Decorating Help, Please!!! (With Pictures!)

[AKL_Megs]

Here is our living room.

I just bought this lamp for the corner between the sofa and the chair...

I am thinking of ordering this end table to put the lamp on...

I am just worried that the table is too traditional and the lamp too contemporary to go together. I am also worried because the table is iron and glass, and our coffee table is dark black stained wood (the coffee table has to stay... DH built it). I don't know if this helps, but FWIW, I also have this etagere lamp in another corner of the room, near the TV console...

What do you all think? Does it all work together?

 

[Nette]

I think it will work fine!

 

[JerseyJanice]

I think it will work.

 

[golfgal]

I would not call either table traditional. They both have very modern looking lines. I think the pieces will look very nice together and not so matchy.

One suggestion, pull the rug out from under the couch and leave a small gap of wood showing between the edge of the rug and the couch. The general rule of thumb is either the furniture is totally on the area rug or totally off. Take the chair and put it at the corner of the rug when you move it out, but again off the rug some. I know you didn't ask but it is a message board after all.

Get a big pot or something with a lot of bold colors to put on the bottom shelf of that new table.

 

[Sukie]

I agree. Mixing the two together is great. Even though the textures are different, the colors match. It will look "fab-u-less".

 

[AKL_Megs]

I would not call either table traditional. They both have very modern looking lines. I think the pieces will look very nice together and not so matchy.

One suggestion, pull the rug out from under the couch and leave a small gap of wood showing between the edge of the rug and the couch. The general rule of thumb is either the furniture is totally on the area rug or totally off. Take the chair and put it at the corner of the rug when you move it out, but again off the rug some. I know you didn't ask but it is a message board after all.

Get a big pot or something with a lot of bold colors to put on the bottom shelf of that new table.

Thank you very much!

The couch and chair are partially on the rug because when we sit in them, they shift and skid across the floor Keeping them partially on the rug was a solution... but I guess also a faux pas!

And terracotta is our accent color!

 

[Brit17]

Yes, I think it all works together nicely ... I also think that maybe you may like to add a little splash of a color into the room ... for example, maybe some candles on the coffee table ... or maybe even some accent pillows on the sofa or chair (either a solid color or a print)... I'm thinking something with maybe a splash of red or even a turquoise blue or green ... it doesn't have to be a lot of things, just a little pop of something ... even a colorful vase would be nice ...

 

[golfgal]

Thank you very much!

The couch and chair are partially on the rug because when we sit in them, they shift and skid across the floor Keeping them partially on the rug was a solution... but I guess also a faux pas!

And terracotta is our accent color!

Get some of those non-slip rug pad things--make sure they are for WOOD FLOORS. The ones that you apply on the edge of the carpet work the best. The sliding thing is an issue but the rug pads help.

Oh, wait, the furniture slides? Get those rubber coaster things that go under the feet of the furniture and that helps hold them in place. Cutting up some of the rug pad things and sticking them under the feet helps too. We had wood floors in our old house so I know exactly what you are talking about.

 

[MJMouse]

What a great room! You have a beautiful furniture set and those curtains are amazing.

I agree with the posters above...

- the lamp and table will look great
- move the furniture off the rug and angle the chair at the corner of the rug
- add in some color: throw pillows, nice textured throw, vase, etc

I'd also put a piece of artwork on the wall.

When I decorate a room. I like to pick one piece that I really like (vase, picture, etc) and then pull three colors from that piece. This helps pull the room together.

The terracotta you mention above would be a pretty color, but with your current color palate it is probably going to blend with the tan and brown.

Perhaps (since the tan is a neutral) you could use brown, terracotta, and something else (a turquoise blue??)

Good luck!

 

[Liberty Belle]

I think they'd go nicely.

See how beautiful the yellow leaves on the trees look? I'd add that color to your living room and I think it would be a nice touch to mix it with the terracotta.

 

[AKL_Megs]

What a great room! You have a beautiful furniture set and those curtains are amazing.

I agree with the posters above...

- the lamp and table will look great
- move the furniture off the rug and angle the chair at the corner of the rug
- add in some color: throw pillows, nice textured throw, vase, etc

I'd also put a piece of artwork on the wall.

When I decorate a room. I like to pick one piece that I really like (vase, picture, etc) and then pull three colors from that piece. This helps pull the room together.

The terracotta you mention above would be a pretty color, but with your current color palate it is probably going to blend with the tan and brown.

Perhaps (since the tan is a neutral) you could use brown, terracotta, and something else (a turquoise blue??)

Good luck!

Thank you! We moved in 3 months ago, so this room is really a work in progress. We are planning on a nice big mirror on that wall... some artwork or wall sculpture on another.

I think they'd go nicely.

See how beautiful the yellow leaves on the trees look? I'd add that color to your living room and I think it would be a nice touch to mix it with the terracotta.

I see what you mean, but I don't know if I could handle yellow. It is not my favorite color!

It's hard to pick something other than terracotta, because we have an open concept floorplan, and our kitchen is attatched to that living room... as you can see, it is really brown and "orange"...

What color would look good in the kitchen AND living room?

