Need help with window treatment, wall decor
lanerenae
I need some advice on what type of window treatment/wall decor would brighten up my living room. I have attached a picture, my walls are white (DH insists they stay that way!), beige couches and a wonderful area rug with chocolate brown, aqua and a little bit of green. I have added aqua throw pillows but still feel like I need some more color. I've thought about chocolate brown curtains but am a little worried they might darken the room too much.....what do you think??? http://lanerenae.spaces.live.com/?_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaHandler=TWljcm9zb2Z0LlNwYWNlcy5XZWIuUGFydHMuUGhvdG9BbGJ1bS5GdWxsTW9kZUNvbnRyb2xsZXI%24&_c11_PhotoAlbum_spaFolderID=cns!91B40BC32568D4C3!110&_c11_PhotoAlbum_startingImageIndex=0&_c11_PhotoAlbum_commentsExpand=0&_c11_PhotoAlbum_addCommentExpand=0&_c11_PhotoAlbum_addCommentFocus=0&_c=PhotoAlbum&_c02_owner=1
ju-ju
I agree that your room could use a little color. Have you offered to do the painting yourself? Your room looks to be a little small, painting it a nice, light neutral shade will not make it look smaller, perhaps this is his concern. Or perhaps your husband is opposed to the actual work of doing the painting, and not to the color on the walls. It worked for me! I have painted every room in my home myself, and he loves it!Have you considered making your own window panels? There are some beautiful fabrics out there, and perhaps adding a pattern (that has your sofa shade, your aqua accent color, and some white in it) could add some life and color to your white walled room. Many fabrics stores have complimentary fabrics near one another. Choose one of them and make some more pillows for your sofa, and your room will instantly look coordinated! And there is nothing easier to make than curtain panels and pillows! If you don't sew, I'm sure that you have a friend or the mom of a friend who could help you out.I would probably recommend that you use some wall art that is a bit more substantial, since your furniture is pretty big, the pieces you have on your walls look small and are out of scale. Even an interesting piece of fabric in a large frame, or stretched over a wooden frame like an artists canvas, could work. Wall art is a great way to add life and color to any room. As is a nice plant or two! Good luck!
lanerenae
I love your suggestion of a pattern for the curtains especially the matching throw pillows. I will start looking at fabric stores - I can either sew them OR get my mom to help. As far as the painting, my husband just likes white walls for some reason. It's not the work that scares him that's just his preference. That's why it's such a dilemna. I don't suppose he'd make me change it though once I painted it.......I just might try it. Of course the other reason I'm hesitating on that is we're supposed to be doing some remodeling in that room someday but I'm getting tired of waiting - it could be 2 months or 2 years who knows! Thanks for the tips - i appreciate it.
ju-ju
I was recently at a fabric store and saw some great Waverly fabrics in modern patterns and colors that you might like. It was a JoAnn's Fabric store, so, if you have one near you, check it out!
lanerenae
What do you think about a chocolate brown curtain with a printed tieback and matching pillows? I guess I'm a little conservative and fear an all-print curtain would be too much..... I also found a couple of patterns I like on fabric.com - here's a linkhttp://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-drapery-fabric-french-blue-and-kelso-brown-coordinates-veranda-stripe-chocolate-natural.aspx http://www.fabric.com/home-decor-fabric-drapery-fabric-french-blue-and-kelso-brown-coordinates-illusions-black-chocolate.aspx
ju-ju
I actually like both of them (I probably the stripe better than the other one), although I would probably tend to look for something with chocolate brown in it, but not as the main color. Does that particular stripe come in other color variations? Like, with the blue being the dominant color? I would definitely go to the fabric store to check out the fabrics in person, since so much of finding the right fabric is the feel and weight of the fabric, and you can't check that shopping on line. Also, it's been my experience that there is MUCH more to choose from at the store.If you think that all over pattern is too much for you, you could do a solid curtain with a panel of your pattern at either the top of the curtain or at the bottom, or on the outer and inner edges. And/or build a valance box for the top of the window to hide your hardware, and upholster it in the patterned fabric. Or you could simply shop for a more subtle pattern. But, with white walls and neutral furnishings, I think that you will be surprised by what a a little color on and pattern on your windows can do for your room.
