how to brighten this living room
F K
4 years ago
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Comments (31)
erinsean
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agoF K
4 years agoRelated Discussions
Help brighten up my living room
Comments (10)Have you considered pulling your furniture away from the walls? I know that is not going to make it brighter but just something I noticed. I too think a rug would look great and lighten the space with some color. Try a polypropylene rug. We have pets and ours hold up well. I have a friend with 4 kids and her rugs always look nice. Just make sure to clean up spills when they happen. Esale rugs has many to choose from and great prices along with free shipping. I would add some lamps next to the couch and maybe try another floor lamp next to the chair... or you could find a small side table and place a lamp on it. Lamps are very important for ambiance lighting. Rooms look more bright and balanced when you have a lighting source that is not just from overhead. You have a lovely space and I am sure with a few changes you can brighten it up!...See MoreBrighten up Living Room
Comments (17)We used to have a rug in the living room but we have three dogs and there was one where she would like to take her afternoon break on it somehow. We removed it and then she stopped her afternoon pee breaks. Perhaps i can try it again and see if she will do it again. and since I have three dogs, the other dogs follow suit.. :( I don't have a dining room; only a eat in with the kitchen. I do however, have a small area in the kitchen for a changing table. and we are planning on using cloth diaper so it'll be interesting lol. Unfortunately, I don't think I have option to create a pass through wall. The only wall I was thinking of being able to knocking down or creating an opening is the one that leads into the kitchen but there's an air vent at the bottom and light switch on the other side of the wall :( Preferably I'd like to keep the bench as it has four big deep draws. I can probably put baby stuff in there without having them lie in open areas of the house. My original thought was using the corner space with the window for the baby area as it does have some light. I bought Ikea frames kind of matching to the bench and was going to hang two above and I also have a 2x4 foam core picture that I'd like to hang but if it doesn't match then I probably shouldn't use it...(see picture below) I was also looking at Montessori Toy Storage based on other Houzz member suggestions and placing foam mattress for the baby. The wall paint in the Foyer and living room is Benjamin Moore Cloud White. The paint in the kitchen is Benjamin Moore Lemon Sorbet. I don't think we will be repainting the walls. I'm hoping to keep the budget within a minimum of course now that we have a baby coming :). Sofa is really the big furniture I was thinking of replacing and may be the hanging lights. Wall that I was thinking of putting an opening through but there's a vent at the very bottom behind the recliner and there's light switch on the other side of the wall in the kitchen. I was thinking I can put the changing station in this area with a change pad over the existing ikea cart. the hanging light with reflection The bench area where I bought the Ikea frames to hang around. The hanging light with reflection in the ceiling May be I can reuse this wall tapestry for the sofa but not sure if it's too light and need a darker version....See MoreHow to Brighten my living room?
Comments (3)A soft green would work nicely. I would recommend spending an hour looking at paint chips/strips. After you have narrowed your choices down to no more than five colors, then get some samples (a lot of people like Samplize). If you have some objects that you would like to work with, that is always helpful. The first time I did a room, the best advice I got was from the designer at the furniture store. I had already selected a hardwood floor, and a sofa, chairs, and some pillows. She suggested the lightest color in the pillow. I still love that color 15 years later. Paint is one of the easiest things to change if you "make a mistake". You don't need to agonize about the "perfect shade of" whatever color, just get something that looks good. You have the most choices with paint, so if you have other things that you want to add to the room, identify those things first. Because you have some many choices with paint, it will seem overwhelming, but you've already narrowed it down to trying green, so that is a big step! You'll do great!...See MoreBrighten up living room/Wall color
Comments (4)I usually agree with Lyn, but I'm not sure painting the room a very bright white would be an improvement. That would just create more contrast between the furniture and walls. However, I think it would be better if the color were less yellow. You need to sample colors before painting the whole room, so if you want to consider Lyn's suggestion, also look at BM Simply White, which is very light but warmer than Super White (it's a slight difference). Also look at darker colors like Edgecomb Gray (it's not very gray, but it might go with the rug), and one or two in between like Soft Chamois or Classic Gray. Test samples on all four walls before buying a lot of paint. You can also paint a board so you can just move it around the room. Look at it at different times of day to make sure you're going to like it. Samplize.com sells peel and stick samples which are easy to move around. If you usually use SW paint, Accessible Beige is very close to Edgecomb Gray, and you could also try Alabaster and Shoji White. The problem with the room seeming dark is not really from the wall color. It looks like the only light you have in the living room area is from the ceiling fan light. You could use some end tables with lamps, and/or floor lamps. The three large pieces of brown leather furniture really dominate the room. I like leather furniture as an accent. If you had just the sofa or just the loveseat & chair it would help the room. I like the rug, so try to build on that. Hang some curtains on the window to the left of the fireplace since there is already a rod there. That will soften the room some. Something in a neutral with a subtle pattern. Do you have a basement where you could create a mancave which would be a better location for the deer heads and leather furniture?...See MoreF K
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