Living room help please
by
Stiggy
+23
Does anyone have any ideas of how I can make this room lovable, we do everything in this room, crafts, reading, entertaining, TV , the lot, and with/very little spare cash. I'm at a loss. The whole room is much darker than it shows on the photos, we have to have lights on most of the day.
this is one side of the room
Kind of the middle
this is the other
24 answers
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I'm not sure how much money my ideas would take but... I would start by taking up the carpet and replacing it with lighter laminate wood flooring. Something durable. Maybe a weathered light rustic look. I would paint the walls one color. No chair rail separation. A light beige or grey something that would compliment the floors. I don't know if you or your husband could make storage shelving to put baskets in to put all of your things you like to enjoy to do. It would be functional but cute. Lighter furniture with slip covers to throw into wash. Take it one project at a time as you have extra cash.
Delilah wallace
on Sep 03, 2015
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Maybe paint the walls a lighter colorant change the curtain and rug. It may give the room a lighter appearance.
Janet Pizaro
on Sep 03, 2015
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I think the first thing I would do is lighten up the walls even more than they are... Maybe to a very very pale, but bright grey undertone and some drapes or curtains that give a "lighter and brighter" feel. Other than that, maybe some natural or whitish colored wicker baskets (can be found at Dollar Tree, Dollar General etc.to put hide the magazines, video games etc. (Even though they are nice and neat, less can be more when your crowded) If you have a few dollar left, maybe a few more light colored throw pillows to take your eyes away from your dark colored furniture! (If you look at the silver frame around your TV, you will see how much that alone lightens that entire area) Please post after pictures!!
Kelly French Johnson
on Sep 03, 2015
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Removal of wall paper and chair rail, replace rug with wooden floors and do reed style or bamboo roman shades on the windows and no drapery, but add color by putting fabric covered headers above the window.. A soft light copper paint on the walls. The one I have used in my living room is called "Mulling spice" by Behr, in the eggshell finish. Very soothing and beautiful.
Patty S
on Sep 03, 2015
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Yes, remove the carpet; the pattern makes the room look smaller especially with so many things in it. Remove the chair rail too and paint the walls a single light color. Replace the drapes with ones that go all the way to the floor. Consider hanging them from above the window to give the illusion of taller ceilings. Some larger baskets for items you use regularly would help make the room appear less cluttered.
Cheryl Kilpatrick
on Sep 03, 2015
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I went to BQ you can buy one roll of wallpaper and use it to cover a table. Paint legs of table in blue colour (acrylic paint Homebargain shop) £0.89 one tube Two walls paint in yellow colour and put on it different shadows of blue colour. Your can use masking tape to make space between stripes of blue and add little white colour to make different blue shadows. Two other walls paint in blue and do the same but use yellow colour for stripes. ask in any shop with carpets about offcuts of caret. Sometimes cost is less than £20 You can change also colour of your furnishers in the colours or mix them. Go to charity shop to buy curtains, blanket or other stuff to change your living room. You can spend less than £100 If you like my idea try it or change in the colour you like, maybe blue and red will be more better for you. Kind regards
Dana Czop
on Sep 03, 2015
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The best way to lighten a room is to paint it a lighter color and have a light colored floor and furniture. You could put a light colored carpet remnant right on top of the carpet, use a light colored throw on the chair, etc. And unify by using the same colors for different things, and the same kind of storage containers (labeled) for books and loose items.
