British Colonial advice please!
Hi all!
I’m in a new (to me) home The family room immediately gave me an island/vacation vibe, so, Im going with British Colonial throughout the main living areas-maybe all of it eventually. I want that touch of gracious, elegant formality, but, I also want it all to feel really comfortable and serene.
I’ve been lurking on Houzz for a few weeks now, and you guys are so incredibly helpful to everyone-I’m hoping to get some ideas and honest advice! Photos attached.
In the family room, everything except the round end table next to the sofa and the large palm tree will be exiled to the bonus room.
I’m working on dark woods, bamboo, wicker, and green plants to incorporate. Blue isn’t one of my favorite colors-I tend to gravitate to warms...corals, raspberry, etc-, but, I think I‘ll enjoy chinoiserie, because its a darker blue-not light. So, I’ll work on that down the road.
I just bought the round bamboo end table and the large (fake) palm in the corner, off of fb mktplc. I just bought the foyer bench off fb, too. The seat bench has a burnished golden ostrich leather top covering.
Please jump in with your thoughts/ideas!
My thoughts:
The living room rug that’s there now is 8x10...I think I need 9x12.
The corner fireplace and large tv on the adjacent wall make furniture placement tricky. Please ignore the Christmas decor that my husband put up there!
So far, I've decided to get a larger sofa-the one there now is a loveseat and it feels small. I like it facing the tv wall.
I want to get two accent chairs and put them side by side facing the back windows. (Love, love, LOVE spindle chairs!)
I want to put a larger chair and larger side table (small cabinet maybe?) in front of the back windows, at an angle next to the fireplace-where the recliner is now. I feel like it would help to have a larger chair and larger table or cabinet there, to balance the two spindle (?) chairs on the opposite side. I like the angle that the recliner is at now in the room. It feels like It plays nicely with both the corner fireplace, the tv wall, and the rest of the furniture grouping.
I've ordered an 8x10 Seagrass rug for the screened porch that’s just off the small dining area beyond the stairs. I’m also going to do sea grass on the stairs, with black stair rods....to sort of tie the screened porch into the main area of the house-but using the same neutral in both places.
The stair rail was painted black when we moved in and at first I didn’t care for it, but now I feel like it works with the black granite counter In the kitchen. So, as I’m figuring things out In the different rooms, I’m focusing on using touches of black as accents. Hence, the black stair rods.
I have golden wood floors, which are light, not dark-like typical BC. But, the back of the house only gets morning light. Would you put a lighter rug in the family room area to help it feel lighter or would you not worry about it and go for a darker oriental or something to mimic the typical darker wood floors. Also, i’d really like to have a creamy couch (scared of white even with no children) and some type of print accent chairs (not sure what yet).
Lastly, I’m unsure of what length to use as a foyer runner. The first section of hallway from the front door is 5’8” by 15’2”. There‘a an ac vent at the door,-takes up @ 7 inches of width. Would you do a 4x14? Two 4x6s? Would you put artwork above bench? An umbrella holder? A table/lamp?
Thanks for reading!
Comments (3K)
lindacottonwood
last yearRelated Discussions
Advice Needed - Painting 1941 brick front Colonial
Comments (18)You don't have to use "power" to wash a brick house. A spray of water with something like Jomax will not harm the brick or the mortar and will remove the surface grime. You can scrub the individual bricks with watered down muriatic acid to remove the paint that is on them but do this by hand and only on those bricks. I have BM Linem on the trim in our library and the undertone is decidedly yellow, which sounds as though it would go nicely with the Rockport Grey with brown undertones. However, the blue/black would be of concern and you might consider a very very dark brown (almost black) instead. Agree with everybody else about painting the garage door the siding color. However, that garage door is very "ageing modern" looking and I would think to replace it at some point with a more traditional looking carriage door. Finally, Would not use a different white trim with the shingles when you use Linen elsewhere/ on the front. Your house might end up looking like separate buildings depending upon what side one views. Love your home, especially the entrance! Please post your changes as they're made!...See MoreAdvice needed: how to add on to a Dutch Colonial Revival?
