I agree plain muslin/ivory slipcovers could lighten things up. White might clash, but off-white is a light neutral that could work.

It would be helpful to know what your budget is.

please let me know if different direction is out so i can dispose of above.

Are you willing to paint?

I am willing to paint but would love to avoid it if possible. What color are you thinking that would go with the curtain and pillow covers?

All great ideas so far to get me started. I welcome all others as they are very inspiring!

BM Edgecomb Gray. Turn rug, medium beige sofa, bring front legs of sofa onto rug. 2 chairs

I agree about the white/off white washable slipcovers. Don't be scared to have a look online, or as nosoccermom said try Ikea.

It would give you a charming cottagey/easy going/casual look and still be much better than the ones you have now. You may even consider getting rid of the loveseat.

Price things out before you do anything. Regardless of what you read on this forum, things CAN be made better on a dime.

If you want to do Craigslist, we're all behind you hare and can help you look for something that's decent if you're willing to divulge what location you're at. And there's always some college kid with a truck willing to earn an extra buck, by doing a quick pick up. Don't be afraid. We know what to look for in the listings.

Plus rugs, if you're looking, are always a bargain there.

You CAN do this and have a lovely refreshing room.

Also....I am a frequent visitor to the Goodwill store. A can of spray paint is your friend and it's formulated to cover almost ANY material. I recently spray painted a ceramic bowl and it's held up lovely....so even lamps can be painted.

I can really see blue and white in there, or, if you choose to keep one of your colors, you could play up the green so that the red becomes an accent. (I might be a little less enthusiastic for your existing colors due to the fact that I JUST got rid of the same colors in my own home. However, if you want to keep those it can be done.

I would love to see some floaty sheers up to your windows, as was mentioned above...

True that more of a traditional look will cost you more unless you're keeping everything.

Either way, Craigslist is a must. Sure, it takes longer than simply pointing to something in a catalog and ordering it, but it is totally doable.

Thinking if you start w/ the slipcovers, you might decide painting & a new rug aren't necessary.

& maybe a few solid wine red pillows to pick up the color in the rug & curtains...?

nosoccermom - Are the Ikea slipcovers fitted? My couches have attached back pillows although I would love to change that.

They are not. They have one main cover that goes over the whole couch, front, back and arm rests, then individual pieces for all the separate cushions.

ok, so lets put a real spike in this, you do not want new pillows. rug or curtains, right and there is nothing wrong with the sofa covers right? i believe i have placed the last nail in.

havingfun - Your spike did not help at all. The couches and the chair are all torn and the carpet needs to be replaced due to pet issues. So there is a lot to do.

Do the couches and chair need to be replaced, or would slipcovers be fine?

It sounds like IKEA slipcovers may not work with your existing sofas unless you adjust them and start making back pillows, etc. which will become expensive and not worth it, given that the sofas are kind of worn.

Can you sew? Some people have made neat slipcovers from drop cloth. Supposedly "easy":

Instructions here: http://www.refreshliving.us/2014/09/diy-drop-cloth-slipcover.html

If truly replacement, in my area, I'd suggest Craigslist for new sofas. Then www.USArugs.com or www.esalerugs.com for a new rug, Homegoods or IKEA for pillows and accessories.

Someone here updated her living room for a wedding (?) It had two off white sofas facing each other and a red Boukhara rug. It looked amazing! I can't find that discussion

If you don't like the curtains, you could just take them down and maybe replace them with some inexpensive Venetian blinds, or just don't replace them at all if you don't need anything for privacy. I don't know what your budget is, but you can also buy inexpensive curtain panels (vs expensive, custom, draperies). I have multiple windows that don't have anything on them and I've actually grown to like it that way. I used to think that every window needed a blind, curtain or something. But, I've changed my mind about that. :) I don't know what other people think about the fact that I have some naked windows, but I don't really care anymore what anyone else thinks about my decorating because it's my house and I'm living here and "they" aren't! :-) ;)

Just to give you some inspiration....my sofa is very nice. Not to everyone's taste of course, but it's gold velvet and feather filled. I think the retail was about 7000 and I paid 350 for it, including delivery.

BUT, you need to be open to ideas when going the budget route and not go into it with a fixed idea of what you want because the odds of finding exactly what you want are low.

Clearly, I'm all about a budget (I have been ill and money is going elsewhere for the time being).

If you choose to talk back at us, tell us what's staying and what can go and what can be changed. I think the bones of your room are just lovely.

I would first ditch the drapes instead of buying anything to go with something you don't like. Take your time and keep an eye out on eBay or CL for used or hit the sales at JcPennys. Or, just wait a little longer and save for what you want.

If you tell me your Craigslist area I'll keep an eye out for you on furniture, rugs and drapes. Although...Overstock might be better for a rug.

What sort of budget do you have now? You don't have to do it all at once. However, is the budget $50, $200, $500 or???

