Karen's Family Room

I was at Karen's house today.  She wanted to decorate her family room and didn't know where to begin.   I am not a big fan of the little niche above the fireplace. (and hate the accent paint color)  I find most of those awkward and busy.  I suggested that she find a piece of artwork that would completely cover it, making it look as if it is not even there.  Her "hole" was 46 x 38.  With that said, that is a good place to start.  Whenever you have a lot of restrictions on an item, in this case, a very specific size, that is a good place to start.  If you had to add that, a minimum size, PLUS, it has to match things..., then it would get much harder to find something without paying to customize it in some way. 

And so, I started with the artwork over the fireplace. I found this piece, 48 w x 40 H.  Now we also have a color pallet to start working with.

When it came to her furniture placement, I thought, I recently saw a family room almost exactly like this one.  So- let's re-use the furniture advice from Hanna's family room.

First select a sectional.  Here is one from Macy's.

Then we need to find a couple of chairs as well.

In Hanna's Family Room I suggested a coffee table with two pouffs.  This same arrangement can be done in a lot of different combinations.  For Karen's family room, I am adding an ottoman instead of the coffee table, and two rattan footstools in place of the pouffs.  There is no right or wrong.  The idea is to have a variety of textures.  Avoid the matching set.  Karen has a matching end table and coffee table.  Keep the end table, and use it with these items. 

I loved the vibrant colors in this ottoman from Anthropologie.  Whereas the sectional and chairs were pretty conservative, this piece adds a big splash of fun and personality.  Something to make the room look unique.  Something memorable.

The Hana ottoman from Palaceck is full of textural variety.

Karen needs to replace her carpet.  One of my favorite sources, (the brand I have used in each of my personal three homes and loved) is Masland.  I really am a Masland commercial.  They should be paying me.  For Karen I selected Pariament, color River Thames.  Here is where I would find the paint color.  She definitely needs to paint.  For anyone considering painting a small portion of their room red, like this entertainment area, look at this and don't do it!  I think it looks horrible.  (Karen didn't do it by the way- it was the previous owner.  ;-)  I would suggest something light and neutral.  The room is going to look great with our great selections.  It doesn't need some bright paint color.  Consider something like Urban Putty by Sherwin Williams, 7532.  (You need sample quarts, I can't really select paint without the carpet and fabrics in my hot little hands.) Removing that accent wall, and having it all one color, will make the most wonderful difference!  What a great example of a disaster of an accent wall.

Add nice white moldings in Swiss Coffee.

Now look over at her table/eating area.  Her furniture is good.  The drapes are too short, and they break the cardinal rule by not hitting the floor.  I call them highwaters.

(not the cool- gay guy highwaters- the geeky kind)

Get some new drapery panels that are the 108" length, and hang them to land exactly on the floor, not half an inch above, but also not puddled. (drapes below from Pottery Barn)

Now look at her light fixture.  It is hung too high, it is too small, it is a bad color, and it is the wrong shape.  Other than that it is great.  ;-)

In an area like that, go with a rectangular shape, mimicking the shape of the table and the room, and hang it lower, about 36" over the table.  I found the fixture below from Shades of Light.

Then you just need to add a coordinating table runner, and a rectangular shaped centerpiece would be great.  You could find a long bowl for fruit, or a rectangular shaped green centerpiece of some kind.  Maybe take up growing wheat grass. 

Can you see how that repetition of shape looks so much nicer, and makes the room feel good?  OK- now picture the rectangular table with the round light, now the rectangle.  Can you see the difference in your mind?

 

Re-read the advice to Hanna on lighting the room, and don't forget a live plant in a corner.  Add throw pillows to bring in more personality and color. 

Thanks!

- Christine

 P.S.  Check out my Facebook page today- I have some terrific pictures of the Hand Chair by Pedro Freidberg. 

The Carpet Rant

Christine,

Alright......you owe me this after that trashing I took:-) (I agree with all your ideas....I KNOW how awful it looked.....)

