Recent Activity
I like lanterns, I have one in my sunroom and probably others I am forgetting (but it came painted a fairly vibrant green). I had a set of the UE Chatham Hall ones in my foyer and still adore them. But I just think they got overdone in Kitchens especially. I am not against them, but if I were trying to "update," I just don't think they look any more updated that what is there now.
But in terms of the goals of the OP, she wants it to look nicer, and that result is difficult if not impossible to quantify.
This is always true, yes. But I think changing out the shades to rattan or fabirc is a very easy and attractive fix
What is going to happen over the fireplace? Is a TV being placed there? More art? A mirror? If it is a TV i would think about comfortable viewing. As the sofas sit now it will not be comfortable to view a TV as they are arranged. So as far as arrangement goes I can't speak to whether you should change the arrangement. Assuming there will be no TV in the room I would do the following move the sofas in closer but do not have them go past the fireplace surround. In general they should sit approx 18" off your coffee table for ease of walking and comfort. Currently the blue rug relates to absolutely nothing else in the space. That is further highlighted by the struggle of scale you have going on in the space. For these reasons the next thing i would do is layer and additional rug on top of the blue one that ties the blue with the sofa color. Large coffee tables are not hard to find. I would find something with interest like Burlwood for material. This one is 60" long. You can place cube ottomans on each end of a coffee table if you feel that the space looks empty but 60" should fill up the space enough. place a sofa table between the sofa and your windows. Now go to town on ambient lighting because currently you have zero and it is needed. Two lamps on that sofa table and consider blue shades to tie in the blue again. place two low horizontal shaped lamps on the cabinets on either side of the fireplace. Lets address the art in that area. It is lined up like a firing squad. Move much of it to the upper shelf area where there is height and layer it to create depth and interest. Add some books to the shelves and style your accessories more artistically. Pillows. Again scale . These are large deep sofas your pillows should range in size from 26" and down to 22" . add some lumbar shaped in there for interest and again make your blue work in the room by having it relate to something. Now you have blue in 3 places rug, lampshades, pillows. This is intentional and cohesive. End tables. Yours are too small. Round to break up everything linear in the space and larger and wood toned to compliment the built ins. Slightly darker to add contrast and pick up on the darker elements in the burlwood. I would also do simple drapery panels at the windows to warm up the space. In all of this think texture. Your lobby/CA vibe equals drift wood. The lamps on built ins. The ceramic on lamp. The texture on added rug, coffee table, pillows, accessories. These all keep the space from falling flat which is what youre struggling with more than the furniture placement.
and if you choose a mirror for over the fireplace make it interesting with texture
and if you felt the coffee table you find is too short add some cube ottomans
We steered away from the quartz because we thought it looked to “hospitally”(new word).
A wet towel that you've presumably washed in the sink after wiping something can be wrung out in the sink to the point where it np ;pnger holds enough water to drip. Then hang it anywhere you want. If you don't do that it's not going to be ready as soon for the next use.
This is not hard. Add picture all that surrounds.
Draw and measure this room, the family room, or any other you see a usable or inefficient space that isn't supporting the function as you intended.
You are packing more in than the walls will allow, plain and not so simple to correct, unless a letting go of some things.
If you don't elect to do the now five times recommended homework? It will be hard for anyone to help you. : ) Lots of good advice can be had, but none of us can work a miracle as shown
I particularly am biased on the first painting I sent you of Colorado, as I used to hike and visit often. You can absolutely make it more intimate and a conversation starter by getting a mountain you and hubby visited and play around with it till its blue and get it printed out or get a similar canvas of a location you love. You have many choices by searching for blue mountain ranges. Just make sure it has some other colors such as yellow or green or white as well.
@S F Interiors you are so sweet to share all those options and elaborate on your expertise! We are taking in all your advice. So helpful thank you!!
Based on the design and volume of your room along with the architectural details, I don't think art in a horizontal format is the best solution. Consider a square format or vertical format. All the ones I have posted below from GreatBigCanvas are within your price range, & they offer you 50% off your first order.
I especially like this image in your room with your current selected colors. These images IMO are far more interesting than the ones you have selected.
https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/western-view-viii,1395506/
https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/western-view-vii,1395505/?ref=also-in-visually-similar-image
https://www.greatbigcanvas.com/view/western-view-vi,1395504/?ref=also-in-set-image
I bought my LR rug from etsy. I ordered a sample to see all the yarn colors first and you could custom the designs with your own color choices (I did not do that option).
@liasch - The colors are much more muted than the photos. I don’t know why they photograph that way but the bedroom one is closer to pale blue and the dining room is a softer turquoise. It took a while to find what I wanted.
Rug shopping is more marathon than sprint….
Your rugs are so pretty RedRyder!😍
Yes the whole point of the book is to help homeowners select exterior
paint colors based on their home’s architecture
Give me all the bright light I can get! I turn on every light and open every window shade when I'm home.
I have a friend who hates overhead lighting so I finally started using some of my lamps and under cabinet lights when she visits. But at the same time her house is so dark to me I'm ready to leave after a day. too depressing for me idk.
Yes, I was just thinking of you, Kathy! Hope all is well!
Great article, @Jan Moyer Thanks for sharing! Hard to detect smells when they are yours. A babysitter once told me she loved how our house always smelled of cooked rice. I hadn't noticed. I won't have pets in my house anymore because of how they make the house smell. How do I know what my house smells like? Ask a true friend I guess. And then if it's a bad smell, how do I know how to get rid of it? A realtor taught me to add Clorox to small sponged in small leak proof containers and hide them through the house. It works as long as it is maintained. The bleach evaporates. Contrary to what you might be thinking, it doesn't smell like a pool. A plumber taught me to clean the sink then the garbage disposal with ice chunks followed by dishwashing detergent. I suppose having smaller trash containers and changing them often is helpful. I don't like opening windows because of all the mold spores that come and grow in the house. Long term, that advice seems to add to the smells. I feel the same way about live plants and the mold smell that lives in the potting mix. Dried plants may be an option between live plants and plastic ones. I've wondered about other things like baking soda, volcanic rocks, and charcoal for eliminating smells. Do they work?
Those are athletic shoes, are they not? ^^^^
I used a white fish scale tile on the tub/shower surrong in my daughters' bathroom.
Herringbone on the tub walls will look great, and the grout concern is easy to manage. A few things that help:
Choose a grout color that matches the tile as closely as possible; the pattern still reads, but the lines disappear and you don't notice every joint. Use a high-performance or epoxy grout (Mapei Flexcolor CQ or Laticrete SpectraLock are common ones); they resist staining and mildew and don't need sealing. And go with a longer plank, something like 4x12 or 3x12 instead of 2x8, which cuts the number of grout lines by about half while keeping the herringbone look.
Since it's a kids' tub wall, the splash zone is mostly the lower few feet; a simple, good exhaust fan and a quick squeegee or towel-down after baths will keep the grout clean for years. Keep the floor simple and matte for contrast so the walls stay the feature. It will be a sweet bathroom.