Spent a fortune on a new couch and custom curtains that I don’t like.
Stuck with a new
couch and custom curtains that I don’t like. Trying to figure out how to make it work. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
Comments (566)
partim
5 years agoKim, what I hear is that you are telling us that you will not be recarpeting and you will not be getting a new sofa. And when I see this picture, I think you are willing to work with warm browns, and move away from the bright clear colors in this room. This is the best I have seen your room look yet. On my screen, it looks like the rug ties in the various browns. If you can find art with these colors that is horizontal, I think you'd be done if you removed the drapes. Do you really even need drapes?
Kim Gramaglia thanked partimRelated Discussions
Cheap mulch ideas - I've already spent a fortune!
Comments (32)Any kind of organic material that's not visually offensive and of an acceptable size/texture can be used as mulch. I quit buying mulch many years ago, and instead put leaves, yard trimmings, pine needles, coffee grounds, grass from mower bag, whatever presents itself, when it presents itself. Green grass turns brown and mulch-y looking in a couple days, and the mixture of materials provides a wider range of nutrients for plants and the microbes that decompose materials into a form plants can use. More frequent additions of fresh materials keep the soil food chain alive. Here is a link that might be useful: Brief but extemely informative lecture about soil microbiology...See MoreWhy don't I like double flower Amaryllis?
Comments (47)Let me clarify if I may. The phyto is obtained by the sender only, not the receiver and the cost is determined by the govt where the sender lives. It costs around $50 in Aus. and anywhere from $10-30 in most other countries. As the receiver you only need an import permit and in the U.S. this is totally free and the form takes as much as 5 minutes to fill out if you are having a cup of coffee while you do it. You only need to list a couple of species/hybrids and once you get it you can import thousands of bulbs of any species that is not CITES protected even though you never put it on your list in the first place. By the way, you only need to list one country on your original import permit and then you can import from any country you want as well. I have been doing this for many years now and have talked with the people at our APHIS/USDA office numerous times to get these points clarified in person. Trust me when I say this is totally trivial...totallY!! The only problem you will have is sometimes the bulbs are not packed as well as they should be or are packed the slightest bit damp and then you have some that arrive with fungus or rot. If you are importing bulbs that are tougher than Amaryllis you can simply expect some loss....everyone has this problem that I have ever talked to about importing that does it in significant quantities. All the best if you decide to do it :o) Dan...See MoreHelp Pls, Don't Want Kitchen Curtain... But Want Something?
Comments (33)premier, the window isn't as small as it looks in the photo I posted. Not really an expert at taking digital photos. budge1, looks like someone found your example - and I like it. I am looking on the interet to find some material I like. Not that I need a sewing project now, but chances of finding the colors I want already made is probably very slim. I think a lot of little things wouldn't be good either - either just one teal or aqua clock or a valance. dekr8 - are those your curtains? Did you make them or do they come already made up? If you made them, did you use a pattern? I really like that idea. I can almost picture some brown and aqua valance hanging from those pegs - I like the use of pegs - different than most valances. The first material, (link posted below) edged in brown would look great on my window I think. DH and I love aqua too. We once went to look at a boat and when we walked up and saw the interior was aqua, we just looked at one another and knew we were going to buy it. This is the first time we have used it in our decorating. Well except maybe years ago when the southwest type colors were in. retro cotton fabric, scroll down for photo vintage hip chocolate and brown Thanks for everyone's help. I have never bought anything on ebay before, I might try on that first fabric and see how it goes - I have 5 hours to think about it or I could just order one yard - since it is 54 inches wide that is probably all I would need - or I could get two yards and do a couple of pillows for the family room sofa or a table runner for my dark table. Would too much coordination with the same material be too hokey?...See Morewhat don't you like about your house?
