Colour and layout help?

11 November, 2019

Posted over in Home Decor but seems quiet there and I messed up photos! I would love some advice on colour schemes and ideas for my (hopefully! offer accepted, awaiting exchange of contracts) new living room.

Radiators under windows (boo!) so ideas for heating (that isn't UFH) welcome, or window treatments that are not sill length curtains...

And style/colour guidance welcome. Can't seem to share lots of photos at once so bear with me while I share lots...

Estate agent pics attached.

This is the shape/size of the living room. · More Info

Comments (17)

Midcen Tury-Modern
Current decor and layout.
This is the estate agents picture of living room of new house. It's nice and lig · More Info
11 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
This LVT parquet floor (Karndean blond oak) is in hallway. We think we will put this in throughout the ground floor.
Karndean Art Select Range · More Info
11 November, 2019
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Going back to original options with the sofas opposite each other, can you fit a tv unit under the stairs as that could look quite good? With regard to the L shaped arrangement with the tv on the unit, you could drill a circle in the back of the unit and store the play station and sky in there. Another option which I think could work is to swap the dining and living round as the dining end looks bigger. Have one sofa on the kitchen wall with the other opposite ( place the sofas about a foot from both walls) and hang the tv above the radiator. You could make a feature of the room with a built in tv, Sky and radiator cover, as per example attached from Andre hodges. That should still give you at least 4ft for a clear corridor to the kitchen ( on the basis the 7ft measurement you gave was from the side of the kitchen door!) I wouldn't paper the recesses now I've seen the whole room. Maybe considering papering or painting the kitchen wall to Bring the wall in so as to make it feel wider and give more interest to the lounge.
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I agree with Hugh re supervision plus by the time the extension is built your son will be nearing an age where he understands a little more. You may also want him in there to cook with you soon. I'm sure the kitchen can be designed from a safety aspect too if that's the only thing holding you back. I think the advantage of using OnePlan is that Karen can look at the whole house spatially etc and you're not tied to a particular kitchen company (I'm not on commission!). Click on her profile for reviews etc. I second Hugh's comments re karndean too! I like the heringbone parquet! If you did want to hire an interior designer (designers tend to be qualified in planning too I think as opposed to an interior decorator although many of those could be qualified by experience) then you could find you save as much as you spend. Some of them will offer you their trade discount which if doing the whole house could add up to an awful lot. They may also make you save from any mistakes and I've made a few of those! I'd go on houzz and search for pros and look at their reviews and previous work. I think you need to meet people yourself though as it's important to have a good working relationship and make sure they understand you
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In some ways it’s good to have such a large TV. Let’s face it you are sitting a very long way from it in your lovely big room! You are wondering how to make the door end of the room look used. I think we are talking trade offs with the design here, in terms of cost and layout. If you can spend a bit of money it might be worth investigating how to design a new fireplace that incorporates the TV. Sounds horrendous I know, but because you have a large tv it might work, though you’d have to be VERY careful about balance in the positioning and get specialist advice on insulating the tv from the heat from the fire. You also need to consider how much time you spend watching tv and if the upwards angle of view might give you a stiff neck from where you place the sofa...BUT... this would enable you to bring Carolina’s room layout back towards the door, making the room look more occupied, you could then also use celery girls idea to put a sort of separate more intimate seating area in the bay window - two statement chairs and a little table, maybe flanked by a pair of enormous table lamps in front of the curtains to fill the corners and highlight the curtains at night.
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Your bed seems perfect for a nice soft romantic look, I would go for a floral paper behind bed (Raipur floral from wall paperdirect) is romantic but bang on trend colour wise, if you could, put fitted wardrobes along the wall behind the door, move your dresser to the alcove where your wardrobe is now, maybe invest in some drawers for under the bed also, storage seems a bit of a problem, and I would go with maybe stiffkey blue paint for the rest of the walls. This will give a nice cosy atmosphere to your room. A place to go and unwind. You could you white and silver accessories for that fresh feeling too. Nothing like crisp white bed linen. Enjoy, I hope it all works out for you, Aspiring Minds Design
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Midcen Tury-Modern
My stuff! Dark leather sofa needs to stay, but could try to tweak it (lighten/recolour leather?! Fabric covers? New feet to raise up a little)

Also my teak G Plan Fresco Highboard. We have other midcentury teak stuff which we love.
This is my ancient dark leather sofa (2 seater, we have a matching 3 seater oppo · More Info
11 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
Things I like...
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11 November, 2019
Sarah U-S
It’s a good size room!

