American style in the interior - design rules and 42 photo ideas

History of the style

The formation of the foundations of the style occurred during the development of new lands by European settlers. They brought with them to the American continent a European idea of style and methods of arranging premises. The first colonists, in a fit of nostalgia, tried to recreate their familiar life and way of life under new difficult conditions. However, the difficulties and hardships they had to experience left their mark.

Thus, a new American colonial style emerged, created mainly on the foundation of the English classics. But unlike her, it turned out to be simpler and adapted to new realities.

Bedroom with colonial style elements.

Already at the beginning of the twentieth century, under the influence of the luxurious Art Deco that dominated in Europe, the American style in the interior of apartments and houses was somewhat transformed and transformed. It has become more mannered, elegant and sophisticated, incorporating the signs of Hollywood luxury and emphasized beauty, which were successfully popularized by the film industry.

Kitchen with traditional island in the center of the room and chic crystal chandeliers with ruby pendants in Art Deco style.

The second half of the twentieth century again introduced a touch of natural harmony and open spaces, a spirit of rustic peace and tranquility into American interiors. The American style, popular at that time, in the interior of a country house acquired characteristics of country. But the style did not completely dissolve in rustic simplicity and unpretentiousness. He retained the features of the classical manner of organizing space and methods of decorating rooms in the spirit of Art Deco.

Bedroom in American country style of the second half of the twentieth century.

Modernity has added new features to the classic American style in the interior, such as a free space layout, an abundance of technology and modern functionality. The democratic style has been preserved, allowing the use of both expensive natural materials and more budget-friendly analogues during interior design. This approach contributes to the spread of the style, its use for decorating small apartments of the middle-income population and executive class apartments.

Cozy open plan living room.

American style in the interior of an apartment

American classics in the modern sense are the product of a fusion of classical motifs and modern solutions. This design direction is called “colonial”, because it originates in the lands of North America, where settlers from England, France and other countries tried to recreate their life from scratch. That is why elegant English furniture here often coexists with authentic things like a huge chest that replaces a coffee table.

What are the basic principles of American style in the interior?

Lack of doors: a small living area is compensated by open space, separating only the bedroom and bathroom. Zones are distinguished by functional partitions or changes in floor level.
Few accessories: the room is decorated very moderately, preference is given to functionality and convenience of the furnishings.
The versatility of the color palette: this type of home decoration accepts a wide range of colors, but most often natural shades are used - green, brown, gray, sand.
Zoned lighting: space is divided by lighting fixtures. Only the chandelier in the living room is placed in the center; functional areas are illuminated in the remaining rooms.
Vintage: This design loves a touch of authenticity, so you can add a couple of vintage, well-restored items to the interior.

Let's take a closer look at some of the details.

Photo of American style in the interior of an apartment.

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Kitchen island in a bright interior.

Credit: @

American style in the interior of the room.

Layout features

As a rule, American style in the interior is recognized by three features:

open layout of premises;
large living space;
a residential interior organized around a central axis.

Such signs are typical for various types of living space: houses, apartments, cottages, villas, cottages. If it is necessary to visually increase the area of the room, remove all possible partitions and walls. In this case, the open space is zoned using finishing materials or furniture.

Living room in American country style.

This is interesting: despite the preference to combine all rooms into one common space (kitchen, living room, hallway, dining room, office), the classic American style in the interior sacredly honors everyone’s right to personal territory. Thus, the bedroom and bathroom are necessarily separated by walls, which not only visually hide the owner of the room, but also absorb all kinds of sounds.

American home design options

The dining room is a cult place in the American interior. The whole family gathers here in the mornings and evenings. The meal is a leisurely affair; important issues are discussed during the meal. The furnishings of the kitchen and living room should be conducive to family gatherings. There is a lot of space, light and cozy. They prefer natural kitchen decoration, for example, wooden furniture is valued. Environmental friendliness and convenience are much more important than appearance.

The living room is intended for receiving visitors and family gatherings. People wear street shoes here, so the finishing materials and furniture are extremely practical. All the best, which is the pride of the family, is on display.

American style in the interior suggests the presence of several bedrooms. The largest room is for the heads of the family, the rest are for children. If there is free space, a guest room must be equipped. The bedrooms are decorated without frills. The central attention is given to the large-scale bed. The color scheme of the bedroom is light and fresh. Furniture - minimum.