We are in the midst of choosing new carpeting for ALL bedrooms and that awful living room you bashed:-) The carpet in there now is almost brand new.....YUCK!!! We hate how light it is and it shows everything!! We now have TWO golden retrievers to trash the place!!! My husband is in love with a chocolate flecked frieze. With me TRYING to make the house beachy, I am worried about that. I HATE HATE HATE wood floors so that option is out. What do you think??? (dare I ask??) :-D

deb

Hi Deb,

Let me just start by saying that none of my friends with flecked carpet are allowed to read this post. Just turn away. Go check out my sister's blog- or try my other sister's blog.

Carpet, like so many things, goes through fazes of being "in style." Take skinny jeans, for example, there are the trend setters that were wearing them before anyone else. Their parents were embarrassed, their friends were jealous- they were the hot thing.

Time passed, and then their parents had a pair for themselves. A little more time will pass, and the "style stragglers" will decide to get their first pair. At this point the trend setters will no longer be seen in them- and the "style stragglers" will wear them for way too long. Most likely oblivious to the fact that they are no longer "in style."

Carpet is no different. Are you old enough to know about the sculpted carpet of the 70's- the plush of the 80's? The fleck is the 90's hot thing. I would not say that it is "out of style." However- I will say that it is not the "hot thing"- and its shelf life of "in styleness" is not as long as your carpet will last.

But your husband says, "The fleck will make it not show dirt!" So does the sculpted multi- colored carpet of the 70's.

Carpet that is the least forgiving is a velvet plush. Adding texture adds to the forgiving nature. This can be done in patterns, cut and loops, multi-level loops- many ways that are far more "in-style" than a flecked cut berber carpet. So why do it? I wouldn't. With that said, I would say that the one characteristic that will withstand the abuse of dirty dog paws more than any other is simply is good high quality carpet- and proper care. High quality carpets come clean when they are professionally cleaned. Everyone has seen flecked carpet with stains on it. No- it doesn't magically disguise them.

Vacuum frequently. Use a powder dirt remover like "capture carpet cleaner." Don't' use spot cleaners with a high soap content that will leave a residue that will get dirty. Use just water or soda water to remove "mishaps" on your carpet whenever possible. Spot cleaners are a last resort- not your first resort. Don't use your own steamer- or any rental or company that is not truck mounted. You need power to suck that water out of your carpet. Those cleaners will sometimes void your warranties as well. Don't use dry carpet cleaner- steam is important in bringing the memory back to the twist of your carpet. In the same way that curly hair gets curly again when it gets wet. I know I am ranting- I feel passionately about carpet- weird- I know.

PS. Remember the shedding- don't go too dark on your carpet color... and also know the studies show that the least forgiving colors for showing dirt are light blue and light gray.

PPS. How can you HATE hardwood floors???? ;)

PPPS.- For a beachy feel- I would use a carpet like the Masland piece in the pictues above. You could still put a rug over it...

Carpet Shopping

Hi Christine,

My wife and I are buying carpet and pad for our living room, hall, and bedrooms, about 815 sq. feet. I have read on the web that Masland carpets are "good" quality, but am unsure, and clueless about how reasonable the quoted price is. Could you please give us info about the quality and reasonableness of the price of:Masland - Monte Cristo carpet - this is a "textured" carpet. Price quoted is $5.68 per sq. foot.Ultra Life Deluxe - pad. Price is $1.05 per sq. foot.Installation is $.80 per sq. foot and take up/dispose is $.40 per sq. foot.We would appreciate any help you can give about quality and/or price.Thank you,

Frank and Elaine (no small children)

Dear Frank and Elaine,

I looked up your carpet- and it is "private labeled"- which is very common. Usually you would not find it by the same name within a certain geographical area. This is to make it harder to "price shop" the product.

In my experience, Masland is a wonderful brand. I have had three homes- and only installed Masland in all of them- (and many client's homes) and been thoroughly happy with them- (and I do have small children :)

If you could go to different carpet stores that carry Masland and get three quotes- that will be the best way to determine if you are getting a fair price. It will be easier to identify if you have a more distinctive carpet.- Good luck with that- as the names will likely be different at the different locations :)

My carpet experience was primarily in southern California- and from my experience- your labor and pad look pretty expensive to me- It is important to have the best installer you can find- especially if you have a looped or patterned carpet-- but that is quite a bit more than what I am used to. These prices vary quite a bit by region. You must live in Hawaii :)

With those prices on the high side- it does make me wonder about the carpet price as well- I hope you can find other dealers for additional quotes, and I hope you are happy with your new carpet- I love carpet installation day. It is one of my favorite days- up there with Christmas :)

Wish I could have helped more..

