Making a living room feel cohesive on a shoestring budget?
In desperate need of design advice for a living room that has a mish mash of styles happening! How do I edit my living room to make a space that feels cohesive and a place I love to be? We have a lot of hand me downs, are on a shoestring budget. So appreciate any guidance to make the most of it all!
Thank you so much!
Comments (11)
PROBeth H. :
4 years agolast modified: 4 years agocan you DIY at all?
I'd paint that mirror and little table next to the door. you don't need any more brown.
how about some artwork w/color?what you currently have over the sofa is too small and hung too high. (remember only 6" above the back of the sofa is where the bottom of the frame should start)
you have no accent color. home goods has cheap pillows. Or, go get some fabric w/a coupon and sew some.
make your own artwork. canvas' go on sale at Hobby Lobby, plus use their coupon. any left over paint? ask friends and family. google " pour art' or Dirty pour art' Try it.
craigslist. look for wood furniture that you can paint.
First thing I'd paint is your front door. sorry, but that mustard yellow is just not doing anything. pick a color, any color to brighten things up a bit.
If you're going to hang drapes, then hang them so they fit properly. move the sofa away from the window. iron them.
get a tall plant to go in that corner. again, people on craigslist often sell them, or ask a friend for cuttings. for instance, these snake plants grow like crazy and can do very well next to a window
they instantly add color and life to a room.
home goods, find a cheap throw in a color you like, along w/the pillowsjust a few things to add to a room to give it color. pick an accent color you like and work around it
sparkinthecity thanked Beth H. :Related Discussions
Cabinets on a (shoestring) budget, plus discount flooring ??'s
Comments (6)I don't know about warranties vs real life. Sometimes the warranties cover something other than you're thinking they do, and/or only under certain circumstances. I remember finding out about warranties in regard to wood flooring didn't mean it'd LOOK good for that long... As far as thickness, it depends on which layer of it is thicker whether or not it means anything in durability. Anyway, I remember from my research about laminates back when we installed our that I knew I wanted a brand that offered 'high pressure laminate.' Only 3 companies, Wilsonart, Pergo, and another I can't remember now offered the high pressure at that time. The Wilsonart brochures explained it somewhat and I've linked their website below. I think what it amounted to was that people assume laminate floor is all the same and that they are similar to laminate countertop, which, I believe is also high pressure. However, some of the direct pressure products are only called 'laminates' because there are layers to the product, which is what laminate means...It's not as tough as something like the countertop material. Forgive me if this is vague or at all inaccurate...It's been a long time since I did the research. I think there are more choices out there now in the high pressure laminates, but that's definitely what I would look for. Here is a link that might be useful: high pressure vs direct pressure laminate explained...See MoreHow to create a cohesive look - dining & living room?
Comments (49)The plates look super! (And don't worry about "us" being upset! You are following your heart, and only you know your daughter ... we certainly don't!) :-) I love that Kaufmann fabric that Rita shared. That's along the lines of what I was envisioning early on for this space. Fun, fresh, young, a bit bohemian - I think that would really rock!...See MoreNeed Help! Office does not feel cohesive!
Comments (31)Lucas, you have some decent furniture to work with. I think you need some fine tweaking, color and some art work for the walls. Or some wood shelves and a bit of life via plants. (that half dead corn plant doesn't count! lol) here's an arrangement w/your desk under the window. your walls need some extra help. for example, look at this soft sage/gray wall color. would look nice w/your wood furniture, chair and your rug. Here's how to position the desk under the window. I like this w/floating wood shelves over the desk. if you move the desk back to the other wall, try a new wall color maybe an accent wall, Or something a bit more masculine, try BM Kendall Charcoal. bring in some other wood shelves (can you DIY? go to the lumbyard and get some walnut boards. cut to size. float them w/lag bolts or grab some brackets of some sort) I like the dark wall color w/a soft white for the other walls. have you seen the DIY wood shelves w/the iron pipe fittings? you could easily make up something like that for the walls. another layout floating the desk in the center. chair in the corner, bookcase on the one wall. can you install a semi flush mount light in the center? How about some artwork or photographs? your walls are very empty. you have anything w/a bit of color? I think if you did that one wall in a dark color like the green or this black, maybe hung some pendants like this, did a cabinet in one corner w/a nice plant on top, it would look nice. perhaps this type of set up. you can do some simple DIY bookcases. look at Ikea BillyBookcase hack. (see links below) you could easily copy these shelves. even on a smaller/thinner level, painted dark like this, would look perfect in your office. center light, rug, wall decor. maybe a glass door?? https://www.southernrevivals.com/office-makeover-reveal-ikea-hack-built-billy-bookcases/...See MoreHow do we make the furniture in our living room look more cohesive?
Comments (13)Thank you for the suggestions everyone-- this is my first time posting on this site. I appreciate the feedback. I didn't post the room because we currently live in an apartment and we don't plan to be here much longer, but I can definitely repost when I get home if that will help! As for the 60% rule suggestion, I am a total newbie and I truly do not know what would look best. Gray might be too sterile, white might be too clinical, and red may be too bold. There is a sage green in the rug that I think is pretty, but obviously none of my other furniture is that color. I feel like we have bungled this badly already....See More
sparkinthecity
4 years agosparkinthecity
4 years agoBeth would you also paint this? Not sure it’s possible to paint IKEA? ps I have a snake plant! Time to graduate it to a larger pot!!!
sparkinthecity
4 years agoroarah
4 years ago
acm
4 years agokatrina_ellen
4 years ago
Jilly
4 years agolast modified: 4 years ago- PRO
Beth H. :
4 years agoHere's the size you need over this console.
Or, do something like this. see how it's balanced w/the length?
Sofa:
or you can do something like this with like frames/pictures
as for the Ikea cabinet and painting, as mentioned, chalk paint would prob work best. Since it's a laminate you have to use a special primer to get regular paint to stick.But you can use a chalk paint and then sand it after two coats w/a 220 grit. get it nice and smooth and either wax it or coat it w/poly. it will look like reg paint.
another idea for the kids toys is to get some baskets or storage cubes. or baskets
Or, maybe find some spare wood, paint it, and put them in the corner area next to TV. Like this:
Nelly Bluth
4 years ago
always1stepbehind