 

[golfgal]

Most decorating stores will let you bring things home on a trial basis. Start bringing home artwork and whatnot and play around with it in different rooms. All of your current furnishings and colors are neutrals, you could really go with any color with those. The trick is to find things with your base colors in them and and that have some other colors mixed in. My house is decorated based on colors in a tablecloth I found. I have some of those colors in all of the rooms but the dominate color in all of the rooms is different. We have a lot of red in our kitchen and family room but the walls of our dining room are a dusky green. They "coordinate" but they don't "match".

You could easily throw some blue into your living room and not have it fight with anything in your kitchen at all because it is just an accent color.

Throw something like this into your living room and the whole room will come together:

You could easily put this in your kitchen as well.

If you put something like this in your kitchen or living room, yes it "matches" but it fades into the background:

Also, most decorating stores will come out and do consultations for nothing or a small fee. Often if you buy something from them they deduct the fee from that price. They will give you a game plan for what to be looking for, etc. I have found it WELL worth the time and effort to go this route.

 

[dchi]

I think it all will work nicely together.

As for the accent color. Since you have the orange in the kitchen I would do an egually brightish green color three times in the lliving room. I like green and orange accent colors together. That should give it some wow factor.
Good luck and have fun!

 

[Goofyzgurl]

I think green would be a good accent color...maybe a muted green or more of a granny smith apple green. We have an open floor concept and did a golden yellow with coppery orange for our living room/kitchen. I also have touches of green in both rooms to tie them both together.

I've love going to roomzaar.com to see what other folks have done to their rooms and get a lot of good ideas from there also.

 

[DearDaisyinDurham]

I think green would be a good accent color...maybe a muted green or more of a granny smith apple green. We have an open floor concept and did a golden yellow with coppery orange for our living room/kitchen. I also have touches of green in both rooms to tie them both together.

I've love going to roomzaar.com to see what other folks have done to their rooms and get a lot of good ideas from there also.

LOVING this thread, OP, with pictures and artwork and all! Our living room is similar w/ the neutrals & I've pulled in reds & golds. I'm tired of those accent colors & am blown away by that vase picture below, wowza! Blues & greens, calling my name?

What is roomzaar? Sounds intriguing.

 

[3prettyprincesses]

Ok, this is seriously one of the most interesting threads I've read! Love the idea of getting decorating advice. Here's my 2 cents worth:

Yes, all those pieces will look very nice together. I'm not a big fan of matchy-matchy furniture so I love that these pieces are all different. Either lamp would look fabulous IMO. And the table's not that traditional looking, the legs make it look a tad modern.

As for color accents, how about a dark plum? The neutral colors and various browns you already have would look really nice with it not to mention the terra cotta.

 

[johnsontrio]

Meg~ I've been meaning to ask you about your house.. Last time I noticed you were looking at a house at 10 Mile and Meadowbrook..now I see your location is Livonia...and you didn't buy the foreclosure next door to me.. The bank has been working on it for a month and it's really looking good.

Congrats on the house..it looks great...we need to get together for coffee when your in town..

 

[AKL_Megs]

Ok, this is seriously one of the most interesting threads I've read! Love the idea of getting decorating advice. Here's my 2 cents worth:

Yes, all those pieces will look very nice together. I'm not a big fan of matchy-matchy furniture so I love that these pieces are all different. Either lamp would look fabulous IMO. And the table's not that traditional looking, the legs make it look a tad modern.

As for color accents, how about a dark plum? The neutral colors and various browns you already have would look really nice with it not to mention the terra cotta.

I actually really like the dark plum idea! Thanks for the suggestion!

Meg~ I've been meaning to ask you about your house.. Last time I noticed you were looking at a house at 10 Mile and Meadowbrook..now I see your location is Livonia...and you didn't buy the foreclosure next door to me.. The bank has been working on it for a month and it's really looking good.

Congrats on the house..it looks great...we need to get together for coffee when your in town..

Yep, we bought in Livonia... we are actually off of Plymouth, near Merriman. Whereabouts are you?

Hopefully someone snatches up your "neighbor house" soon! Is it cheap? I actually know some people looking for a cheap fixer in our area.

 

[damo]

I would go out and purchase a larger area rug with some great colours and go from there. Your area rug should define your seating space and be centered like golfgal said. Use accent colours from the rug to dictate colours for art and accessories.

 

[johnsontrio]

Yep, we bought in Livonia... we are actually off of Plymouth, near Merriman. Whereabouts are you?

Hopefully someone snatches up your "neighbor house" soon! Is it cheap? I actually know some people looking for a cheap fixer in our area.

Are you in Rosedale Gardens or the other side? My DH grew up in the State Streets, since you live there you should know what that means. We are off Merriman also but N of 5 mile. The house next door was built and owned by the builder that built ours. Both lots were originally one 2.5 acre lot with a small old house with no basement. His house is large, maybe 4000+ with a full 2000sq.ft. basement. 6 baths, radiant heat in the stone floors, craftman style, lots of custom woodwork in the home. He left the bank holding a 420K mortgage and did tons of damage to the home before he left.

The bank is in the process of repairing it all and getting the home back on the market. I'm hoping it sells for at least 300K. Even with that they are going to take a huge loss. The bank has paid all the property taxes and insurance on it for the last 2 years and not received any payment on the mortgage. Meanwhile he saved his money and bought another home not one mile from here (presumably with cash, don't think he could get a mortgage). We are ready for some nice neighbors!

Not surprised you settled into Livonia. It is a very convenient location for working out of Metro. It's a great time to buy with some awesome values out there. Congrats!