Carey's Living Room

Hi Christine,

I am desperately hoping you can help me.  I have never been happy with our living room and am embarrassed to tell you I have painted it 7 times because I thought it was the color.  After reading your posts, I realize that is the least of my problems.

 (Here is a link to Carey's You Tube video)

I believe the biggest problems I have are:

1.       No focal point – I think the east wall should be where the focal point is but I don’t know what it should be or how to work around the obstacles.  A  large mirror will not work on this wall because of what it will reflect.

2.       Furniture placement – The room is basically square but the walkway to the bedroom, which I refer to as an “imaginary hallway”, along with the odd space behind the sectional, throws the symmetry of the room off. 

You focal point is your television.  For a mnore impressive focal point- get a more impressive entertainment unit.  Your's is also on the small side for the room. 

Find a larger piece that fills your wall space better- like the one above from Restoration Hardware.

3.       Wall moldings – These really give me grief but I don’t think I can remove them because they have been caulked.  Also, they have been painted so much that I would be worried about the groove of paint left once they were removed.  Do I wallpaper inside them, paint the molding to match crown molding, can I hang things on the wall that cover them as opposed to always staying inside the lines? Maybe if the room was painted the right color of cream they wouldn’t bother me so much.

What is wrong with the moulding is not your paint color, but actually the size of the trim.  Your crown moulding is a good size, but this trim moulding is way too small for the size of room.  I would replace it with larger moulding- or more moulding, like in the photo below.

If you choose to keep the moulding how it is- No, do not wallpaper inside, it is too small- and that will accentuate the problem.  Treat your wall decor like it isn't there.  Go right over it.  Don't try to fit pieces of wall decor inside the sections.  I would try to cover it up with bold wall decor. 

I could see you using six signs, like the one below.  Even all the same sign would be cool, just repeated.  This sign is from Susie Harris's shop.  I love her work- super cool.

  My room faces north so in addition to all its other challenges, it also is dark.

• I plan on ordering custom drapes that are 108” length which will raise the rod (currently they are 96” length).  They also will be much fuller and wider so that the curtains will be more on the wall and the windows will be more visible on the ends.  Window is 154” wide.
• Do I need woven blinds also?  If so, how would that work with the transom?  I don’t want this wall to get too heavy looking.
• Should curtains be solid or patterned?  I really want this window wall to be gorgeous.

 

I love your idea of having them to the ceiling, and wider.  You are absolutely rith that that is what you need.  Usually I say absolutely, "yes, layer the treatment, use the woven woods."  in your case, I would say that it is optional.  I would only use them if you actually wanted to use them from a functional standpoint.  Your windows are so pretty, and your need for light would warant not having the shades.  If you do use them, don't worry about the transom.  Just have them as inside mount shades on your windows.  I would go with a pattern.  You have selected a pattern on the chairs, and need to balance that with more patterns.  I also like the look of using two drapery panels, a sheer/ linen look on the inside, and the pattern on the outside.  You can do this instead of using a double rod.  You have enough room to stack both draperies on the side. 

  

Clearly the things you have selected go well together.  Also- you clearly need a custom size rug with the square room.  However- I find the solid Karastan lovely- but a bit too dull for me.  You can select a rug that comes in a 9 x 13  that has a pattern that would allow you to have it cut down to a 9 x 9.  This would allow you to have a bolder pattern, and also likely save you money.  Check out the rug below.  See how you could cut that down and not miss the four inches?The rug below is from the Martha Stewart Collection.

80s oak woodwork – I know its dated but I really would rather have this than paint it white.  I have a feeling that white painted woodwork is becoming dated.  My color scheme is soft fresh green with yellow undertones, caramel, creams, maybe gray, and a few black and white pictures. I know the sectional is chocolate brown but I don’t want any more brown.  I would love to paint the walls a very neutral cream, currently crown and ceiling are Sherwin Williams creamy.  I’ll do whatever you tell me on this one for both walls and woodwork.

You have wood trim on your walls, crown moulding, and baseboards, that are all different colors.  That is just wrong.  That is like wearing athletic shoes with a pencil skirt.  I would have it all be one color, like in the photo below.  The room needs to start with a good, clean foundation.

Good luck with your room.  I know you sent this in a while ago- sorry- I get quite a few requests and I try to reply in the order in which they were received.  If anyone needs fast service- you can always hire me.  ;-)

Advice for Far Away The Maldives

Hi Christine,

First of all, I'm sorry my attachment is not in jpeg format, I know your computer hates all other formats!

Now, let me thank you for creating such a wonderful blog! It's super great! And so are u!

Ok, so now, about my dilemma!

I'm from Maldives (not sure you've heard of it), a tropical island nation in the Indian ocean. And we are such a small country, our dwellings are as small as the dots that mark 'Maldives' on the world map (if they do show it at all). Anyway, my husband I have this tiny apartment on the first floor, and btw, it's still under construction so that explains why i couldn't send u photos of the place and sent the floor plan (created by a local 'designer'). But the moment I saw the plan, i was like, 'Oh Dear God, Help me', cos i really couldn't feel comfortable with the place. In fact, I coudn't bring myself to visualize it!