Darla
on Sep 03, 2015
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Yes, I agree about the color/pattern of the walls, but all of the patterns in the room kind of feel a little too busy for me. Also, the chair rail feels more like a dining room than a living room and you might want to consider removing it. I think that the wall to wall of stuff leaves me with no gentle place for my eye to rest. You may feel it also without knowing exactly what is really bothering you. Tight places with many uses can be very challenging. You may want to consider what you really want to use the room for and if it is important for everything that you have in there and if some of the items would work better in other places. It reminds me of my current living room. What I had to do was remove everything from the room. Then I looked at it with just walls and flooring. This was a weekend project. I asked my family and friends for their input and we just sat and looked at the room to get the feel and inspiration and took notes so that we knew what we really likes. Then I looked at paint colors that I REALLY liked. You might decide the gray walls won't really match your feeling or personality. When you decide what to do with the walls and flooring, put in only the pieces of furniture that really fit into the space comfortably. You may want too go to a thrift store or yard sale/Craig's list and see if there is furniture that would "feel" better for the scale of your room. You could also use fabric covers for your upholstered furniture to give it a different feel. Another inexpensive method of having something easily accessible but not "in your face" is to build/buy a 3 panel screen to add interest, height and another dimension to your room. Put things away from the walls, if you can. Maybe a pair of love seats instead of a long sofa might work better for your room size. By the way, when I said take everything out of the room, window treatments is included in the list. You may decide on a different style/pattern/color(s) that would feel better, but this is after you decide on your furniture style, placement, etc. It is like the icing on a cake. I wish you the best. Redoing a room takes time and often we have a need that has to be filled out of necessity. Try and curb some of those feelings of urgency and do what you can to re-evaluate your decisions regarding your living area. You may find yourself gaining confidence and skills that you didn't know you had. Good Luck and happy decorating.
Cindie
on Sep 03, 2015
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You may want to paint your wooden pieces of furniture and give them more of an attractive continuity as well as interest. Pick a color scheme like gray, blue, and green. The color swatches give contrasts. Use light, medium and dark values of related colors to decorate your room. The room seems small so use dark values of color limitedly to give the area a punch or unexpected pop here and there. If you do everything of a mid-range or light range of a color scheme it won't pop either. Paint store people can be very helpful as well as the decorating sites on the internet. Get ideas of what feels right to you before you empty the room. You will have more information to work with for when you are sitting and just looking at your space. I hope this helps.
Cindie
on Sep 03, 2015
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Simplify the room's contents -- so that it's not so "busy". If that's wallpaper above the chair rail, get rid of it and paint the walls a single color above and below the rail -- no reason to remove the rail, the white trim is a classic combination with almost any wall color. And, the chair rail may actually create the illusion of more height. Light, neutral wall colors give any room a more open feeling. Darker floors make a room appear larger, as do smaller patterns in carpet and rugs. Get rid of the curtains and install wood blinds (2 in / 5 cm slats) in white to match the trim. The white blinds, even when open in the daytime or closed at night provide more natural light reflection and a more open feel -- the window stool can be extended to accommodate your plants (shelf supports may be required). Hang those small pictures on the wall or install narrow (6.5 cm) shelves for them to sit on and lean against the wall -- paint the narrow shelves the same color as the wall and they're almost invisible. Paint the wood furniture? Please, NO! The larger pieces, i.e. sofa and chairs.... seem to match -- the peripheral pieces, i.e. corner hutch and china cabinet, being separated from other pieces, are of minor consequence. Consider getting rid of small tables and cabinets -- they complicate the room and invoke a cluttered, closed-in feeling. If you must have a small table or cabinet, try to choose those without a "catch all" space or visible cubby holes. Lighting is very important. A couple of strategically placed floor lamps with tall, slender shades might add depth to your space without adding clutter. Simplify, simplify, simplify!
Jeff
on Sep 03, 2015
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I agree with a lot of what Jeff said. Removing curtains makes a huge difference in light. Blinds would be better. I understand a do it all room has to contain it all. So I suggest you look for some ways to conceal it all. I have a table next to my chair where I can put things and close the door. Maybe shelves with baskets or bins. I use a bookcase. I try to keep it uncluttered and airy looking but it contains covered boxes of stuff too. A lighter carpet would help. The biggest thing is take almost everything out of the room and just add back a few of your favorites. I have kids that do it for me. They come over to help with some things and the next thing I cant find anything because its all hidden behind doors. Todays trend is really less is more.
