Software
Houzz Logo Print
shouttosummersky

Need advice on pulling rooms together

13 years ago
I'm a late 20's professional in regional Australia and have a couple of trouble spots in my unit. The colour scheme is brown, black and white. After a period of time where it looked like I had just moved in and things were bare, now I'm wondering if its too cluttered. I want a glamourous, light look. What decor changes, movement do you suggest? Recently I added a cream throw and changed the lampshade, this helped a lot.

Comments (18)

  • 13 years ago
    I would lower the mirror over the bed and get larger table lamps for the nightstands.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    last modified: 13 years ago
    -- You have very nice pieces! And the palette you are working with is lovely.

    There are a couple of things you could change to "tighten up" the spaces though.

    The mirror and artwork are hung too high. 4"-6" over the headboard and sofa would help make the art/sofa and mirror/ headboard group together as one unit. This leaves you with one unit - not two things on the wall.

    What about adding more black to the bedroom - like black shades and or lamps on your bedside table? I understand that you want a light and airy look but you have to be careful not to go too far so that you end up with "bland". You need more contrast in the bedroom.

    If you don't want to change out your lamps, how about removing the mirror and hanging a series of stretched canvas prints or sepias over the headboard? Frameless prints would work well with your light and airy design.

    The steel blue/gray in the first print below would add a nice, soft bit of color above the bed. Find pillows for the bed using hues in the print. The sepia prints shown below are nice with your paint color. Be careful with sepias tho. Some are too green and others too gray for your wall color. Black and white prints are too harsh for this spot.

    You want to almost fill the area over the headboard with something.

    I cannot tell where the other pieces are related to the bedroom - are they in different rooms or is your home a studio?
  • 13 years ago
    To many pillow- do3 on couch. Decorate in odd numbers with decreasing in heights... You have 4 things on side table- get rid of tulips. Switch side table to rt side of couchNeed accent color on lampshade. Put the 3 shelves together on rt.. Get rid of red thing under tv stand. Lower mirror in bedroom. Larger lamps, get rid of extra clutter- just have alarm clock.
  • 13 years ago
    Thanks for the suggestions, appreciate it
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    Hi, you have a great start here with a neutral palette that can easily be updated with the right accessories to personalize and brighten your spaces. As per previous comments, wall art should be hung so the center of the art/mirror is no higher than eye level. To add light and personality with mirrors, consider using 2 identical tall mirrors above each nightstand- again watch the height- with more dramatic table lamps with a light shade. If you do that I would not do art above the bed- maybe add a great chandelier though. The TV zoo looks like a multipurpose space: do you use the desk as a desk at all? If not you may consider shortening the legs for t a more typical tv unit height. The shelving units are bulky and do cramp the space but are useful storage. Consider painting them white as well. Adding a contrast color and pattern to the back of the units with wallpaper or paint is an economical way to add glam and personality. I agree with Sandy that creams, whites and beautiful blues work wonders with your current palette, and staying consistent with simplify and de-clutter the feel. Good luck!
  • 13 years ago
    I love the end table.
  • 13 years ago
    I would replace the mirror over the bed with artwork, as a couple of the others have suggested. In the living room, I think since the TV stand looks like a desk, that creates a cluttered feel. I would either hang the TV on the wall above it or replace it with a lower TV stand. A lighter color on the shelving would help too, even if it's just in the back wall of each shelf.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    A few simple changes;
    1-taller bedside lamps, 30" or higher, with a dimmer switch
    2-replace the tv stand and bookcases with a built in unit that spans the whole wall, ceiling to floor and wall to wall.
    3- add some color drama with some sage green or rust colored pillows
  • 13 years ago
    Table lamps needs to be taller and I would choose a lighter lamp shade. Good luck.
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    -- Is it possible for you to let us know the layout of your unit? A rough, simple drawing or pictures taken from across the rooms would be greatly appreciated since we are sort of working in the dark. . . .
  • 13 years ago
    Thanks guys, plenty to think about and get started on :)
  • PRO
    13 years ago
    You have a great start and a nice color palette. A couple of small (and easy) suggestions come to mind. Try taller lamps with a stronger lampshade accent color on your night stands and end table. The taller lamp heights should help with focal points. Try lowering your artwork slightly and consider swapping out the mirror above the headboard of your bed with some soft and serene art. You seem to have an elegant spa like ambiance going. Go with it!
  • 13 years ago
    You know, I'm really over the whole piles of cushions on the bed look. I love Nancy's picture but I think it would look even better minus the cushions. Sleek and more sophisticated. And I agree the TV stand is wrong. It's too heavy and large for that space. It should be the same colour as the bookcases and I agree they may look better white. Bookcases full of stuff are often very imposing. I think a lighter look would be paint them white, declutter them and get a low white (or glass) TV stand instead. Alternatively if you have a spare room I'd move the bookcases in there and hang prints either side of the TV. Or a print on one side and a modern standard lamp on the other. The bookshelves are not enhancing the space in my opinion.
  • 13 years ago
    I feel that you have two styles that are competing. The furniture is very modern but the decor is a lot softer. It's fine to mix, but one needs to be more prominent so it doesn't look like they're fighting. A simple start would be to put some of the couch pillows on the bed and the bed pillows on the couch to add color balance. Also, if you do some artwork over the bed like others are suggesting, I think it would be cool to use the red color in that one pillow as an accent in the art.
  • 13 years ago
    Los cojines ..porfavor no pegan nada con los tonos que has escogido , respecto a las pantallas no solo son las pantallas sino la bombilla , que tipo de luz quieres ,fria o calida
  • 13 years ago
    I agree that the mirror is hung way too high but I'd remove it altogether. It's just not doing anything for the look of your room. Think small paintings next to the bedside tables is easier to accomplish and looks more in scale.
    Again, hang the pics low over the bedside tables.

    The pics over the sofa are really high also. Lower to 6" above the back of the sofa.
  • 13 years ago
    Curtains lighter in color and texture would go a long way to brighten and lighten your room.

    Just wondering why would you choose brown and black if you wanted a light look?