Need DECORATING help! Living Room!!!

[kimlovescats]

I don't know what is wrong with me, but after years of *thinking* I might have possibly made a good interior designer, I suddenly came to the realization today that I stink at it! I am terrible about buying a room full of clutter and then hating it all and going out and buying more! I love so many types of decor and every new thing that comes out just calls to me "buy me"! I really need some expert decorating opinions on my living room PLEASE!

Ok .... biggest problem, I don't know what style I want. *sigh* I have always loved victorian, but it really isn't practical and I really can't afford to do it "right". I don't like the ultra modern, where everything looks too hard to sit on (lol) and I do still like a little bit of dazzle. I guess I am wanting something kind of formal but cozy at the same time. I don't know ... I need about 3 or 4 living rooms to meet all of my styles!

My walls are red, have been a couple of years, and because our ceiling is pretty darn high, hubby would REALLY like to keep the red for at least a few more years! I recently bought this very large painting, which I thought looked good with high ceiling, but now I'm having trouble fitting large enough furniture under it. Also, because the painting has a victorian flair, I don't know what to put with it.

Soooooooo, do I work with this NEW painting and decorate around it ... or do I store it away for a future date and start ALL over with a new inspiration piece?

Here is the painting ... and remember I have to keep the red walls!


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Also, I have to keep my new entertainment center, but right now I hate basically everything I have on it. That is another place I have trouble with is finding what to put on the shelves!

Can someone help me use at least my entertainment center and my red walls and work up a sofa, chair, table plan for me?


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[Marigold2]

Hi Kim,

It sounds like you are a tradional girl at heart. Love the photo with the red walls, but the white entertainment center just doesn't go, how about painting it? Maybe a chocolate? I think that would look great. Have you watched HGTV, Candice Olsen is the best I have ever seen. Good luck.

[kimlovescats]

Hi Kim,

It sounds like you are a tradional girl at heart. Love the photo with the red walls, but the white entertainment center just doesn't go, how about painting it? Maybe a chocolate? I think that would look great. Have you watched HGTV, Candice Olsen is the best I have ever seen. Good luck.

Yes, I love Devign Design and all of the HGTV decorating shows!
Actually, the entertainment center isn't white ... it is a sort of buttery cream. When I bought it, I had ordered it from a catalog and actually wanted it to be white. When the delivery men brought it in, I said, "it's YELLOW!" Actually "yellow" is overstating it a bit, but when you are expecting stark white, it was certainly NOT that!

Anyway, I have to keep the Ent. Center, it's brand new and painting it would ruin it. That's why I asked for someone to design *around* it. That's the only thing in the room that has to stay. LOL! Even the painting can go if need be.

[catnapper]

I personally LOVE the white entertainment center -- perfect choice against such a deep wall. Anything darker would overwhelm your space.

As for the entertainment center, if you ask me, the baskets are a bit too "country" for such a formal piece. Also the pillow hanging on the knob seems out of place. If you need little storage things to stash things out of place you can get pretty leather boxes or decorative urns. A few cat pillows and furry critters gracing the shelves wouldn't be bad either

[Edwina's Secretary]

Kim, you know I have always envied your red living room (I almost have my husband convinced to paint our dining room red.)

Perhaps with such strong color you need less going on in the room. With the entertainment center...can you move the shelves? So that the two sides are not so symetrical? Then I would take everything off the shelves and have just one thing on each shelf....very simple....but dramatic.

Or maybe...if the shelves come out....have just one very tall thing on each side. You could put the books on the bottom shelf.

It is a fancy piece so I would accessorize it with less.

I like the picture and I like it with the red, but it is again, rather busy. How about a more simple picture...maybe even without any frame?

[kimlovescats]

Catnapper - I know the baskets and pillow are country ... but I also am stuck between my love for Victorian and Country ... isn't there a style called "Country Victorian"? That's why I am trying to go a bit more eclectic, or non-style specific. Maybe the "new" transitional style? I don't know! Also the Ent. Cntr. isn't really white, it is a buttery cream color, hard to match other furniture pieces with. *sigh*

Like I said in my original post, I know everything on the shelves LOOKS HORRIBLE! I plan to clear everything off and replace with whatever goes with my new furniture. What I really need help with is WHAT TYPE of furniture to go with the ent. center? I need a sofa and chairs and lamps!

Edwina's Secretary - Thank you for the comments on my red walls, because I REALLY need to keep those! YES, the ent. cntr. shelves do adjust and are also completely removable! I was thinking about taking all of the glass shelves out and buying matching tall topiaries for each side. How does that sound to you and Catnapper? If not topiaries then what? I do have a bad problem with too much symmetry ... I have to force myself to achieve balance in different ways, with weight not duplication! I love the painting, but I do know it is very busy .... the gold leaf frame and the bright large flowers ... and it would be VERY hard to find a sofa to complement it! *sigh* I guess it will go in storage with all my other "bad buys"!

So now .... WHAT COLOR, STYLE, FABRIC couch, chairs???? We're going shopping Friday! Also, what about tables? I really kind of hate the routine matching end tables and coffee table ... I'd like to use a bit of variety. I think I want an ottomon to use for my "coffee table" ... but I'm not sure what type of end tables. Also, LAMPS? So many questions!!! tee hee hee!

[Craftlady]

I would love to have a living room big enough to put furniture into but unfortunately in these older homes (65 yrs plus) there's little room.

