Hi Everyone,
Looking for ideas to place over this sofa in my living room area. It's a small area and is never used but need something on this wide wall over my sofa. I did check out Haverty's online and found Unknown Framed Art I, II, and III and thought I could purchase 4. They are $99.00 each.
Here's a picture of my living area. Also looking for an area rug as well.

Any ideas would be great

LuvDecorating

Here are the UNKNOWN Art I mentioned

You could go with that if you want a monochromatic room. You might want to find a rug before you pick wall art though. There may be colors in the rug that you want to reflect in the art. If the rug has a pattern it may end up being more of a focal point. Generally I've always picked big ticket items first and fill in things like art work last.

I actually like it the way it is now. Chairs and sofa and lamps are so interesting looking and inviting.

Cote de Texas recently had a blog on tapestries. I am not a huge fan of tapestries, but some of the ones she posted are gorgeous.

Here is a link that might be useful: Cote de Texas tapestries

Thank you all. judithn, I've been looking for an area rug ...forever and can't seem to find the right one. You are correct if the rug has a pattern it would definitely be a focal point so I was steering more towards a solid. Choosing an area rug in the hardest thing for me.

LuvDecorating, What kind of area rug are you thinking of? What I imagine there is a Persian pattern with pale colors. Pale colors are only available on the newer copies of the oriental rugs. But I could also see an older worn in rug in rich colors. What's in the big wooden and glass piece in the left of your picture? Is it some kind of vitrine? Is the furniture antique or reproduction? It is very pretty. I think if you want more color you could swap out the pillows on the sofa for pillows with more color. I think right now the room looks like it has a static feel. Maybe it would help if we knew how you plan to use the room and if there are other colors in the hallway or connecting rooms.

Judithn

The big wooden and glass piece to the left is part of an Original BlackForest German Schuck (spelling) I purchased when I was in Germany. I even have the Certificate of authenticity and origin. It�s made of pure Mahogany and heavy. It came in five pieces. Because it was so huge as one piece, I decided when I moved into this house to separate the pieces...one bookcase and one bar unit. The two end pieces with the middle is what you are seeing in the living room. At one time I thought it may be too much but it has lights inside and I believe once I place my pieces inside it should look really nice. My husband wants me to get rid of it but what does he know (smile).

The room is never used and it�s the first thing you see when you enter the house so I want it to be really nice of all the rooms in the house especially.

I�m always in the family room and my husband in his "MAN CAVE" (basement). I never go down there except to vacuum, dust, and clean the bathroom. I�m not sure what color or type of area rug. Should it be solid or with a print. I do know I do not want shag or polyester. Not that anything is wrong with shag or polyester but not for this room. I want the runner to be the same as whatever area rug I purchase.

Across from the living room is the Library which as you can see I have not did anything except purchase some book cases and painted. I need to put the crown molding in.

I�ve added some more pictures so you can get an idea of what I like.

Here's the Library which I as I stated have only purchased bookcase and painted. Crown molding needs to go in. It's right arcoss from the Living Room.

I apologize if I am repeating myself, I do not know how to add multiple pictures.

The Family Room

Formal Dining Room - still nothing done to this room either except purchase the table and chairs and painted. Need to get rid of that huge plant. She won't stop growing (smile)

The clock is opposite the living room

Another view of the Family Room

One last view. I guess if I knew what style I was it would help (i.e., Traditional or all the others) or just all over the place (smile)

Your house is very nice! That German cabinet is gorgeous! I Love it, and the clock. I think you need a pretty landscpe, German maybe, to go over the sofa. Almost any rug wil go with a landscape.

What kind of "things" do you have for the cabinet? Mabe a dominant color there will help lead you.

Namcy

Have you looked at any of the Persian-style rugs from Pottery Barn for you living room? They have some nice designs in paler colors.

I would not match the runner to the rug in the living room, although the colors need to relate to each other.

I will go to the website and see what's there

Thank you

Your German schrank (not schuck) is a very nice one!

Have you decided on a color scheme for this room? I think that's the first step before deciding on art or a rug. Do you want a monochromatic scheme or are there more colors you'd like to introduce here?

IMO an Oriental style rug would work very well with the style of your furniture and there are many colors to choose from or you could stay with the monochromatic beige tones. Some of the old Oriental rugs are over-dyed after the color is removed so the colors can be very soft. IMO soft colors would work well in this room.