So what i need is your help in determining where the eat-in kitchen should be in our open-floor plan and how to differentiate the living area from the kitchen area. And the furniture arrangement. (I'm trying to ignore the lack of available space to create a better apartment, and just make it cozy and beautiful with proper interior).

 We don't have a fire place ( Maldivians don't need one with the sun all year round, and just a couple weeks of rain when its not sunny). And so the TV should be the focal point and i have absolutely no idea which wall I could use for that!

Oh, and one more thing, the wall next to the entry door (right side) will have a medium sized window in the center.

P.S.: Dimensions are:

            - Living room + kitchen combo : 20ft x 13ft

           - Bedrm : 21ft x 11ft

And pls excuse my English if it wasn't ok (we speak 'dhivehi' an alien language to the rest of the world!)

'Oh Dear Christine, Help me'  :D

Aminath

Hi Aminath,

Your English is fabulous!  Thanks for writing in!  I wasn't able to pull up any pictures, but I could view your floorplan, so try to follow my verbal instruction.

In working with a space the size of yours- scale is everything.  You don't want to select items that are too large, and yet you want to maximize the space you have to work with.  Let's start with your dining area.  It will go in the corner, between the two doors, where the builder drew it.  I suggest a table like the one above from Overstock.com.  It is a small 30 x 30.  Even 36 x 36 is too large.  (6 inches makes a big difference.)   

 

For your chairs, do three things.

1.  Don't go with a matching set.  You don't have very many opportunities to bring in variety in a place as small as this.  Using different chairs gives you an opportunity to add a different color.

2.  I would keep the colors light.  Lighter colors take up less visual space.  I don't have photos showing your colors that you are working with, nor do I know what places you can order from in your country, but I will give you some examples that you can work with. 

3.  Don't get a chair that is too short.  You might be limited in your footprint, but you still have a standard height ceiling, We don't want the set to look small, we just want it to fit perfectly.  The chair I selected for you is from Bungalow 5.   

 All of your window treatments in the place will be the same draperies.  Adding drapes goes such a long way toward creating a "homey" comfortable atmosphere.  These drapes are form Anthropologie.

Your wall adjacent to the window, in the dining area, is a decent sized wall.  I would open up the area with a large, oversized mirror.  This mirror is 42 x 67.  (Uttermost)

 Even if you are just renting, consider replacing the hanging lighting.  It is not a huge expense, but can make a big difference, especially if the existing is not attractive.  The light below is from Crate and Barrel.

In your living area, arrange your furniture arrange your furniture like I told Martha to in this post.  (except you do not have space for the extra chair.  I would also get a longer entertainment unit.  Much longer.  You have a 20 foot long wall there.  Find one that is nice and long. Your TV will hang above it, and flank it on either side with 2 pieces or sets of coordinating art work.

Make sure your sofa is 36 inches deep or under.  Scale.  Scale.  Scale.

On your chairs, I would keep the size around 30 inches in width.

 To break up the long feel, use two round tables instead of a long coffee table.

To define the living space from the other areas- use an area rug.  Even if you have carpet- use an area rug.

 Thanks for writing in from so far away- it is really fun for me to get reqeusts from across the world.  ;)  BTW - I would add some pops of fresh green here and there...

Wallpaper Wednesday

Today's wallpaper Wednesday is for Jen, who is getting married this Saturday. She is so in love

that she is finding hearts in her strawberries and photographing them.... aahhhh....

Jen's "signature color" is yellow. So I found some fabulous yellow wallpapers for today's post from Farrow and Ball. Which is your favorite?

#1
#2

#3
#4

#5

#6

#7#8#9

Congratulations Jen!

Your Color Therapist...

Dear Christine,
I want to add more color to my master bedroom. It has only two colors and I find that it is boring and formulaic. How do I go about adding more color?
-Michal

Dear Michal,
Let's get to the root of the problem. First of all- there is nothing inherently wrong with a two- color pallet. Do you really want more color, or do you simply want a more beautiful, interesting room? I find that what is more commonly the issue is a lack of pattern and textural variety.

Start by taking a look at your room from a perspective of pattern. How many different patterns do you have? Are they varying sizes? In a typical bedroom, I would suggest you have at least three different scales of pattern. For example- you can have a medium size pattern on your bedding, a larger, bolder pattern on your rug or wallpaper, and a small pattern on your window treatments. These patterns do not have to have a lot of color in them- they could all be shades of the same color and still look great.

Next look at your room in terms of texture. What different varieties of texture are there? Do you have any rougher textures like a rattan or jute? Increase your textural variety with different fabrics- accent pillows are an easy way to do this. They can be covered in anything from patent leather to fur. Take a look at your walls and ceiling- are they all drywall? Consider wood paneling, textured wallpaper, or a beamed ceiling. Replace your window treatments with a combination of woven Roman shades and silk panels. Add plants. Greenery- whether faux or real- is a perfect way to add textural variety to a room. Something rough, something nubby, something smooth- textural variety will add interest and beauty to your room like nothing else.

When you finish this exercise, do you find that you still need more color? If so- write me back :)
Good luck,
Christine

Thanks to Coastal Living November 2007 for the photo!