Nichole's Pallet of Pattern

Dear Christine,

I am a 34 year old single mother of a 6 year old little girl. I have been in my small Georgian home which is located right outside of Chicago for 12 years now. Since my divorce I have pulled up carpet, remodeled the kitchen and bath, painted all 3 bedrooms and had crown molding installed throughout the house. You see, I am trying to make this house a home to me and my little one. My dilemma now is with my living room and small dining room window treatments. There were vertical blinds hanging from them since the day I bought the house, but I had them pulled down and replaced with horizontal blinds this past June. I thought about having JC Penny or Eddie Z's install cornices with side panels, but i couldn't swallow the $3500.00 pill.

It's a new year, and every year for the past 5 years I have taken on different projects within the house. I always do a little at a time. This year, I want to do something beautiful with these windows and save for a new roof if needed. What do you suggest? Should I whip out my grandmother's sewing machine and try to sew cushions for window seats (I'm not very handy), should i bite the $3500.00 bullet and get custom made cornices (I believe I'll only be living here another 3 years or less). Do you think I should get rid of the small table in the living room area and replace it will something else? I've had the tables for years and I'm open. I don't even know what I should have on the tables.

I do plan on going to home depot today to by accent lights to go under my new wall unit that i love. I think that would be nice. I'm also having issues with what to put on my wall in front of my dining room table. There was once a huge picture of fruit that my mother gave me. It was more her taste than mine. I'm leaving the wall blank until i figure out what to do with it.

Any advice you would offer would be GREATLY appreciated. I need some help big time.

Sincerely,
Hopeful for the New Year - Nichole

Dear Nichole,

I want to go over three things with you today- to make part of your long term plan.

1. window treatments


2. area rug


3. wall decor

First of all- let's tackle your window treatments. You have a traditional home, and yet very little pattern. Increase your pattern. Start with your drapes. Style-wise- put two floor to ceiling panels in the dining room, and faux relaxed Roman shade valances or stagecoach valances in the living room. These styles shouldn't be too hard to sew- or too expensive to have made. I selected a couple of fabrics for you from Beacon Hill. Because you don't have any pattern in your leather- I would use both fabrics in the drapes- one as a four inch trim. This adds some interest in a room that is nice, but a little dull. These fabrics would also act as a unifier in your room. You have black, brown, beige, but nothing pulling it all together.

Your plan also needs to include a rug, which will help by adding textural variety as well as more pattern to the room. I selected a giraffe rug for you from homedecorator.com. You also could use more softness in the room, which will make it more inviting.

Your dining area needs a chandelier as well as wall decor. The drum shade at the top of the post is from Room and Board. It also helps to increase the pattern and softness.

The wall decor is from Uttermost. You have a mirror in the room- add a piece of art, as well as other alternative wall decor. Don't' have, one, one, and one. Especially in the dining area where the walls are adjacent to one another. Notice how the metal wall art is a set of four, and the painting is one. You need variety in numbers, especially when your walls are right by one another like they are here.

Odds and Ends:

The two pieces of wall decor to the right of the door to the kitchen should be directly on top of one another- not staggered, and they should be hung about six to eight inches lower.

Try switching locations of the sofa and chaise, and then lowering your mirror a bit. Put the chaise in the corner rather than across from the sofa. Put a large plant behind it. You shouldn't have it floating out there in the middle of the room on an angle like that. Eventually you will need an additional chair to fully balance your arrangement.

Replace your coffee table- (the style is too similar to the dining table)- with a tufted upholstered ottoman.

I want to come over and rearrange your wall unit a bit. Maybe next time I am in Chicago. :) I love the merchandise mart there. :) For now- read the advice I gave in this post. I'm sure you'll do great!

Melinda from Texas

Today- my comments are in terracotta. :)

Hi Christine,

Reading your blog is my guilty pleasure as of late. After years of watching Divine Design, subscribing to House Beautiful, and following Phoebe Howard, I'm finally realizing that I know just enough to be dangerous. That said, I'm hoping you can help me with my family room/breakfast nook dilemma. Our home here in Texas is two years old and we love it, but after owning two 50+ year old homes with tons of character, I must admit I'm a bit stuck on how to jazz this place up without painting all the walls.