Anyway, if there's a will there's a way.

Some people are asking silly prices for their used drapes on CL so all you have to do is go look at the ones you like, kindly state your budget and ask that they keep your number if they don't get their asking price.

Or, just search often. These might not be your style but I'm just posting an example.

Don't spend money to decorate around things you don't like. Ditch the curtains, pick a new rug, then choose new slipcovers.

justerlynn - I wish I could say my budget was unlimited. Unfortunately it is not. I would however be able to afford custom slipcovers perhaps. So the budget would probably include slipcovers from self-made (although my skills are not good) to custom made and then a carpet under $400.

It's doable, I promise, depending on your patience/tolerance level.

Is craigslist out of the question (a lot of people don't want to do it, and that's totally understandable)?

How do you feel about putting the dining room rug into the living room for a change (couldn't see it well from the photo)

Can you "shop" in the rest of your house?

Will the drapes absolutely stay?

Cindy, I get budget! I don't get unlimited budget because that's not my world. Still, I do love the challenge of extreme tight budgets. There is always a way! It can be exhausting though as you have to go to moving sales, garage sales, CL and thrifts. The challenge is to get mostly quality used things mixed with a few inexpensive new things so it all looks purposeful. I like to start with finding a decent quality used sofa first on CL or other and let that dictate the rest.

Its a lot more work but doable.

yes cindy, i was not trying to be mean. i have offered several things and with replies happy to help more and thought we could do most or all for about $500. but you kept saying you did not want to replace anything. I would still be happy to help. just tell me if you do not want me along.

havingfun - sorry for the misunderstanding. I would like to replace the carpet and either reupholster or slipcover the couches and the chair and ottoman as they are both torn and faded. Since I have to do all of that I was thinking maybe it was a good opportunity to change the color scheme a bit keeping in mind the drapery colors and the wall color. I still have this as an option but there have been a lot of good recommendations in keeping with the old color scheme as well. It is all very much appreciated and very helpful.

yeah, now we can do something! first lets double check one last thing, we were on a very interesting and reasonable direction, with going summer winter. can we try deviating to white sheers for under $10 a window? do you need drapes? oh just let me add up easy enough. sheers 7x3=21. curtain=75, rug= 200 pillow covers = 100 tables, lamps =200. ok i have $596 and can probably beat that. or we can go in a different direction saving the drapes. just want to let some light in

Cindy.......let's clarify some things so we can better help.

1. How much seating do you need in the room?

2. What area are you in? There are many posters who enjoy scouring CL that would enjoy helping you find a great deal on newer furniture and perhaps even a rug.

3. Are you open to changing the color scheme of the room if it can be done on your budget?

4. Are you open to not using your current curtains?

There are a number of fairly affordable cotton slipcover options on Amazon.com...

https://www.amazon.com/s/ref=sr_nr_n_0?fst=as%3Aoff&rh=n%3A1055398%2Cn%3A3735891%2Ck%3Acotton+slipcover&keywords=cotton+slipcover&ie=UTF8&qid=1502979318&rnid=1063498

Okay, just rug and slip covers but changing up the color scheme a bit but it still has to mesh somewhat with the open plan dining.

Dining

How drapes read when hung

Warm beige

I still don't know the budget so did a search for under $225 and in a 7'x9' thru 10'x14'.

Justerrilynn- love it! Here is the glitch. The rug we now have is 10 x 10. But that pattern and colors are really nice together! I need an idea for a pattern on the chair and ottoman.

Here is a $350 to $400 range.

You need your rug first and then pick patterns for the ottoman and other.

It looks like a 10x8 rug might work. Does it?

Also, is the chair torn, too, or could you paint it? There are some very cool examples of painting upholstery fabric.

Finally, are the sofas and chair so comfortable that you want to hold on to them? My CL has nice looking chairs for as low as 35.00. Ditto very inexpensive sofas.

Cindy, you're not giving us much to go on in order for us to help you. You say that your seating is torn and stained. Most people would want to replace them rather than spending the money on slipcovers....especially if you could get a great deal on CL. Yet you have ignored this suggestion from several posters. If you aren't interested, say so and don't let posters continue to look for things if you aren't interested in pursuing that route. Same with the idea of different curtains. You seem to ignore all of the suggestions and don't respond to questions. Posters will get tired of tryIng to help you if you don't give helpful feedback. Sorry. Good luck with your room.

I don't know...slip covers and fabric will add up. Here is a clean perfect condition vintage-ish Thomasville sofa and loveseat with an asking price of $450 for both. It can probably be had for $375 or $400 for both. It would look nice with some of the rugs above and would look really nice with a more updated green for pillows or accessories.

And...the style would mesh fine with the dining room.

Or if you don't mind nail heads.

Love this set below...it's more but you're getting a lot.

My CL: 350.00 for sofa and love seat, excellent condition.

