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Hand-me-down living room decorating help!!!!
Ever wake up one day and suddently realizing you are living in a decorators nightmare? Purchased this very old home 5 years ago and had basically no money to decorate with. I have some hand-me-down furniture that is all mismatched, a somewhat odd floor layout (narrow living/dining space with entry way right in living room), and a small budget. The house will go through a bigger renovation in the next few years, so I am not looking to do any major overhauls at this time. I would however like to give it a face lift and have a space that feels more inviting. Five years ago, I painted the space and installed the wallpaper and blinds. I love the wallpaper although am not sure the blue walls and brown blinds look all that great. I think I am stuck with the blinds for now, but would consider painting if that made a big difference (would prefer to hold off until larger renovation). Are there some simple ways I could make this space look nice without a lot of cost to get me by the next few years? I have been scouring over design pictures and tend to gravitate towards a modern french country look...I think. Here are some of my current ideas:
New wood TV stand (maybe made of crates).
Refinish some of the wood furniture
Curtains??
Get rid of crazy photos layout on top of TV.
Gold or cream frames for flower pictures?
Add pillow to cordinate colors. (Black accents on couch, tan on black chair).
These pics are not great. Pardon the mess (and cat), I was not planning on sharing these when I snapped them. Any ideas appreciated!!!!! I have no design sense...clearly:)
Re: Hand-me-down living room decorating help!!!!
Having the TV in some sort of cabinet/unit would absolutely be a huge improvement, and I would keep an eye out for throw pillows and drapes that tie the blue and brown together. Also, your artwork really needs to come down a bit - most people hang wall art and mirrors too high and it looks off. They should be closer to eye level when you're sitting, not standing. I'm visually moving your round mirror and the group of three paintings down and they look fantastic and make great vignettes that way.
I think your design instincts are actually very good and I would trust yourself, with a few tweaks here and there.
I so appreciate both of your feedback and a fresh set of eyes. As much as I want to do a major change up (re-paint, buy all new furniture, replace blinds, etc), I think it helps just to know there are a few things I could do to spruce up what I already have. I am thinking this weekend I will look for some fabric for sewing pillows and curtains. I am also going to lower the picures and do something different with the photo frames. Finding a new TV stand is also a top priority. I do love the wallpaper although in retrospect whish I would have chosen a lighter color. I think I will hang on to it for now and try to enjoy it for a few more years.
Thanks for the tips! Happy for any more too!
Looking at it again, adding some sparkle could be awesome. Some white metallic accents would help bounce the light around and add a shot of glamour.
What's the width and length of the 2 rooms? What's the length and depth of the sofa? The arm chair? The dining table? The wooden cabinet with the plant?
I have some furniture thoughts for better defining your spaces, but I need dimensions to know if it would work out.
For new items, like a TV stand (I agree with PPs), try Craigslist, but don't rebuy a TV stand designated for that...instead buy a smaller buffet, or cabinet. It will be prettier and less "office supply" looking.
To "hide" your wires and components like DVD player, etc., you can get a 2" circular drill bit and cut holes in the back of the cabinet for wires to pass through. Then, you can remove a top drawer and put it on hinges. The media components would "hide" inside. You just need to make sure you know the dimensions of your media components before buying anything so you can see if they would fit inside the drawer. The rest of the drawers in the cabinet would be used for movies, remotes, games, etc..
Oh also, I don't sew with a machine and I can do only basic stitching. I don't let this stop me - for larger sewing projects that will be hidden, I actually use a super hot glue gun. All the draperies in my home, I've made by "hemming" them with hot glue to suit the height I need.
ETA: My mom visited and said, "I love your draperies!!! Did you have them made?"
Me: "No mom, I bought them at Target and glued the bottoms to met the length I needed."
So if you don't sew, as long as you have patience and use hot glue, and know how to measure correctly, you too can be a glue gun sewing master!!!
Also, ETA: For draperies, buy matching panels for the 2 family room area windows. And, buy a 3rd set of matching panels for the dining room window on the blue wall. So in other words, 3 sets of matching drapery panels. Here's why, you have a wide open space with shared flooring and walls. You would want your fabric to tie the rooms together visually even though they have different uses (eating and relaxing). Your wall paper is very cool! And, it captures attention, I would not put draperies on that window. To pull more fabric around the space, buy some extra drapery panels that match the window panels. Use this extra fabric to recover the seats on your dining chairs. Go online for how to do this. You'll need a screw driver, a heavy duty stapler and heavy duty screws (be sure they aren't too long or they will poke through - 1/4" should be fine). If you choose to recover your seats, then the fabric you use needs to be of a denser, more durable make as peoples' rear ends would be on it.
If you wanted a rug under your dining table, try the indoor-outdoor sort - they are being shown a lot in dining photos in magazines. They are great for spills and add color/design to anchor a table and chairs.
Opps lastly, what's the length of the wall space from the front door to the first door on the left wall?
And, what's the length and depth of the wooden bench?
The following is what I would do:
- As you already said, I would remove the photos above the TV because they do look a little busy as-is. I would find another spot for them somewhere in the house, in larger frames with matting that coordinate a little better, with a nice spacing/layout (maybe above the couch? I can't tell, but that space looks mostly blank).
- I would mount the TV to the wall, and get a different TV stand, although I'm not sure what exactly I would go for here....maybe a very small TV cabinet instead, like others have said...not sure.
- I would pull the dining room table a little away from the window so that it takes up its own space instead of being dwarfed by the windows and wall (center it in the floor in front of both windows - if there's room - I realize that there might not be, I can't tell).
- The wallpaper is beautiful, but it does make the room a little dark with the dark furniture, and dark blinds. You can lighten it up with cream curtains for all of the windows. Just make sure you hang the curtain rod high/wide enough.