Thanks,

Christine

Masland Should be Paying me...

Hey Christine,

I was hunting around on the web because I just got this quote on a Masland carpet for our master bedroom and the quote was way high in my humble opinion. I saw that you are a Masland fan and wondered if you are familiar with the cost of it. The carpet we looked at was “Sea Pearls” by Masland and we were going to do our bedroom and our closet. The quote was $3,600! My husband and I laughed and thought we might as well put wood floors down for that cost. We live in a northern suburb of Atlanta so maybe I just need to hunt around a bit, but our bedroom is 20 X 20 and our closet is 15 X 9. Is that a ridiculous price to pay or is that carpet really worth it? Thanks for any advice you have.

Christie

Dear Christie,

Sometimes carpeting just one room tends to be more expensive per square foot than when you are carpeting the entire house. For your room, for instance, the company selling you the carpet would probably order in the following amounts of carpet:

For the 20 x 20 room: 12 x 20, and 12 x 20. For the closet, 12 x 15.- So- what you thought was perhaps 535 square feet, is actually, in carpet feet, more like 660, plus a waist factor of perhaps 3 (3 x 12) feet, taking the total to 696 square feet.- So- $3600 divided by 696 square feet comes out at just a little over $5/ sq ft.- no- that is not a high price- that is about what you would expect for really nice carpet. Shopping around might give you a variance of around 30 cents a foot, usually not much more than that. You will have two left over pieces, one at 3 x 15, and one at 4 x 20- you can think about your home and see if you can use it somewhere else in your home- you could maybe even do a staircase with the left over pieces. (extra labor charge for stairs though.) A little over $5 is actually sounding a little low. I bet they pieced up the closet, and planned on ordering less than that.

If, on the other hand, you were to put in wood, they would take the 535 sq/ feet, add 10%, taking it to 588 sq/ feet, and then round to the nearest box. Your floor prep will be additional, etc. You would most likely be over $6000, unless you happened to choose a very inexpensive wood. It's a sad reality, I know. Don't forget that you would then probably want a nice rug on your wood floors...

Consider, on the other hand, if you were to choose an inexpensive carpet, you would take off $2/ square foot. Your carpet would be $1400 less. However, it would not be nearly as beautiful, and absolutely not as durable. You wrote to a carpet snob- but it sounds to me like your price is right in there, you just have a large house :) If you don't plan on staying in your home long, a less durable carpet would probably be fine, but if you plan on sticking around- you can't beat Masland. (Except perhaps with Fabrica... :)

Tamlynn's Questions

Hi Christine,

I would love some help with my living room.

Okay, so here are my questions. I am getting tired of our couches. We've had them for over 10 years, but they are in really good condition and we can't afford just to get new ones. But I am really hating the diamond fabric on the chair and pillows. I thought since I can sew I could probably recover the chair and make new pillows. And get rid of that stupid fringe around the pillows. The question is what fabric? What color? The floral couch and the hutch fireplace are very busy, so I want something calmer.

The second question: we also plan to replace the carpet and the baseboards. It is the only carpeted room in the house. Again, color? and texture?

Also, any other things you'd like to point out or suggest for this room would be appreciated! Thanks!

Dear Tamlynn,

Let me tackle your questions one at a time.

1. New fabric for your accent pillows. Not green- there is already so much green in there. Not the lighter peach color- it will come off way too 1987. I don't have a close up, so I am guessing a bit the colors, but I would go with with either the brown (that is brown in the center of those flowers, yes?) or the shade of white that is in there. These will give it a fresher, more current look. Keep the color solid, but use a neat texture to avoid total boredom. :)


2. The carpet. I really could do about 17 posts on selecting a carpet, but not this evening. Prison Break is on, and I have a thing for Wentworth Miller. Let me tell you that I am a carpet snob. I was well trained in LA, sent to Atlanta, toured mills, learned more then you care to know about carpet, and have turned into quite the snob. I hate dirty worn carpet. (OK, now for any friends that might be reading this post- don't get all offended- I couldn't care less about YOUR carpet- I am talking about for ME- I don't even LOOK at your carpet- I am only referring to my home, and my clients' homes, as I want my clients to love their homes, and any selections that I help them make for a very long time). What I am trying to say, is that if you replace your carpet with the wrong stuff, in a busy room like this, it will be looking bad in six months. Again, I will go into more detail another day with the specifics and whys of it all.