400.00 for both sofa and love seat. 1 year old.

400.00 Highland House, Hickory, sofa+ love seat, perfect condition.

Wow that last one is a steal!

I could see that with new pillows and throw....

In my area, these would be tempting to me...

CR Laine and well worth the 300 for all pieces.

I would recover, but I probably would clean the heck out them first and live with them a while...I kind of like the cozy cottage feel...

boy talk about opening the flood gates. i will check later you have a lot of reading.

I wouldn't say flood gates it's just other options that may be the same or much cheaper than buying fabric for the chair and ottoman and fabric and or slipcovers for a sofa and a love seat.

Rose Druckman and havingfun - I think I have been very clear that I would like to RECOVER or SLIPCOVER my existing furniture and purchase a new carpet. I am looking for comments on which would be the best way to proceed, color options. CL was offered as an option and I appreciate that as I was open to all suggestions. I have not only responded but thanked most people. For those that I haven't, it was not purposeful. Rose Druckman and havingfun, your comments are really more disrespectful not only to me but to the others who have offered real advice and are causing confusion to those who have truly tried to help. Please drop from this comment string. Thank you.

Sorry I missed something maybe?

Lots of opinions here at Houzz....I don't see anything disrespectful....at least not to me.

Please don't get upset, op. We're just trying to help and part of that is getting inside your head as we can't read minds and many questions are going unanswered that would give us a better idea of how much work you're willing to do to get to where you want to be.

Don't worry. I'm sure you're room will look lovely.

Try the Overstock as-is section. There are slipcovers and rugs there and you will find what you are wanting and the colors that your drapes dictate (yellow or green?)

(They--the as is section anyway-- don't accept returns, however, so keep that in mind)....

Good luck!

What about this one (only 8 left so...)

https://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Safavieh-Evoke-Vintage-Oriental-Ivory-Gold-Distressed-Rug-8-x-10/10973039/product.html?refccid=54HETVHDUMGZUS2BHIIDEYZKYQ&searchidx=88&keywords=&refinement=sale:On%20Sale|color:Green|rug%20size:8%27%20x%2010%27|

Maybe not purposely disrespectful, but certainly not very helpful. I think Cindy Curley has been quite clear in what was being asked for & some of the replies are just way off base & seem to be pushing an agenda that has hardly any relation to what was requested. Would 'tone deaf' be the right term?

That said, this is a forum & such comments are not surprising to those of us who've spent a lot of time reading & participating here; you put out a topic & you're going to get all kinds of responses. I find it's best to just take what's useful & overlook what's not.

Please name some of the 'tone deaf' posters. Now that's disrespectful.

Thanks carol-w-fl. I am new to this and I was starting to feel exactly as you expressed. I certainly did not mean to offend as I said before I very much appreciate the help that was given with the right intent.

The issue is that this is free advice. Take it or leave it, but don't yell (caps) and don't insist people leave.

If this site was pay per problem, then by all means you have a right to say who can be here and who cannot. But it's not.

I know that I've lost a little of my enthusiasm for this issue and it was really so much more fun than whether a wall should be gray or gray or gray.

Let's all get along...

There were two people who said I was not being clear. I was just trying to be clear. I did not insist people leave. One of these people asked if they should leave the thread and I answered. I was trying to clarify the question for those people. Lets reboot. I was looking for advice and I am still open to advice.

ok, i have read back over, you were often giving some agreement to some change. you refused to answer questions or reply to many questions. you can not change color scheme if everything is the same. red yellow green is just that. just style of covers and rug, but even then so much. i did explain myself when i tried to push the envelope. I am sorry if i am the reason anyone felt they should leave

If you wished us to not be creative and find best price for rug and slip covers you would have said. many of us would have left you alone. I am sorry again, have a good day and i hope you accomplish your goals.

i am deleting pics now.

A change you might consider ... if the kitchen is as wide as it appears so you have room for it ... is investing in a second hand table or cabinet which has (or to which you can add)casters/wheels -- something that you can refinish, stain or paint, any color you want and use as a kitchen island and/or roll it outside for when you BBQ.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/86/39/59/86395918d315f3cfcde0094e56969102--painted-kitchen-island-kitchen-islands.jpg

A table or cabinet top that needs work could be topped with a built board from one of the big box building supply stores or even wood flooring panels or tiles.

Another change you might consider is to create small "quilts" -- squares from fabric squares -- that you can sew onto your existing slipcovers -- or just buy some padded fabric with the color/design you prefer, cut to size you need plus what you need to finish the edges. You'd still have red slipcovers but not all red. You can sew one of these squares onto the middle of each seat and the back above it as well as create arm covers.

I just bought a pull down modern window blind from IKEA for my kitchen. It was 20 dollars. I bet you could find some cheap drapes their too. I got my furniture for under 100 on Craigslist.