Living room in English style: interior photo, small design, classic room, country sofas in the house

The living room in the English style is characterized by a refined and simple interior
British style is elegance and practicality, comfortable, luxurious furniture made from durable, natural materials, restrained colors and clear lines, but at the same time it is unforgettable comfort and warmth. English living rooms are conducive to both solitary reading of your favorite book and an intimate conversation with a close friend. The interior of British living rooms is a timeless classic, timeless and fashionable. What elements are inherent in living rooms in the English style - read the article.

Who is the English living room suitable for?

An English-style interior is suitable not only for owners of country apartments and spacious apartments with high ceilings: typical English houses are small rooms. Therefore, an English living room may well appear in a small apartment, making it even more comfortable.

The English style will be appreciated by:

Lovers of paper books, because one of the main elements of furnishing a British living room is a library or literary room;
Connoisseurs of country comfort (due to the key element of the British living room - the fireplace);
Adherents of classic, conservative design and restraint.

In addition, the interior elements of English living rooms will appeal to lovers of fashionable novelties and extraordinary design solutions, because the English style can be used both “in its pure form” and in collaboration with modern interiors. For example, classic British sofas upholstered in genuine leather will fit perfectly into spacious loft-style living rooms; English checkered textiles and decorative elements in a hunting style will perfectly complement the country interior; Wooden coffee tables with thick decorative legs are the perfect decorative piece for an art deco living room.

Execution options

It is gratifying that modern stores are simply teeming with various models of fireplaces. Having decided on the necessary functionality and general requirements for the device, here you can choose a suitable device, or order yourself an exclusive handmade model.

Wood-burning devices. Classic wood-burning fireplaces made of brick in the form of a massive structure are built by connoisseurs of the classics, but for lovers of something more modern, manufacturing companies offer cast iron and steel structures. All of them are necessarily equipped with a chimney that removes combustion products. The appearance and design of such fireplace systems can be very diverse.

Pipe hanging from the ceiling

Broken pipe

Niche in the wall

Underwater mine

Strange shape

Gas appliances. Gas fireplaces are more modern; they operate either from the main gas entering our apartment or have replaceable cylinders. Natural gas is an excellent fuel, the fire from which is the most natural. Note that for systems with main gas, a chimney is required, while cylinder devices do not need it. Which gas fireplace to choose for your apartment is, of course, up to you, but you should choose a design that suits the overall interior of the room.

Decorated seating area

Double-sided version

Interesting shape

Direct flame access

Extraordinary shape

Biological models. Biofireplaces are designed specifically for the home; during their operation they practically do not emit harmful substances and only slightly dry the air. The modern design of these products allows us to find interesting solutions for introducing bio-fireplaces into the architecture of apartments and houses. Original, beautiful fireplaces with real fire create a unique atmosphere, but most importantly, they are as safe as possible to use.

Round form

Fireplace in a coffee table

Biofireplace in a suitcase

Triangular shape

Using a niche in the wall Good to know: How to build wood-burning brick fireplaces for home and garden

Electrical apparatus. Unlike all of the above options, electric fireplaces do not have real fire; here an imitation of flame or smoldering coals is created. At the same time, such a composition often looks no worse than fireplace systems with real fire. Electric fireplaces can perform not only a decorative function, but also heat small rooms. Such devices most often look like classic analogues.

Stone finishing

Black Portal

Country style

Modern apartment

Stone portal

False fireplaces. By the way, if ready-made purchased options are not available, you can come up with and make an imitation fireplace yourself. This does not require special skills; you can easily assemble a beautiful structure yourself from cardboard, boards, drywall, or any available materials. To decorate the resulting structure, you can choose from: wallpaper, paint, plastic panels, tiles, stone or its imitation. Well, in order for such a dummy to look decent, it should be properly decorated inside and outside, and if possible, assemble an interesting imitation of fire.

Finishing the portal with brick

False fireplace made of wood

Fake fireplace in the apartment

White portal

Creating an English living room interior: interior design

The interior of an English living room is, first of all, natural materials. British living rooms have a certain archaic charm. Therefore, modern materials and finishing methods will not be appropriate here.

The main palette of the English interior is natural, natural colors: here we will not see bright, trendy colors like indigo, only muted, restrained shades of autumn foliage, natural wood, grass, marsala.

To decorate the walls of classic living rooms in the British style, most often they choose wallpaper in pastel shades and interior paint in muted blue, green, and burgundy tones. Three-level walls are also characteristic of the British style, where the first, lower level is made of wooden panels 75 cm high, the middle level is wallpaper (a red-green stripe is considered a traditional ornament), and the top level is decorated with decorative cornices.

Modern, glossy surfaces are not suitable for English-style ceilings. Often, decorative plaster or interior paint in beige, peach, and sand shades are used as finishing materials. If the ceiling height allows, the ideal solution in the spirit of England would be coffered, wooden ceilings.

The flooring of British living rooms is most often represented by parquet, laminate, or deck boards. Patterns are encouraged in floor design; the main colors are shades of brown.