As for art, it's very personal altho I have to say I'm not a fan of ubiquitous art that 50,000 other people may have in their homes. Original art does not have to be expensive and IMO is much more interesting. If you want to buy placeholder art that's fine but if you really like to decorate your home in a personal and unique way keep looking for art that truly means something to you. Art can be more than prints or original oil or watercolor paintings - it can be tapestries or art needlework which is very European.

Here is a link that might be useful: example of Color Reform rug

Your house is beautiful. In one of the pix of the living room I am seeing a swagged window treatment of some type. Is it a soft aqua or blue tone? It's the photo of the long case clock and the window treatments are in the upper right hand corner of the photo. It's funny because I was thinking a rug with some soft blue and creams and oranges could look wonderful in the living room. The furniture is just beautiful, especially the upholstery. The rooms in your house look very calm and composed and doing anything with high contrast might be jarring. I am still seeing older faded oriental in this room. I am not seeing anything solid like a remnant of wall to wall or anything shag. In the German chest I would avoid a stiff composition of formal china but I can see some china mixed with porcelain pieces and candlesticks and books. Possibly some greenery, an antique clock, etc. You might also like a low footstool, something with a needlepoint cover could be very pretty. While I love the lamp you have there now I wonder if you have enough light in there for reading? If this were my room I would focus on finding a purpose for it and with your library across the hall it could be your reading room. I was in a show house that had piles of old books with beautiful small brass sculptures on window sills and tables.

Your house is beautiful. In one of the pix of the living room I am seeing a swagged window treatment of some type. Is it a soft aqua or blue tone? It's the photo of the long case clock and the window treatments are in the upper right hand corner of the photo. It's funny because I was thinking a rug with some soft blue and creams and oranges could look wonderful in the living room. The furniture is just beautiful, especially the upholstery. The rooms in your house look very calm and composed and doing anything with high contrast might be jarring. I am still seeing older faded oriental in this room. I am not seeing anything solid like a remnant of wall to wall or anything shag. In the German chest I would avoid a stiff composition of formal china but I can see some china mixed with porcelain pieces and candlesticks and books. Possibly some greenery, an antique clock, etc. You might also like a low footstool, something with a needlepoint cover could be very pretty. While I love the lamp you have there now I wonder if you have enough light in there for reading? If this were my room I would focus on finding a purpose for it and with your library across the hall it could be your reading room. I was in a show house that had piles of old books with beautiful small brass sculptures on window sills and tables.

Lucky gal

Thanks for responding. The room is painted Lady Finger by Benjamin Moore as the Library so I want deep dark yellows. Your thoughts?

Judithn and all

Thank you so very much. I am going to keep all these great ideas in mind and get to deciding what I am going to do. Had no idea I could put greenery inside that piece. I get so overwhelmed when trying to decide I seem to just stop. I really need to find a rug and I could hang a tapestry or needle point over that sofa....never thought about that and I have seen some beautiful tapestries.....

Judithn

I forgot to answer your question. The swaggs are a very light green because the sofa has a tint of light green in it which you can't see in the photo. The lining is a cream color. I will take pictures tomorrow and post

Right now your house looks like a house that was decluttered and staged for selling. It looks good, but feels bare and it tells me nothing about your family or your personality. Do you have any decor/art that you have collected over the years? Have you traveled somewhere and loved the architecture or scenery? You could use that as a starting point for selecting your art.

Chipsa

Thanks for responding. It's ironic you made that statement regarding decluttering and staging. I'm always told by my friends how my home looks like it for staging for sell because it's always so neat. My husband and I are both neat freaks and it's not hard to maintain because it's only two of us in this house. I did nothing special to post these pictures. I do have lots of items we obtained when we were in the military which are boxed up. I guess I need to do some unpacking (smile).

Those prints you pictured are too masculine for the curvy lines of your room. The frames, in particular, look like they would go better in your family room, and the subject matter is too restful for your already very sedate room, IMO. If you really like them, try to incorporate them into the FR. If you don't like them that much you shouldn't be buying them anyway :-)

I would find a beautiful rug for the LR---maybe not oriental, maybe something contemporary----with color. Pick out one of those colors, pale it down and paint the walls. Then get a huge gilded gold or white or antler mirror for over the sofa, something completely unexpected!

Other suggestions:

1. Your clock is MUCH too big for its location!
2. Take down those diagonal prints from either side of the FR fireplace and put sconces there instead. Bigger ones, maybe black iron or antique brass and glass. Move those prints somewhere else in the room.
3. The prints you are considering for the LR would be nice stacked in twos vertically on either side of your tv in the FR.
4. You need a much bigger lamp for the FR on that table next to the chair (left side looking at photo).

