Lakshmi's Family Room

Hi Christine,

I came across your blog while I was looking for design ideas to re-decorate my living room. I loved the advice that you had given to various others in your blog and was wondering if you could help me too. 

I am planning to buy new furniture and would like to hear your opinion on colors, fabrics etc.

Here are a couple of pictures of my living room. It is a 17 (length) x 12 (width) room with stairs on the left. The room beyond the tiles and front door is the dining room (which I am planning to furnish later).

I have the following questions:

1) What color and fabrics do you recommend for the couch and chairs? They should be kid friendly since I have an 8 month old boy (meaning whites are ruled out).

2) We have a 46 inch TV and want to get an entertainment center which will occupy the fireplace wall (in front of the fireplace, thereby hiding it)

We are planning to change the fireplace to be lower and flush with the wall and get rid of the bricks. We don't want to close off the fireplace since it might affect resale. 

• What color/shade of fireplace trim would you recommend? We are looking at marble/granite tile options for the trim.
• What color do you recommend for the entertainment center?

I love a colorful room and I am not sure how to create that punch especially since we have a dark floor and whites/light colors are pretty much out of the picture.

Many thanks for your help!

Hoping to hear from you.

Regards,

Lakshmi

Hi Lakshmi,

First of all, I would rearrange things.  I moved your furniture around; you can see the floorplan I did below.  Let me tell you why.  Your sofa, or long portion of a sectional, should be facing the focal point of a room.  In this case, it is the television.  You cannot have the TV in front of the windows, so I put it on the staircase wall.  (If you can see part of the back of the TV from the stairs, that's OK.)   I feel like architecturally the room is a bit flawed, having the fireplace, which would traditionally be the focal point, first of all, not centered on the wall, and secondly, on the short wall.  I almost never treat the fireplace as a secondary focal point, but in your case, I would do just that. 

At that point, it is simple.  Select a nice sofa.  The one below is a beautiful neutral from Bernhardt.  You can always switch up the pillows as you decide to change colors.

The pillow below is a great Ikat pattern from Etsy. 

Add a couple of beautiful wing backs; these again are from Bernhardt.   They are still neutral, but add a pattern.  It is a pattern that you won't ever get sick of, and can keep for a very long time.

Hang drapes that will start to bring color into the room.  The drapes below are from Pottery Barn.

Add an area rug that will give you repetition in color, and a fun bold pattern.  The rug below is from Homedecorators.com

I used a woven trunk for an end table to add texture.

Fill your center space with the perfect sized coffee table.Keep your sofas from butting up to the windows by adding a console table.  This also gives you more light, and better distance for TV viewing.

I made your room colorful, but kept it neutral at the same time.  In seven years, you can switch out the drapes, rug and lamps, and make the whole room forest green, or whatever your fancy is at the time.

Before I finish, I want to address your fireplace.  You are correct in not wanting to get rid of it, but lower and flush with the wall sounds like a bad idea.  Don't try to make it invisible.  Make it beautiful.  Instead, look at this post on the "dated brick fireplace".  Cover the fireplace in wood, paint it white, cover your room in white beadboard, all trimmed out.  It will look amazing.  One more thing.  You have a horizontal space above your fireplace, and a vertical picture.  Take down all the little nick nacks, and just put up one nice large horizontal picture. 

OK- now I'm done.

The Dated Brick fireplace

Hi Christine!

I have been relentlessly searching the internet for some inspiration for my poor fireplace. I am begging for your advice. I was thinking about painting the brick because I am not the most design savvy person and it seems to be the only option. I am on a pretty tight budget and ripping it out and starting over seems a bit pricey. What would you recommend?

- Victoria

Hi Victoria,

Let me start by saying that you don't have to rip it out to redo it.  You can cover it in wood.  Check out this post. 

Also- the fireplace below was a brick fireplace, on a commercial job I did a while back, where we did not remove the brick.  It is simply covered in wood and marble. 

Depending on the material, you can resurface it with a stone without removing the brick as well.  I would get an estimate- you might find it not to be as expensive as you might think.   Check out this site to see a similar redo.  For an astounding $82- check out this fireplace.  Here are the before and after pics:

before...

after!

With that said, if $30 is the budget, then painting it would be an improvement over what you have now.   I can't see much of your room, but one thing to consider is that a big white fireplace could stand out and look bad too.  Depending on your color pallet, select your paint color accordingly.  (off white, etc.)  The white works so well below because of the other white in the room.

DO NOT HAVE THE ONLY WHITE ITEM BE YOUR FIREPLACE.  I assure you, it will look bad if you do.You very well might find that one thing leads to another, and after painting the fireplace you will need to make other decorating changes to make it really work in the room.  For example, the fireplace in the room above looks terrific, but there is a disconnect with the furniture.  Compare that room with the room below:

(photo from Coastal Living)

The bright white coffee table and the bright white in the throw pillows really bring white in to the color palette.  Can you see how this works so much better than the photo above with the red sofa?

