The flexibility and democracy of the American style makes it relevant for a wide variety of segments of the population. Thanks to this, he can exist with equal success both in the richest mansions and in the city apartments of ordinary employees. The direction traces a synthesis of various styles - art deco, country, classics. To properly organize space in accordance with the principles of American style, a spacious room is needed. Such conditions allow you to fill your home with an air of freedom and emancipation - the main component of this trend.
About style: history and features of different years
The emergence of the American style occurred in the first half of the 17th century. It was at this time that the first settlers from Europe began to explore the unknown, but so attractive and alluring overseas continent. Immigrants who became rich sought to equip their homes in the spirit of their native culture. It was not so easy to recreate the situation on the spot. The shortage of suitable fabrics and finishing materials did not allow us to thoroughly convey the features of a particular interior style. Therefore, when decorating houses, elements of various foreign trends were used - literally, what was available. This was the reason for the departure from the stiffness inherent in the interiors of the “Old World”. The style gradually became more and more original.
Initially, even expensive furniture was simple and functional - in accordance with fashionable English trends. By 1780, the former simplicity had given way to respectable carvings and curved cornices. At the same time, the first examples of truly American furniture appeared - cabinets in the form of chests of drawers, stacked one on top of the other, or secretaries with wavy outlines.
By the beginning of the 19th century, the formation of the American style was almost complete. Its main distinguishing features were restraint, laconic decor, intense natural coloring and clear geometric shapes.
After the World Exhibition of Industrial Achievements was held in Paris at the beginning of the twentieth century, the whole world, including America, became fascinated by the ideas of Art Deco. This is confirmed by the luxurious, extravagant interiors in which famous Hollywood films of that time were filmed.
For about half a century, the demand for products in the Art Deco style did not decrease. When passions did subside, manufacturers tried to cause a new stir by popularizing rural themes. But not everyone was impressed by calls to live in harmony with nature, so the country style advertised at that time did not find sufficient support, although some rollback towards this direction was still visible.
The American interior of today strives for sophisticated minimalism and careful selection of every detail. Modern furniture manufacturers in the United States focus on comfort, functionality and beauty, rather than kitschy luxury.
A few more details
The basis of any interior is furniture, so the overall appearance of the living room depends on its choice. This can be an elegant, restrained setting, close to the living room, or a rather democratic and laconic composition. American living room furniture often resembles traditional models from Victorian England - with “curled” armrests, quilted upholstery, graceful but unobtrusive legs. There are no carved details or additional decor, so even elegant products look quite light and unobtrusive.
Another characteristic detail is a semblance of luxury - not truly expensive solutions and materials, but good, high-quality finishing options. Yes, they look quite expensive, but they remain budget-friendly and easy to use. This is the well-known laminate instead of parquet, simple wallpaper and paint with a textured pattern, MDF instead of natural solid wood.
The stained glass windows in the ceiling look stylish. They can be called typical of art deco, but similar designs also look organic in colonial design. As a rule, the style and plot of the mosaic is supported by the facades of the set, in which only elements of the entire composition can be used.
Varieties of style
The formation of the American style was influenced by different parts of the world. The United States has always been attractive to foreign citizens. They migrated en masse from other continents in pursuit of the American dream, and at the same time brought with them pieces of their culture. People from Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America contributed to the development of this trend. It combines features of many cultures, which is reflected in the interiors. American style can be divided into various categories depending on the stylistic features characteristic of a particular area. There are classic, modern, neoclassical, country.
American neoclassical
The main feature of such interiors is exquisite simplicity and elegance, and a certain flexibility. Here, modern technology and innovative building materials coexist perfectly with the classical principles of space formation. The presence of plastic trim, textiles made from mixed materials, and an imitation fireplace is quite acceptable in the design.
Modern American
A characteristic feature of the modern trend is a combination of functionality and comfort. Comfortable furniture with contemporary shapes is arranged in accordance with classical principles. Despite the predominance of modern furniture, the interior may contain elements of classics and art deco. The inclusion of classic details along with high-tech elements is very often used when creating modern American interiors. In the decoration, a classic fireplace can coexist with an ultra-modern TV, futuristic lamps with exotic vases and figurines, mirror mosaics with a carriage screed.
American country style
The trend originated in rich country houses, and not at all in the outback, as many believe. Cheapness and asceticism are not the defining features of this style. Wooden decoration of walls, floors, open beams on the ceiling, rough furniture made of untreated wood are characteristic features of country music. An integral attribute of the living room is a fireplace in front of a seating area with comfortable upholstered furniture, upholstered in leather or rough fabrics with a natural composition. The style is extremely close to nature, as it is based on the use of environmentally friendly materials and natural colors.