My suggestion...... Hire Catnapper to decorate that will solve your dilemina.
You'll save money in long run by not buying the wrong things that end up in storage or taken back

[Ally Cat's Mommy]

I think the style of this room would compliment your walls and cabinet - I'd just tie it in by adding a couple of scatter cushions and accents in the same red as the walls......


I LOVE the site - www.wetherlys.co.za - all my mums furniture is from there, plus the stuff at the holiday home we used to go to in SA.

Another "accent" colour which can look stunning with red is a REALLY dark olive green - sounds hideous, but if you can get the right shade it can look amazing. Our holiday place in SA has LOTS of "ox-blood" red, complimented by various shades of beige, gold and light brown, with some ochre and olive green thrown in - can dig out a pic if you like.

[king2005]

One word "IKEA"!!!!

LOL

OMG the beauty of an IKEA house is insane!! Our house went from getto to WOOHOO I HAVE MONEY!!! lol Our place is soooooooo clean & the furnature (coffee table, end tables, rugs & candle holders) all work together. You can get them in different colours, including white which would look great in your home...

Heres a photo of our livingroom... We haven't replaced the couches yet as we're currently broke, but they will be Black leather when replaced... also ignore the blankets, as I sleep on the couch & forgot to put my bedding away before snapping the photo lol

[kimlovescats]

Craftlady: As much as I would love to "hire" Catnapper to help, I'd have no money left in my budget for the furniture! I'm hoping she will give me a few "freebie" tips though ... which she has already put in one or two. Do you think if I send her a few more tabbies, she would accept that as payment????

King 2005 - I saw your new room in your other thread. It looks really nice! I love your wall color, but unfortunately I need to stick with my red right now! I like your table too!

Ally Cat's Mommy - That picture you posted is almost identical to what I started off with when we first built our house six years ago! Our furniture is Ashley and the same style and colors as this pic. In fact our walls were a light taupe as well. I can't believe I don't have any pictures, they must have all gotten lost on one of my old computers! Anyway, I am trying to also get away from the totally "matchy matchy" look, that way MAYBE I won't get tired of all of my furniture so quickly! I've made some horrible attempts to "change styles" while still using the same furniture. Let's just say, it did NOT work!

So, now I am looking for all new furniture ... couch / love-seat, tables, lamps, area rug. What I really need to know is WHAT COLOR sofa should I use with the red wall and the light ent. center?????????

[jennielynn1970]

Yes, I love Devign Design and all of the HGTV decorating shows!
Actually, the entertainment center isn't white ... it is a sort of buttery cream. When I bought it, I had ordered it from a catalog and actually wanted it to be white. When the delivery men brought it in, I said, "it's YELLOW!" Actually "yellow" is overstating it a bit, but when you are expecting stark white, it was certainly NOT that!

Anyway, I have to keep the Ent. Center, it's brand new and painting it would ruin it. That's why I asked for someone to design *around* it. That's the only thing in the room that has to stay. LOL! Even the painting can go if need be.

I like the painting, and you could always paint the frame of that, or get a new frame for it. But the look wouldn't be bad if you painted it to go with the entertainment center.

I think a sofa that had more of a tapestry pattern would be really nice. Or, a brownish chocolate sofa with tapestry pillows on it.
I like these sofas, not necessarily all the colors however.

Pretty sofas...








The next two are ok, but really really do not like the patterns.





This is only my opinion... I just thought the classic styles would go better with your entertainment center and the painting and frame.

[kimlovescats]

I like the painting, and you could always paint the frame of that, or get a new frame for it. But the look wouldn't be bad if you painted it to go with the entertainment center.

I think a sofa that had more of a tapestry pattern would be really nice. Or, a brownish chocolate sofa with tapestry pillows on it.
I like these sofas, not necessarily all the colors however.

This is only my opinion... I just thought the classic styles would go better with your entertainment center and the painting and frame.

LOL! Everyone is trying to get me to KEEP what I have!!! I know these types are what go best with my ENT. cnter... but unfortunately I'm stuck with it, as it is my newest piece! I need to put something else with it, or go back to my same 'ole couch. LOL!

Am I stuck with my current couch?

OK ... here is my current couch minus the pillows that came with it ... they were yuck ... I have tried to find new pillows, but cannot find any LARGE enough!


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Here is my current end table ... I had two but messed the other up by trying to paint it white!


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Here is the sofa table which I hate because the shape makes it impossible to decorate .... there isn't enough room to put hardly anything on it but a lamp ... and it just is an awkward piece.


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Also, I "had" a round glass topped coffee table (the best piece of this group) but I also "ruined" it by painting it white.

[DrKym]

Slip covers that can be taken off and replaced when the mood strikes comes to mind,,,,,,,,,,

[kimlovescats]

Slip covers that can be taken off and replaced when the mood strikes comes to mind,,,,,,,,,,

I would love to do that, but the standard size slip-covers don't fit this sofa! It is large and with the curved backing, I'd have to get one custom made ... so why not just get a new sofa? LOL

[cassiesmom]

There are two problems I see with the room. 1) it took me a minute to figure out what's the yellow thing? Must be a vacuum cleaner handle. And 2) I don't see a single cat or dog in the picture.

Kim, I really like the painting, I think the entertainment cabinet is very pretty and I wish I had ceilings high enough to use such a strong wall color. My house is ... beige. Except for the carpeting, which is pearl beige (whatever that means).