help with decorating living room?
I’ve been trying to get my living room set up the way I like it and I accomplished that, but I noticed there isn’t much color at all. The walls are a tan color, the carpet is brown. All the furniture is creme/brown wood colored. My loveseat has both blue and a pale red in it as well as the tan. Also in the living room are a glider/rocker which is primarily blue (with wood) and that’s about it for color. I also have a papasan chair and two barstools which sit at the bar between the living room and the kitchen. Right off the living room is the kitchen (it’s a mobile home) which has a deep red color around the countertops and pale blue curtains (it’s actually the same blue as in the glider rocker and in the loveseat.
Basically I want to liven it up a bit mostly in the living room, but perhaps a little in the kitchen as well. I plan on getting rid of my old curtains which are basically white bath towels with a maroon valance. I want to put up deep red curtains to match the trim on the bar adjacent in the kitchen. Here are some pictures to show how it looks now. It’s usually not this messy though!
Any suggestions for adding a splash of color? I like the texture pattern on the walls so I don’t plan on painting them, I also just put this carpet down so I can’t really go back on that eaither. So the colors I’m working with are a deep red/maroon and a pale blue along with all the browns/tans from the carpet and furniture. Any suggestions? Perhaps fake plants or some pillows? I also have access to lots of carpet, so perhaps I could make/or purchase a nice big rug to pull it all together. I am willing to move my furniture around if anyone feels it would better suit the room. Also willing to take criticism about furniture, and to eliminate pieces all together as you see fit. here is a link to my photobucket images of the rooms and of the loveseat
http://s130.photobucket.com/albums/p278/georgew84/
Tagged with: barstools • bath towels • browns • carpet • eaither • fake plants • glider rocker • google • living room • loveseat • mobile home • papasan chair • pillows • red curtains • script type • splash of color • tans • text javascript • texture pattern • valance
Filed under: Old World Bar Stools
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OK..I’m trying to remember what I viewed and offer my opinion. The TV on the angle is good..however, it leaves all the space next to it filled with too many little table/standing shelf things and clutters up that corner, so what to do?
I’d move the Papasan chair where you now have the glider (big piece will now balance out big piece across from it). If that large square end table will fit next to it, ok–but try a smaller piece. That shelf thing next to tv ….hmmmm–I’d eliminate it and replace that space with a tall, real floor plant.. But definitely move that little table from behind the glider….can it go by the door to hold a bowl for keys, fresh flowers? Those 2 swirly things on either side of the wall art should go someplace else–too distracting. Keep it simple. The rocker can go where the papasan chair was (this way nothing bulky blocking bar stools).
Add a tall floor plant–real one–next to TV to balance out height. No fake plants or artificial flowers (biggest mistake people make)…that and too many throw pillows. Just 2 are good plus a sofa throw draped over one side of back–pick up one of the colors from papasan chair. If using the red/maroon, don’t saturate the room..just pops of color will do it. Red curtains? I don’t know–awfully strong color on the eyes. Keeping it neutral makes the room look bigger–let the room itself carry the color. Blend kitchen with same color.(like accenting with kitchen towels, small rug in front of sink, a pot holding a plant, S & P shakers in that color). Fresh plant on bar will soften the space. It’s ok not to have to use all the tables and things in 1 room just because you have them. Let the eye move around the room without the clutter.
Decoration troll
Since you technically don’t have a dining room, I would take the living room & add deep reds. Add throw pillows and a throw blanket to the couch. Find a tan rug with red trim for the floor. Don’t go to long on the curtains, but make sure they are red as well. Just make sure your red colors match.
As for the kitchen…go with country blues, and you could even do a theme if you wish.
We live in an apartment where the dining room & living room are actually one big room. To break it up, I carried the apple theme I have in the kitchen into the dining room. We have a breakfast bar, but there are cabinets above it so it looks divided. The living room has a birdhouse theme, with a wall border.
Don’t go over board with whatever you do. Even though our living room is birdhouse themed, I mixed in a small amount of country to it as well, and it really goes good together.
Actually I think it looks nice and spacious and calming and I wouldn’t be too keen to dress it up too much. Be too fussy. Go for textures rather than colours. I’d be inclined to go for one or two plants, large ones with interesting foliage (real ones not fakes) and possibly a rug, also neutral but heavily textured if you can find one. If you want to add colour, then just an interesting item here and there to draw the eye. You can carry the theme through to the kitchen area by adding some interesting plants and matching splashes of colour.
1] way too much furniture for tiny living room [ LR ]- get rid off too many tables. Keep two – coffee table and maybe end table or curio stand.
[ TV is too big also, but doubt you will get rid of that ]
2] replace tiny valences in LR – maybe side swooped red drape or sheer?
3] add red [ LR drape ]or blue [ K curtains ] decorative pillows – two on loveseat, one on rocker?
4] get rid of beige and zebra throws – do nothing for room. Replace with red or blue.
5] add two potted plants – largish – one by each LR window
6] new blue curtains or valences in kitchen
7] a centerpiece [ candles, flowers, etc ] in red and/or blue would also look nice on coffee table or counter