Help me plan my new living room!
Discussion
OK, I've lived here for 20 years and the decor in the hall and lounge/diner (latter part is my office) has been unchanged all that time. The carpet is grubby beyond cleaning and the settees are looking tatty - so I thought it might be time to pull everything out and start again from new.
I like light colours, real wood and a fairly modern approach, but I don't want a cold, characterless ultra-modern look. It's got to be homely, tasteful and classy in an understated way (I'm not into home cinema so it doesn't need giant screens or racks of AV gear). As for size, the lounge/diner is about 24' x 14' narrowing to 10'.
So, I'm looking for a fresh, coordinating look for floor, walls, skirting boards and soft furnishings. The 1980s fireplace is also up for change.
Right, that's the brief - fire away!
I like light colours, real wood and a fairly modern approach, but I don't want a cold, characterless ultra-modern look. It's got to be homely, tasteful and classy in an understated way (I'm not into home cinema so it doesn't need giant screens or racks of AV gear). As for size, the lounge/diner is about 24' x 14' narrowing to 10'.
So, I'm looking for a fresh, coordinating look for floor, walls, skirting boards and soft furnishings. The 1980s fireplace is also up for change.
Right, that's the brief - fire away!
I'm a big fan of neutral colours and natural materials.
Keep it nice and simple, an ivory or cream on the walls and maybe a feature wall in another colour (chocolate, mocha or some kind of wallpaper).
Flooring wise an engineered laminate would be good, walnut, oak, zebrano maybe? Easy to clean but maybe soften the look with a rug that ties in with the feature wall or curtains?
Sofas - can't go wrong with brown leather - I've bought a few pieces of these guys. http://www.interiorsdirect.uk.com/ambrowCart/shop/...
Curtains, a bit of faux suede in a colour to tie in with the feature wall.
Fireplace - have a look on e-bay, loads of lovely stone fireplaces available.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Radcliffe-Stone-Fireplac...
Keep it nice and simple, an ivory or cream on the walls and maybe a feature wall in another colour (chocolate, mocha or some kind of wallpaper).
Flooring wise an engineered laminate would be good, walnut, oak, zebrano maybe? Easy to clean but maybe soften the look with a rug that ties in with the feature wall or curtains?
Sofas - can't go wrong with brown leather - I've bought a few pieces of these guys. http://www.interiorsdirect.uk.com/ambrowCart/shop/...
Curtains, a bit of faux suede in a colour to tie in with the feature wall.
Fireplace - have a look on e-bay, loads of lovely stone fireplaces available.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Radcliffe-Stone-Fireplac...
If you want a wooden floor have a look at Classical Flooring, they are in Needham Market. They did our hall and dining room and are going to do another room later this year after the walls are replastered. Skirting boards, etc will come from Thorogoods in Ardleigh, near Colchester.
If you go for leather furniture beware of cushion slippage. My son has has a couple of items that look good but the side cushions slide off when you sit on them. It took us months to find sofas that combined looks and comfort, we ended up with Multiyork. They can customise the degree of hardness/softness and even size on some designs. They have a clearance outlet at Mellis, near Eye.
If you go for leather furniture beware of cushion slippage. My son has has a couple of items that look good but the side cushions slide off when you sit on them. It took us months to find sofas that combined looks and comfort, we ended up with Multiyork. They can customise the degree of hardness/softness and even size on some designs. They have a clearance outlet at Mellis, near Eye.
Thanks for the suggestions.
I'm wary of feature walls because it will pull the room in, and you also then have another colour that has to match. But the walls will defo be ivory or possibly a very light stone colour. Curtains are currently cream and I'm happy with those so they can stay.
Although I like wood I'm not sure I want wooden floors - I do like the luxury of fitted carpet. However that gives me another colour to fit in! I really like light carpets, but of course they will get dirty quickly, doh.
Agree on the sofas - either a slightly distressed 'buffalo-style' or maybe cream. In fact yesterday I wanderd into DFS and they actually had the most comfortable sofa I've ever sat on - and it was an electric recliner! The only thing was that the style looked a bit naff.
Fireplace is interesting. The old one can defo go, and I considered a woodburner (for effect really, the real heating is gas). However I can't be sure how much recess I have to play with until I start doing some serious demolition - by which point it will be too late to go back if it's not as I thought. As for the surround, maybe oak beams or a 'tudor' style stone surround.
So, I suppose the carpet will have to be a beigey/stone colour. But then with ivory walls and brown-ish sofas it would look rather cold and dull I think...
I'm wary of feature walls because it will pull the room in, and you also then have another colour that has to match. But the walls will defo be ivory or possibly a very light stone colour. Curtains are currently cream and I'm happy with those so they can stay.
Although I like wood I'm not sure I want wooden floors - I do like the luxury of fitted carpet. However that gives me another colour to fit in! I really like light carpets, but of course they will get dirty quickly, doh.
Agree on the sofas - either a slightly distressed 'buffalo-style' or maybe cream. In fact yesterday I wanderd into DFS and they actually had the most comfortable sofa I've ever sat on - and it was an electric recliner! The only thing was that the style looked a bit naff.
Fireplace is interesting. The old one can defo go, and I considered a woodburner (for effect really, the real heating is gas). However I can't be sure how much recess I have to play with until I start doing some serious demolition - by which point it will be too late to go back if it's not as I thought. As for the surround, maybe oak beams or a 'tudor' style stone surround.
So, I suppose the carpet will have to be a beigey/stone colour. But then with ivory walls and brown-ish sofas it would look rather cold and dull I think...
http://mydeco.com/
Wasn't this setup buy the lastminute.com lot? Never used it, just remembered it....click 3D Room Planner
Wasn't this setup buy the lastminute.com lot? Never used it, just remembered it....click 3D Room Planner
B17NNS said:
I'm a big fan of neutral colours and natural materials.
Keep it nice and simple, an ivory or cream on the walls and maybe a feature wall in another colour (chocolate, mocha or some kind of wallpaper).
Flooring wise an engineered laminate would be good, walnut, oak, zebrano maybe? Easy to clean but maybe soften the look with a rug that ties in with the feature wall or curtains?
Sofas - can't go wrong with brown leather - I've bought a few pieces of these guys. http://www.interiorsdirect.uk.com/ambrowCart/shop/...
Curtains, a bit of faux suede in a colour to tie in with the feature wall.
Fireplace - have a look on e-bay, loads of lovely stone fireplaces available.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Radcliffe-Stone-Fireplac...
Have you been taking pictures of my lounge?Keep it nice and simple, an ivory or cream on the walls and maybe a feature wall in another colour (chocolate, mocha or some kind of wallpaper).
Flooring wise an engineered laminate would be good, walnut, oak, zebrano maybe? Easy to clean but maybe soften the look with a rug that ties in with the feature wall or curtains?
Sofas - can't go wrong with brown leather - I've bought a few pieces of these guys. http://www.interiorsdirect.uk.com/ambrowCart/shop/...
Curtains, a bit of faux suede in a colour to tie in with the feature wall.
Fireplace - have a look on e-bay, loads of lovely stone fireplaces available.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/The-Radcliffe-Stone-Fireplac...
We've just done ours:
Oak floor
Oak fireplace made from reclaimed beams (with hidden AV kit)
Faux suede curtains
bifold doors
wallpaper on an accent wall, rest mocha
black corner sofa (the only thing I can think of that isn't in your description!)
rug in the centre of the floor to soften it/break up the oak
Must say, it does/will look pretty good.
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