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What should I do with a large white wall in my living room?

9 years ago

last modified: 9 years ago

So design dilemma - I've got a large empty white wall in my living room and I don't know what to do with it. It's got the T.V in front of it and two little bookshelves on either side but the wall behind is bare and looking lonely! I'm debating if I should go for a large canvas or a sequence of smaller pictures, or maybe some lights?

Houzzers, help me out! Leave a comment if you have any thoughts - any idea is a good one!

Featured Answer

Luciana

9 years ago

Great space you have there, Tom! I rather like the whole white concept and as you say you love the Scandinavian style, that's a good start.

Depending on what you have, my vote would go to two posters symmetrically placed on top of the bookcases and a clock or round mirror on top of the TV or a random, eclectic mix of smaller pictures & posters all over the place :))

Don't know if you have any posters already, but besides the usual, check out Tate Modern; some of their stuff is quite cool (and good quality): http://shop.tate.org.uk/prints/tate-mini-prints/icat/miniprints

You could also change the bookcases to some taller ones or buy some shelf of the same length and place them on top, giving you more storage space. Or get some Ikea picture ledges and mix the sizes of your frames.

Buy a cool floor lamp (trust me, a cool floor lamp is always a must!!) http://www.iconiclights.co.uk/floor-lamps.html?limit=100

.... sorry, have to go out for a bit. I'll post better inspiration photos later.

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Comments (13)

Tani H-S
9 years ago
Hi, are all the other walls white in the room? If not. It would be good to have it as a feature wall with either wallpaper or painted. That's what I've done with every main wall in my house
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Hi Rumkini, Thanks for that. I’m not sure you picked up on all the doorways and walkways?, so I've put red arrows on the crucial well worn routes, one being the Kitchen, and the other the main entrance/central walkway. I thought about an “L” arrangement, but as you say, you cant recline onto each-other, it creates “premium/preferred seating”, and less routes to get around. I’ve looked at your plan, and by moving the tv facing couch much further back, may work, but only with slim or no end tables as I think the coffee table would end up too far away, and it really restricts the main walkthrough. I’m looking to level the playing field on the seating options and certainly in favour of the idea that everyone will have the same view, not fighting over “the” TV junky spot (or rather Elite Dangerous on the Xbox spot when it comes to my 13 year old along with wires, laptop controllers...sufficed to say I'm moving the boy OUT of the living area). Re, view of the tv, the further away you are is the better view, it’s a compromise, optimum viewing vs facing eachother, but to be honest, I don’t think many ever sit on the end of a sofa with a comfy arm rest in a regimented position. The odd thing is, being a curved tv helps me out a bit, genuinely, with the angles. The Dining table is a 6 seater 1800x900, and I have a foldaway 900x900 catering table to extend it for Christmas. I did put it to scale on the plan, but showing it all out on this next picture, and I’m not concerned about that at all, it has space elsewhere for now. Besides, I “will” have room to put it here, but not yet. After trawling through sofa options, I find it is possible to have a true 3 seater at 205x98 rather than nearer 230x210 with reclining ends. Also, I can sell my 600x600 oversized lamp tables to opt for 200x600 slim end tables. The rug I've put in for scale is 2000x1400. With or without the smaller couches, I'm finding that perhaps the TV should actually stay right where it is after all, plus reducing glare from the window especially at this time of the year with the low sun. If I took the top picture, keeping the tv where it is, and take on board your idea that I do have the room to move them further apart/more into the dining area, I can fit something inbetween too. I red circled the couch over the corner of the window/radiator... it sets off something OCD in me. Even if the couch was to be pulled away from the wall, it restricts the main walkthrough whether it is this way or the L plan suggested.
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Agree about injecting colours - at the moment it is a bland room without any focal point. From your photo the picture - whilst it looks interesting - seems to be far too large for this room, or at least on this wall. Swap it for a smaller one, and place it level with the top of the windows. Replace the curtains with colour, match the same colour or similar to cushions on the settee, and a comfortable (but not too big) chair in the corner. There looks to be some sort of chair there, which seems out of place. If finances allow it, I would also replace the coffee table, as whilst glass tables seem a good idea, they take up space but do not add to the atmosphere of the room. Good luck, and let us see what you do.
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Luciana
9 years ago
Ok Tom, I'm back!! and with some crazy ideas too!

Firstly though, I don't really get the layout of your room. Your armchairs don't seem to face the TV.... how does that work? Is the cable end there or can you place the TV somewhere else. I know you only asked for ideas to decorate the wall, but I wouldn't mind having some fun rearranging your furniture too (with your permission and muscle force, obviously :))

Anyway, are you that keen on symmetry? Because I'd rather play with your bookcases... what if you get them one on top of the other (just fix them in the back with some screws) and have a taller unit. Or get one in between your armchairs and a big plant in the corner by the window. Or move the low unit somewhere else, get the bookcases next to each other and place the TV on top with some shelves after you paint the wall black :)) or blue!! Too mad??
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What I'm trying to say is: have a bit of fun with your stuff. Change it around, leave it for a day and then again, until you reach a happy compromise. And always keep an eye out for unique or unusual pieces - you literately have a blank canvas and can easily add to it. Or just go for the obvious and frame the TV with some photos...