Margaret
on Sep 03, 2015
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The room appears crowded with furniture, patterns, and stuff...simplify. Remove curtains and install 2" wood blinds, valances, fabric shades, or even sheers if you feel you must have something on the windows...if privacy isn't an issue then leave windows bare. Remove patterned carpet and install hardwood, laminate, tile, carpet...whatever you prefer but it needs to be light. If the beadboard doesn't go around them room consider having it installed to match the existing. If you can't remove the wallpaper then prime and paint over it. Paint some of the furniture with chalk paint---basically no prep..the paint and waxes are expensive but you would be surprised at how well it could look. Best wishes.
Louise Adkins
on Sep 03, 2015
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I reread your post and if cost is an issue I have two words...simplify and paint. Paint is the most economical way to change a space. Could the tv go on the built-in in place of the family photos?Simply remove the drapes.Remove any furniture that isn't absolutely necessary.Update your pillow coverings...if you sew just make some covers or if you have Hobby Lobby use 40% off coupons and buy new pillow covers...something with texture - a burlap color...Less is more.
Louise Adkins
on Sep 03, 2015
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@stiggy you didn't say if this was a rental or you own, but you did mention "very spare cash". With that in mind I feel the most important totally free start would be to purge the room of anything you don't absolutely need. Anything you do need should be put behind closed doors or in drawers. If you still need extra storage, ask for free shoe/boot boxes at a near by shoe store. Also ask for the end of roll news print paper at your local newspaper to cover those boxes with. In the USA you can usually get both for free. Unless you need the pillows for comfort, I'd remove them completely, stash them out of sight until needed. Though they are lighter than the upholstery, they add visual "clutter". I do not mean that in a bad way. You have a lovely room with very nice furnishings. There's just a lot there making it less comforting on the eye. (Adding this here, though it could cost a bit. You could recover the pillows to match the upholstery.) Here are more suggestions that will cost some money. 1. I would suggest moving the TV over the fireplace with the cable boxes on the top of the buffet. That would remove the TV stand from the room with minimal cost of the wall mount bracket. 2. Instead of painting the walls gray, or grey with an "e" since you live in the UK (smile) I'd suggest a warmer buttery, yet pale, yellow. I'd suggest an exact color, but if I remember correctly you use a totally different type of paint than we do here therefore any suggestions I make would be useless to you. Yellow will blend with the warm tones of the lovely wood on your furniture and the green upholstery. It's also a happy color, hopefully raising the mood to "lovable". 3. If at all possible, I would also suggest changing out the wall to wall. If there are wood floors underneath, possibly all you'd need to do was remove the rug and clean them up. When you can afford it get yourself a solid, light colored area rug.
Z
on Sep 03, 2015
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.Start with the busy carpeting.. as you have the money, remove the carpet and put in a plain rug or laminate flooring. New drapes or none at all. Paint on the walls..same above and below your chair rail...maybe cream colored to go with your green furniture.. Your TV stand is too small...could it be put on the chest beside the fireplace? And please declutter...I know you use the room for crafts but some nice big hamper type baskets will hold a lot of things and be out of sight. Show us when you finish.
Pat
on Sep 03, 2015
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I agree with Pat M. the busy carpeting adds visual clutter. There are ways to paint carpet if that is not possible and the under floor is good remove the carpet. Lighten the look of the dark woods throughout.
Lynda Dexter
on Sep 04, 2015
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The busy carpet is the real issue. Peak under and see what the floor is like underneath. You may be able to pull it up and sand the floor and seal it. Or just live with the bare floor until you can afford to have wood flooring put down. You'll be surprised what a difference it will make. You can get an area rug if you want when you are able. Good luck to you.
Ely Summers
on Sep 04, 2015
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I think removing the clutter is a free and easy way to start improving the look of the room.