I understand your need for neatness and order, but right now your lovely space looks a little bare.

kswl

Thank you so much for responding. My house is bare...no accessories at all because I just don't know what accessories to get. I knew those prints along side of the fireplace was ackward. I had initially planned to purchase some very huge sconces with glass inserts for holding candles but changed my mind. Maybe I need to follow my instinct (smile). I know that lamp was to small when I put it there and the other lamp my husband said it looks like a Flintstone cave lamp. Been trying to find some but I think my problem is I'm very picky. I have mirrors and will post shortly and maybe I could use those. Your statement in #3, putting them vertically in the FR along side the TV...are the frames ok?

Yes, I think the frames (on the pronts you were considering for the LR) are great for the FR!

Don't feel you have to do everything at once! Being picky is GOOD--- it will keep you from making costly mistakes. Just as long as it doesn't keep you so paralyzed with pickiness that you never buy anything at all :-)

Your husband sounds like a comedian.... When you do replace that "Flintstone" lamp, turn the joke on him and put it by his side of the bed...temporarily, of course!

Ok great....I need to see what the sizes are of those pictures, cut out some newspaper the same size and place along side the TV for a visual view. And you are right...I think I have been paralyzed because of my pickiness...also my husband is a comedian when I buy something he does not like but at least he will give me his opinion and I like that because I'm trying to make the house comfortable for him and I both (smile)...more to follow

Agree with comments about the rooms looking bare but you can fix that over time. But fortunately everthing you've shown us so far screams quality and classic style. I would start going to garage sales, estate sales, second hand shops, and stores like Tuesday morning and the other home stores. I see accessories like very tall silver candlesticks, oversized ginger jar vases with lids, fluted columns topped with graceful ferns, maybe black and white etchings of maps and places you've been (since you sound like a traveler). One thing I notice about your house right now is that it has a very woody texture so the whole thing has a "matte" feeling. I think you might enjoy mixing up your materials more and adding shine. Mirrors. Metals. Ceramic. Porcelain. Those things will break up the uniformity of all the wood. Filling in with accessories and such can take a long time. If I were you I would keep looking at pictures online or in magazines and finding good inspiration photos to use for reference. Good luck! You're off to a great start.

Ok guys I just wanted to say I appreciate all the comments and now I have some work to do. I do visit T.J. Max; Marshall; Tiesday Morning; and Kirklands except for Kirklands items seem as thought they are from the 18th Century (smile) and the smell of all those candles makes me nauseas (smile). All of you have given me ideas and has made me realize my home is about as bare as a baby's bottom (smile). I am going to print off all of your suggestions and get to shopping. I'm going to post 4 more pictures with one being attached to this one. This mirror is what I started to use over my sofa in the living room....comments

These two pictures is what I started to put over the sofa but as always....I changed my mind

Here is the Lamp I'm thinking about replacing what I now have in the FR...my husband is tired of looking at the Flintstone Cave Lamps (smile)

And last but not least what I plan on putting against the entry wall but I'm also thinking the table and mirror is just to small...comments???

Also if any of you have any suggestion please post pictures

Why is it I cannot find any gorgeous candle sconces to place along side my fireplace? They are all either to small. Also can't find a mirror to place over my sofa.

Can someone out there please give me some suggestion based on the wonderful comments I received from here.

LuvDecorating

I think your house is beautiful. No need to fill it up over night. A good design evolves over time.

I like the brick tones in your fireplace and think the terracotta tones would be nice for the main color in the high ticket items such as the rug.

Your original prints from Haverty's are pretty but too flat I think and you do not want to go for that 'furniture store' showroom look anyway.

I do not think your clock is too large, it may look it with the close up shot, but from the viewpoint of the other rooms does it look too large to you?

For larger candle sconces you might need to check antique stores and consignment shops. Check on Craigslist too, look for electrical that you can pull the wires from to change to candles. Sometimes they are listed as dining room sconces.

Good luck with your project! You have a beautiful home.

Thanks Mary Ruth. No, the clock do not look like it's to large to be there and beside if it did my husband is not going to move it any more. He has move it 5 times already (smile). Not sure what you are saying about looking for electrical that I can pull the wires from to change to candles.

LuvDecorating

I love those two prints but not for over the sofa. I would find a landscape picture that you love with a frame that matches the sofa's wood. I love your home and I love how the room is coming along.

Have you thought of large metal art pieces? Kirklands and Ross have many items for a great price!

These are Scoobyruby's pictures, so I hope she doesn't mind me posting them, but I think it would be pretty if you had some plates on the wall somewhere. Maybe one big picture or a mirror over the sofa with plates on either side.