American style room interior

Chic American style room design

There is usually more than one bathroom. The ideal option is a separate one for each bedroom. The interior is conducive to relaxation. No washing machines or other household appliances. The bathroom is intended for relaxation. Light colors in the design, large dimensions of the room are the main features of the room. Plumbing, a minimum of furniture, enough free space - these are the main features of the right bathroom for an American.

American style in the interior does not require significant expenses. The main condition is the possession of a considerable area. The design is simple but functional. The house always attracts with its comfort and warm family atmosphere. An apartment is also often decorated in this style, but most likely the furnishings will be more modern and practical.

See also: Combination of pink with other colors

American style color scheme

When decorating a home or office interior in American style, you should take into account its loyalty and eclecticism. That is, the room can be decorated in classical traditions, combining harmonious shades of white and brown:

Beige.

Sand.

Chocolate.

Lactic.

Cream.

Open plan living room in classic American style.

At the same time, you can use a contrasting combination of colors to decorate your apartment:

dark brown with white and red;
sand with white and blue;
red with white and blue.

Spacious bedroom in sand and terracotta tones.

In order to properly organize the American style in the interior of a country house, it is enough to use solid colors that are not too bright. It is acceptable to use geometric patterns and volumetric textures.

Living-dining room design in brown and sand tones with a bright blue accent.

Basic principles of American style

Space

The main feature of traditional American style is space. Large rooms, the absence of partitions, doors, combining rooms - these are the main signs of this direction. Often, in American homes, the kitchen is combined with the living room, and the living room with the hallway. This creates one large room, which is zoned with pseudo-partitions, arches or niches. By the way, wall niches also have practical significance. You can “hide” a TV or stereo system, books and souvenirs in them, and arrange a dressing room behind the doors.

American style with large rooms with no partitions or doors

At the same time, personal rooms must be clearly separated from the living room. The bedrooms of adults and children, as well as guest rooms, are outside the free access zone.

Girl's room

Separate children's bedroom

Adult bedroom

Girl's bedroom

Separate bedroom

Lighting

In the American style, lighting also helps to divide the apartment into zones. Thus, ceiling chandeliers are installed only in the living room and dining room. In the remaining rooms, the combined lighting method is used: high floor lamps are combined with wall or table sconces. Playing with light allows you to emphasize not only individual zones in the apartment, but also in the room itself.

Ceiling chandeliers are installed in the living room and dining room

Finishing

The basic principle of finishing is imitation of expensive materials. In American interiors you practically won’t find marble, expensive wood species, natural stone, etc. All these materials are being replaced by other, cheaper options. At the same time, artificial materials should be visually similar to natural ones as much as possible.

The basic principle of finishing is imitation of expensive materials

Furniture

A mandatory attribute of an American interior is a staircase.

American style in the interior of an apartment

As for furniture, it is customary to place it in the center of the room, at a great distance from each other. Despite some strictness in design, Americans still fill the room with a large amount of furniture: chests of drawers, shelving, cabinets, sofas, armchairs, tables, etc. At the same time, the furniture is selected “simple” - without elaborate decoration and decorated elements. But it can be bright.

American style with simple furniture in the center of the room

Color spectrum

American style is characterized by the use of warm colors in the design of rooms. Thus, preferences are given to beige, apricot, terracotta and earth tones. It is much less common to find white or burgundy shades. But bedrooms (for adults and children) are often decorated in pink or blue colors.

American style with warm colors in the design

If we talk about decorative elements, they are usually made of bronze, gold or silver. There are also black forged parts.

American style with the correct arrangement of furniture and decor

Wall decoration and design

The style is characterized by smooth wall design:

the most common method is to paint the plastered surface with matte, plain paint;
less often, walls are covered with wallpaper with small patterns;
inserts include wooden or stone panels (both natural and artificial).

Advice: you should not use bright contrasting wallpaper with a replicated print to decorate rooms, as the free and unobtrusive atmosphere may be lost.

Decoration and design of ceilings

Typical techniques for decorating ceilings in a classic or modern American style are:

whitewashing or painting a smooth surface in a uniform light shade;
decorating white high sloping ceilings with wooden beams;
decoration of the perimeter and ceiling area with plain moldings.

