of having one? We’ve all seen them in Hollywood movies: neat, charming, and attractive in their own way. In this part of the article, you’ll learn about the specifics of such buildings and their features that may impact your future choices.
It’s worth noting that American homes dont have a specific style direction. Rather, they are a combination of styles, ideas, and directions drawn from motifs of other nationalities.
Moreover, the philosophy of construction implies complete freedom of choice, which also contributes to the diversity of such homes. However, even this style has its own specificity and features that distinguish it from others.
The American interior design style stands out for its substitution of pricey materials with more affordable ones. Indeed, cost-effectiveness is a prominent trait in such homes. Instead of using expensive and intricate materials, designers opt for budget-friendly alternatives like tile veneer as a replacement for natural wood.
Instead of relying on the concentrated light from a single chandelier, American homes typically feature diffuse lighting. Various wall-mounted fixtures, sconces, and similar items produce this diffuse light.
Open floor plans without bulky, full partitions are common in American homes. To divide spaces, they often use screens, curtains, and bookcases instead.
Often, people decorate a variety of pillows, blankets, rugs, and curtains with plant patterns, which infuse the rooms with unforgettable coziness.
The design, both interior and exterior, usually features calm, relaxing colors, instead of bright ones. To diversify the decor, they use less muted shades or metallics, but only in smaller quantities.
Minimalism and simplicity are important features of the American-style home. Often, such homes have a dedicated area for relaxation, complete with a fireplace, comfortable armchairs or a sofa, and design elements chosen for the owner’s personal sense of comfort.
Laminate or wood often covers the floors, and designers typically paint the ceiling in light colors like white or shades close to it. For added beauty, special beams often embellish the ceiling.
Thanks to the aforementioned advantages of the American-style interior, it’s easy to understand that such homes are primarily built for the convenience and comfort of the owner. The layout, choice of materials, and interior design are all geared toward making the construction of the home as cost-effective as possible while making the stay in it as cozy as possible.
An additional advantage is that there are no restrictions in the design of the home. Feel free to decorate your home with whatever you prefer, be it Eastern figurines, paintings by Enlightenment artists, or trendy teen posters, and it won’t seem tacky. The combination of items from different nations, cultures, and eras expresses not a lack of taste, but the owner’s creative nature, multifaceted soul, and freedom of choice.
A home in this style is suitable for sociable and active people who are ready and love to frequently host guests. The layout and design of such homes often encourage this. It will also be comfortable for people who value storing various family photos and small reminders of the past, as the interior becomes even better with an abundance of such items.
In conclusion, consider the advantages and start creating a beautiful design project for your American-style home. This interior design style is extremely simple, so you may not even need the help of professionals. Good luck!
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