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amy_casteel

Horrible decorater

8 years ago
What would you do with this room? I hate the color of the room and the arrangement of furniture. Because of the half wall behind the loveseat and patio doors I'm stuck. The couches are fairly new so those have to stay. I am terrible at trying to tie everything together in a room. Help me decorate and arrange!

Comments (22)

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    I think you should pick out a rug and ground your furniture around it. that can be your color palette inspiration too. get something with a bunch of colors. using that as your color palette, you could sew or buy covers for your sofa cushions (something with light pattern would be fine too.

    from that point, you can get art that has more colors in it too.

    definitely need curtains. Those can be neutral colors or white, depending on rug colors.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    then you can add a flower arrangement on the coffee table to soften the whole look.

    place the coffee table along the bigger sofa..

    a cheaper trick in comparison to buying covers for your cushions is to tuck colored shawls on to your sofa cushions (i mean the main back ones, the giant ones).. make sure the shawl fabric doesn't leave colour stains.


    Need one more lighting, rather table lamp, so that you don't need to turn the white light on. that should be in a corner opposite your current floor lamp. get neutral shades in lamps.

  • 8 years ago

    color combo suggestions for rug: main colors could be blue and red. or black with lots of colors. or you could pick autumn shades. etc.

  • 8 years ago

    First thing that jumps out at me is your pictures are hung too high. The coffee table also needs to go on the other couch.

    You need some curtains and a rug. I'm sure some pro's will be along shortly to give you more advice.

  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    There are WAY too many pictures on the wall and that’s not a good place to display them anyway. I would pare down the number of photos and look for another location (s) for them, e. g., hallways, master bedroom & if you keep some in your room I would limit the number. One can’t really focus on any one picture when there’s so many... less is more. Also, a new home needs to be found for the clock & hung lower ( eye level ) in its new home.

  • 8 years ago
    You are not a terrible decorator at all. The room just has the same color everywhere. I agree with moving the picture wall, and coffee table, as well as changing the light bulbs out. Window treatments would be nice too to soften your room. First start small with color. Look for new down pillows for the couch in your favorite color, then a patterned chair in the corner. Move on from there to the windows and wall art. Really big wall art would look best to break of the beige. It looks like you have small children so a rug may not work at this point.
  • PRO
    8 years ago

    Is the patio door the only way out to the back? I would consider placing the loveseat in front of the door if there is another way out.

    Gallery wall is hung to high.


  • 8 years ago
    It’s a nice cozy space you have here. Here are my suggestions.

    *small side table with lamp for both ends of the couch, no photoframes coz you have a lot on the wall
    * area rug
    *textured and variety of colored with pattern pillows for the couch and love seat
    *artificial or fresh succulent arrangement for the coffee table
    *a tall and fresh or artificial plant on the corner near the door and fireplace
    *small weaved basket by the corner of the fireplace for all your throws/blankets
    *bring down the height of your wall decor (kitchen corner-mirror) and I know it’s hard to pick a favorite among your pitures on the wall but re-arrange the nice black and white family photos on the wall and hang it a few inch lower
  • 8 years ago
    So many things to answer back to! First, I agree the track lights are awful as those are from the previous owner. I would never have put those up. I also agree my pictures are high as my husband put those up for me. He thinks if they are lower you will hit your head on them when sitting back on the couch. My purpose for putting them there is for friends and family to see them. If put in a hallway or stairway they would never get seen as I don't invite people upstairs. I'm also weird about pictures in my bedroom seeing how there are marital nighttime activities that take place. Don't want those eyes on me!
  • 8 years ago
    Yes the patio door is the only way out. It opens to a elevated deck above the walkout basement door.
  • 8 years ago
    The clock/mirror I can lower. Agreed there! Moving it to a new home, no can do. It's there because stove clock is too far away to see when watching tv. Unless there are ideas to move it somewhere in the family room.
  • 8 years ago
    Window treatments. Over patio doors?
  • 8 years ago
    Darralisa- thanks for saying I'm not a horrible decorater! I plan on someday repainting. You mentioned the walls being beige. I wish! They are green! This horrible blah green!! This daylight picture is a better representation than the pics from last night.
  • 8 years ago
    Pearl-
    Thanks for the compliment! I love all your suggestions. I will be taking them all to consider when updating this room.
  • 8 years ago
    This is really not a bad starting place. I agree with tatts about changing out the bulbs for a softer lighting. I also agree with the large rug suggestion.

    Is painting the fireplace white something you would be open to? I think it would go a long way for freshening up the space. A nice soft gray/ greige on the walls would be good. I like Benjamin Moore's Balboa Mist.

    I would also buy or build floor to ceiling shelving on both sides of the fireplace. Then you could display some of the photos from the wall on the shelves instead and it would add some storage space for toys, books, etc.

    Lastly, I would angle the loveseat in that corner and place a tall plant or lamp behind it. Then I would get a large round ottoman or coffee table for the middle of the room that could be utilized from either the sofa or loveseat.
  • 8 years ago
    last modified: 8 years ago

    If your wall above the sofa now has holes in it or you just don't want to rehang them because you really appreciate your husband's effort and don't want to discourage additional help, placing a horizontal trim board flat against the wall or as adding a very shallow shelf -- beneath the pictures could enable them to remain hung high yet not seem too high.

    The horizontal board could be a "chair rail" of either a 1"x4" or 1"x6" board or actual trim board.

    http://www.ourhomefromscratch.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/DSC04362.jpg

    The shelf could be an actual shelf or a 2" mock shelf.

    http://www.verawedding.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/decorating-living-room-dining-room-combo-unique-corner-wall-shelves-new-home-interior-design.jpg

  • 8 years ago

    To me, the mantel seems a bit high. If you can lower it and the tv, consider doing that.

    https://i.pinimg.com/736x/bb/32/82/bb32828197235eb6cd39c7d40ee32f6d--fireplace-stone-fireplace-design.jpg

    You could create a box shelf beneath the mantel and have the bottom board extend wall to wall -- across the fireplace and all the way to the wall on each side of it.

    You could then add either shallow built in shelving or just wainscot beneath that horizontal board.


  • 8 years ago

    To me it seems difficult to work with the green walls the brown sofas and the red fireplace. I spent two hours and white washed my fireplace. Even the black picures and the table don't really for with the color scheme. I also agree that you should pick a light bulb temperture and use it throughout a space. I wouldn' mix daylight bulbs with soft light although if your going for a more modern look you could try bright white lights throughout.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    OR..........you could do some research and actually hire a professional decorator for their time. Asking 10 million people will only add to the confusion.

  • PRO
    8 years ago

    BUT..... be wary of decorators who only want THEIR ideas to be in YOUR home. A good decorator will take the time to observe collections that you love to look for a color pallette that ENHANCES what you love. Too many times when I have asked a question on inquiries of a space that was done by some decorators, the answer should NOT be , "well my decorator likes it" .

  • 8 years ago
    Rick,

    thank you for your advice. I will take that to heart in my search of trying to get my family room to my taste.
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