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Good luck!!
Tom Flanagan thanked Luciana
Tom Flanagan
Original Author
9 years ago
Thanks Luciana! These are some really great suggestions. I agree - i think a cool floor lamp is needed. I really also like your suggest for stacked shelves and a mix of different sized frames - I think it'd really inject the space with some character. I hadn't really considered moving around the furniture but I think it might work depending on what I do with the wall. I love the modern loft picture and the village apartment picture with its shelving - great choices!
PRO
Vistafolia
9 years ago
Why not have a feature wall: vertical garden. Although they're hard to maintain and can be quite pricey, we can help you out with a hassle free and affordable alternative :)
Luciana
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
Just found these, if you want to keep the things simple:
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PS: notice the cool floor lamps :))
PRO
Stella Michael
9 years ago
I love some of the ideas above, and here's some more ... the bookshelves look a bit bitty - any chance of getting one piece, like a sideboard - something with a bit of age would also ground the room a little otherwise go for modern and white. Especially if you are keeping the shelves I would suggest one large painted canvas to bring it all together otherwise with the bookshelves underneath it may look a bit too messy (especially once you fill them) with lost of small pieces on top. Think about balancing the scale/proportions ... small shapes below and large above. A real painted canvas would add much more depth, texture and character than prints.
PRO
Stella Michael
9 years ago
Have a look at the link below (not sure how to make it shorter). This look with make your room look more spacious than lots of small pieces (you didn't say but it looks like a smallish room). I love some of the ideas above but they tend to be in larger rooms. Too many bits can also make it look a bit studenty if you are sticking to the all white with your current furniture and layout. Maybe consider some smaller pieces on another wall as they can also be distracting around the television.
https://www.houzz.co.uk/magazine/houzz-tour-a-compact-new-build-flat-gets-a-colourful-update-stsetivw-vs~39483910?utm_source=Houzz&utm_campaign=u970&utm_medium=email&utm_content=gallery0

Would be great to see the rest of the room and have rough dimensions.
cobwebfaery1
9 years ago
sit with the wall for a while, when does it look less bad? u could go for a corbusier one colour wall, ie only primary colour; u could paint the wall a natural earthen colour, like not yet dried plain plaster/terracotta etc., u could do a mirror on it to maximise the light from the window, though i hate windows, u could go cosy with dado rail and colour on one half or picture rail higher up obviously. check out acton town house it has a nice apricot white (it's a similar shaped and sized room); u could check out Tokyo A certain style (it's a book) and go all storage-mad but in a nice Japanese way, not too ikea; also see Muji - this room could be Japanised very nicely; best advice though going back to my first point, is to ignore teh furniture mentallly as u sit in different parts of teh room at different times of teh day, see the book Wabi Sabi for how to do this and the genuine organic results that can arise; where does the sun hit which wall etc. also, just scroll through picture after picture on this sort of website, it educates your eye somehow and you'll see new possibilites. u like scandinavia so check out ikeas different treatments of same room a few brochures back. u could plaster it with black shelving if the wall is a cold north facing wall, wtih colourful books and storage items, being bossy i would say, go for golden sand, one low shelf with dark artifacts archeological style and uplighter (cf other persons idea 'cool floor lamp/lighting' - on this low shelf could be also recharging phone, cool shallow dish, and a changing display of natural items. the wall could equally well be an aqua blue, quite pale, but not arctic, in order to look scandi; theh shelf should be stone or slate or white, not black, or bamboo of course; now once you've done this u can enjoy the wall with changinglight effects from teh window, which would need to be bare but for a black roller blind. the rest of the walls could have warmer treatments to make up for your low level statement wall. have a look at Freud's house in hampstead, it's not scandi, but it is similar type building and also, it has been modernised in some rooms. please show rest of room, state rooms' purpose and let us know how u do it eventually. thanks¬
Tom Flanagan thanked cobwebfaery1
Matthew Decorator
9 years ago
A brave feature wall colour
PRO
Overmantels
9 years ago
Hi I found this discussion thread really helpful, almost the only common theme in all the images is the big black TV box, which I think is a bit ugly on the wall. An idea for you on that is to hide the TV inside a mirror - that way you bring artwork and light into the room instead of the black box but you don't loose the entertainment benefits of a TV. Have a look here for some of the ones we make http://www.overmantels.co.uk/all-tv-mirrors
Tom Flanagan thanked Overmantels
PRO
Wallboss
9 years ago
That would make a perfect feature wall especially for something such a nice contemporary tree wall vinyl blowing to one side. Maybe blowing from the window?
Tom Flanagan thanked Wallboss
Tom Flanagan
Original Author
9 years ago
Hi guys, as promised here is this rest of the room - if you could help me out in this discussion too that'd be great, I think I'm even more stumped! with the red wall. It's a rental flat but I've got permission to go a little bit crazy!

https://www.houzz.co.uk/discussions/what-should-i-do-with-the-red-wall-in-my-living-room-dsvw-vd~2918607?n=22

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