As you can see, American interiors have fundamental differences and can be presented both in a classic, presentable form, and in a modern functional or rustic one.
American style guest room design options
There can be many design options. The main thing for the design of a room is to correctly combine modernity and classic with exotic elements, maintaining spatial freedom and observing the rules of furniture.
The popularity of this interior design solution is growing due to its versatility and the replaceability of expensive finishing materials with more budget-friendly variations. In addition, you can achieve expansion and functionality of the space through open layouts. An example would be a kitchen-living room with an American design style. In such a kitchen they cook and communicate with guests. However, you need to think through an exhaust system and not leave a mess after cooking.
Characteristic features of the style
The multinationality of the United States has determined the complex collective nature of the American style. It is a typical combination of European, African and Oriental approaches to the selection of accessories and building an interior ensemble, and combines traditional and trendy trends. Premises decorated in this style, on the one hand, are neat and presentable, on the other hand, they are simple, functional and gravitate towards nature.
The American design direction is characterized by:
- imitation of luxury, replacement of natural materials with plastic and MDF finishing;
- the predominance of the most economical localized lighting - the presence of sconces, floor lamps, table lamps. Central light is used in living rooms;
- dividing space into zones using mobile partitions and open shelving;
- combining rooms with different functions - the kitchen can be located in the same room as the dining room, a sleeping area or hallway is often combined with the living room;
- arranging furniture in the center of the room, and not along the walls.
Key points of interior design
American interiors are well recognizable due to their characteristic features:
- Imitation of luxury, where natural wood is replaced with plastic, MDF structures;
- Economical and local lighting in all rooms, with the exception of rooms for communicating with guests. The central chandeliers are hung there;
- The space is organized using zoning with niches, partitions, through shelves, and a bar counter. The kitchen, dining room, guest room and hallway are often not separated by walls;
- For furniture (sofas, dining tables) a place is designated in the center of the room, and not near the walls.
For an American-style living room, all interior elements that visitors usually pay attention to are placed in clearly visible places. In American homes, he usually opens the door for guests only in rooms to communicate with them, although Americans like compliments. The bedroom combines comfort with practicality.
Kitchens should be spacious. However, in a small apartment you can use the island principle for the kitchen. In addition, the kitchen area is often separated from others by a bar counter.
Traditional color scheme of style
The dominant colors in American interiors are:
- white - can serve as a basis or highlight certain elements in the interior. Warm, eye-pleasing shades of white – milky, cream – are often used. They look incredibly colorful in combination with the colors of natural materials, highlighting and complementing them;
- beige - popular in alliances with white, or as the main color. Fewer brands compared to the previous shade and does not require titanic efforts to maintain a decent appearance of the room;
- sand is a dim yellow shade that often acts as expressive accents. A wall fragment, carpet, upholstered furniture can be painted in this color;
- chocolate is an additional shade that allows you to highlight individual interior details and give the decoration depth and relief. This color can be used to paint curtains, a rug, a chair, a rug or ceiling beams.
The bedroom may contain blue and crimson shades. The decor in the color of gilding or metal is perfect. These colors go perfectly with the basic style palette. Contrasting combinations are also welcome in the interior:
- white with red and dark brown;
- white with blue and sand;
- white with blue and red;
American interiors should not be oversaturated with bright colors. The decoration of the floor, walls, ceiling, and the colors of large furniture should be restrained and monochromatic. Bright colors are used as accents.
Selection of finishing materials
One of the signs of American interior design is its apparent high cost. Here, imitations of natural materials are more often installed than real stone, solid wood, and ceramics. Popular finishing elements are a variety of baguettes, moldings and cornices. They can be any color and should appear quite massive. They cover the places of any joints, transitions from one material to another, and decorate the portals of doorways.
Walls
Quite simple materials are used for wall decoration. The surfaces are either painted one color using paint, or covered with plain wallpaper. Materials with patterns serve to highlight an accent wall or section of it. This combination of canvases allows you to make the interior more expressive and highlight its strengths. In America, wall compositions made from false panels are popular. As a rule, they are glued along the entire perimeter of the room, starting from the floor and ending at a height of 1.5 m. Another design method is to paste one of the entire walls.
Floor
For flooring equipment, light laminate is most often chosen. In rare cases, preference is given to parquet boards. Porcelain tiles and tiles are rarely used. These materials are occasionally used to cover the floor in the kitchen or bathroom. Carpets are not very popular in American interiors. But to create coziness and comfort, a small fleecy product is traditionally placed in the master and guest bedrooms. More often, preference is given to a single-color carpet; sometimes the soft area in the living room is decorated with a rug with geometric or floral patterns, or a long-pile carpet.