Specifically, I'm wondering if you have any suggestions as to what I should do with the two recessed areas above the built-ins on either side of my family room fireplace. We've tossed around lots of ideas - having shelves put in, Yes- they look a little awkward do me- like built-ins were started and not finished. I would add shelves that match your lower cabinets as much as possible. adding recessed lighting of some sort, I like the hidden rope lighting put on the inside lip of the shelves. Otherwise- only your top section gets lit. Skip the lighting in the TV area of course. painting or tiling for visual interest, Painting is OK- but I especially like to actually change the wall surface in niches. Check out the "stone" wallpaper below. hanging complimentary paintings by a local artist, This is not a place that I would display art- something small on an easel perhaps- but there is too much shadow- even if you do add lighting- it is not the best place to display art. I would be very simple, and very deliberate- ceramic vases- chargers- cool boxes or baskets. Don't get items that are too small- and don't get too many items. etc. If you have any other suggestions that don't involve a complete remodel (including why I can't seem to properly outfit my mantle), I think your mantle itself is out of proportion to the stone fireplace- I would get a larger one. The mirror is reflecting your ceiling fan... This is your focal point- and it is a reflection of a ceiling fan. Mirrors are only as great as what they reflect. The painting at the top of the post is my suggestion. It is 54 x 47. (I don't know your dimensions- but I am guessing that this would fit- and really fill the area.) This will give you overlap with your accessories. The vases can stay- they will be in front of the painting- which I would have sitting on - or very close to the mantle. But I would just remove the frame- it is too small to go up there. I'd love to hear them. My second question has to do with our windows in the breakfast nook, which you can see from our living room. We currently have woven wood R78uoman shades with nothing to soften the look. Do you think a fabric valance or cornice is the best option since there is limited space between the windows for a panel? No- your look is too clean to have valances- and I almost never like cornices. The area needs something- it is a little on the dull side- although you have made nice, tasteful selections. Add a table runner- I like this one from Crate and Barrel. Then replace your small bowl with a large tray like this one from Crate and Barrel. You can put fruit in it- or keep it empty. I would add a couple of matching drapes- like the ones in the family room- in your larger areas- on the far right. The panels do not need to be between every window. I can't see well enough- but fly me to Texas and I will tell you exactly where to add them. Another thought- if you don't feel comfortable with the drapes- your spacing does seem a little odd on the windows- you can jazz up the area with some vinyl decals- like the paisley ones below. If you go that direction- don't use too few- get a generous amount. OR- in your area there on the left where the ceiling goes higher- you could do a simple plate collage. Plates like this one from Crate and Barrel is what I imagine. I'm also interested in switching out the builder's light for something a little softer. I'm in love with this one from Room and Board: http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19707 In an open area like you have- start with consistency. You have some cool grayish blue drapes- and have repeated the color in the pillows- but you need more repetition of that color for it to really be a presence. If you want to add terracotta- or other colors- do it after you have a more established pallet. With that- I like the style- but go with a gray or bluish gray- something that further establishes your first pallet. What do you think? Am I on the right track at all or do I need as much help as I think I do?

Thanks,

Melinda

You are doing great Melinda- Your furniture arrangement is good- and your large furniture choices look very nice. Below is the stone wallpaper for the niches- and the vinyl paisleys.

P.S. I never know how to describe my style, but I love decorating with natural materials (maybe a little too much) and probably fall into the transitional bucket when it comes to furniture. Love clean lines and minimalism kept in check, but have some traditional furniture, as well.

Jon's Living Room

Hi Christine -
I just discovered your blog and think it is very cool what you do. We are in the process of remodeling the main floor of our home and will soon need to furnish our living room (and dining room as well). We are starting from scratch and will be buying all new furniture and accessories. However, we are having a hard time coming up with a furniture arrangement for the living room, given all the openings into this living room and our desire to have a flat screen TV located somewhere in this room. I was wondering if you could give us your thoughts. I have attached a JPEG of our space. The living room is in the front of the house and the front door for the house is to the left. The living room is about 21' long and about 12' wide (from the inside of the front wall to the inside of thick partial walls). There are no built-ins or fireplace in this room. We would expect that this would be the primary family/guest gathering room in the house. Not sure if this helps or not, but we are familiar with and like the furniture from Room and Board. Thank you for any help you can provide. Feel free to post on your blog. Let me know if you need any further info.
Again, thanks.
Jon

Dear Jon,
Your room does present some challenges- it certainly is not an obvious fix. Let me start by telling you what I would not do.

1. I would not put your TV on the far empty wall. Why? Because you have the window mid room. To have the TV there- you would have to have the sofa within twelve feet or so- which would put it right in the middle of the length of the room- somewhere in the middle of that window.
2. You don't want it on one of the small walls to the side of the window- it would look wrong.
3. Generally- I would divide a long room like yours into two seating areas- but again- because of your flooorplan- I would not- the window keeps me from wanting to do that.

