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catilalita

Ideas for my living space.

catilalita
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
I recently moved to a 4 bedrooms, one story house that was built in the 70's. I really like the distribution of the spaces.
I need help designing the living and dinning rooms.
I have a carved wood folding screen/ room divider I could use.
The dinning table and chairs are from the 60's, they are an heirloom from my grandma, unfortunately, when I got it, I decided to reupholster the chairs with an apple green fabric, I'm having second thoughts on that, would appreciate comments on the color.
What do you think I should add/remove?
Rugs? different paint colors?, pillows?
I'm eager for any advice, also, the house is a bit dark that's why I haven't placed any curtains yet, nevertheless I'm open for suggestions for the windows too, :)
I'm a 33 year old, single gay gal, very creative, very crafty, I run my own knitting studio/ supplies store and I have a 3 year old precious girl who loves dolls and anything pink, I would like my house to reflect that :)
Thank you!
Oh yeah, I was thinking about placing a fan above the table, what do you think?

Comments (19)

  • catilalita
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    Thank you decoenthusiaste, what kind of rug? shaggy? furry? wood?
    What do you think about me having the entire space covered with wood laminate flooring?
  • PRO
    Julie Thome Draperies, Inc.
    11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago
    I like the apple green too. Regarding the windows, unless you need privacy, I think some panels in sheer fabric at either end of all the windows would soften the room a lot. You have tile floors so you need to incorporate fabric or rugs to soften this.
    I know embroidered sheers incorporating the apple green would be nice.
    Regarding the pink....my daughter loved pink when she was younger too and now at 15 abhors it......if you want to bring it into her room that would be fine. I you want to bring touches of it into the space you have shown us, I would bring it in in the form of pillows or something that can be recovered in a few years. It would have to be a very pale pink, unlike the intensity of the green.
  • catilalita
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    Thank you Julie,
    What I meant by that is I want my house to reflect who I am, I guess I should take the pink part out 'cause I'd never place something pink in my living room haha, just added that as info about my daughter hehe. I want to keep the color palette neutral with touches of other matching colors.
    Thanks, I'll think about the curtains and I'm definitely getting rugs :)
  • PRO
    Julie Thome Draperies, Inc.
    11 years ago
    Ok phew! Yes stick to the neutrals and let the apple green be the "pop" in the space...nice. Stick to neutrals on the sheer fabric then...matchey-matchey is a room killer.
  • PRO
    Cancork Floor Inc.
    11 years ago
    Hi...just chiming in here. It looks like the colour of the sofa is "eating up" light. I would want take some of the apple green of the chairs and add them to the sofa. You may want to look at "lightening" up the art work on the walls. The print is beautiful but dark! You may want to move the print to the area by the kitchen table (same wall but centered to the table instead of the sofa) and then hang some art over the sofa that incorporates the colour of the chairs. A third colour, like red would do very well here. With red, you would have a bit of an asian look...which means you can go with a reed mat look under the coffee table/dining table.

    The coffee table - which is perfect for the sofa is also incredibly dark. You many want to look at lightening up the surface of the table...like a table runner but fit to the size of the coffee table. Or change out the table with something less immense/dark. Add accents that are ivory or alabaster or warm white.

    You obviously pull towards the dramatic = dark. You can play with the dramatic theme without going "black". A dramatic red, abstract piece of art can have all the drama without removing light from the room.

    You already have the lightest flooring option possible - high gloss white...so there will be "no help" there by going to a laminate floor. The "quality" of a laminate is only as good as the underlay. Most laminate underlay is less than 1/8" and does NOTHING for reducing sound. If you go laminate...realize you may be adding a floor that will increase how loud your home sounds. Many laminates INCREASE sounds instead of deaden them.

