Design Crew
Sat, 23 Jun 2012
Got a problem? Need some help? Just standing there shaking your head? Don't know what to do? You're not alone. Send us a link to photos of your design quandary and let the Desire to Inspire design crew help you .... that's you lot ... the readers! This week's problem is from Alev who has made a great start (and sent lots of photos) but she needs help taking the next step.
I bought the ap. almost a year ago and I really tried to make it feel like home. I'm always wondering what it is I can do to make it look more original (and maybe add some more colors?) I feel like I haven't finished the decorating yet - I actually think I will never be satisfied when it comes to decorating - it's always keeping my mind busy. I never knew I would be interested in furniture and decoration. It kinda happened when I made the move.
Half of the things I own are from second hand shops (really the only place I can find furniture I feel connected to). My bed, my dining table, my sofa, the little cute chairs and all of the bigger peaces I have managed to find in outlet stores at reasonable prices (which I am very thankful for cause I love them). The drawings are made by myself. I've been drawing since I was a little girl and for the first time I decided to hang some of them up.
I would appreciate it if you could give me some tips to make my home look more lively and colorful and original.
Alev's lovely bedroom is after the jump.
Reader Comments (22)
I think your pieces are lovely, and tell so many stories in themselves.. But it might help to find something to tie it all together. I would find a large area rug with some pops of colour, taking inspiration from your vintage red chair. Next you should address your drapery, fabric can be a great jumping off point, and your existing furniture is relatively neutral.
Accessorizing with maybe a grouping of vintage frames, maybe gold ornate baroque style with more contemporary artwork on the wall behind your sofa will add some personality to this wall. Try Etsy and paint something yourself within whatever you find. And why not throw some drama on the walls for paint or a wallcovering, go crazy, charcoal gray grasscloth maybe?
For your dining room, I think a more contemporary/streamlined dining table in white would let your chairs really sing. Overall your place is stunning, it just needs to be highlighted!
In my opinion, all you need is color painted walls and some accessorizing and some art on the walls of course.
I've found that wallpapering walls gives a very comfy feel to any room. Your pieces are beautiful, but tend to dissapear against the plain white walls. Also your curtains could be of heavier material, and investing in a pair of lined curtains, they will last you a long time.. I also agree with Christi, that a rug could group pieces together. And a clusterwall is never wrong. You culd try hunt down different size, shape and era frames and paint them all the same colour, and hang them on the wall withiut any images, if you for ex. have a beautiful wallpaper as the background.
Your place is defenately stunning and trust your feel as you have done with all the unique pieces, they go so well together.
Nice, unique pieces and a nuce apartment. You can stick to your neutral colour scheme but you need something to balance all the 'earth'-elements (wooden floor, low furniture and cream colours) and lift this style.
I would recommend you to introduce some higher ('wood', in feng shui) elements like a high plant. New ceiling to floor curtains in a thicker material and a harder, non-cream nuance could lift the place. Dark grey or a dark mossy green could be nice against the creams.
I would leave the fire elements like the red chair just as small accents.
I do not like that most furniture is placed along the walls. I recommend that you move the couch in a bit and place a console table behind it. There you could place some none-cream things like a sculpture, lamp, artwork... It would also create some more height... Tie the furniture together with a rug. I would take a very simple (1 or 2 colours), strict/modern looking one to balance out the feminity in the furniture and creams.
Is there any way you could hide the tv? E.g. In a high (asian style, dark red or darkbrown?) cupboard?
The bedroom is nice and calm but could use a bold (sexy? modern) artwork on the wall behind the bed.
Good luck, you are almost there...
If you want to have it more colorful, add more color! Simple as that :-) Love the red chair, by the way, and wouldn't mind seeing color or colorful pieces/pieces with an impact on your walls!
Really great looking place, great eye for furniture. I'd add some plants/flowers to literally liven it up. Otherwise, just make sure you vary the heights of the furniture placements...a few pics show everything at the same level. Maybe a great mirror. And not all art has to be a painting or drawing on the wall...sculptures could add so much to your place. You seem to be drawn to pops of red....maybe just amp that up a notch with some red trim on the curtains or trim on a few pillows.
And I just noticed....no lamps or sconces in any of the photos...that could be a great way to add something different to each room.
You have nice pieces and a calm feel. I think you could simply add some deeper colored accessories such as rugs, pillows, vases, etc. to liven things up if that is what you are aiming for. In the living room, for example, a rug, a colorful piece of artwork and a mirror would make a huge difference in the feel of the space. I agree with Caroline about the furniture placement. Would it be an option to have the couch on the window wall pulled out a bit from the window? In the bedroom, a new blanket/duvet - maybe on a deep gold or dark green - a few new pillow covers and some bedside table lamps will refresh things. You might consider painting the walls there if you want a more distinct feel from the rest of the apartment - maybe in a wheat color.
You've made a wonderful start and have beautiful furniture. Some large art or a large grouping of artwork would look wonderful behind the sofa. Add some colorful pillows as well. Different drapes with some interesting texture or subtle large stripe would look great. You have fabulous natural light. A rug will definitely help pull all of the pieces together, but doesn't need to be colorful. Color can come from bits of red accessories or houseplants.