Examples of decorating the ceiling of premises:

On a note. Large spacious rooms require good lighting, so lighting also plays an important role in the design of the ceiling. He gets maximum attention.

Lighting

Light plays a special role for this interior style. Local lighting sources with yellowish bulbs are very popular. This is especially true for the recreation area in the living room and bedroom. In these rooms you cannot do without sconces - most often paired ones, table lamps and floor lamps. Large chandeliers in the center of the ceiling are also used, but rarely.

Paired floor lamps are used to emphasize symmetry

Thanks to translucent lampshades on the lamps, the light is gently diffused

In the kitchen and bathroom, preference is given to cooler or neutral lighting. In these places the light should be especially bright. In an office, cold, “office” light is also necessary. It is also found in American homes as decorative lighting for paintings.

The outer part of a private house and the area around it are not left without attention. You can't do without street lighting here.

This trend is characterized by the use of classic forged, bronze, and wooden lighting fixtures; they are often decorated with lampshades that diffuse the light and make it soft.

A large amount of natural daylight is also a characteristic feature of the interior. In modern apartment buildings, huge panoramic windows are installed; in private houses, large openings are also valued.

The advent of high-strength glass made it possible to build houses with large windows

American style floor

The following materials are chosen for finishing floors:

parquet;
laminated board;
artificial stone or tile;
self-leveling or wooden floor.

Carpeting is rarely used. A feature of American-style interior design is the preference for bare floors with a heating system. Carpets are used to decorate bedrooms or recreation areas in the living room.

American style lovers

This design will appeal to people with democratic views who do not like ostentatious luxury, excessive shine and diversity, but who at the same time have a desire to create a traditional, good-quality environment. The main thing for them is a harmonious, calm atmosphere in the house.

In the United States they love large upholstered furniture with plain upholstery

Another characteristic feature of lovers of this trend is the habit of living with a large family. American homes are very conducive to receiving guests or spending time together as a family. Open common spaces are needed precisely to make everyone feel comfortable.

This direction in design is a godsend for those who do not want to strictly limit themselves to one style. If a person often travels and brings souvenirs from different countries, and also visits vintage stores, he will want to put his best acquisitions in a prominent place. The environment will only benefit from such diversity.

Figurines and flowers enliven a simple interior in brown tones

This “American dream” can be realized in any house or apartment with sufficient space. After all, this direction presupposes the presence of large furniture, which should not be located near the walls, but in the center. At the same time, there should be space around it.

World celebrities also love this trend or its elements. Hilary Duff, Aaron Paul, Liv Tyler, whom many know from films and TV series, have houses designed in the American style or close to it.

These stars are united by a common philosophy towards the house: it’s great if the house was built a long time ago and some of the furnishings in it preserve the memory of former times. If not, then you need to create the illusion that the house is not new, but well-lived. Only in such housing can you feel the ease and lightness of life. Also, in these houses there are no too bright and pure shades, but mostly complex, interesting ones.

Celebrities did not hide their homes and we have the opportunity to see all the details in these videos:

Correct selection of furniture and arrangement

What is characteristic of the American style in the interior in the case of furniture arrangement?

Firstly, it is not placed along the walls. In large rooms there is enough space to place a sofa and several armchairs in the center of the room, around which the rest of the furniture will be organized.

Secondly, the furniture chosen is solid, large, and most importantly, comfortable. In the case of kitchen furniture, it is also functional.

Thirdly, furniture from the same collection is placed within one room or living area, harmoniously combined in texture, design and color.

Furniture sets in the living room.

Examples of American style furniture:

Surface decoration

American style does not have strict requirements for floor design, but most often it is:

wooden (board, parquet, laminate);
stone (porcelain tiles, tiles);
bulk

Americans rarely use carpet as flooring. For decorative purposes, for practical purposes, it is allowed to use a compact carpet near the sofa in the living room, or the bed in the bedroom.

American style in home interiors loves a heated floor system. A particularly practical addition for cold finishing materials. This option best helps create the comfort of an open surface.

American style room design

American style in the interior of the room

For walls, Americans prefer a uniform design. A typical option is to paint a flat surface (wallpapered, plastered). In this case, calm tones without gloss are most often used. Wallpaper containing a slight texture or pattern is allowed.

You can diversify the uniformity of the walls with the help of decorative inserts (stone: natural, artificial, wood). American style with a modern interpretation allows for large graphics. Using bright contrast or obtrusive print is unacceptable.

