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jayj1983

Living room looks off .. :( help me figure out why??

Jay J
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago

Hi, I moved into an older house and have been renovating it slowly. the living room has a teal accent wall, gray couch and a chair/rug. I have Large floor to roof north facing window and plenty of direct sunlight, curtains will be hard due to the slanted ceiling. however, for some reason, it looks off, (not put together, and i cant figure out why) Any suggestions welcome , regarding any additions and new colors. thanks

(PS: the dining table and chairs near the window / red chair will be going and i can use the rug in my dining room, but the couch,table and chair will have to stay as they are new. same with the wall color)

drjitesh's ideas · More Info



drjitesh's ideas · More Info



Comments (28)

  • jewelisfabulous
    5 years ago

    The main issue that strikes me is that there isn't any connection between the various pieces. For example, there isn't any other red anywhere else to tie in the red chair. The other chair's color (dark blue?) isn't represented anywhere else. The one fabric pattern I can see (pillow on the chair) is only in that one place and no where else AND is a different style than the only other patterned piece (the rug).

    The coffee table is a good choice as it visually doesn't take up room in a tight space. And, the sectional is awesome with its tufted seating. I also like all the artwork, although it all may be hung a bit high.

  • PRO
    TruBuild Construction, LLC
    5 years ago

    Hello Jay, It looks like you have a great start. From your pictures, it just looks like there is a lot going on in the space right now. When you remove the table/chairs and red chair, that should definitely help open up the space. Having that chair in the middle of the walkway may be sort of stopping up the flow and moving to be next to the couch may help.


    I would probably choose new art and a different rug. The way the art is hung is not very pleasing to the eye because the balance is off. I don't know if you would be willing to replace the gallery wall with a large piece of art or not, but that might make it feel more cohesive and contemporary. The current rug looks a little like camo, so something modern but also more "clean" looking would tie the space together more. Good luck!


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  • Suki Mom
    5 years ago

    Can you do without the pedestal and white tower? Love your doggy!

  • decoenthusiaste
    5 years ago

    Your rug isn't too bad; just arrange it so it is under the front 1/3 of your sectional. That should leave enough rug for the leggy chair to sit entirely on it. With the table and red chair gone it will look pretty good except for the grouping which is too high, too spread out and not balanced. I think I would break it up and use the pieces elsewhere, except for the two swans. Lower them to 5" above the sofa with one hand's breadth between them. With more pix of the wall opposite the blue wall and a shot of the stairs and the entire window area, I can make more realistic suggestions for your space.

  • J J
    5 years ago
    following
  • Anne in Virginia
    5 years ago

    Sorry, but to me what looks wrong is the rug - when i first looked at it I thought it was a camouflage pattern! I agree with TruBuild, posted above, that a rug with either gray or a combo of gray and dark blue would look better with the furniture. Or a rug with a gray geometric pattern on white or cream to tie on with the lighter color wall near the stairs.(Picture below)

    I wonder if you can also move the little table and chair set to the other side of the room so it's not isolated from the seating area. It also looks like you need some lamps, either on side tables or as floor lamps, to give the room a cozier feel.

    A possible rug pattern:



  • acm
    5 years ago

    Pictures need to come down 6-12 inches. Too much furniture too close together.

  • cawaps
    5 years ago

    You describe the accent wall as teal, but on my monitor it doesn't look teal at all, it looks more on the purple side of blue. And to my eye it is fighting with the red chair. Since you say the red chair will be going, that will be on big problem solved.


    Even with the red chair gone, the accent wall paint doesn't quite work with the blue of the chair or the teal of the pillows. I would seriously consider repainting the accent wall--either get rid of the accent color entirely and match the rest of the walls, or choose something that works better with your furnishings, particularly the blue chair. A slightly less assertive color will probably be easier to work with. If you match the rest of the walls, you could opt for bold colored larger artwork on the long wall and redeploy the smaller pieces you already have elsewhere in the room/house.


  • Bri Bosh
    5 years ago
    Get everything out of the room that is leaving and retake photo. Is there any chance you can return that sectional? It is blocking off the room without providing the additional seating to justify it.
  • Bri Bosh
    5 years ago
    And yes, the rug and wall color clash. They are too close to matching without actually matching, which makes them clashing.
  • Jay J
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    How do I add some color to the room, right now its beige grey and light teal.. too gloomy in the winter sun.


  • Hill W
    5 years ago
    I think you need to find an area rug that incorporates grey and blue. Also, I agree it needs to be pulled out further. Then you can coordinate some pillows for chair and sofa that pick up some blue from the carpet.
  • girl_wonder
    5 years ago

    I agree with Bri. If you can remove everything that will be removed and retake the photo, that will help us get a better view. RIght now there is a lot going on. On my monitor that wall doesn't look teal and on first glance the rug looked like camo. I'm not sure what the blue thing is on the staircase wall. Can the white tower (air purifier?) get moved? BTW you're asking how to brighten up the room but the blinds are closed (maybe so the lightening is consistent for the photo?)