You can see from the pencil-marked floorplan how I decided to arrange it. I would take that center architectural post and make it large enough to hold your TV nicely- I wold say five feet or so minimum. Hang your TV on that wall that you just made.

Put your media console on the back of the bathroom wall. Top it with a piece of art or mirror- and lamp.

Use four chairs in the main living area. You have a large room- just two will not fill the space enough. You can have two sets of two- or four of the same style of chair- both designs will work. Use two coffee tables in a room the size of this- or two ottomans would serve the same purpose.

For the design to work- your sofa will be a custom order. For a room that is over 20 feet in length- with only one sitting are- you cannot use a 7 or 8 foot sofa. They are simply too small. I suggest an 11' sofa. This would be a good size for a four cushion sofa. (The ones I found at Room and Board were too small- although they might make one for you. If not there are plenty of manufacturers that will.) A smaller sofa would be engulfed by the window- not to mention too small a scale for the room. Back up the sofa with a table that has a couple of lamps- fill the corner with a LARGE plant- uplit. And make sure your wall decor on the large wall has a size and scale relationship with the wall itself. In other words- not too small. Light that wall- unless you use mirrors. Add a nice large area rug that defines the space- this will keep the furniture from appearing to float in the large room. Let me know if I wasnt' clear. ;)

Thanks for writing in Jon,

Christine

Photos from Room and Board

P.S. Keep in mind that the TV area is now the focal point. Make the small wall super cool- perhaps cover it in mosaic slate, or glass tiles, or something cool. It is not large- but it is the focal point.

Myra's question

Christine,

I desperately need your help. I am not so good at this decorating thing. As you can see from the pictures, I need help to complete the room. I hope that I have not made a mess that cannot be fixed. The color of the walls is Caramel. It is about the same as the floor. The sofa, accent wall on the stairway, and entry are Paprika. I tried to get pictures of the chair pattern, rug and drapes to help you. The coffee table and end tables are copper with black bases. The TV table, fold out bar, screen, and sofa table are black with brown insets or trim.

The room is only 13' wide X 23' long, and the ceiling gets very tall. Is it okay for the room to appear to be top heavy with walls? Will art on the walls appear to bring them down and make the room look cozy. I am not adverse to doing something different to the walls, if necessary. I don't know what to buy for the walls, or which walls to put art on. With the fern pattern on the chairs and the large rug, would it look best to go more tropical? Or, should I tend to go more Oriental since the screen and TV table look a bit oriental? I tend to enjoy a more dramatic look. I don't even know what to sit around the room as accents. Please help me figure out how to make my room look beautiful. It is our main living space for watching TV and for entertaining. The bar opens and folds out to make a nice place for appetizers, and the sofa table has two lift out sections on each end of the top, with stainless tubs inset, for icing down drinks or appetizers.

I really would appreciate your advice, as I am totally lost at this point.

Myra Feuquay
Tucson, Arizona

Dear Myra,

I have a feeling that I am going to give you more advice then you are asking for. But that is the beauty of an online designer. I can be totally honest.

It seams like when you look at your room, something is not quite right, which is why you wrote me. I'll tell you what it is. You have two different looks going on.

1. Your leather sectional, your lamps, your case peices, and your bold wall color is one look.

2. Your rug, chair, throw pillows and drapes are another.

While both "looks" are contemporary, the 1st is more modern. Since more of your room includes this look, I would suggest you go with it.

Use a more modern chair. I posted a chair at the top of the post from "Room and Board" A chair of this scale, I would use two of, or one larger chair and a half of a similar more modern style. The one below is from Z gallerie- something like this would work great too.Also, use a more modern rug- like this one, again from Room and Board.

Whereas the colors in your current rug "match," the style does not match the leather sectional. A bolder rug like this one will pull the room together. Use a darker color (from your new rug.) For example, a gray from the rug above, as your main wall color (keep your paprika wall color). Your current wall color is too light for the high ceilings. This will make your room "cozier".

Whereas your coffee table is not a bad style, I would say the shape of it is. The round does not work that great with your sectional. Again from Room and Board, here is a better choice:

As far as your walls go, yes, use large art. Your sectional is visually heavy enough to ground it, and your high ceilings welcome it. Here is a piece by Uttermost that is a nice large 76 x 50. Something like this would be a perfect size and feel. On your windows, use a solid color, perhaps the gray/blue from the rug. You can hang them from the top window for a longer, more dramatic look.

I hope you see the dirrection I am going. Keeping your style more consistent will make all the difference!

Thanks for writing in. If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

- Christine