Need advice decorating a new Craftsman home with current furnishings
I know this is a long post but would greatly appreciate any assistance from those of you who are willing to read this, so thanks in advance!
We will be building a new Craftsman-style home (please see sketch below) and thought we could basically duplicate the current look by moving our existing furnishings there, but I realize now it’s not that simple. (Please see photos below.)
Our current home is furnished with Craftsman touches and the great room, dining room and kitchen are all open to each other, so it was fairly easy to coordinate things and tie the earth tone colors I love together (such the colors of the accent wall of the alcove dining room with the green chair, deep green tiles in the fireplace, throw pillows, and the rug which I love). Because the new great room and separate dining room won’t be next to each other I’m not sure what to do. Also, the dining room will have knee walls and tapered Craftsman pillars that will further separate it. The rug in front of the fireplace may be too small (it’s 5 x 7) in the new great room, and I cannot find it in a larger size since it has since been discontinued. I’m afraid they may be too small to fill the new space. All hardwood floors (medium tone) will link the new great room, dining room, and kitchen.
Some questions:
1. If the 5 x 7 rug is too small in front of the mantle for the new great room size, can I layer it over a bigger rug to make the sitting area appear larger (with existing couch, chair, rocker, and tables)? If so, what color would look good under this multicolored rug?
2. Should I paint the fireplace wall an accent color like the green that was in the dining room alcove of my existing home to pick up the greens in the living room furniture as before?
3. What color would now look good in the dining room? We may have stained or white beams, with white trim and paneling, so I could do a half the wall with a color - maybe a gold, green again, or something else that works with the great room colors and the kitchen (which will likely have the same tone wood as the mantle and floors).
4. What size and color rug would look good in the dining room? Room is 16 x 10 and the table is 66” x 36”. Small hutch will go on the right wall and is 45” x 19” deep.
5. Would appreciate any suggestions for furniture layout in the great room. I did a quick sketch of one scenario.
Thanks again for any help and patience with this long post!
Comments (8)
Joanie123
2 years agoRelated Discussions
moving to a house 1/2 the size of current home! need advice
Comments (11)Kaismom asks a good question.....where do you put all that messy media stuff if not in the living room? Thankfully, the TV has given up the throne as the most important electronic device in our homes. I grew up with it firmly ensconced on its living room throne. That meant no real visitation could go on in that space. Then there came the stereo, cassette player, 8-track player, CD and VHS and now DVD and TiVo and BluRay, and thumb drives and the biggest thing of all, which I think has finally knocked the electronics and all those WIRES out of the living room, THE COMPUTER, THE TABLET, THE E-READER, and we have a new need. At our house, we do not have a home office. Instead, we have a STUDY. I mean, we are both retired. We do not work, except on personal projects. And we read. Holy cow, do we ever READ! And since we have no need for a second bed, unless it is a daybed, we turned our #2 bedroom into a STUDY. PERFECT place to put all our electronics. And that included the flat panel TV. The charging cords for the cell phones, the tablet, the GPS even, the DVDs, the CDs, and I figured out how to play my DVDs on the computer screen, which now doubles as a TV. They are even building the monitors these days to moonlight as a TV when the old tower or separate OS is junked. So I'd say, move all that STUFF out of the living room. If it is possible, make the LR into your guest room. We shall do that, if it looks like we might need to have guests stay over, by mounting french doors to close it off. Usually a LR is the most spacious room in the house. And it is frequently not on the traffic pattern one uses in the mornings to get ready for work. I give myself a pat on the back for thinking about it. Talk about UNDER-UTILIZED SPACE, that is the living room if set up as a separate space. Keep it looking pretty. I mean, you could move that "entertainment center" into the former bedroom/guest room, and move a hidden Murphy bed into the living room, yet keep the space sensational for every occasion. I'm married to an Irishman, and heaven knows, they LOVE TO TALK, so having a sitting room area which is quiet enough for meaningful conversation is a big plus. Up in MA, I furnished the real living room, which was fairly small, had a fireplace, with a simple love seat facing the fireplace, and two armed dining chairs on either side of the fireplace. Just enough table surface for us to set down a wine blass or a beer can or a Diet Coke--because this is the place which set the mood for good adult conversation.No TV, no radio. Well, that's my take on where to put it. And that's all I've got to say about that. :)...See MoreNeed Decor Advice for New Home Living/Dining Room
Comments (5)I would suggest a much larger and more colorful rug for the sitting area. Your TV setup looks awkward and unattractive. Can it be changed somehow? I would paint the brick wall in the dining room the same color as the other walls to open up the whole space. I would remove that large mirror and put a smaller painting there and also remove the tall bookcase(?) near the couch which adds nothing to the decor. The mantle should be cleared and some much larger items placed there. I don't know how you feel about painting the fireplace the same color as the wall, but that would also make the room look more cohesive and spacious. I'm afraid the ceiling lamp by the front door looks too small and droopy to have any impact. You need something much larger that has a greater presence. Another thing to consider is white blinds instead of brown ones on each side of the fireplace. Again this will open up the room. I would remove that small table to the right of the TV with the little lamp and put a great-looking floor lamp there. Is there some way you can do without the bulky ottoman? I think that's one reason that area looks so crowded. I would think about replacing it with a small but sturdy glass and metal coffee table through which you can see the rug, giving the illusion that there is almost nothing there. Hope I haven't overloaded you with too many ideas. It's your home and you can do whatever seems right to you. If you follow even a few suggestions you might find that some of your concerns are removed....See Moreno decor skills, need help choosing new furnishings and layout
Comments (15)I would go monochromatic. A rug the color of the walls, furniture a shade darker and NO gallery wall. Your floors and window trim is very busy and I would keep everything else in the room simple. Tables the same color as the shelving. If it were me I would find a local interior designer (not one at a furniture store as they are there to sell that store's furniture) to help you. Usually they will do a consultation for an hourly rate, that in the long run will save you money from purchasing mistakes. There seems to be a problem with how the trim is hung over the dining area windows. It looks to be sitting above the window rather than on it like in the living area....See MoreNew house stuck in 1985.. Need decor/reno advice on the cheap
Comments (57)When was the house itself built? The interior design aspects are on point with the mid 1980s but the architecture is earlier mid century. I can't really picture someone building a house in that style and decorating aspects of it in late Modernism/post Modernism at the same time. I can picture someone updating a 1960-odd house this way....See MoreJoanie123
2 years agoJoanie123
2 years agoJoanie123
2 years ago
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