Americans traditionally decorate ceilings with light shades. Painting and whitewashing are the most acceptable methods. A favorite decoration method is moldings and wooden beams. In modern interiors, suspended, tensile structures with proper lighting organization are often used.

Light distribution is an important aspect of proper design. If the classic design does not provide for the use of spotlights, then they try to supplement the living room (or other room) with a variety of light sources (sconces, floor lamps, table lamps). Enough attention is also paid to the flow of natural light.

Bright room in American style

American style room design

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Textile

It is impossible to embody the classic American style in the interior without good textile design. For curtains, a plain natural or mixed fabric is selected, sometimes with a small geometric pattern; a straight, uncomplicated cut is typical. Lush lambrequins and ruffles are not typical for American-style windows. It is possible to use Roman, Japanese curtains or blinds.

Color solution

The predominance of monochromatic colors in the interior that do not differ in brightness is considered the most acceptable solution in creating a typical atmosphere for the direction. It must be remembered that the American style is loyal to eclectic features. Therefore they use:

harmonious classic combination (brown and white, their shades);
contrast inclusions (red, blue, cyan).

Geometric patterns can add variety to a monochromatic palette. Large, unobtrusive elements are preferred. Materials containing volumetric textures and heterogeneous texture are acceptable.

American style room interior

See also: Color of doors in the interior: match the floor or walls?

Lighting organization

To illuminate spacious rooms, designers choose a variety of lighting scenarios:

spot lighting around the perimeter of a room or living area;
using a large multi-arm chandelier with pendants in the center of the bedroom, living room or dining room;
the preferred use of a variety of floor lamps, sconces, table lamps and lamps.

The lighting is soft and natural.

Floor lamps and chandeliers in interior design.

American style lighting fixtures:

Ceiling

For floors and walls in the American style, different materials and their combinations are welcome. There is no such variety for the ceiling. It should be:

Light . A light ceiling makes the room visually larger, which is very important for an American interior. To achieve the desired effect, you can use paint or plaster. The first one can be washed, the second one cannot, but otherwise the difference between them is small.
With beams . Beams are the main feature of the American style. In all its varieties they are found one way or another. You can deviate from this rule only if the ceiling in the room is low and there is a feeling that the beams are pressing from above.
With molding around the perimeter . Molding is a decorative element in the form of a convex strip. It can be patterned, it can be geometric. The color is either white, like the rest of the ceiling, or the one that is used in a particular interior for contrast - chocolate, red, blue.

Beams are the main feature of the American style

The result is a high ceiling with a beautiful decorative element that complements the overall design.

Decor and accessories

Designers do not recommend oversaturating the interior with bulky decorative items. On the contrary, in order to emphasize the comfort and simplicity of large rooms decorated in American style, choose fresh flowers and floral arrangements, decorative pillows and framed paintings or photographs. This is quite enough to complete the design.

Decorative items used in American-style interior design:

Creating comfort: textiles, decor

American interiors prefer dense natural materials as textile additions. Minor admixtures of artificial raw materials are possible to improve the overall characteristics of the fabric. Textile decor of a simple cut without unnecessary additions. Curtains are classic straight without lambrequins. The bedspreads are one-piece with no ruffles or complex elements. Decorative pillows - simple without appliqués.

As curtains, the American style allows for Roman options. Blinds have become widespread in modern interiors. To implement the loft direction, it is possible to completely avoid textiles on the windows or use materials with unobtrusive geometric graphics. Creating a country style allows for the presence of small floral patterns and light ruffles.

White room in American style

Bright room in American style

Classic American style does not accept an abundance of decorative elements. Paintings and photographs hidden by frames can add completeness to the interior. A large floor vase and a fresh flower arrangement are good options for an American living room. Particular attention is paid here to items of pride: awards, cups, collections. These things emphasize reverence for family values, a reverent attitude towards achievements, universal recognition, and nurture self-esteem.

When choosing decor, true Americans are often guided by their own taste, and by the inconsistency of the element with the interior. Often the decoration, especially the living room, turns out to be motley and tasteless. Only over time, with the advent of an awareness of convenience and ease, do you realize how pleasant it is to be in this environment.

American style room interior

Beautiful room in American style

Stunning American style design

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Photo examples of American-style interiors

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