- I would move the mirror to the location of the 3 flower pictures (and lower it a little).
- I would take the 3 flower pictures, and put them in larger frames (black is fine), and move two to the location of the mirror, and one on the other side of that window (from the photos, it looks like there is more wall on one side of the window than there is the other - if there isn't, I would rethink that placement).
I think you've done a fine job; It just needs a few finishing touches. Have fun!I lowered the flower pictures and those look much better. I measured incorrectly and hung the mirror too low, so now I am just procrastinating fixing that again. Maybe I will look into moving the mirror to the other wall instead. I think the walls on each side of the living room big window are equal size, so I was thinking of having something symmetrical on each wall. The ballerina picture will need to move too once the curtains are hung.
I tried moving the couch in the center of the window but that seems weird when watching TV. Over the years I have had the couch and TV in all sorts of different spots, but I will say that this set up seems to be working the best so far. It seems like there is a lot of space in the corner where the black chair is. Maybe that area needs a table or lamp?
I ordered some fabric that pulls together the blue and brown for curtains (pictured). I got enough for the two living room window and the smaller dining room window. @MommyLiberty5013, I definitely plan to do a little combo sewing machine/hot glue action for the curtains. I know high and wide is the way to go with curtains. There is about a 3" space between the window trim and the ceiling on the big living room window, so I will hang all the rods at that height. That is going to make a little challenge sewing-wise though as I am frugally trying to get all 6 panels out of 2 x 8-yard bolts. Ceilings are 8 feet high so that only leave 4 inches for hems or curtains that are too short. I was thinking maybe I would use hooks to hand the curtains to get some extra length.
I also added a few metallic accents, moved the plant to the bench, and pulled the table out from behind the wall. Feels like things are starting to come together and without even spending much money. It also gives me ideas for whenever I do really remodel (someday I will buy my own couch and be a real grown up:).
Okay measurements:
Couch- 6'6" by 2'5"
Black Chair- we'll say 3'x3'
Table under flowers-2'7" (lenght)x 1'10" (depth)
Dining table-5' by 3'6"
Bench-4' by 1'4"
Front door to next door- 5'9"
Total space 27'x11' (about 13 feet in living room and 14 in dining room)
I will be sure to add more photos once curtains are up!
Okay, so based on the pics you've posted (your new TV table [YAY]) and the dimensions you posted here. I've come up with this idea. My disclaimer is that this is based on the measurements from you and that sometimes ideas on paper don't always pan out once you're in the space and have actually moved furniture around.
Here's my idea...
I'll start at the front door in the family room.
1. Immediately to your left, place the circle mirror on the wall hung at an appropriate height (do this after you've hung the drapery panels as the mirror's position will be based on where the fabric of the panel ends. And, center the mirror between the front door frame and the fabric edge of the panel). Place the bench under the window. My thought here is 2-fold. First, you ADD seating to your family room space. Second, you create a place to sit on by the front door to set things, but to also have a convenient place to sit to put on shoes. You could even make pads for the bench if you wanted with a coordinating fabric.
2. Move your new TV table to the right of the window that is kitty-corner to the window with the bench. In other words, the TV table will be perpendicular to the bench. Your sofa and coffee table will both run parallel to the TV table. Yes, the sofa will be "floating in the room" and not have a wall at its back.
If you use your white area rug and have the coffee table on it also, the rug acts as a visual anchor for the sofa. The back of the sofa will be 36" from the wall where you currently have your TV. 36" is ample space for a traffic zone to and from the front door and the other door that is near your TV right now.
IF the space looks/feels cramped between the sofa and TV table, you could find 2 matching round tables (still at coffee table height) or 2 round fabric ottomans that could be used in place of the current rectangular coffee table. FYI: Round tables are easier to navigate around. In your space, you also have a lot of right angles, so adding something rounded would be a good idea.
3. Put the black arm chair on an angle to the right of the TV table. Part of the back of the arm chair will stick into the dining room space. This is okay. Then, take your tall torch lamp and place it between the right side of the black arm chair and the wall, but IN FRONT of the white trim that separates the family and dining rooms. Now, you have a reading chair area.
4. A fabric idea in this space would be to place in a pair of matching throw pillows - one on the black chair and the other on the far left side of the sofa.
5. Moving on...on the wall behind the black arm chair, but in the dining room space and on the right side of the white wall trim piece dividing the two rooms, hang a single, sizeable piece of artwork or photograph (black and white photos make a space look more refined). A black frame would help. This will help balance out the visual heaviness of the TV.
6. Echoing PPs, place your dining table in the center of the room with the short side of the table running parallel to the wallpaper wall. Keep the table with at least 36" on all sides. You could do an area rug underneath it to anchor it visually. I think I mentioned indoor/outdoor rugs. Ballard Designs and Home Decorators Collection both have large online selections. Also, you can try places like Home Depot online. FYI: I'm not a fan of inexpensive wool rugs, the quality just isn't good and they shed like crazy. So your best bet will be a synthetic material (will save money too). For a rug size for under the table, have it come out far enough to so the chairs are still on it, otherwise it will look dwarfed. A 5' x 8' may actually work well.
7. Leave your wooden flower table where it is, but be sure it is centered on the wall between the door and the white wall trim piece. Use your 3 floral? prints above the wooden table, but lower them; they are hung too high. You could also place a lamp on this wooden table. I love setting timers on decorative lamps to come on in the evening....it sets the mood for relaxation!
Anyway, that's it! Hope it helps.
Opps forgot to do #8...
You can also hang something on the wall where you have your TV table now. Something medium sized. Not too high.
It looks like you have fun family/friend pics...to include them in the spaces, you could place 1-2 on the wooden table in the dining room, 1-2 on the TV table if there's space.