Ceiling
The ceiling is most often unpretentious, painted white. In other cases, a coffered structure is made from carved wood, MDF, plastic or plasterboard, giving the room a luxurious appearance. When creating a country-style interior, the ceiling is decorated with massive beams made of natural wood or their imitation. Sometimes the ceiling surface or its fragments are covered with wallpaper.
Lighting
Spacious rooms require careful consideration of lighting scenarios for each zone.
The American direction is characterized by the use of:
- spotlights along the perimeter of a room or a dedicated living area in a large room with different functionality;
- a solid chandelier with many arms and pendants in the central part of the living, dining or sleeping area;
- adding local lighting devices - all kinds of table lamps, floor lamps, sconces, lamps.
Lighting in American interiors is preferably natural, diffused and soft.
Lighting and decoration: principles for living rooms with an American direction and design style
In this case, the principles of rational lighting are used, that is, only the necessary areas of a large room are illuminated. They use combinations of modern and antique floor lamps, sconces, chandeliers, candelabra, as well as candles and spotlights. Lampshades can be forged or made of fabric.
As for accessories that do not carry functional loads, there really aren’t that many of them in the room for communicating with guests. Various lighting items are used as decoration, as well as practical elements, including floor lamps and sconces. But still, the interior of an American living room cannot be imagined without memorable photos and awards for achievements. These rooms are also decorated with vases, figurines and paintings.
Furniture: selection and arrangement
Characteristic features of the selection and arrangement of furniture
- Interior items are located in the central part of the room or a dedicated area with a specific functionality. It is not installed along the walls. Spacious rooms are conducive to organizing comfortable compositions, grouping them in the middle. For example, a sofa and armchairs are placed around a coffee table, a dining table is placed in such a way that there is a free passage to it from either side, and chairs surround it. In the bedroom, the central area is occupied by the bed, and in the kitchen, an “island” is often located in the center.
- Most often, massive, large-sized comfortable furniture is selected, and for the kitchen it is also functional.
- Even for a room divided into zones, furniture elements are selected from the same set. They must be combined with each other in terms of material, design, design, color and texture.
Selecting living room furniture and arranging it correctly
In interiors with an American accent and style, furniture is selected and placed according to certain principles:
- Large furniture is preferred when choosing;
- Placement: the central part of the room;
- It is important to harmoniously combine furniture elements in color and texture.
In the guest room you can sit comfortably on a soft huge sofa or comfortable armchairs. A dining area is incomplete without a coffee table or table with comfortable chairs. In a room with an American motif style, a live fire is a must, real or imitation.
Moreover, next to the classic fireplace portal there may be ultra-modern technical equipment (for example, a TV), exotic vases, figurines, and lamps of unusual shapes. And in neoclassicism, an imitation of a fireplace area easily coexists with plastic in the decoration, textile products with a mixed composition.
In the work area there is a massive table, shelves with books and family photographs. Paintings of different artistic styles are appropriate on the walls.
The “Classic” style for the American living room is more suitable for warm, natural tones. Many people prefer terracotta, beige, green and brown colors and their shades. However, they do not refuse the solution in white and burgundy.
Textile
The classic American style is characterized by the use of high-quality textiles, decorated in a stylish, uncomplicated composition. Curtains are most often made from natural or mixed single-color fabric. Sometimes there may be small geometric patterns on it. Grandiose and lush flounces, ruffles and lambrequins are inappropriate in this style. Instead of ordinary curtains, it is allowed to use Japanese panels, Roman curtains or blinds.
Accessories and decor
Designers do not recommend overloading the interior with massive decorative elements. Comfort and coziness are valued here, so indoor plants, flower arrangements, paintings, panels and photographs in beautiful frames, decorative pillows to match the curtains and soft blankets are much more suitable. An overhead decorative fireplace will help create a cozy atmosphere.
Examples and tips for decorating different rooms in an apartment
When choosing an American style for decorating an apartment, you need to understand the following - it is incredibly difficult to achieve compliance with the qualities inherent in this direction in conditions of limited space. But following certain recommendations for the selection of materials and arrangement of furniture will help achieve this goal even in a one-room apartment or studio. American-style interior options are shown in the photo.
Hallway/corridor
A large free space, a light palette, and almost complete absence of decor are an excellent solution for a hallway. The features of the American style allow you to get a spacious, uncluttered and darkened room that will lift the mood of residents every time they return home.
For decoration, it is advisable to choose plain wallpaper or with a small pattern. They look great in combination with light wood or MDF panels. You can also choose coatings of bright colors. The main thing is that they are in harmony with each other and the overall design of the apartment.
It is advisable to use natural wooden furniture. In a small space, it is worth abandoning unnecessary furniture. In a spacious room, on the contrary, you should not deprive yourself of comfort and, in addition to a wardrobe, you should place a chest of drawers, a small sofa, wicker chairs and a table here.