Doors in English living rooms should be made of the same material as the floor, and the door frames should be in the same style as the floor skirting boards.

Types of fireplaces in modern interiors

Modern fireplaces differ radically from their medieval predecessors. There are several types of fireplaces, and their classification is based on the materials used, design features, type of fuel and degree of functionality.

Based on their location in the room, these architectural elements are divided into wall, corner, built-in, and island.
Depending on the material they are made of, they can be brick, marble, granite, natural stone, cast iron and even glass.
Based on the type of fuel, fireplaces are divided into electric, gas, and solid fuel (coal, pallets, firewood, peat).
Depending on the number of sides emitting heat.
According to the type of firebox opening (closed, open).

The interior in light colors looks very spacious

White and blue fireplace in the interior of a bright living room

A fireplace can serve not only as a means of heating, but also as a decorative element.

It seems that the home is very simple, but this is only at first glance. The main structural elements: firebox, portal and chimney.

The firebox is the chamber in which fuel combustion occurs. A portal is a decorative fireplace lining that frames the opening of the firebox. Chimney – systems for removing combustion products. The functionality of the fireplace depends on the chimney:

if the draft is good, the fuel will burn intensely;
smoke is discharged not into the room, but outside;
the room will be warm.

Furniture for English living rooms

Furniture is a hallmark of English living rooms. The British interior is characterized by wooden shelving, low and wide coffee tables on decorative legs, display cabinets, and bedside tables in a classic style.

Fittings in English living rooms should give the impression of heavy, antique elements. The main colors for classic modules are dark brown, amber, and beige.

Basic requirements for furniture in the English style:

Use of natural wood;
Carved, decorative legs
Clarity of lines;
Restraint and monumentality.

Upholstered furniture for English living rooms is chesterfield sofas, armchairs with high backs and soft armrests, ottomans, “wings”, banquettes, comfortable couches both with and without backs.

Fabric for upholstery of upholstered furniture - genuine leather, velvet, chenille, damask. Primary colors are brown, muted green and red, shades of coffee with milk, butter, cinnamon.

Living room interior in English style: decorative items

The British have always tried to combat grayness and high humidity outside the window. Therefore, it is impossible to imagine an English living room without a cozy fireplace with a portal. The fireplace can be made of brick, stone, marble. The main requirement is clear lines, stucco molding, forged, decorative grilles covering the portal. As additional decorative elements, you can place collections of figurines, black and white photographs, and decorative plates on the fireplace. Often the central place on the fireplace is occupied by a luxury clock in a wooden case with metal or gold plated elements.

Textiles also play an important role in the English interior: checkered, woolen rugs; warm, cozy carpets, an abundance of pillows, covers for armchairs and chairs, heavy curtains with tassels and fringe - these are the decorative elements without which it is impossible to imagine the design of a traditional British living room.

If the living room is large, then a grandfather clock with a wooden case, pendulum and chime can serve as a decorative element.

Installation options

One of the most important decisions related to installing a fireplace is choosing its location. Since this element of the interior will become dominant, it is necessary to choose the best place for it: where it can be seen from all sides, where you can create a relaxation area, where all the highlights of the decor of the fireplace system will be noticeable. The following options are currently used:

Wall location. The fireplace is installed along the main wall of the room, usually right in the middle. The dimensions of the fireplace portal in this case correlate with the size of the room. Large rooms require massive structures, and small ones require neat and small structures. The wall location opens up a view of the fireplace from all corners of the room.
Corner option. For small rooms in which living space is at a premium, a corner option was developed. Occupying unused space in the room, the fireplace fits perfectly into the interior, bringing zest to it. It’s easy to create a relaxation area around such a device to enjoy the comfort of home at your hearth.
Embedded system. For modern interiors that are being designed during the construction phase, designers often use built-in fireplace options. In this case, the device is loaded into a niche specially prepared for it. Electric fireplaces and biological ones are mainly used here, which do not harm the atmosphere of the room and are very safe.
Wall mounted devices. In city apartments, wall-mounted fireplace options are very popular. In this case, such devices resemble large flat-screen TVs, only they do not have many broadcast programs, but they can be used as original night lights.

Good to know: Cast iron fireplace for home and garden - an inexpensive heater and decorative element

What type of arrangement to choose must be decided independently, based on the interior of the room, the dimensions of the room, and general wishes. All of the above types and methods are actively used in the interiors of modern apartments and houses.

Lighting elements in English living rooms

Lighting in an English interior is a way to make the room warmer and more comfortable. The light of the devices should be soft and natural. As central lighting, you can use pendant chandeliers with five shades, exquisite lamps with forged elements.

Elegant floor lamps, table lamps and wall sconces are suitable as additional lighting elements. It is better to give preference to lamps with trapezoidal shades made of textiles: such elements can guarantee warm, diffused light.

If you want to add light above the seating area, designers advise buying an identical pair of sconces and placing them on the wall parallel to each other.