catwoman708
I think you could work with the white walls if you add sheer curtains. If you can paint, even a bone or light beige color would liven the walls up a tad. Several sheer panels in different colors, like beige, mocha/brown, blue, and aqua. It will create a "backdrop" behind the sofas. I'd suggest you get matching/coordinating pictures or artwork for each side of the window. I'd avoid the dark frames, keep the colors lighter, patterns simple and sleek, make them bigger (about poster sized) and hang them a little lower. It could be prints, paintings, mirrors, or ironwork (not too dark).The room is very small, so you need to keep it as open feeling as possible, and keep the furniture, furnishings, and designs smooth, sleek, and all of the same "look" (contemporary). You need fewer pieces of furniture, knick knacks, and artwork, and make sure all items blend well and don't compete with each other for attention. Tables should be smooth, sleek, contemporary styles. If you can't remove or replace the existing extraneous furniture, cover it with a plain cloth. Then remove all the existing items on walls, and the knick knacks and shelves. The cuckoo clock is great, but it and items on the walls don't "go" at all. You only need a very few contemporary decor items on the walls and around the room, so the eye flows smoothly through the room. (Try browsing through Target or Pier 1 for ideas.)Start by de-cluttering the table in the corner, maybe put the speaker on the floor under the table, and put a tall slim lamp on the table. Possible put a tall thin floor lamp or tower storage unit for your CDs on the opposite side from the table to balance it out. You might consider putting the sofas opposite each other instead of the L shape, with the ottoman between them, if the room lay-out allows. You can put a large serving tray on the ottoman when you need a coffee table. I like the patterns/colors you selected, but for a room that small, I wouldn't use a lot of patterns. Maybe a few throw pillows, that's it. I think if you use it for curtain it will be too busy in the room.
Ask Mi-Ling
I would paint the walls a taupe color. I don't think your husband will be able to tell the difference. Take your curtain rod up almost to the top to give the room more height and out on each side about a foot. Use blue panels but keep them simple and crisp. It's a bit crowded, get rid of one of the couches and add a chair. If you remove some of the clutter in the room and pull the furniture away from the wall it will open up the space. Check out www.mi-ling.com for more tips on decorating!
Astonished Foreigner
If you can't color the walls, I would suggest that the next best thing would be to add some warm light. Either by a nice wall sconce, a floor lamp, a smaller table lamp on a small accent table in a corner. About window treatments, I would suggest a honey brown. That way you won't move too far from the color scheme and still add a touch of different color. Last idea! The artwork, bigger. In larger frames with a wide mat board mounting. That's an easy way to add color to walls without actually changing the paint. If budget is a constraint, I'd suggest personal photographs of the family - printing them out in b&w on a larger size and mounting them with a 3-4 inch border of you favourite shade between yellow and brown, or maybe even aqua to balance the rug. Hope you like some part of my suggestions! All the best!
Domestic Diva
First of all I would find some inexpensive but texturally imposing bamboo shades and replace the blinds. I would center the couch in front of the window. For paint, I agree that a bone or beige or taupe would make a world of difference. You're not going to be happy till you paint. White sheers or chocolate fabric would go wonderfully. In fact a colorful fabric in the same family as the area rug would bring out the color in the rug. So your options are endless. Yes, you need lighting, a floor lamp or table lamp. I like your artwork and your clock, very homey and comforting. I'd keep your loveseat. It's not cramped to me. It's a nice sitting area.
rosa236
I suggest covering entire window wall withshears or panels in any coordinating color. Take one sofa pillow color.
#EANF#
#EANF#
ju-ju
How about a trip to IKEA for some matchstick blinds (to replace the white mini blinds), and some curtain panels? While they are extremely affordable, they have some pretty patterns, one that comes to mind has a white background with beige colored pattern that looks alittle like seagrass blowing in the wind. A little pattern adds 'texture' to a visually flat room. Painting your walls is really what you want and need, so go ahead and choose a subtle shade...even just enough to differentiate the walls from the woodwork will make a difference and warm it up.