Comments (16)kirkhall - what a brilliant idea!! talk about not being able to see the forest for the trees! the lower left room with the sunporch is our master, so it wouldn't mean any switch in that regard. and would make the two other bedrooms the same size. this is a great alternative if building over the sunroom just isn't an option. i just wish i had posted this before we renovated those two bedrooms!!!! ha ha. one question though (because i'm hesistant to lose an entire wall in the bedroom we'd be shrinking to a reach in closet). if we were to put the closets for the two upper bedrooms back to back on the exterior wall of the house, would 6'x6' be enough room for a small bathroom with a tub? i was thinking the tub could be placed along the wall with the closets, leaving a 6' x 3 1/2'-ish space for toilet and sink. is that just too small? would we have to give up both closets for those bedrooms for a total bathroom footprint of 9'x6'? the tub in our current bathroom is about 30" from back wall to apron front. This post was edited by aliciaandbilly on Thu, Jan 23, 14 at 10:25...See MoreCenter-Hall Colonial in Northern NJ Kitchen Remodel Layout Advice
Comments (23)Your home is gorgeous! I spent a year renovating a 1939 petite colonial (1700 sf). In my case, I had to add a kitchen as the old one was tiny had badly renovated in the 1990s. A few workflow tips in your newer post with the kitchen. I'd put the prep sink at the range end of your island, instead of at the dining room entrance end. Think about it -- you chop, then have to carry the food to the range. Please rethink that desk in your kitchen. I've had "work/message centers" as built-ins in previous homes, but here in my new old house, I'm using a piece of furniture -- a drop-front secretary where I can close up the mess when guests arrive, but sit there and work (printer in the bottom). You can put the secretary in any room. Where your desk is located, it's not a drop station for bringing in the mail, schoolbooks, etc. For aesthetics, please try to make the kitchen fit the spirit of the house. White cabinets would likely fit it better than stained wood. Consider having at least a few glass-front upper cabinets. If you turned that desk space into storage, you wouldn't need to line the walls with upper cabinets. It's amazing what you can fit into a "hutch" look that would fit the aesthetics of your home. I had hutches flanking my farmsink in my previous home. One for pantry items, the other for dishes. My current 1939 home new renovation -- hutches -- the one of the left of my paneled fridge is for dishes and the one one the right side is filled with food items stored in canisters and containers. My kitchen is only 12x12 as the dimensions are in keeping with the original room sizes. The dining room is 12x12 and the living room is 12 x 21....See MoreHelp me recreate this British Colonial Bedroom
Comments (411)Lush outdoor bistros captured on postcards from Monaco inspired the Carlotta arm chair. The exquisite rattan pattern is accented by rawhide lacing and shapely mahogany legs. A comfortable white cotton cushion is fit for royalty. W 22.3" / D 23" / H 31.25" / Griege https://www.houzz.com/products/carlotta-arm-chair-prvw-vr~149212936...See More
decoenthusiaste
last yearlast modified: last yearpljnco1
last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last yearBreakfast nook before:
(Flo! I had to nix the reading nook idea-grandkids needed a casual eating area more!)After:
cubby14
last year
pat1250
last year
dsimber
last yearTheresa Janssen
last year
lynartist
last year
PROFlo Mangan
last year
Kay p
last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last yearpljnco1
last yearTheresa Janssen
last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last year- PRO
Flo Mangan
last year pljnco1
last year
RedRyder
last year
tangerinedoor
last yeardrblount10
last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last yearmarylut
last yearRedRyder
last yearpljnco1
last yearlast modified: last yearmarylut
last yeardrblount10
last yeardrblount10
last year- PRO
Flo Mangan
last year 
shwshw
last yearpljnco1
last yeardrblount10
last yearulisdone
last yearGcubed
last year
Flo Mangan