    If you are going to add a floating floor a cork floating floor would do a better job than a laminate. At Icork Floor Inc, they carry 40+ floors in a floating floor. The floors do not need underlay as they already have a small amount of cork incorporated in them. The cork can give you a flat, seamless floor that increases the temperature controls (keeps your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer) and helps deaden sounds. And little people love playing on the surface because it is soft and warm.

    You have some really interesting colours in the room. You could add an accent colour like a "matador red"! It works beautifully with apple green.
  • michigammemom
    11 years ago
    I would suggest a larger round rug in your dining area. The attached rug from Home Decorators has just enough of the apple green to tie in the whimsy of your chairs.
  • elcieg
    11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago
    Love the apple green, too. Definitely use that color in the window treatments. I'm not sure i would bother trying to divide the room. When you get more green down at the sofa end you might like the room open. My vote is for a chandy and not a fan. Also, the artwork over the sofa is terribly dark. If it is an important piece, could you reframe and mat? This fabric would look great in pillows for your sofa. Love how the purple is used as an accent color.
    Dining Room · More Info

    Untitled Trees Original Woodcut Print By Kristen DeFontes · More Info

    Green Birds Fabric by Josef Frank · More Info

    Bello Shag Rug · More Info
  • tennisanyone
    11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago
    A chandalier not a fan. I love the green chairs. Just need to that color around the room rugs that are similar in both rooms (I don't like that small rug in the DR) and pillows to start. Your space looks great to start with. Just a few tweaks.
  • PRO
    Stanton Designs-online design services
    11 years ago
    My first thought is....get some great photos of your daughter and get them nicely framed and hang them up!
  • decoenthusiaste
    11 years ago
    As michigammemom mentioned, homedecorators.com is a good place to shop - any by color. You might find a very nice indoor/outdoor rug there for the dining space. They're easy to clean, can be quite attractive and even large ones aren't too expensive.
  • PRO
    Cheery Curtains
    11 years ago
    I would recommend some nice curtains in light colors for your living room, and attached are some photos.

    For more curtain designs, welcome to my Houzz page!
  • catilalita
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    Thank you all guys!
    Questions
    How about a decorative lamp instead of a chandy? will that work?
    How about plain beige matte curtains?
    What if I paint the frame of my giant Batik red/cherry brown?
    How about adding a couple or pots with orchids for the coffee table?
    I like the idea of hanging pics of my daughter. I can do that in the wall infront of the couch, how about an ensemble of different frames and photo colors?
  • Jen
    11 years ago
    for sure you should add a snook in there - thinking maybe on the couch or at the table...
  • catilalita
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    I'm liking that idea, know where I could find one?
  • PRO
    Miller's Paint & Wallpaper
    11 years ago
    last modified: 11 years ago
    Hi, I see you have received a lot of responses and almost wasn't going to reply but I love your green chairs and think you could really bring both areas together and enhance your living area. I would definitely paint your walls a nice warm color that would blend and work well with the chairs. I would put a piece of art up on the wall that is very warm and colorful (in the dining area) You could pull a color from your art work for the walls. Incorporate the green from the dining room chairs into the living room area. Weither it is done with pillows, valance, or just silk flowers in a vase that you put on your table. The greens don't have to be exact just the same tone and other colors can be incorporated for you have enough solid colors. By painting your walls a warm color I feel your living room furniture will work much better. Family photos would look great over the sofa. As far as the window treatments go, keep in mind you do not have any wall to the right of your slider so if you do curtains you will loose a lot of your glass. You might want to consider a nice colorful valance. Hope this helps. Ben Moore Paints in the Aura collection has some wonderful colors that would really look nice in your area.
  • swewer
    11 years ago
    Uhm.... Is that a huge palm tree that has fallen into your living room?
  • catilalita
    Original Author
    11 years ago
    Haha, nop, that was a wooden valance that was laying in the garage for a couple of weeks until the landlord came to pick it up... it wasn't mine it was his...
  • swewer
    11 years ago
    Never put a fan above the table. They attract dust... Spinning or not. And floats down in to food on table