Living room
It is necessary to arrange the living room so that it remains comfortable, bright and spacious. The main role is given to massive upholstered furniture, which is best placed in the central part of the room near the fireplace or large television panel. Armchairs and a sofa are concentrated around a miniature coffee table. A fairly serious distance is maintained between objects. Instead of soft chairs, wicker analogues can be used from the set. Technical devices, a library, and decorative elements are placed in specially equipped niches. Horizontal surfaces are usually free from decor and gadgets. The use of large cabinets or shelving is prohibited in the interior.
Kitchen
American style is an excellent choice for a spacious kitchen. In two-room apartments, the catering unit should be combined with the living room. The zoning technique allows you to visually separate the cooking space from the dining area. You can use light, low partitions, racks with through shelves, and sliding panels. If you wish, you can simply turn the sofa with its back towards the kitchen area. Another option is to fence it off with a chest of drawers on which indoor plants will be placed.
Each zone must have its own local lighting. A large chandelier can be placed above the dining table.
It is better to choose a furniture set from solid wood or with a coating that imitates natural wood. Matte surfaces of facades should not have much decoration. In the American kitchen, a very popular element is an island unit with a built-in hob, sink or additional work space. Bar counters are also welcome. They can separate the kitchen from the living room. Most often, Americans choose the U-shaped headset model. Built-in technology is preferable. Another mandatory element is a massive dome hood.
Bedroom
The bedrooms can combine classic and country. There is impressive oversized furniture, light pastel colors and cozy textiles. The sleeping place is characterized by the presence of a high headboard and a banquette on the foot side. On both sides of the headboard there are two bedside tables, equipped with drawers and lamps - table or sconce. To place bed linen and clothes, it is worth providing a chest of drawers, and if space allows, a spacious wardrobe or dressing room. Wicker chairs and metal beds fit seamlessly into modern interiors.
Bathroom
A bathroom in an American home is usually equipped with a window that lets in a sufficient amount of light. Most often, the house is equipped with several toilets - the master's - right behind the bedroom and the guest's - at the entrance. The third is placed next to the children's room. The bathroom is usually combined with a toilet and contains a minimum of furniture. As a rule, they are limited to a cabinet under the sink and a hanging cabinet with a mirror in the door. There is always a bath in the bathroom. If there is free space, an additional shower can be installed, but a bath is always a priority. It is often placed under a window or in the center of the room. The area with the toilet is usually separated by a partition. Moisture-resistant laminate or tiles are used as floor finishing. For walls, choose painting and paneling. The window is decorated with a light curtain.
American teenager's room
Having your own room is the dream of all teenagers. It is impossible to imagine the average American teenager deprived of his personal space - a symbol of his individuality and self-expression. According to established unspoken rules, you can enter a young American’s room only with his permission or after knocking first.
Decorating a room in American style for teenagers is not an easy task. It is necessary to take into account the interests and preferences of its owner, but at the same time maintain the necessary balance between the desires of the teenager and the design features and style possibilities.
The room of a modern teenager has a number of features. This is his bedroom, dressing room and playroom. In order to highlight different functional areas, you can use their contrasting colors and emphasize this with appropriate accessories. We need to do everything to make the child as comfortable as possible in the room, so that he feels it truly belongs.
On a note! An American-style teenager's room provides every opportunity to express a teenager's individuality, taking into account his interests and hobbies.
It is also characterized by local lighting and large furniture located at a considerable distance.
The American style rooms are very convenient and comfortable. Despite the simplicity and simplicity of the interior, they are nevertheless able to satisfy all the needs of a modern person, regardless of his age and social status.
Features of American-style home design
In an American home, the living room is intended for entertaining guests. It is not customary to take off shoes here, so the most practical and wear-resistant materials are chosen. Often, for exclusively family time, another cozy living room is located in the attic. Another option is to equip a room here for a teenager, equipping it with a modern audio system and other technical devices - here loud music will not bother anyone.
The favorite place where the whole family gathers is the dining room. Over meals, important family issues are discussed and significant decisions are made. The furnishings should create a cozy homely atmosphere.
Eco-friendliness is valued in kitchen design. It matters much more than appearance. Most often, sets and dining groups in such interiors are made of natural wood.
American homes usually have multiple sleeping areas. The heads of the family live in the most spacious one, the rest go to the children. If the layout allows, a room will certainly be allocated for a guest room. There is no overabundance of furniture and decor in the bedrooms. The design uses light, fresh shades.
There are often several bathrooms. Ideally, it should be separate for each bedroom. There are no appliances in the bathroom - boilers, washing machines and dryers. There is a separate room for them in the house or they are placed in the basement.
