Stuck on furniture...Help!

10 years ago

We are on stage 2 (with probably a 3rd stage to come) of renovating the family room in our home, and it is now time to pick out furniture. My husband and I have somewhat different taste in furniture, which is making it a bit difficult to come to a decision, and was hoping you all might have some tips for me.
First, some basics. We live in the Northeast and our home is a 1970s era ranch. The family room has only one large window, which is north-facing and tends to be very dark. We will repaint the walls most likely a paler shade--possible a neutral ivory or pale gray depending on furniture and ceiling will be painted as well. We will paint the fireplace in a pale neutral. We have a young daughter who likes to snack/drink in this room (prior to renovating) and still occasionally spills. My husband has allergies.
In my perfect world, I would love to go with a light neutral performance fabric (gray, oatmeal, or light taupe) on either a sectional or sofa, and use pops of color to liven the room up. My husband insists on leather because he thinks it will be better than steam cleaning performance fabric, and thinks mold and allergens may be an issue with fabric. My question is: Can we get away with a light leather couch in our area, or will this just look wrong? I don't want to go super-modern. Is dark leather the only option? What are your thoughts? I'm just afraid this room is going to look terribly dark. I have attached a photo.

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Comments (6)

lascatx
10 years ago
If you are going to paint the fireplace and lighten the walls, I think I'd like some color in your sofa. It's good to have contrast with your walls. I'm not a fan of the big black or dark, dark brown monsters though. When you see in-stock options, that or the off-white/oyster may be all you see, but you can order many colors.
ellendi
10 years ago
I think you would be fine with a taupe leather sofa. I'm not a fan of leather but i see where your DH is coming from. I have a friend who has a son with allergies.
I did a quick google search for taupe leather sofas. all sorts of styles popped up.
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peegee
10 years ago
Since its a ranch, can you add a skylight or solartube to bring in more light to not feel as limited? (Hope you show progress as you go, room looks nice!)
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BeverlyFLADeziner
10 years ago
Light colored leather or microfiber that resists staining could certainly be successfully used in the room.

I would paint the brick fireplace and not think twice. Also consider a non-shedding synthetic fiber rug to anchor the furniture arrangement.
Holly- Kay
10 years ago
I like leather furniture and it is so much easier to clean than upholstered. I wouldn't necessarily limit myself to light colored leather though because there is a wide variety of colors available. If you do go with a light taupe it will also look great and as you said you can add pops of color with accessories.
Annie Deighnaugh
10 years ago
One of the best cures for a dark room is to add edison's lights...I see some recessed cans for general lighting, but if it's not too late, you can add some spots to highlight where drapes would be by the window, something to highlight whatever it is you'll put on the mantel and maybe some spots to highlight some obvious places for artwork. Then also keep in mind lamps and torchieres that might brighten the room.

Then you can feel free to add more depth of color to the room. I'm not a fan of dark brown leather either, but taupe certainly or even red or navy. Unless you are intentionally going for a monochromatic look...which most family rooms are not...then you want to be able to add color and life to the space to keep it lively and energetic enough for a young and growing family.

This post was edited by AnnieDeighnaugh on Sun, Feb 9, 14 at 18:10