• Stay away from large twists that stand straight on end. These are called a cable yarn. You step on them, you twist your foot, you have permanently untwisted the carpet. It is when your carpet yarns become untwisted that you see permanent wear patterns. They can be very expensive, as they use a lot of yarn, but price does not mean durability in a carpet. Commercial carpet can be $3/sq foot and wear like iron. (I have commercial carpet in my kids' playroom and LOVE it!)
• Stay away from a textured plush. These are the most common carpets- but I am not a fan. The yarns are still standing too much on end. The only way that I would use these is if I were using a VERY nice one. And in this case, by nice, I do mean expensive. Perhaps from Masland- (my favorite)
• I would use a looped carpet, cut and loop, or a frieze. Friezes are tightly twisted, so tight that the yarn twists over on itself. This curly yarn makes a construction such that you step on the side, not the top of the yarn twist, and looks newer longer. Looped carpets are not soft, but very durable. Stay away from olefin. Only buy a nylon carpet. (or wool)
• Buy the thickest, best carpet you can afford. Good brands include: Masland, Karastan, and Fabrica. Every store, or chain "private labels" most of the carpet, making it really hard to shop around. A Tuftex piece at The Home Depot might be called one thing, and the exact same carpet will have a totally different name at Carpet One. Look for a tight twist, or tight loops, and a full density. Know that density is not as important in a frieze as it is in a textured plush.


• Don't let "warranties" fool you. A mat and crush warranty is not the same as a warranty against your carpet getting "squished" and showing wear in your traffic paths. Only polyester carpets actually "mat and crush". This is why they can have lifetime warranties, or 30 years- blah blah blah... Don't get me wrong. Look for good warranties, but don't think for a minute that your carpet will last for 30 years.
• Don't get the "speckled" stuff. It is not as "in style" as it once was- and is so "over-done". Get a nice dark color, a neutral brownish, beige-ish, khaki. Bring home samples and look at them next to other flooring, as well as your furniture, drapes, paint, etc. A dark color will be easy to live with, and is also "in style".
• Prison Break is almost half over- I will come back tomorrow....
• OK- it is tomorrow now. Prison Break was great last night, as always :)
• Back to carpet- everyone is probably totally bored with the carpet stuff, (I am even boring myself- and yet part of me wants to tell you about the different nylons....- another day perhaps) so I will stop. However, I am happy to answer any specific questions that you might have. I have had three homes now, and have had Masland carpet in every one. They should really pay me to be their spokesperson, because I love their product so much. It is not as expensive as Fabrica, (which is the bomb, but costs a bit)- and it wears like crazy. In my three homes, I have had 5 different kinds of Masland carpet, and loved them all. I have put it in a hundred others- as it is always the first place I go when a client needs carpet. The carpet at the top of the post is Masland- style, Bombay.

3. Other suggestions:

Your mirror is too high. Lower it a bit, just a few inches under the height of the chair.

The focal point of this room should be your fireplace. Add a mantle; decorate it nicely. Give your room a focal point. This will make a huge difference.

I love the bench under your pass-through window. It is great. However, it gets a little congested there with the bookcase. As a general rule, I would never put two wood pieces right next to each other. Get rid of both bookcases, and get rid of the two pieces of art on either side of the bookcases. Put large wall shelves on the large wall (like the picture below, but to scale with your wall).Or get one large (or two matching) bookcase/display cabinet. The wall is large- keep a good scale with what you do with it. (Both of these photos are from Martha Stewart)

• 

The melodophone should not be on an angle. Put it square under the framed piece. Remove the sun, and find something larger and longer that fills that space better.

Hey Tamlynn, thanks for writing in with a question!! I really appreciate it!

- Christine