Need advice on replacing my furniture/redecorating living/dining room!
6 years ago
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Need advice on Living room re-design with antique furniture
Comments (21)Thanks for the help! The hall mirror is 9 feet tall. It came from my great grandparents house (who died before WW I) and was stashed gathering layers of coal dust in my grandparents attic for 80 years, until that house was sold 20 years ago. I got it because I was the only family member who had a ceiling tall enough for it and knew how to restore it (plus my Dad talked other family members into it!). The delicate looking settee and chairs are from the same great grandparents. I never met them nor my grandparents from my DadÂs family, so having their pieces makes me feel connected to my heritage. It was a large family so I feel very lucky to have what I do. 2 other chairs and a table are from my MomÂs family. I just learned how to post pictures this week so my stair runner has not been "featured" before. But thanks for your kind words! We replaced the wall to wall on the stairs a few years ago. We hoped the wood underneath would be decent enough to varnish but it was not. So we opted to paint with oil based and chose a wool runner that would go with all the current Persian carpets, all the rest of which are handmade wool or silk. This was just ordered from a regular carpet store and installed by them. I still want to glaze (or something) the banisters and spindles, as the builder used 1 coat of cheesy minwax on them in a dead color I donÂt like. But thatÂs a lot of surface area to cover and I donÂt know that IÂll ever get to it. I got halfway through moving furniture today before I got sidetracked. I went to the basement to get this beautiful large antique looking mirror I bought a few years ago and saved for this room when it was "ready". I wanted to see which wall it would look best on before I got too far ahead. When I unpacked it to show my husband I found the brass had corroded in spots like it was diseased. I wanted to clean it up right away so I could have his help to hang it: itÂs too heavy for one person to handle. I have this strong copper and brass cleaner that up to this point has always worked. But 6 hours later I was still cleaning it! So much for getting this room put to rights today. My feet are killing me from standing up cleaning that thing all day. Why is it that every project snowballs into something unforeseen??? Why canÂt I get anything DONE???...See MoreNeed so much advice for kitchen/dining room/living room remodel
Comments (21)Your request for help is quite broad and without a lot of specifics. That makes it hard to answer. I'd suggest breaking it down for yourself and for us like this: 1) Before you start choosing finishes, you'll want to solidify your kitchen and likely furniture layout/orientation. You'll get the most help with that if you post a current floor plan of this entire floor drawn to scale with measurements noted on. Your architect might already have a floor plan you can share here, or you could make one with a tape measure and some graph paper. Generally a 1 square = 1 foot or 1 square = 6 inches is a good, usable scale. Please indicate on the plan which sections of which walls are coming down and any other features (good/bad views out certain windows, fireplace, ducting that can't be moved, etc.). Also note anything you'd particularly like to achieve layout-wise (e.g., an island, a view from the island to the TV, etc.). Post that and and people will have enough information to make helpful suggestions. 2) While you're fielding suggestions about your layout, sift through Houzz and Pinterest to find some inspiration pictures you like. Look for rooms that really sing to you and have the kind of appearance or feel you really enjoy in a home and want to achieve here. Once you have found, say, six or more pictures like that, post all of them together on here and ask people to help you review the images and figure out what the commonalities between the pictures are. This will help you identify what specific things you really respond to so you can include those deliberately in your new spaces. 3) After you can articulate what it is your really like and want to bring to this space, THEN repost this question about colors choices and finishes with that information. Provide your final floor plan (the result of #1), explain what specific finishes you like or what you're specifically trying to achieve through finishes (the result of #2), and then ask us how we'd achieve those stylistic preferences in this space that you have planned. You'll get MUCH more targeted, helpful help. Only then will people understand your taste and the space that we've got to work with. THEN they can say helpful things like, "You might like X paint on Y surface with Q backsplash, plus maybe G feature on M wall? That takes advantage of your space for K reasons while adhering to your taste." Also, some side notes: a) I think you'll have an easier time balancing the dining set with styles you prefer if you break up the set across several different rooms. Use the table in the office, the chairs in the dining room, and the hutch in the kitchen or whatever. With all three - the hutch, table, and chairs - together in the dining room (and being the only furniture in that room), the country note you don't seem to be a fan of will inevitably dominate that room. b) I disagree with Sophie that it makes sense to hire an interior designer at this time. When you bring in a professional, you want to have some idea of what you're asking them for. Something you want them to help you achieve. I don't think you have that yet, and free discussion here is a good way to pin down your own thoughts a bit more. c) I don't think whoever said this looked like an inexpensive house meant it in a denigrating way. You mentioned several very large ticket items (kitchen reno and opening up two separate stories of your house), and I think she/he was simply trying to make sure you're not putting more into the house than you can get back when you sell. That can be devastating. But in case that made you feel weird about having posted, rest assured that people post on here with every single kind of house. Is this the grandest house we've ever seen? No. Is it the humblest? Also no. But no one cares. We're all just here because we like improving homes. The starting point really doesn't matter....See MoreAdvice for my “open concept” kitchen/dining/living room?
Comments (10)Hi, Lindsay. I've got a few furniture arrangements to consider. They all have a moveable island cart for the kitchen. The first two are similar to your current set-up, in that they define the entry. One has the reversible chaise while the other is a regular sofa. The last one has a sideboard behind the sofa. It would serve as a sofa table and provide additional storage. You could think about placing your less frequently used kitchen items in there. The last one also has a reversible chaise. Pottery Barn has some reversible chaises, but I'm not certain their upholstered furniture is of high quality, so you'll want to look into that. Their case goods may be okay. Here are examples of the reversible chaise sofa and a sideboard. The chaise on the sofa has a storage compartment. The dimensions of each seem to be compatible with one another. Townsend Reversible Chaise Toscana Buffet Also, take a look at Bed, Bath & Beyond for portable kitchen islands. They have quite a selection....See MoreLiving room redecorating. need help making my room look cozy and inter
Comments (8)Center the sofa on the far wall (where the TV currently is) and put the end tables on each side. Get matching table lamps (26"-30" tall) for the end tables. You can put a larger piece of art over the sofa. This will address the immediate focal point as you enter this room. Keep the loveseat where it currently is, centered on the wall between the windows (if there's enough room when you move the sofa). Place the coffee table in front of it. If you need to scooch it down a bit that's fine, but I generally like to try centering off of architectural features first. You're looking at an arrangement something like this: You can then purchase a TV cabinet/console that will go on the wall opposite the loveseat. There might then be enough room to get a pretty side chair to angle in to the seating area. With this arrangement, you address conversation needs and also TV viewing. I wouldn't do an accent wall. Just keep all of your paint light and neutral. The carpet you have is pretty ... if you like it keep it. It looks as if you've already pulled some colors from it for your throw pillows. I would remove your valances, you don't need them with your fabric shades. Pretty furniture and a nice start to your room!...See MoreRelated Professionals
Garden City Interior Designers & Decorators · Manchester Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Covington Kitchen & Bathroom Designers · Nashville Furniture & Accessories · Redding General Contractors · Avocado Heights General Contractors · East Patchogue Interior Designers & Decorators · Rochester Furniture & Accessories · Romeoville Lighting · Greensboro Window Treatments · Belle Glade Interior Designers & Decorators · Bountiful Fireplaces · Fort Walton Beach Flooring Contractors · Stamford Flooring Contractors · Tigard Flooring Contractors- 6 years ago
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