Geri Eller
on Sep 04, 2015
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Paint, paint and more paint. Paint the little table. Paint the cabinet in the back with the pictures on it. Paint the TV stand. Carpet has to go as others talked about , look under and see what is there. Could also look up how to dye it, maybe. Paint the entrance door, maybe a pretty red color, or any color you like. Paint the walls, give them a little color, not a dark color just a color like light burnt orange,i'll call it.
Kathy Kozee
on Sep 05, 2015
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My personal opinion...Clear room, remove carpet, if u can't afford new ( one color) carpet , paint the floors. Paint you're hutch, end tables, and the dresser . When u have several different shades of wood in a room it just looks like a second hand store. Paint the lower part of walls a couple shades darker than what is on there now. It's hard to tell what ur rooms exactly look like but when putting things back make two rooms..one for ur exercise and office and one for TV entertaining . Try using the dresser ( not positive if it is a dresser from the pic) but try using it for ur Tv stand. U could get some scrap pieces of wood from craigslist, yard sales or lumber yard and make a frame and put ur pics in a collogue. Looks like u have a fireplace ? try stacking ur magazines on the floor with ur vase on top. Remove those curtains. Look for blinds or nicer long curtains and hang from high above window clear to floor. Stay away from bold prints. U should wear them , not live in them..lol. Well this is my suggestions and good luck. Let us see what u come up with.
Renata
on Sep 05, 2015
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I hate to say I agree about the carpet, but it does make the already crowded room look more crowded. You could consider a plain area rug that doesn't have a pattern, a remnant is not expensive. Your walls are already pretty neutral, I think the biggest trick is really storage. in the photographs the folding chair, video games, magazines etc. are all in plain view seems silly but they really can clutter a room. The curtains with the sheen attract the eye as well, you could either match the forest green or go with a coffee, or darker tan tone curtain that goes to the floor so it doesn't create another visual stop line in the room. Your little end table, you choose the fruit or the flowers but both on such a little table makes the table useless and also crowds the room. You need to utilize the storage that is available in the room, simply tucking the red bag, the pink box and the little blue grey bag into the little end table with make the room appear more cohesive. I know we can't all afford to do the big things and it is all well and good to tell someone to get rid of everything but that is not a realisitc solution . I do agree that if you wanted to you could paint your accent peices to compliment eachother. As to the color that is up to you. Good luck and don't take what everyone says too seriously, it is after all your home and you should be comfortable in it.
Lee Cunningham Green
on Sep 06, 2015
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I would paint out your walls on both top and bottom. The pattern on top feels busy. The color you have is good if you like it. If you want to differentiate from top and bottom of wall, try going a shade lighter on top. Add white sheer curtains on your window. Not expensive and will let light through. It looks as if you maybe have some outside bushes by that window that maybe could be trimmed to let more light in. Paint your furniture white (maybe with chalk paint?) Easy to make yourself and not expensive at all. White furniture will also brighten up your space and having everything one uniform finish will help with the "busy feeling" you have right now. Now de-clutter. Go to garage sales and local thrift stores and get some neat bins and baskets to hold movies, magazines, books and such. If you don't have so much extra stuff sitting out, the room will also feel bigger plus you will get organized in the process. If you are able to remove your carpet and use the floor underneath, go for it! Taking that busy carpet out of there will make a huge difference. If you aren't able to do that then maybe you can replace that carpet with a solid carpet. You can buy carpet remnants quite inexpensively. They also sell carpet off rolls in the home stores that are pretty affordable. Even if you can't do the floor right now just following the other steps will make your room feel bigger, brighter and more unified. Good luck...be sure and share what you do!
The Redesign Habit
on Sep 08, 2015
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I personally love the carpet! I would remove the wallpaper on top and paint it a cream color. Clean out the clutter, then order floor length voile sheers from "Brylane Home" catalogue in a light color that will go with the carpet. Pick a color out of the carpet that will go with your furniture, just make sure it is light colored.. Paint the dark wood the cream color also. then in the fireplace - green plants and led candles tucked into plants. This is just something I would do. Good luck whatever you do decide on.
