Friday, August 04, 2006

Flashing our living rooms

Angela and Beki have been flashing their living rooms and wanted others to join in, so here's mine. Until one drunken night at Eastertime this was our dining room. We had a furniture re-arrangement session at about 11pm under the guidance of my brother (who has always regretted not being an architect).

We seldom used the dining room, except as a place to fold laundry as we tend to eat in the kitchen when it's just us chickens. Now we have a long thin dining room with a TV watching area at one end and this room, which is our adult sitting room - no TV no toys (well, only temporary toy visits).

It's got lots of windows and plenty of light, but I have always felt that it lacks the personal touch. It feels very masculine too - I think maybe that's the leather furniture. I never really liked leather, but with two dribbly children I am a total convert. Our fabric sofas have been trashed, with the removable covers having been been washed so often that the piping is frayed. The leather looks like the day it was bought.

I love the colours of the curtains in here, but I don't like them with the wall colour. It is a lemony cream and I would far prefer a 'bone' type shade. Repainting this comes next on the DIY list I think.

We need to do something else with the lighting - a standard lamp I think, but I have been looking for 3 years for one that hubby and I both like with no success.

The bookshelf is actually the top of a dresser (the bottom is in the dining doom), but does the job of holding a selection of my cookbooks. I am ashamed of the display on top of it - it reflects laziness rather than taste and I resolve to change it sooner rather than later. The smaller cabinet often has fresh flowers on it, but I haven't any at the moment.

The pictures on the wall are 2 antique maps that my brother and sister-in-law gave us as a wedding present. I love them, but they date from when this was our dining room and I am not sure they are right in the living room. We don't have any other options at the moment though (I find buying art totally daunting).

So there's the truth of my living room - I would really love to hear your ideas on it - sort of like an interior design for free service.

14 comments:

Anonymous said...

Ohhh very nice AND tidy! Sometimes I wished we'd gone with leather. Our couch has been through some rough times.Yours does look brand new. I REALLY like the color of your curtains also. So pretty. Perhaps you could bring that color out a little more? A really big painting or some kind of artwork with that color in it could soften up the room some, I think.
Your crown mouldings are gorgeous too.
Thanks for letting us peek.

laura capello said...

The windows! The windows!

I love all the colors and your furnature, but they don't seem to flow together well. I'm thinking thow pillows and maybe rug on the floor.

blissful said...

It looks so airy and clutter-free. Maybe more artwork on the walls...to pull it together more???

Megan said...

I think you have a lovely base there, good choice in furniture. My thought, before I read what the others wrote, was some accessories. A lovely painting on the wall, then pick out a complementary colour in the painting and add some accessories in that colour. It really wouldn't take much to go from a lovely room into a wow room, you have a fab. palette there.

Kate said...

With two toddlers I have forgotten how tidy houses can be! I love your couches and your curtain colours. I'd say paintings too.

beki said...

My advice is to bring some life into the room. Perhaps display a grouping of family photos on the console and add a plant or two. An area rug to define the space would be nice too. I think you have good bones to your room. Love the color of the curtains!

Anonymous said...

I also agree on a large painting to go over the bar, where the clock is. Something with a lot of color, but that pulls in the blue of the curtains also. And then a complimentary rug. You could also go with several smaller prints in an arrangement.

Anonymous said...

It looks lovely!I see what you mean about the masculine feel but you can easily sort that out by introducing a few patterned fabrics maybe as cushions?Just chose an accent colour that you like and run with it!I struggled with artwork too until I found etsy!There are so many fantastic arstist there:)

Anonymous said...

I love the clean lines, the simplicity, and the splash of blue. My only advice (and it's humble - because I have my own decorating challenges) is to bring some blue into the other side of the room - where the shelf is.

Anonymous said...

What with eggs for breackfast and the chicken reference in your living room (aka laundy room ???) I'd say there was a poultry them going on. Your brother (the aspiring architect).

Anonymous said...

Its very lovely and so tidy! In fact how did you keep it so tidy?! I agree about maybe some artwork - I have the same problem myself and it is hard to buy just the perfect piece. I have 2 small living rooms, one with TV and one with computer but neither of them ever look this tidy and inviting, I just don''t seem to be able to get rid of the toys!

Joanna said...

I love your living room. I love the wall color, the windows, the french doors, the trim, the size of it, the furniture, and the light streaming in. Maybe a little artwork on the wall, like some others said, but who am I to talk? I have paintings that have sat on the floor for the 4 years we've been here.

weirdbunny said...

I can't beleive how tidy it is. Where is all your stuff, I've got piles of papers everywhere mines a total mess. The trouble is even if I tried to organise it all where would I put all my stuff !!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous said...

I have a problem with our sitting room too so I'm probably not the person to advise you. Suffice to say that we changed the colour of the walls and it makes the room so much cosier. It's a sort of rag rugged red and orange on cream background (sounds yuk but I have a pic of it on flickr). Also Sosylvie did a makeover of her sitting room and it was transformed (she's one of my contacts on flickr). Big pictures on the walls might be ...by the way I have that clock too.