Revamp lounge/diner from scratch - what order should I do/buy things?!

5 years ago

Hi,

We moved into our house a few months ago and are starting to think about deorating. We have a lounge/diner and we have decided we need new everything - wall colours, carpets, sofas and other furniture. Exciting, yes, but I don't really know where to start! Should I be picking sofas first? Wall colours? Carpets? Which way would people advise I do things in?

Thanks in advance.

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Comments (5)

minnie101
5 years ago
Personally I would go sofa, carpet and walls last as there are thousands of paint colours. Re actual painting, I might do the woodwork before the new carpet goes down and tell the fitters to be careful. I've only painted skirting boards with carpet once but it was a nightmare
jessa61
5 years ago
last modified: 5 years ago
Funnily enough we've just done the samething and it was so overwhelming to start with. What worked for us was to start with the things you get least choice in and then work up from there starting with least choice (usually sofa fabric) up to most choice (usually paint colours)
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If you need to accommodate so many people the you will need a big dining table as you can fit in more dining chairs than sofa spaces. If you are going to have a big table then the hearth is in the way and you should remove the fireplace. I also think dividing the room with a chaise sofa will conflict with the large dining table and a sofa and footstool will give you more flexibility. The moto here is to plan what you want to buy before shopping- for instance you might well decide to buy a 2.5m long table but equally might decide that you need to find sofas that are no deeper than 95cm. You might also consider the proportions of things- for instance checking the dining chairs will all fit around the table, finding sofas with smaller arms, choosing furniture in paler colours. You might also think about hanging the door the other way and moving the light switch. TV- you should check the alcove is big enough for the tv you want- the chimney breast may be bigger and a free alcove is somewhere for another chair. Decorating- I think you should buy the big items then choose the wall colour- find two sofas you like, choose a flooring and curtains then select your paint colour. Personally I think you should choose a neutral you like for your house and then an accent. For instance (from the Farrow and Ball paint chart) you might choose to paint your woodwork ‘All White’ and your walls ‘Old White’ or ‘Elephants Breath’ then paint the front window wall and the dining room wall between the kitchen door and the hall door a deep colour such as ‘Bancha’ or ‘Pelt’. These strong colours work well when framing something such as an oversized mirror or curtains. The neutrals are great as they look different in every room so you can paint every room the same for a feeling of continuity but make them feel different with different accessories. Decoration- if you remove the fireplace I can imagine this room might feel a little featureless- you might consider adding coving, a ceiling rose, feature light fitting and perhaps an impressive floor such as an engineered wood or parquet. You might also consider mirrors to make the space feel bigger- be careful not to clutter walls with lots of little things- choose fewer statement big pieces.... I would consider a floor standing mirror on the wall between the hall door and kitchen door- especially if you have painted it a confident colour. I might also look into antique mirror tiles for the alcove above the built in cupboard (and possibly the alcoves in the lounge too). Ps- before you start decorating consider if you need more power points- now is the time to do them.
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Carolina
5 years ago
I agree with Minnie. Paint colour last. Try to get swatches of everything and look at them in your home, in different lights (day and night). It's amazing how different colours look in different lights. So what looks like grey in the shop, might look purple in your home. Also, hold the swatches together and hold the swatches in the direction they are going in. For example: carpet horizontal, sofa fabric vertical and horizontal, curtains vertical.

Good luck and have fun :-)
Sonia
5 years ago
Start with Furniture first, that is sofas and dining table & chairs, paint walls and then accessories last (rugs, cushions, throws and nik naks). Have a look at the photos on Houzz and Pinterest as that will help you decide what style you like, or don’t like. Good luck.
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5 years ago
Agree with Minnie, pick the sofas, then while you're waiting for them paint and get the carpet down after all the painting is finished, then you can accessorize. Don't forget to get a swatch of your sofa colour though, as if you fancy a feature wall you can get the paint mixed to the same shade or match it with wallpaper a lot more easily.

Revamp lounge/diner from scratch - what order should I do/buy things?!

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minnie101

jessa61

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