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Home Decorating

help with LR and DR decorating

16 years ago

Hello, I have been reading many of your postings for some decorating tips and was hoping that some of you could help me!! We moved to our home 10 months ago and have been replacing floors and painting to update it. I am working on my living room and dining room and can't wait to have a finished room to enjoy in the house! So here are my questions... For my living room I need a rug. Should I get a solid rug and have it bound or should I get a rug with pattern? For my dining room I plan to buy new furniture. I have a very rustic farmtable I was going to use bu now that we added the raised panels I feel like the room is really formal. I have silk curtains that I am waiting for my husband to hand. I bought a black wood rod and copper brown silk panels. Does the rug look OK in there? Is the black rod OK with the brown? I would like to get a black wood painted mirror for the wall, and am thinking about a round table and buffet for the new furniture. I would love any suggestions!! I have never posted pictures before and have been working on getting them posted all day so I hope this workd!! Thanks, Lisa

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Comments (5)

Tryin2Grow
16 years ago
Hi Lisa

What is your first picture of? That's not the same table that is in the DR (or is it)

I think your DR table and chairs look quite nice in the DR. The raised panels don't scream formal to me. There are so many ways to accessorize, that you can take that room any way you'd like. Or would you prefer to have a more formal table?

You can easily go with a pattern under the sofa. Might add some interest to the room since the sofa is large and solid colored.

I'm having trouble visualizing how the sofa room works. What is on the other side? It looks like you enter the room, and have to walk a ways to come around to the sofa. Almost like it should be turned so the seats greet you rather that the back of the sofa.

The white table in the corner looks rather lonesome :(
Do you plan to keep it there? If so, it needs a chair and maybe a darker color on the table.

Hope this helps some. You basically have a blank slate here, so you can go in many directions. You've done a super job with the remodeling. I know what you mean about wanting *one* room to finally be done!
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lisak111
Original Author
16 years ago
thanks so much for the advice! The first picture is of my kitchen table that I was thinking of putting in my dining room. I don't think it works though. I didn't want to go really formal because I like a more casual relaxed feeling, but I dont want to make the room look mixed up. The sofa is facing that way because we have a gas stove in the corner and a TV in the amoire but you do have to walk around the couch to sit down. I agree that the table in the corner may need something too but I'm not sure what...
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hi yaya...yes, we had the sofa positioned in that orientation originally (purchased a very uncomfortable small sofa for that reason)....my husband really didn't like it because he likes to stretch out and lounge, and the 78 inch sofa (with the big rolled arms) just doesn't allow for that in this space...i think i will need at least an 82 inch sofa...if i purchase that length and float it, it leaves no room for end tables or lamps....so i think floating isn't a really good option (though i liked how it looked!) i'm not too concerned about the current configuration in the living room...i've had the sofa on either side and floated, and frankly from a utilitarian pov, positioning it against the wall seems to work best... not sure if you can tell from the pictures, but right now the dining table is centered in the middle of the room (and the living room opening), and for some reason this just looks awkward....but it seem more functional than pushing it closer to the wall, if that makes sense... i have to make a decision about the positioning of the table soon because i need to replace (and move) the chandelier ... i'll probably mount a large drum pendant over the table...right now the room looks extremely traditional with the egg and dart trim and crown moulding, crystal chandy, etc....and i want a more transitional look... i plan to buy upholstered chairs for the dining table, but i think those need to wait until i pick out the living room sofa and chairs as they relate so directly to each other visually any other suggestions about decor is much appreciated! really struggling with the space and how to furnish!
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I don't mind the aqua and orange and brown...in fact it's fairly popular (look at the design seeds thread and you'll see some rooms with this color scheme.) I agree the paint color is not the best...probably something with less yellow. The current furniture arrangement is awkward...it looks like it's set up for a debate. Personally, I find slipper chairs less than comfortable as you can't curl up in them. Instead, I'd eliminate the slipper chair and maybe get another armed chair to replace it if you need comfortable seating. Otherwise the beige chair is fine. Eliminate the wicker...it's too outdoorsy. Get a table to put between the 2 chairs on that side. The wicker one can work temporarily if you cover it with a table cloth to the floor. Put a lamp on it. The room needs lamplight. If you need more conversational seating, then get a couple of ottomans or a bench to put along the long end of the rug so it won't block the view of the TV. Then add a square coffee table to the middle for people to use. Or I see you have a love seat in the dining room...perhaps, if the 2 single chairs are low enough to see over to watch tv, you can put the love seat where the 3 chairs are now and use 2 of the chairs facing the fireplace. Get some end tables and lamps to put on either side of the loveseat. I would also move the white cabinet to the fireplace wall to help balance the weight of the fireplace. I can't quite see what's behind the sofa, but I would put a sofa table back there with 2 lamps on it, again for lamplight in the room. If that's a PC back there, the sofa table can serve as a desk area too. The other armoire thing has an inappropriate chair at it...get a better desk chair to use there if that area is used. In fact, if you move the love seat and the mirror, that may go better on the wall in the dining room...then you can put the bookcase cabinet where the armoire was and add one of the chairs and a floor lamp and create a reading area. I also am not a fan of the window treatments. While the color is bright and cheerful, the style doesn't seem to work well with the windows and the drape over the door seems odd, and the corner treatment seems to permanently block a window. Maybe think about what actual functionality needs to be served and then we can toss around some ideas for how that could better be accomplished. I agree to eliminate the mirror over the fireplace. I think the area would be better served with a large piece of art. Just some ideas for you...my suggestions may or may not work depending on how you and your family live...function should come first.
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I don't think so. The chairs are basically the color of your furniture, and green would give a fresh feeling to this room, as would blue. Are you planning on having a rug in the dining room? I'm wondering if there would be other colors to take into consideration.
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skypathway
16 years ago
I just wanted to post that I love the color in your dining room. I do agree that it appears to be more formal than your furniture. I like the color on the wall, but I'm wondering if another color might allow you to have enough of a casual feel to work with your current furniture. You could then carry that feel onto the chandelier with patterned lamp shades. Following that scheme, go with something like linen drapes and not silk which would again be too formal.

Sky
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deborahnj
16 years ago
I think a patterned rug in the LR would be nice to break up solid surfaces and frame the beautiful wood floors and furniture in the room. Your drapes are nice and I would try to find something to compliment them. I would add a nice throw to the sofa, some accessories and artwork and you will be well on your way. I'm with t2g, what is on the other side of the room?
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startbright
16 years ago
I see some red in the dining room rug. You can make the dining table more formal by using a runner or a fabric that picks up the red color. I would use the red and your neutral colors (including the black) with other accessories. Definitely a rug with a pattern that can ground the whole other room.
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