Either change the color of your dining room table or the legs of the chairs. How about gold on the chair legs?
Paint the ceiling of your living area a pale blue and a similar color to the walls of your bedroom. Move the area rug from the end of the bed to the side of the bed.
Hello,
You have been collecting some charming pieces of furniture. The first aspect I would look at the arrangement of the furniture, can you center the sofa along the wall? Would that give you space for another side table so you can have one at either end of the sofa. The two tufted chars look charming together, place the stool opposite on the other side of the coffee table. The next thing is lights, some table lamps with big lamp shades on either side of the sofa would add much to the room and in your bedroom too.
The curtains in both your living room and bedroom I would change to Roman blinds or something very similar, with radiators under the windows, blinds are best. With the Louis XV style furniture, it would be fun to contrast the style with linen or hemp. for the stool it would be good to change the cushion and contrast with a casual fabric like linen and bring in some cushions in similar fabric.
Best colors would be rich creams to go with the red and gold in the furniture. And art, I would take all your drawings, get some frames and hang up your drawings everywhere. Art does so much to bring a space together. Maybe some charcoal drawings with large mounts in gold frames? Carved wood frames would be good too.
You have a good space, I think the most important would be some table lamps and art on the walls.
Good luck, Kelly
love love the room and the red chair. I am actually working on a chair and transforming her to a Candy Apple Red. Take a look. Thank you so much for adding me to you reading guide. keep me posted and love chatting. I would love to help in anyway that i can, posting on my facebook pg when needed. :) =Nicole
Thank you everyone for the comments. Keep the posts coming:) I'm definitely going to follow up on the advice.
You have some great stuff! here's what I would do to tighten it up.
1. Start with more art. If you want to continue with your drawings, how about painting the frames bright colors? An all yellow frame group on one wall, all green on another near the green bench, one bold red frame above the dining table. Then you would have some pops of colors up on the walls that could add some height as well as defining areas. Really work with art and mirror placement to get a balance of height and some definition of zones within the open space. Sometimes it helps to use painters tape -- make rectangles on the walls to plan your placement.
2. If you do decide to paint, you don't need to do bold colors, just a neutral with more tone to it so it is more separate from all the cream furnishing. A warm gray (Farrow and Ball Pavilions or similar), just enough to be different but not harsh. The whole place is soft with soft light, and I think that's nice.
3. After you tried out those things, then look at the curtains (which I think might be fine with a defined change in wall tone).
4. Plants. 2 or 3 well selected house plants will bring the space to life.
5. I think you may have too many chairs around that dining table. They look a bit jammed into the corner. Maybe consider putting 2 into storage unless you do a lot of entertaining. Or you could sell those upholstered chairs and getting smaller wooden ones so there could be some breathing room around the table?
Your place is perfect!! I love your choice of furniture and find it very cohesive as well as charmingly femenine!! I like the color scheme too! If what you want is a litle MORE color, I would go with colorful rugs that will also pull the pieces together and make it cozier. Maybe something in the same creamy colors with accents of red (drawn from the chair). But you´ll get it right I´m sure, place is already very pretty!!
Isn't that wavy-top sofa interesting! I can't wait to see the result of all this good input ~ ~ ~
the place looks very nice and light and i really like the furniture. the only things i'm missing are lamps, pictures, flowers, rugs and last but not least books! they somehow make home for me. color of walls is not the essence. although, it may help to complete it..
I like your furniture but I hardly notice it since there isn't any contrast (everything is cream or beige or gold with the exception of the red chair). I'd paint the walls a pretty dark cool gray (or each room a different shade of the same same gray) so you're light furniture really pops. Then just hang some art (probably in gilded frames with huge white or cream mattes) and pick up smaller accessories when you see them at thrift stores etc.
Hi hi, thanks for all the advice (and the kind reassuring compliments). I will for sure let you know how it goes and send out pictures when I feel like I've reached my goal.
By the way, I forgot to mention that I also have lots of books, but they've been sitting in my closet for almost a year now because I don't really know where I should place a book cupboard.
If anyone has some ideas? They would be more than welcome:)
Thanks ***
For a bookcase, I'd consider a Sapien (or Sapien knock off) instead of a typical bookcase...that little bit of modern, instead of competing with your lovely antiques, would add an interesting mix, plus it would add something vertical where you might need it, it doesn't have a big footprint and it really shows off great book spines.
Definitely a good idea. I looked it up and came across this: http://www.bijouliving.com/2010/04/design-lover-rainaldis-ptolomeo-wall.html. It doesn't take up alot of space.
I was rather thinking of one that's built in. But I will consider your tip also.
Thanks **
I agree that you have some lovely pieces. And the rooms which really rock are the ones that also engage at eye level, like the bedroom with the mirror over the vanity and the tall branches near the bed.
Would consider adding tall book cases to the wall behind the dining area. If you don't have enough space or enough books, just a single eye level shelf wrapping around the room.
Would similarly add something above the couch in the living room. Could be a painting, mirror or a long shelf. And sconces or a pedestal for a plant nearby.
It's a lovely space.
The simplest way ( I think) is to add wall colors - red and black would do it for me. Big splashes of red and black(behind the bed for example), add some pictures hanging on the walls, some lighting fixtures and your done =D
Greetings from Estonia