De-magnolia the living room

9 years ago

I am wanting to brighten up my living room and paint it a different colour to just magnolia but I am keen on keeping most of the furniture, the carpets and curtains which are new. What colours would you suggest that would match mostly what I have? Are there any other ways you could suggest to make this bland room more exciting?

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Liz Walsh

9 years ago

How about something like this? You could try playing around with the layout of your living room with your furniture. I think everything's pushed to the edge so it might be worth having defined areas for dining and living? I would be tempted to change the lampshades on your lamps, which shouldn't cost too much. Hope this helps?

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Comments (16)

Fraser
9 years ago
The wall the tv is on is crying out to be painted. Is that red cushions I spy on the chair? Maybe a nice red feature wall with a mirror on it? And get some cushions for the sofa as well to make it cosier and more homely.
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Christopher Grace Designs
9 years ago
Consider the colour carefully, one that will blend with your existing furniture etc. I would even try and reconsider the layout of the room to think about the wall that should be the accent. Then add some other features of interest to the wall such as mirrors and pictures etc.
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@colourhappy I totally agree. Like everyone else I can’t help being influenced by trends but I really try to choose things that are not too ‘of the moment’. Like those enormous wall clocks someone else mentioned. They look fab but they are definitely a trend that will define this period. Eventually there will be a lot of them in landfill. Our trusty magnolia paint saw us through 10 years of family life in our old house with 3 young children. It was super easy to slap a bit more on if it ever got dirty - who am I kidding, I mean WHEN it got dirty. It didn’t clash with the wood effect floors which I think many of the currently popular grey or yellow colours would have. I suppose I’m also lucky that I’ve not spent much time as a renter so I don’t have the frustration of having magnolia forced on me. I don’t remember it being a thing in the 80s either. I DO remember the Dulux ‘hints’ range from then though: Apple white, orchid white etc. My Mum loved those.
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A7 for rd66. Furniture is so bulky and I understand the sentimental value. Unless you want your home to be a museum it might be a case of choosing a few favourite pieces and then letting the rest go. It's hard because there is always a bit of your heritage in each piece but remember every antique piece of furniture carries a story - a bit of history. We all treasure that. You might be able to find a lovely home for some of your grandfather's pieces. For the pieces you don't like or have no value.... you know what I'm going to say.... Some people take photographs of the treasured items, or why not a video? It is a way of keeping the memory and then being able to let go of the piece, whether it's china, glass, furniture or ornaments.
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If you want to create a flow between all spaces, you could use the accent colour(s) that you use in the kitchen (for example: the yellow and blue that you mentioned) and use that for cushions and/or art in the living room. Perhaps a couple of blue glass vases on a sideboard in the dining room. And add some orange or green too. These accent colours don't have to be the same. They can be different shades. If you keep the large pieces neutral, white, light grey, wood, you'll have a basis that you can add whatever colour/pattern you'd like to. An accent wall can be easily painted in a different colour. Cushion covers can be changed without breaking the bank. Hope this helps?
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Hi, the room looks more cream or pale yellow than magnolia on my screen. I think it’s the skirting that looks wrong, rather than the walls. I’m sure if you painted out the skirting in white, it would calm everything down. I would do that first, then see what you think. If you still hate the wall colour then you can paint it, but the big cream cupboard will need to tie in somehow, unless you paint that too? How about also painting the walls pale green as it sits well with cream? Normally cream and blue go really well together, but the steel blue is too cool and too much of a contrast with the warm cream. The picture below is an example of how well green and cream go together.
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minnie101
9 years ago
Why don't you add a feature wallpaper to the tv wall? I'm not sure of your taste but either try something with a texture or appearance of texture or a patterned paper. I can't work out the colours of the sofa, rug etc but maybe choose something with a beige background with the pattern in the colours you already have in the room. Maybe try the layout slightly differently? Centre the table under the pictures in the middle of the wall. Move the rug in front of the sofa and centre the footstool in the middle. A mirror on the feature wall would help and some art over the sofa. Add cushions in red on the sofa if that's the colour you like but also add some in the beiges and other shades of brown etc so it's not a block of red on the sofa.
Jonathan
9 years ago
you have the basic- you are missing colour and pattern. Time to buy some accessories or some wallpaper.
laurz84
9 years ago
Wallpaper on the TV wall, a fairly large pattern so as to not look too busy.