  • Hill W
    5 years ago
    Maybe add photos taken from other angles so we can see the other walls and windows???
  • tangerinedoor
    5 years ago

    From what I see, I would swivel the couch around so it looks towards the window rather than towards the stairs.


    IMO the rug is making things look off because it has a chaotic design. I also thought it was a camo print at first or an outsize Rorshach inkblot test.


    On my monitor the wall looks blue leaning towards purple. Definitely not teal.


    Do you have some photos of the kind of look you’d like to achieve?

  • armchairshopper
    5 years ago

    What’s on the mystery wall? I see hint of wide steps, a part of what could be a fireplace hearth, and part of what might be a closet or possibly an HVAC system. It’s a mystery to me. The room is small. What functions do you want the room to serve?

  • PRO
    BeverlyFLADeziner
    5 years ago


    Not sure why that table is in the corner, but it's too depressing to remain. Move the sectional back to provide more space at the stair and eliminate the red chair and relocate the air filter to a less obvious location.


    A floor or arc lamp in the corner could help with lighting and large art on the wall will make a statement.

  • gail1979
    5 years ago
    I agree with with a lot of others have said. The pictures are hung too high and lack balance. It also looks a bit cluttered in terms of furniture, and the space lacks color cohesion. I don’t think the gray sectional works well with the beige walls or tile.

    If you repainted the beige walls to a shade of white, there might be less competition among colors in the room. If you want a pop of color, you could even paint the gray blue wall a deep teal (Moscow midnight or Oceanside by SW) to relate to the corner chair and rug (and teal would be the complimentary color of the red/orange hues in your flooring and other chair).
  • junco East Georgia zone 8a
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    I like Beverly's mock-up above and would definitely add the lamp she shows. I like the rug and would bet that in real life it connects to the colors of the wall and the chair. I don't understand the negative comments about it

    I, too, would like to see pictures of the rest of the room.

  • PRO
    JudyG Designs
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    We are not seeing the entire space, so specific suggestions are moot.

    My thoughts:

    If the sectional and rug stay, paint the accent wall the same as the other walls.

    Remove “collage” and find it another spot in the house.

    The wing chair color is way off. Consider one in the same tone as the walls.

    New throw pillows and art to replace collage.







    The rug is very, very busy and it is driving the bus. Choose plain accents.

  • Chessie
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    "Sorry, but to me what looks wrong is the rug - when i first looked at it I thought it was a camouflage pattern! I agree with TruBuild, posted above, that a rug with either gray or a combo of gray and dark blue would look better with the furniture"

    That was exactly my first thought. Camo rug. It may be new, but it just looks wrong.

    The wall color (midnight purple maybe?) and the sofa color just do not play well together, for me.

  • Susan
    5 years ago

    At the bare minimum a few accents pillows with a design similar to the carpet and a color similar to the wall will go far in making the space cohesive. The individuals pieces do not seem to clash to me as much as some others are indicating. The accent wall relates to nothing however. So pick a few pillows or small items to tie it all together. A new piece of art in a grey would also help.

  • Jay J
    Original Author
    5 years ago

    Just wanted to post a quick update, I changed the rug, added some plants and reaaranged pictures. Still stuck with lighting. Right now I have track lighting which isnt to diffuse or nice looking. Any ideas? its a two stroey slated ceiling so will pendants etc work? I also looked at track pendants but they didnt look too impressive. Thanks!!


  • Jay J
    Original Author
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago




  • oaktonmom
    5 years ago

    Looks much better. What is opposite the blue accent wall?

  • PRO
    RL Relocation LLC
    5 years ago
    last modified: 5 years ago

    Can we see the fireplace wall?

    I can help you with the track lighting. The first question I have is, is it on a dimmer? The second question is have you ever changed any of the light bulbs? Those look to be either MR16 or GU10 base, Im guessing GU base because I dont see a transformer on the fixture, (they have knoby prongs).

    The first thing you could do is install a dimmer, second lower the wattage, 3rd adjust the beam spread.

    Pendant lights would only look well if they actually could drop over something, like an end table, otherwise they will float around. As a side not almost any pendant can be converted to hang off track, as long as its not heavy.

    Another thing you could do is change the track to stainless steel, or to even a modern rail light system, or something else with adjustable heads.

    You could also install shallow housing recessed cans if room in the ceiling permits.

    The art wall is coming along but you need to either move or add a larger frame to the outside edge, and possible add a bit more to it. as it stands its not centered to the sofa. So it needs to be centered to the wall.

    Replace that tiny table thing, with a sofa table behind the couch and put the computer on that with a chair, or put an actual desk behind the sofa. with lamp to make it well, make sense or get an actual little desk back there.

    Add a floor reading lamp and a table lamp to sofa table. this gives you layers of light so you dont have to turn the track on all the time.


    Jay J thanked RL Relocation LLC
  • Jay J
    Original Author
    3 years ago


    will this light look good in my space, instead of the track light, i plan to hang it 8 feet off the floor ?