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star9763

living room

star9763
15 years ago

Would any of you share pictures of your living rooms with me. I am getting ready to paint and carpet living room dowstairs hallway and stairway. I am clueless so many colors and to many choices.

Comments (13)

  • trixieinthegarden
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    The best place to start is with a pile of old decorating magazines. Not for reading, just flip through and rip out any pictures that appeal to you at first glance. After a few magazines, compare the pix and see if you can pick out some trends that appealed to you. Maybe you pulled pix of rooms with fireplaces, or very neutral colors, or with dark stained cabinetry...you'll be able to see it more clearly when you look at them all together. That will give you a good starting point and focus your vision.

  • caligal
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I found colors I like through Pottery Barn. They have colors listed in their catalogs for most of the rooms. The paint is Benjamin Moore and each season they use a new set of colors. Go to their site and order a catalog. You may even get some ideas from the site. I am working on my LR as well, so I don't have pictures to post.

  • dilly_dally
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    If you want advice on colors and choices check out the *Decorating Forum* here at GW. Decorating advice is given for both large and small homes, and the regulars who hang there are very talented with the advice offered.

  • sherwoodva
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Star, another suggestion is to build on the colors in the furniture that you have. Take a sofa pillow to the paint store and see which colors go with it.

    If you are starting from scratch, then look in your closet to see which colors make your heart sing. Even if you don't put them on the wall, you might want to build your room around those colors - maybe in a sofa or an accent wall.

  • ronbre
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    all interior designers will tell you to start with something you really love and plan to keep. Something that has some pattern and color in it..such as a painting, a rug, a curtain fabric, a chair fabric, etc..find that first and use it to bounce your entire color scheme off of it..myself in my livinig room i found a beautiful set of furniture that had a tapestry pattern on the chair and throw pillows with a chocolate backgroundk, a cocoay brown, solft gold, winish red and a olivy green in the patterns..before i bought them (ordered) i got a swatch of the fabric and took it to the paint store and ordered the paint to match (or nearly) one of the colors, i chose the cocoay brown (i have suede paint but you could choose something easier or cheaper, it is expensive to do)
    then use the other colros for your accents, i have wine drapes with gold trim, gold chenille furniture with tiny bits of wine green and chocolate, and pillows with chocolate background and green and gold stripes..an area rug in champagne over champagne carpet, the area rug has green, gold, wine and a touch of m auve in floral pattern..the ceiling is a lighter version of the cocoa (it runs through the entire main house, it is kinda like nestle quick color, very similar to the champagne carpet so they both go together, and then there is crown and trim in a vanilla color..the woods are a mix of medium to dark oak and other darker woods..and i have stained glass lights and accessories

    you can do the same with any piece of fabric, painting, rug, etc..that you like..just choose your colors from the colors it contains

  • phoggie
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    ronbre, your living room sounds beautiful....can you share pictures of it with us?....I would love to see it....thanks.

  • ronbre
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ok I'll go snap some photos of the living room


    the chair in the right corner by windows was my inspiration fabric. It has a jacobean print tapestry fabric and 4 of the throw pillows also have that fabric. The background on the fabric is a chocolate brown, but the other brown in the fabric is kind of cocoa color, there is a gold and two reds and an olive green in the fabric.

    I chose the cocoa brown suede (ralph lauren) for the walls, the dining area behind me in this picture has dark chocolate brown walls so they tie into the living room, I made the drapery in a wine damask to match the red in the fabric and made a throw for the table in the wind damask, all have fringes and tassels. The other furniture is a matching chenille, mostly gold but has the chocoate, red and green in tiny stripes. the other throw pillows have a chocoalte back with green and gold stripes..I havge a mix of oak and mahagony and antique woods in the room and I collect boxes and old pottery and of course books by the hundreds, some of my collection are in this room. The piano is a family heirlooom

    this picture shows the piano wall, there is an antique stool that i restored under it. the hallway walls haven't been painted yet, they are still cream, haven't decided what color to paint them, likely will go with the rest of my ralph lauren suede paint when summer comes. there is an oak bookcase in the hallway.

    this last shot was from that hallway, because the living room was very very small we needed all the storage that we could get, that far wall was 14' long, so the bookcase/entertainment center was the best choice for the wall to make the most of the storage, the coffee table has 4 cabinets and 2 drawers for storage there is a small end table that has a cabinet in it, and the console behind the sofa has 2 cabinets with adj shelves, a drawer and 2 shelves..

    in a small house it is a good idea to have multiple use furniture..the round draped table eventually will be replaced with a piece of furniture that also provides storage, when we can find the right small piece for the spot..the antique floor lamps provide reading light at the chair and sofa and there are 2 lamps on remotes behind the sofa for extra reading light as well as piano lamp and stained glass ceiling fan..
    I try to use plants to soften the room and fabrics, a quilt was given to me by a friend that lies on the love seat to throw over if i get cold, it has a lot of red in it, and the red candle stain glass candle holder also draws in more red..i would love to find more red items to put in the room and also more green, there is a green,cream, red, and gold throw rug under the coffee table not well seen in the photo..
    the dining room behind me in the first photo has french country table and chairs and china cabinet in this photo,


    and in the corner of the dining room I have a dark wood bombe chest with an antique mirror and flea market lamp over it that I salvaged

    as you can see the walls in this room are chocolate as are the drapes with bead fringe and there is a gold undersheer and gold cut velvet throw on the table with a red candle in a glass hurricane holder, the ceiling is the same nestle quick color as the floor and living room ceiling.

    it is best in my opinion to have your color scheme tie together into the surrounding rooms if you are able to make it flow smoothly..

    Hope you like my home

  • Shades_of_idaho
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Ronbre your living room is lovely.

  • ronbre
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    thank you Shades..I appreciate the comment.

  • marilyn_c
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I enjoyed seeing the pictures. It looks very warm and cozy.

  • eliza_824
    15 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    I have a very soft, neutral color on my wall, but I've accessorized with dark brown and blacks along with brighter golds, reds & oranges. I love the look.

  • bronwynspetalpatch
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    if its not too late for ideas, here is my look. White on White.. meaning white walls with white trim. Two shades of white. I actually will change to a very very pale sky blue walls in the next year or so for a change. Equally pretty against the white furniture. Click on link for larger pic...


    My Public Shoebox

    {{gwi:2068061}}
    by msbronwyn

  • oceanna
    14 years ago
    last modified: 9 years ago

    Did you ever look at the Galleries over on the Home Dec board?

    There is a thread for every room you can think of, including entries and hallways, and ceilings and stairs. Every thread is chock full of photos of beautiful decor to inspire you. You can see loads of color schemes. You can see pictures grouped on walls, or mirrors, or how to accessorize tables, or hang plates. It's like having a bunch of decorating magazines, but you don't need to find a place to store them. :o)

    Be sure to also check page 2 and some of you will also adore the pictures in the Show Me Your Cottage Decor thread.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Home Decorating Galleries

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