I go into all of this because the next decision after deciding to paint the fireplace is deciding what color.  A darker neutral could look really drab.  White is certainly the most common way to go- but, as I am explaining, will not just automatically fit right in. 

White fireplaces look great in a shabby chic look, like the fireplace in the photo below, but they don't look great in every scenario. 

(photo from Bazaar Style)

(photo from paper blog)

Another thing to consider,  that is less expensive than stone, is drywall.  You could find out the cost of simply covering the over-mantle portion of the fireplace with drywall, and then you only have the lower section to re-surface.  The drywall section will simply be textured and painted your wall color.

I also wanted to mention the lack of symmetry in your hearth.  That would drive me crazy.  I would either take the wrap around off the left side, or add it to the right.  Then, I would also reconsider your mirror on your fireplace.  A mirror is fine if it is a sunburst, or some kind of decorative mirror, but when it is a plain mirror, it should be reflecting something nice.  Your focal point of the room is a reflection of your ceiling fan.  You can do better than that.  Check out these five posts on how to decorate the fireplace mantle.

What to do with the Ugly Fireplace?/ AND Elevation Selections

What do I do with my ugly fireplace?

- Launa

Hi Launa,

From the small amount I can see of the rest of your room, (your mirror, vase, purple walls) I can tell that you have a more contemporary look.  With that said, a fireplace is an extension of the architecture.  If you have a Victorian home, it would be totally wrong of me to suggest you replace your insert with a modern contemporary fireplace.  Do not create this huge juxtaposition with your interior and exterior architecture.

(photo from tiekbuilthomes.com)

If your architecture is traditional- your fireplace should be traditional as well.  In fact, I will go even further to say that if your architecture is Victorian, your fireplace should be Victorian, Craftsman, Craftsman, etc.  In other words, without seeing the front of your home, I am not going to tell you how to update your fireplace.  Even then- I would need to see more pictures of your interior as well.

(photo from remodelista.com)

(photo from younghouselove.com)

Take a look at the room above.  I can tell from the architecture that the home is a Bungalow.  The decor, on the other hand is more contemporary.  The fireplace, however, is still architecturally consistent.  This is the way to do it. 

So- what is the rule?  If it is attached to the home, be true to your home.  (This includes kitchen cabinets, fireplaces, built-ins, and bathroom furniture)  If it is free standing, you can show your personality.

If you really don't like this theory, you probably purchased the wrong home. 

Now- let me add another question to this same post- as my advice is really the same.

Hi Christine,

I truly appreciate having the opportunity to ask your opinion about which elevation to choose.

We are building a production home, that is, it is not custom.  We have the choice of 5 elevations, and I have narrowed it down to 3 elevations:  2, 3 and 5.

Elevation 2:  Italianate.  It is shown with Hardi-plank siding and brick ledge.  We can add brick or stone at added cost.

Elevation 2:  Colonial.  It is shown with Hardi-plank siding and brick ledge.  We can add brick. I was thinking of adding brick to middle 3 sections, or even more.  Do you think the columns are odd, that is 1 on one side, and 2 on the other?  Any color recommendations?

Elevation 5:  French Eclectic.  This is stone front, with stone ledge.  This is probably my favorite, and of course it is the most expensive.  Do you think it is odd to only have a stone front and ledge, with no stone going up sides of house (except for ledge)?  Any color recommendations?

I understand that you are very busy.  Therefore, any advice would be most appreciated.  I would like my house to look timeless and not trendy.

Thank you so much!!
Lori

Hi Lori,

I looked at your elevations before I read your e-mail amd my immediate favorite was #5.  But- that is just my opinion- now I would like to give you my advice.  I would say the same thing I said to the gal with the ugly fireplace.  Your fireplace and kitchen and built-ins of every kind, ideally would be consistent in style with your exterior architecture.  And so, with that said, I would take a moment to think about French interior architecture, and make sure you like it as well as you like the exterior.  Talk to your buildier, they probably have different fireplaces for the different elevations.

Personally, I am a huge Mansard roof fan...  It is my favorite roof pitch of all time.

You don't have to have French furniture and patterns, but it is something to consider.  I would definitely think about what type of flooring you plan to install.  If it is Saltillo tiles, perhaps you've selected the wrong home.  Hardwood floors or hand chisled stone?  Then you've made a good slection.

(floor above is Du Chateau)

To further answer your question, my second favorite was #2.  ;-)  Looks like a beautiful home!  Enjoy!

Susan's Living Room

Hi Christine,

I'd really appreciate your advice on our sitting room, which has a difficult fireplace wall. It also has a lovely window seat but this makes the room assymetrical and is challenging my novice furniture arranging skills. I know you will be completely frank with me, but I think my main problems are: 1 - Should the focal point be the fireplace or the window seat (or even the TV)? I know it should always be the fireplace, but maybe our room is an exception because our fireplace is hideous and we never use it.

