Help!! Advice on Wall Decor and Accessories for Apt

17 years ago

Hi,

I am new to the forum and was hoping to find some advice from the talented people on this forum. I am the kind of person that likes a lot of different styles and I think I have good taste but have a hard time with coordinating items and coming up with a unified look.

I have a classic french country style table in my dining room with painted black chairs, a modern white sofa with glass table, a distressed finish cube purchased from pottery barn and that's about it. The dining, living room and kitchen areas are all open floor plan, making it all the more necessary to tie the rooms together. So far I have barely anything on the walls and want to purchase a mirror for above the dining table and some artwork for the red wall behind the couch. I am also looking for a stand up floor lamp but don't know where I want to put it. I actually really love all these pieces but am having a hard time pulling off the eclectic mix of modern and traditional. It doesn't feel harmonious and I am starting to have second thoughts about the red accent wall since it doesn't seem to be accenting anything but a plant.

Here are some pics:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/52968735@N00/sets/72157603733356369/

Thinking about buying the Chelsea floor lamp from Pottery Barn in nickel finish and the Sierra Silver Wall Mirror from Art Select.com. Also, I know I need some art on the walls. Any suggestions or opinions on how to finish this room would be greatly appreciated. Also, what do you guys think of mixing silver and gold finishes? What do you think of the red wall? Should I change it? Thanks a lot!

Here is a link that might be useful: Apt Pics

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Comments (7)

ladynimue
17 years ago
Welcome to the forum blue999! I think you have some great spaces to work with. The pictures looked a little dark on my screen, but I don't see a problem with all your different styles.

When you start buying accessories and art try focusing on a two or three colors in order to tie things together (ie a red vase on the kitchen counter and a piece of art with a smidge of red in a bowl on the coffee table - whatever colors you like). The fun you have now is that you have a blank slate to work with - any colors or patterns you want.

I love your red wall and think some pillows (seat covers or a runner on the dining table in the same pattern?) and a cozy spread with red in them would look great! Maybe use the PB cube as an end table? Line up some art on the red wall, like a gallery, and put a sofa table back there and I think it would show off real well.

Don't try to rush. Keep reading here and looking at pictures and catalogs everywhere, learn all you can and concentrate on what makes you feel good and/or excited when you see it. It takes most of us a year or even many years to find and accomplish the look we want.
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blue999
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for your help! I was thinking about getting a sofa table as the back of the sofa just looks so bare. I guess I really need to think about colors now.
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countrylovergirl
17 years ago
I think you need to check out this website I get most of my stuff here and I think you would like it. www.jjhomedecors.com They are really great
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whenicit
17 years ago
Countrylovergirl -- knock it off. Pardon me but jjhomedecors site is worse than the dollar store. A dolphin blanket? For cripes sake. Creepy.
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ladynimue
17 years ago
Blue - keep us updated as you go along. And when you're ready, ask some specific questions. Like, "how would this mirror work above my table?" or "Which arrangement works best in my LR, this one or that one?" It's easier for most people to help out bit by bit rather than the whole picture at once.

Another thing for your rooms that I was thinking of is whether you can move the sofa down closer to the dining room space? Maybe it's just the angle of the pics but it looks a little heavy on the sofa side, with a lot of bare space on the dining side. Or perhaps a divider of some sort put between them? Like a low bookcase or shelves to form an L with the end of your sofa? Just an idea, and I'm sure once you decide on some accent colors you'll get tons of your own ideas!
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blue999
Original Author
17 years ago
Thanks for the advice so far. I realize you are right ladymine, I need to ask more specific questions. I know it looks weird that the sofa is pushed so far away from the dining space. I am trying to create a walkway from the door into the living room/apt. If I move the sofa over, it starts crowding the path from the door. If I moved it against the wall and moved it over, it would look great and even leave room for a chair but my boyfriend has to have it close to the television on the opposite wall.
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ladynimue
17 years ago
I hear you on the pathway problem! I've got the same thing going on in my house. The entry leads between the DR and LR - so it ends up looking like a long hallway. But if I move furniture then paths to the other rooms are blocked. Pain in the patootie! LOL

Don't even get me started on how men have to sit smack dab in front of their tvs!
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Help!! Advice on Wall Decor and Accessories for Apt

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ladynimue

blue999
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Help!! Advice on Wall Decor and Accessories for Apt

Comments (7)

ladynimue

blue999Original Author

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countrylovergirl

whenicit

ladynimue

blue999Original Author

ladynimue

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blue999
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blue999
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