Need help for my living room/dining room

12 years ago

Hi Houzz family! Okay, so I have been in my apartment since May 2013...I am having a bit of trouble on how to fill up these empty walls in my living room as well as debating on what type of curtains I should add. My style is contemporary and I do like neutral colors.

Here are the areas I would like advice on:
1.) Blank area above dining table. A.) Should I put uniformed framed family photos to cover this wall space OR B.) Find other artwork to place here (I am unsure what to do because I already have purchased the 3 pieces you see above the tv and I want to create a balance...I am conflicted if I place more art if it would be a art overkill)

2.) As with most apartments dining room and living room are in the same room....I have a small blank spot between the tv and where the dining table ends. What would you do with this spot? I was thinking a tall mirror?

3.) Spot on the wall where the stockings currently are. What would you place there? Should I leave it alone?

4.) Curtains. The overall theme I was going for was the clean gray contemporary look. My couches are dark gray and have cream pillows...What color should i go for the curtains?

5.) Yes I can paint my walls as well....if you have color recommendations please share with me.

6.) Rearranging furniture. The tv is where it is because there is a thing on the wall meant for a hookup if you want to hang your tv (which we prefer not to). So we are kind of stuck with the tv there, which is why we placed the artwork there to cover that hookup in the wall. If you have other suggestions on how I could or if i should rearrange the furniture let me know.

So there you have it. Thank you all in advance for your advice.

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Paris Flea Interiors

12 years ago

you have done a nice job with what you have. Clearly you have good taste. I would suggest that you go with a neutral panel for window treatments and find some pillows and a throw that pick up some of the colors in the rug. Pull the kitchen table out from the wall a bit or even change the direction of the table. Find a mirror that you love and hang it above the dining room table ,this will make the room look bigger. you may also consider putting a fun rug under the table .Please make sure that it is LARGE enough as the smaller the rug the small the room looks. Maybe you could jazz it up by adding a chandelier or great lighting above the table. You should also think about mounting the T.V. to the wall just above where it currently resides and move those wonderful pictures onto a differnt wall. Move the mirror you have into the dining room and place the pictures above the couch. The room will be fantastic and looking forward to seeing your "end" result. Best of luck to you. Paris.

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Comments (8)

happyleg
12 years ago
Dove grey shade or panels. Your arrangment is great. Enjoy!
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Bedford Canyon Cleaning & More
12 years ago
I agree with Paris Flea...just wanted to add...if you dont want any more "framed" art perhaps you might consider typograghy "art", polyresin wall decor or decorative iron. Just some suggestions :)
adelejuiamorris
11 years ago
I would move the couch so that it faces the big window and place the dining area in back of the couch. The tv can go on a smaller piece on either side of the window. And the chair in the other corner. Lighten up the dining area with a table runner or slip cover the chairs in a light linen fabric.
lnsail
11 years ago
Is that a mirror over the sofa? I think you could do a small grouping of photos, maybe in black and white, with matching frames, over the table. The idea of a decorative piece would also work - such as a woven (basket type) hanging or sunburst type clock. I would leave the wall plain where you have the stockings. Do you want drapes?
housegal200
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Not every space needs to have something on it. It's nice, particularly in a small room, to have a place for the eye to rest. I think your layout works since you need to keep the TV there.

What color are your couch and the rug? It's hard to tell in the photos. If it's in the tan/brown family, then gray walls aren't going to work. A very, very pale blue with some tan in it might work assuming the furniture and rug are brown and/or tan. Otherwise, if your couch is gray and rug has gray pattern, then pale gray as suggested would work.

--One pillow in an accent color pulled from your art--pale blue or something else if you're furniture is in the gray zone--and ceiling to floor side drapes in pale blue (or an accent color that works with your art and gray) would add a lot to the room if you're not painting your walls.

--Are you up for replacing the coffee table with a round glass or wood-topped one with open legs? That would add more visual space and get some of the darkness out of the room, which you have with sofa, dining set, credenza, big TV, etc.

--I like the mirror above your sofa. It probably pulls in light when the blinds are open.

--A food-related piece of art with blues and browns over the dining table would brighten things up. Or maybe a painting with a perspective from a window. Or great food-related vintage poster.

--Down the road if you ever find a small round dining table, that would work better than the rectangular one you have. You could then set it in the middle of the area--a sort of hall table effect.

--A small entryway table, cabinet by the door, or shelf with a lamp on it and a mirror above would reflect light from the windows and give you a place for keys, etc. And it could be used as a buffet. Nothing too bulky, though.
decoenthusiaste
11 years ago
last modified: 11 years ago
Is there any way to reverse the TV and sofa locations? The sofa would tuck nicely in on the left side and not stick out in front of the slider. You could add a larger piece of art to suit the sofa and cover the wall gear. It should hang about 5" above the sofa and be less than 75% of its width. Pull a color from the new art and paint your space. Add drapes in a light pattern - gray and cream lattice for example. You might let them stack back on the left side where you have the stockings. There isn't room for them to stack on both sides of the window/slider, and you probably need the privacy of drapes that close. I wouldn't use any kind of mirror over the dining table or elsewhere in this space because it will just reflect the kitchen or whatever is on the opposite wall. If you can hang a chandelier, that would be the exception, as the mirror would double it and the kitchen would not be the main focus of the mirror.
sheilaskb
11 years ago
I would suggest you put the three framed pictures on the wall above the dining table. Since the floral arrangement is rather tall, I would suggest you move it to the kitchen counter or pass-through, provided you have one. For variety, I would angle the TV and console across the corner where you now have the TV/console. This will make it possible to see the TV from the sofa and from the dining table. As for curtains, I would suggest you find a large floral or geometric print in dark grey and cream OR black and cream to add pattern and contrast to your room. The stockings you might put on the wall that is between the front door and the dining table.