Your focal point should still be the fireplace. Your furniture will have to face the TV as well- but the focal point should still be the fireplace. I don't think it would ever really look right to ignore the fireplace. Consider a flat screen TV over the fireplace.

2 - What should we do with the fireplace? The chimney sticks out from the house (hence the flat wall) and needs work to stop rain coming in. If we have any form of gas fire, that work will be much more expensive. We never use the fire, so we will have it removed and spend the money on a piano instead. This will leave the empty alcove. I would never dream of ripping out an original Victorian mantel, but given that someone else has and given that the alcove floats above the ground, I'm tempted to have a modern alcove filled with big stones or candles. I like the simple modern fireplaces in your blogs of 17 Feb and 8 May 2009 and also at these links:>> http://www.modernfireplacesdirect.co.uk/

You can combine traditional architecture with modern furnishings- it can be a very cool juxtaposition- however- a fireplace is part of the architecture and should be consistent with the architecture. Absolutely do not put a modern fireplace in your very traditional home. Check out this post where I discussed this same principle. I would go to an architecural salvage place and find a cool surround. It doesn't matter if you use it or not. Unless you are going to spend a lot of money on a big overhaul- I would make it look like the fireplace it should be the best I could.

Another alternative would be to fill in the alcove with drywall or hide it with a TV unit, but we would need an ugly ventilation grill, and we still need the tiles over the hearth because the floorboards stop. It is better to just keep it a fireplace- even an unused one. 3 - What should we put on the rest of the fireplace wall? The little windows make it difficult to position furniture. Mount a flat screen over the fireplace and angle your two chairs in the corners beneath the two windows. Even centred under the window, the current bookcase looks strange. That bookcase needs a much smaller wall- perhaps the wall to the right of the window seat- (when you are standing in front of the window seat). Currently you have an end table there. - Can I use your idea of a canvas or double canvas to make the picture over the fireplace a better scale? Can I tell you what I don't like about it? I can't see it. This is your focal point wall. The art should be visible from the furniture- this is so light you would have to stand right in front of it to see it. Anyway- I still think you should have a TV there so that you can center your furniture better. If this does not work with a framed picture, or if the drawing just doesn't have enough weight, where else could I put it? Put it on the wall to the left of the window seat. It is my favourite picture and the red in the frame goes with the other reds in the room. Also, where in the room should I put a photo gallery? Since I moved your sofa away from the back wall- you have an entire wall there that needs something- a perfect place for your photo gallery. - Finally (sorry this is so long!), how do I pull the furniture in off the walls without cutting off the window seat? The things which will stay are the sofa (recovered in the same red when it needs it), the end tables, you only have room for one end table- that is how you keep from blocking off the window seat- a TV (not necessarily this one) and a bookcase or shelf unit (not necessarily this one). I would like to add a piano. Add a low back piano to the back of the sofa- like a sofa table. Or skip the sofa table look and just put it against the back wall.The chairs were a yard sale find for our first apartment but now need replacing, so what other seating do you recommend? We can fit more than the current sofa and two chairs. I wouldn't add more furniture- a sofa and two chairs is perfect. I'd still like one or two simple modern chairs, probably black. In my dreams I'd have an Eames lounger - not sure it would go, but you get the idea! The Eames lounge is not the right size for the room- (although I absolutely LOVE it!) but there are a lot of great modern chairs that you can find that would fit great.

Thank you for being so generous with your time.

Susan

I included a couple of examples of homes with traditional architecture and modern furnishings. Photos from Elle Decor.

If Your Fireplace had a Personality...

Hi Christine,
I stumbled across your website this afternoon and really like it.
I have a decorating dilemma on my hands and wondered if you were up for a challenge.
We have bought a new home and will be moving into it in the fall.
There is a red brick floor to ceiling fireplace in the front hall that is in need of a major overhaul.
I've sent a picture so that you can see what I am up against.
Any help or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
What would you do?? I'm not against refacing it if I have to.
Thanks so much,
Sandra

Hi Sandra,
WOW! What a fireplace! If fireplaces have a personality- man- yours is downright schizophrenic. I say- take off that crazy mantle and start over. Check out this post on a re-do idea. Here are some more posts on fireplaces.

1. The Antique refinished
Think first of all of what your style is- and what your architecture style is. Remember that your fireplace is an extension of your architecture and I wouldn't stray too far in a re-do. Your fireplace is also an extension of you. It is the heart of your home. It is the focal point of your gathering room. Design a new fireplace that is an extension of both your architecture as well as yourself.

2. River Rock

So- which fireplace best matches your personality? You might need to check the other posts for more ideas- look through them- find your favorite.

3. Federal French Fusion

4. Classic Traditional

( I want to take that rug above and center it with the fireplace- and then get a much larger coffee table!!!)

5. Beautiful in Black and White

6. Rough Rock and Wood

7. Shabby Chic

What do you think? What fireplace personality is your favorite?

Photos Courtesy of Country Living