Cushions are needed, think different patterns, textures.

I would have matching lamps either side of the sofa and some artwork above. I would go with two large square pictures.

Coffee table!!!!!

I have attached a pic of my parents living room with the type of wallpaper I would suggest and the lamps they have.
emc7
Original Author
9 years ago
Thankyou for all the comments they're all really useful. At the minute I have creams, greys (rug and chair) and a black sofa so I need to pull these colours together and make the room more exciting. I have orange accessories which I've taken out in the photo as I feel the walls and decor is the main issue so I'd like to get an idea of colours etc then choose colours and accessories. I'm mainly finding it difficult as I like the grey- tones but then of course I have a cream carpet and curtains.
Thanks again everyone.
minnie101
9 years ago
You could try finding a grey wallpaper which also has cream in it. Try wallpaperdirect, as it has a visualiser for different room types, and pull up all their grey patterned wallpapers. There are a large number which contain cream (and accent colours) in. Hopefully you will like one of them
PRO
Shine Lighting
9 years ago
White with a feature wall of photos in bright frames could be an great idea. White will also make the space feel so much bigger.

Then why not jazz up the room with a coloured ceiling light?

Why not go for something like this to go over your dining room table? http://bit.ly/18IN7mT

You can also add an injection of colour with your floor and table lamps. For example: http://bit.ly/ZARAFloor

If you want any more help why not give us a phone on 01202 601846?
stabmonkey
9 years ago
don't use grey or wallpaper. instead go for a bright colour for accessories like cushions and art. red or a sunny yellow perhaps. you can always go bolder after you get more of a feel for what you like.
thedesignsheppard
9 years ago
Hi, I've written about magnolia and the colour psychology behind it on my blog. The article features an interview with colour expert and consultant Karen Haller and features lots of advice about living with magnolia and how to incorporate other colours into the decor scheme and what colours work best. You might find some of the advice useful when deciding what colours to choose.

I took Karen's advice when accessorising my home and choose green accents and it looked absolutely lovely against the magnolia and my big brown sofa. I have since bought a flat which was also mostly magnolia. In the livingroom I kept two walls magnolia and again took Karen's advice and opted to paint two walls in a really warm shade of green. It looks and feels really lovely. I would never have thought of pairing green with magnolia before speaking with Karen. I hope you find this useful!

http://www.thedesignsheppard.com/interviews/using-magnolia-in-interiors#sthash.zqybfCCh.dpbs
ruthholmstock
9 years ago
I wouldn't bother to repaint the room until its getting shabby and it needs it. I would buy a blind in a really zingy design to brighten the room at night. Pick out a colour from the blind for sofa cushions, or get a blind to go with what you already have. A horizontal picture above the sofa would look good - you can buy them very cheap in shops like Poundstretcher. The pictures above the table are hung a bit too high, I would move them to the tv wall, between the tv and the table corner, a tiny bit higher than the tv screen so they look as if they are related. And maybe brighten the table with napkins when its laid and a vase of flowers or a plant when it is not in use.
Si Xian
9 years ago
Orange or bright yellow.
Si Xian
9 years ago
Apple green or lime green.
PRO
Stella Michael
9 years ago
I'm not sure of what the rug is doing it looks a bit odd as it's quite small and just sitting in the middle of the room. Consider buying a larger more interesting rug that sits under the front feet of the sofa ... with some pattern and colour and then pick out some of these colours to add interest in the rest of the room and then choose the wall colour.

You wouldn't wear grey from head to toe and if someone did what would it say about them so adding some colour and texture would make a big difference. Also consider some items that have a bit of age, they add another dimension to a room full of new things. They can be smallish things like a vintage vase or light fitting etc
PRO
NuCasa
9 years ago
last modified: 9 years ago
If you are looking to update your lounge by painting it then this article may be really helpful for you http://www.nucasa.co.uk/blog/how-to-update-your-home-decor-with-paint/

De-magnolia the living room

Liz Walsh

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Fraser

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De-magnolia the living room

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