Lynn
on Sep 08, 2015
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I get budget and so many ideas and so little money......Clear the clutter, a rule I use is if I don't love or it doesn't make me smile or I don't have a use for it, it doesn't stay. If I love it and it doesn't fit or work in the room I use it in another room or store it for another day. Measure and lay out your room and make use of your walls, the most overlooked area for small places. Prioritize and budget don't make it a weekend project, just do what you can and work with what you have, bit by bit. Even if one change brightens the room like a curtain switch but it's not the window treatment of your vision, use it for now to lighten the room and save and wait in the mean time for your vision. I like your carpet if it cant get a neutral floor, pick the lightest colors from the rug pattern and make that your paint and accent colors or buy an inexpensive neutral floor rug to go over it. Don't over do patterns keep it clean with fewer patterns keep the bigger things neutral with one or two focal pops of color and let throws and cushions and accessories be your accents to brighten and liven up the space. Look at apartmenttherapy.com, ikea hacks and tiny house websites for more ideas on small spaces. Paint what you are able. Display your figurines and such on shelves and get rid of the corner cabinet and small TV console. Shelves are your best bet, as are baskets and decorative storage boxes, made from varying cardboard boxes you cover . Instead of your current TV stand replace it with a long console, dresser, book case turned sideways ( see ikea hacks), so you have the TV up and the use of drawers or baskets to store extra. I don't know what your hutch holds if you can move thing out of that onto shelves or store things in other rooms, but cutting down on the clutter if you can't move it or paint it will help, put those pictures up either on shelves or in a nice collage on your wall. That white piece of furniture is that a desk desk or dresser there, can you use that for the TV? Get rid of the hutch buy moving it to another room, if there is room or sell it to buy things you do want and need for that room. I have a hutch my daughter wants for when she moves out, so for now I use it to store her art materials in another room. I've seen them used as dressers, shoes in the display and folded clothes below. Don't let the original function of furniture stop you, use it how it fits you and your needs or the original function of any item for that matter. Ask yourself if you didn't know what it was what could it be instead, you start to see things differently or combined things for a new use. Get furniture that is multifunctional or that can tuck away neatly when not needed like nesting tables or dinner TV tray tables or storage ottomans that can make a table when four are put together or individual tables or extra seating. If you can and want to replace your furniture get less bulky pieces if it is getting smaller chairs, like a slipper chair for seating but can also pull up to a desk or table for crafting. Build book shelves along the wall and have an open space underneath one section to pull a chair up. Keep your treadmill folded along a wall and make a screen for it to keep it hidden while not in use. If you can make it sturdy enough to not topple over make it a fabric screen with pockets to hold lightweight things like magazines or knitting, crocheting,craft stuff...is it possible to have a table/shelf Extend from the windows, just a slim ledge even for photos or something. Are those radiators under the windows? I don't know what kind of heat kicks out from that or if it's possible,but if it's an option. Hanging lamps if possible for extra lights and off the floor. Make use of fabrics like table cloths,shower curtains, sheets, painters cloth for your curtains and pillows even upholstery, if the cost of fabric is an issue. Shop in your house, go room to room and see if something will work better in the front room. Get rid of clutter as you go..swap with friends. Yo seem to like to surround yourself with figurines and knick knacks, if that is your taste create wall vingets for them and if you can use your fireplace mantle. If possible pull the couch from the wall a bit and add a long wood shelf behind it for lamps and your knick knacks, baskets for storage..cover your furniture and pain the wood lighter if you can..basket, paints, shelves, fabric...light neutral, to me are try our best bests to start. If you need that folding chair by the window, paint it, cover it with a fabric and hang it up on a hook out of the way, behind a door or someplace. If you can above your fireplace add more than one shelf aside from the mantle for books or games or your knick knacks.. Good luck, enjoy your room makeover journey.
Mona
on Sep 08, 2015
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