Comments (54)I have a 50's ranch and about the only thing i would change is the layout of the kitchen.I'd like to have a big window in the kitchen with the sink below it,and have the kitchen be one big room instead of kitchen and dinette area.We do have a formal DR though. I don't like the popcorn ceilings either,but like the op said,that's an easy fix. I have and will take shower curtains over shower doors any time,hate the doors,and my shower curtains don't cling.They have magnets on the liner,and the outer curtain is soft and flowy,but not into the tub. I'm so glad when we got this house,that we got a ranch and not a 2 story,they're (2 story or more) aare the pits as we age. I need and have garden space also,so you may want to consider the yard size. We have 1 bathroom also and it's served us well all these 46 years with the 4 kids and others. Don't get wrapped up in the unecessary things,look for good bones,and keep in mind what it is you want,cosmetics VS needs etc. Good luck Kathi...See Moreoaktonmom
5 years agoJust a couple of examples that you can have brown couches and brown carpet. You can still work around it as long as the rest of the rooms accessories complement each other. No need to recarpet or get new furniture. it Doesn’t make sense to think that brown sofas and brown carpet shouldn’t exist with each other.
lynartist
5 years agoI never said brown carpet & brown sofa couldn’t work together. I even posted a pic of Kim’s room with a darker brown sofa! The problem is when the sofa and carpet are the same depth of color brown! If you want to keep the area rug Kim then you can add Darker side tables. Lighter side panels at the windows. I like this ottoman; it doesn’t go so great with your sofas( sigh, ) but looks good with the rug. Seeing as your dog sleeps on it , it might hold up!
Kim Gramaglia thanked lynartistlynartist
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
The top print I love. But have no idea where to get it. It doesn’t tell you where it’s from. So I found the bottom one. Thought the colors were similar. I can tell you don’t like it. But thanks for photoshopping it any way, lyn.
lynartist
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agolynartist
5 years agoIf you buy anything; do it with the thought that you will be getting rid of those sofas in a few years!!!!
Kim Gramaglia thanked lynartistKim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agoI’m returning this print. I know I need something else. Just thought I’d try it.
lynartist
5 years agoFor someone who loves color I’m wondering why you didn’t get something like this???
Kim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agolynartist
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agolynartist
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agopartim
5 years agoTry to find a piece of art with more brown tones. Use the brighter colors in another room.
When I was working with my decorator in my own home, before the days when everything was gray, the browns and beiges were where I really needed her help. You asked what color would look good with your sofa. Hard to answer since our on-screen colors may be different. But I looked at the Benjamin Moore site under their browns, and think that it must be somewhere in this section of the browns. They have a red/pink undertone, and the lighter shades are taupes.
If you cllck on the link above, and move along the colors using the arrows at the side, maybe you can tell us which shade is closest to your sofa color. At least then we were be thinking about the same color. Then you can click on the color and it will tell you the shades that go with that color. I clicked on a few that I think are close, and none of them show bright clear colors as ones that look good with that shade.Kim Gramaglia thanked partimlynartist
5 years agoAs your taupe sofas appear to have a slight pink cast to them they seem to like the sage type green , some dirty purple and roses tones. They hate yellow tones though. You say you have learned a lot but are determined to go ahead and buy art you know won’t work! Can you see me shaking my head!!!! I was hoping you were going to use the designer if for no other reason than to reign in your impulse to go out and buy whatever you thought might look good!!!
lynartist
5 years agoeverdebz
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoEverything has to be simple, and repeating color and/or style- this would seem a bit elegant like curtains, but in a transitional way, or others if could find:
Silk Velvet Decorative Throw Pillow With Fringe, 20x20 · More Info
Jai Johnson 'Winter Flight Cedar Waxwing' Canvas Art, 47 x 35 · More Info[https://www.houzz.com/products/jai-johnson-winter-flight-cedar-waxwing-canvas-art-47-x-35-prvw-vr~96793958[(https://www.houzz.com/products/jai-johnson-winter-flight-cedar-waxwing-canvas-art-47-x-35-prvw-vr~96793958)
[https://www.houzz.com/products/silk-velvet-decorative-throw-pillow-with-fringe-turquoise-22x22-prvw-vr~57090466[(https://www.houzz.com/products/silk-velvet-decorative-throw-pillow-with-fringe-turquoise-22x22-prvw-vr~57090466)Kim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agolast modified: 5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agoKim Gramaglia
5 years agooaktonmom
5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
You can’t just photoshop a picture over the sofa to see if it’s right. You have to bring all the elements together to see if it works. That means adding window treatments, rug, etc. You need to see the whole picture.
Kim Gramaglia
5 years ago
groveraxle