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Design Dilemma
david_badger47

Any ideas for our lounge & master bedroom?!

David Badger
8 years ago
Looking to modernise a house built in 1993. Unchanged since. Looking to go for a modern look, TV on the wall above a glass fire or similar is our current thoughts for the living room. All ideas welcome, thanks!
Featured Answer
  • minnie101
    8 years ago

    Hi. Are you looking to change everything in the lounge? If you're installing a fire and tv I would add a faux chimney breast. Can the floor be sanded? Id go for blinds or shutters in the lounge as it doesn't look as if full length curtains would hang properly. I think the bedroom looks fine. I'd remove the arch. I'd swap the curtains for maybe a plain grey silk but hang the curtains higher to make the room appear taller. Do you have the budget to change the wardrobes? If not, I'd paint and add new handles. Maybe add a bed end stool at the foot of the bed as you'd have room if the arch is removed. The wedding pic looks lovely but I think it's too small over the bed. I'd add more texture to the bed in grey and Greige. I would spend some time looking through houzz or interior magazines to work out what styles you like as modern covers a lot.

    Comments (13)

    • David Badger
      Original Author
      8 years ago
      Hi,

      Thanks for the reply! We are looking to change everything yes. We've just bought the house, nothing appears to have been changed since it was built. An elderly lady lived there and we are a young couple that like the modern look and feel. We like modern colours such as grey / cream etc. A faux chimney breast is a good idea, I guess it would allow for the TV wiring also. The floor can be sanded yes, the whole house has oak floors with no carpet at all. We would look to add carpet in the lounge to give a warmer feel. Possibly a light grey or cream colour.

      As for the bedroom the idea of removing the arch is sound - it was up there when the current owner extended the master bedroom in to the original 3rd bedroom to give more space. Ideally we would keep the wardrobes for the moment but would look to integrate a television in to them or see if our budget allows a change. We are just looking to give the whole house a more modern and fresher appeal but on a budget as we aren't in a position to throw money at it yet. Starting with paint and DIY!

      Thanks for your input.

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    • minnie101
      8 years ago


      If the floors are all over I would probably leave as they look good anyway. Maybe focus on the lounge initially if budget is tight as the bedroom looks good anyway?? Is your diy up to creating a faux chimney? Have you thought of a rug for the living room? I just find contemporary rooms normally look better with a hard floor but that is just my opinion plus it would be a lot cheaper. If not a silvery or dove grey carpet. Do you have doors through to a dining room opposite the window? If so a chaise style sofa might work as the window area is a little crowded. Inky blues (try farrow and ball railings) and really dark greys are around at the moment as per pic. If you do go for a faux chimney maybe paint the alcoves a really dark colour, the room is light so could take it with the other walls a chalky white. Unless you want to go completely neutral try accents of orange or mustard in cushions etc or copper looks great against the dark blue. Arc lights over sofas are also popular and Will give it an immediate contemporary feel. Heals also do some anglepoise type ŵall lights for something a bit different.

    • tamp75
      8 years ago
      I think you'd be surprised how different it would look just by changing the furniture & the fireplace in the lounge.
      I agree with Minnie that the bedroom looks fine in general but the arch does date it a little.
      For me, the worst thing in both is the colour of the flooring - it looks quite orangey which dates the rooms - particularly the bedrooms. Sanding & staining or carpeting would make a big difference.
    • alammarh
      8 years ago
      it is nice when you paint the frame of roof brone colore
    • Saleha Shah
      8 years ago
      a little re-arrangement suggested before you decide to spend money. is there a wall from where you have taken the second living pic? if yes move the big sofa and pull along smaller sofa to that side in an L shaped arrangement .
    • Gatos Rojos
      8 years ago

      Hi, your living room has some really good elements in there already. The sofa looks nice and, being dark, gives the room some depth - just changing the cushions would immediately give it a more contemporary feel. The wood floor too is lovely, is it sanded floorboards or wood flooring? Whichever, you need to think about the piece of floor under the hearth - I have removed fireplaces in each of my homes and it is usually concrete, this may affect your fireplace/wall mounted fire decision. Finally, I would replace the curtains with dark wood blinds, (but then I'm a fan of Venetian blinds), and put some large bold modern artwork on the walls to compliment your colour scheme. If you decide to stay with curtains, a track rather than pole would instantly update the room.

      Your bedroom looks nice, have you considered painting the furniture white/off white, that could work really well with contrasting bed linen and wall(s).

    • PRO
      Feature Radiators
      7 years ago

      The radiators in the bedrooms look a bit odd as they not the right size for those spaces. You could upgrade the radiators and go for something more up to date and in proportion with the space :)

    • PRO
      Anna Siodelska
      7 years ago

      Hi David

      If you are looking for a wall decor that would bring lots of character to your interiors and would be both functional and impressive you can have a look at my Oversized Handmade Wooden Wall Clocks:


      Extra Large Handmade Wall Clocks · More Info

      There is plenty more designs available on my website Peak Art Clocks. All of the clocks are handmade/hand painted, unique 3D art pieces and would be a great alternative to mirrors/painting.

      Thanks a lot

      Anna

    • PRO
      Steve Attwell Ironwork
      7 years ago

      Have a look at some of the beds on my website. I can design something specifically for you and also make curtain poles to match.

    • PRO
      Leicht UK
      7 years ago

      Head on over to Etsy, your nearest art fair, or look on some art school websites and find some bright, contemporary art to go on the bare walls. Find painitngs you like, and fit your colour palette around them.

    • PRO
      User
      7 years ago

      Hi David.

      An exciting new project you have there! Here are my initial thoughts:

      Living room:

      I would lose the warm tones and pattern, as I think this is what is making it feel dated for you, and introduce some grey and white, with possibly a touch of petrol blue.

      Shutter style blinds may be nice for your windows - you can get well designed yet affordable slatted blinds that resemble shutters these days. Again, I would stick to white and keep it fresh.

      I would build in a chimney breast for your TV, and how about a modern style log burner?

      Prints work well on cushions, so if you did want to re-introduce some pattern into a more modern setting, I would mix geometric printed cushions with simple plain ones to break them up. There are lots out there at the moment.

      If you wanted to keep the oak floors, you could look into sanding them back and grey-washing for a modern feel or indeed keep them oak. Just by sanding them back they will begin to feel a bit more modern. Note - oak changes colour over time, so if in direct sunlight it will start to go a warmer colour.

      Bedroom:

      Remove arch if you can, which would open the space up quite a bit.

      Perhaps the curtains could go and you could go for a fabric roman blind instead - this would soften the windows a little, yet still feel modern.

      Plain white waffle bedlinen is always a good move, and if you like a pop of colour, layer it with a throw and blanket, as well as three - four cushions, stacked in front of the pillows. This could introduce a little colour for you. If you stick to cooler colours, you could keep the oak floor if you wanted to, as it may balance out nicely.

      Can't quite see your pendant light in the shots, but perhaps white origami style pendants and lamps with soft glows would be nice. Keep it fresh, yet soft as this is the room you want to relax in. Greys and tonal colours work well in bedrooms.

      Not sure if you were planning on keeping your furniture or not, the black could work well for a modern setting, but if you were, you could look at white or grey gloss styles as options. This will keep it looking clutter-free with streamlined pieces.

      Hope this helps a little.

      Fi




    • PRO
      V.I.P Walls Interior Specialist
      7 years ago

      Hi if your still in need of help giving your rooms a wow factor why not try our 3D feature walls . We also offer classic styles that can also be modern too installed in the rite way. contact us to find out more.


      Claire

      V.I.P Walls Team

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