If it was me, I think my priority would be to get rid of the mouldings - dado, cornicing and ceiling rose. (Im guessing from the ceiling height that it’s a relatively recent build??).
Once you have smooth, uncluttered walls and ceiling without the fussy window dressings and your new flooring, it will look great!!

Paint white or a light colour. (Like your images), swap the radiators for nicer looking column radiators. Consider blinds like your second image.

Your furniture is gorgeous - but it needs fresh, smooth and uncluttered walls to look it’s best!
Good luck - it’s an exciting project!
11 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
Thank you! Yes it is exciting, just holding my breath a bit in the middle of buying!

Yes, we need to strip out the plasterwork and paint a light colour. We actually have a pair of matching sofas (2&3 seater) and they're so dark I don't really know what to do with them, or indeed where we'd put them in this room, but can't afford to replace.
11 November, 2019
rinq
I agree on starting with a blanc canvas and painting it a light color to begin with.

Need to see more walls to get an idea of layout (like what's in the alcove?).

And if your style is somewhat scandinavian - midcentury, I'd start saving for other sofa's, or better said, one big sofa and some armchairs. Also look for secondhand. Our sofa is real leather, bright turquoise and free for the taking!
13 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
Thank you. I would like to buy some new sofas but I suspect other things will need prioritising on moving in. So any ideas for Scandi-ing up the sofas would be welcome, even though they won't be completely in keeping

The little alcove is actually a chimney/fireplace. It has a living flame gas fire now - we'd probably hope to install a woodburning stove later.
13 November, 2019
PRO
colourhappy
I will look a lot different with the floor stripped out. One thing I would say is give some thought to the colour of any new floor you put in. The more colourful a wood (real or fake) floor, the more difficult it is to add wall colours, as all colour interacts. Warm oak particularly is quite restricting (I should know). Cooler woods are worth considering. I notice that in a lot of Farrow and Ball images the wood flooring is rarely a warm oak colour. Just a thought.
13 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
Mmm colourhappy, thank you - that's worth considering. Again, we were thinking about how we might stretch the budget by adapting what is there but yes, orangey oak is quite restrictive!
13 November, 2019
PRO
World of Wallpaper
Why not try a feature wall for your new living room! Feature walls are currently on trend and really add some excitement to a living room.

For a white/off-white colour scheme, why not try this high quality tropical wallpaper?

Or, for a classy style, you could try this dark green colour, which flawlessly compliments whites and gold tones.

For more feature wall ideas, please visit our website at www.worldofwallpaper.com

Best of luck with decorating your living room and fingers crossed that the offer is accepted!
14 November, 2019
Sarah U-S
Ooh Midcen Tury-Modern, I’ve just seen something that made me think of you and your leather sofas!
An add for Frenchic Paint just popped up on my Facebook and I was scrolling through the comments and reviews and noted that people seem to use one of the paints from their range to paint old leather sofa’s!
I have absolutely no idea how it works or how to do it, and I’m certainly not endorsing the paint range as I’ve never used it - however the reviews seem really positive. For probably less than £20, it might be worth a risk?!!!!
I then googled and came across this example from their website...
https://frenchicpaint.co.uk/blogs/upcycling-makeovers/leather-chair
17 November, 2019
Sarah U-S
Another painted leather example here....
Has anyone actually done this?!!!

https://www.facebook.com/frenchicpaint.co.uk/posts/1717180175027651
17 November, 2019
rinq
Paint wears off quite fast. Won't really be a waste of money, but might be a waste of old sofas.

Idea? https://www.wayfair.co.uk/furniture/pdp/norden-home-victor-3-seater-sofa-hazn1612.html#kkp6taz1uf9-2

Or https://www.wayfair.co.uk/furniture/pdp/mercury-row-sprowston-3-seater-sofa-ssff1827.html?piid=19580570

(just a few google finds)
17 November, 2019
Sarah U-S
Thanks Rinq! These articles only ever show the freshly finished item - they never show what it looks like after a bit of everyday life!!!
17 November, 2019
rinq
Explore your options (and look for experiences online) If it's only to update them for the next two years, why not paint them. But know there's no way back.
18 November, 2019
Midcen Tury-Modern
Lovely sofas! thank you. We'll see what the renovation budget comes in at.

I'm still wondering about bleaching them with oxalic acid (which is a 'thing' apparently...) but I've yet to find any finished versions online.
18 November, 2019

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Colour and layout help?

Comments (17)

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