How to decorate/furnish this through lounge/diner?
5 years ago
My new house is an ex LA 1950s semi and has the classic through lounge/diner (separate kitchen). This will need to function as a sitting room, place for the kids to play, place for us to eat possibly (I might fit a table in the kitchen, not sure yet) and possibly an office desk for me. The dark patio doors lead to a rather rundown conservatory with white tiles, which is staying for now.
I'm thinking about either solid wood rubberwood flooring or engineered wood planks, but that's as far as I've got! I love colour and my temporary sofa will be orange; I want a chaise sofa eventually. I don't particularly like the fireplace but don't want a wood burning stove either (too lazy!).
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Comments (21)
- 5 years ago
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I need help with flooring and decor ideas for my through lounge
Comments (12)houssaon I sat with a piece of it on my floor this morning and I screamed to myself 'what am I doing , Ive got rid of an axminster for this ! ' so I went to the shop and have found a neutral brown carpet 80% wool which suits a large rug I have and should bring out the colours in my new suite , I am glad I took the rug with me because the small chair is a near match to the suite, and the rug/ chair look nice together . I was tired and stressed late last night having taken up my old carpet last night in 1 piece in case I ever thought about putting it back ! everything now happens Thursdaywhen the carpet is fit and the dining suite and lounge suite is installed Ill upload. youve asked about my style ? Im going for the stressed look ! no I want a classy look but also minimalistic due to it not being a big through lounge thanks for your comments to date ps anyone want an axminster !...See MoreLighting Plan for Open Plan Kitchen / Diner / Lounge
Comments (4)If it were me firstly I would have one switch for task lighting- I think your planned 4 spots in the island boxing is enough but would have them in a row. I would have an additional 4 in a row in the ceiling above the walkway between the island and the main run of kitchen cabinets plus an additional two behind the sofa (but put a softer bulb in these). I would have two in the ceiling above the sink as I think it is tidier than having a wall light. Don’t forget to put a few in the laundry cupboard too. Since your extension ceiling is sloped I would have inset spots that you can angle. Personally I think that when you use the desk you switch on a desk light. I would have a ring of 3amp sockets so that you can switch on two table lights in the sitting area and two standard lamps in the dining area (or two table lights on a console table) and the LEDs above the bookcases. In my opinion you specify more than you need as you don’t have to plug something into every socket but the flexibility is useful. Personally I don’t think you need the coving light in the sitting area and think the idea is odd in an area with sloping ceilings. Next I would have additional kitchen lighting - I would have a run of LEDs under the base cabinets near the plinth and around the base of the island- these are nice to have on at night when watching TV as the kitchen is not fully lit but is light enough to navigate. Additionally I would have lights above and below the wall cabinets. I also like your idea of the boxing above the island having a shadow gap to conceal further LED strip lighting. Pendant lights- I agree that you won’t want one in the sitting area. I think it is messy to have pendants over the island with the additional boxing. I would have one over the dining table and choose an oversized fixture later- ensure that this lighting flex is near somewhere strong enough to mount a ceiling light of some size. Additionally I would have walk over lights in the floor near the garden doors. Remember these will reduce the focus of the garden at night- you might prefer to put these on the outside of the door to reverse the effect. Don’t forget to specify at least one socket behind the cabinets/ under island should any of the kitchen cabinets include lighting- this is especially useful in pantry cabinets. Don’t forget that you will likely need additional sockets in the laundry cupboard as you might well have a charger in there for a vacuum or drill. Personally I would have extra sockets around the desk and contain the router, you home answer phone, etc etc all in the same place. Don’t forget you can also get sockets that include a USB charger inlet. Since you are doing a plan for electrics don’t forget tv/ satellite aerial points. You should also take this opportunity to consider outside lights and power- consider sockets outside for garden lights, outdoor heaters, awnings, water features, mowing the lawn etc. LEDs unless you like decorating in very dark colours choose warm white lighting- a lot of strip LEDs can be adjusted to color match other lights in the room. LEDs- Last time I sourced these I was disappointed with the quoted costs from the electrician- do your own research online about price. Pay attention to the lumen levels and consider if you want disable LEDs. Boxing over the island. Choose your extractor before specifying the size of the boxing- I think the shallower extractors are deeper than the 20cm you stated....See MoreHelp with furnishing a good sized lounge but with two doorways
Comments (4)I think one of the biggest problems in your lounge is where the radiator has been positioned. Ordinarily they would sit in the bay, and yours has been moved to the internal wall fairly opposite the fireplace. Can you move that? Also, the door is not in a great place as it too hinders sofa placement. The rad and the door are both in the way. Although it seems like a radical move, it is really essential to move both of them for an optimum layout as the room is not wide enough to place sofas across like this:- I like the blinds, and the rug and you could certainly work with those colours. If you want added plushness at the windows to make it more cosy, then put up curtains with a nice chunky wooden pole too. The mirror is a bit large for the fireplace, so I would change that. I'd probably also change the shelving system to the left of the fireplace. It dominates the room, and doesn't match so well with the one on the right. Swapping the T.V to the left hand side makes it shielded from the windows and is a slightly better place for it....See MoreFront door opens into lounge diner
Comments (8)I'd do something similar to how the previous owners had it, but I'd turn the dining table round so that it's not blocking the door to the kitchen so much. Push it as close to the fireplace as possible while still being able to use it. That will hopefully create enough of a walkway from front door to kitchen and then treat the walkway area as your entryway. I'd maybe also switch their sofa and armchair around, but it will depend on dimensions of the room and your furniture as to what will fit and look best - but I'd prefer the sofa facing the TV - put the TV on an adjustable bracket on the wall, rather than on a big unit like they have to free up floor space and create the illusion of more space. Ditto with sofas/armchairs - choose some with open legs so you can see more floor. You need to apply all the tricks to maximise the space. You might be able to float an armchair in front of the TV (facing the sofa) to create a nice seating area where the TV is not the main focus point. Dining chairs - keep the backs low on them so they don't interrupt the flow (previous owners had a bench on one side which is a good idea). Looks like a lovely home, good luck with the move!...See More- 5 years ago
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5 years agoA simple idea is to paint the walls pale grey such as Dulux Pebble Shore Or F&B Ammonite. Then add a faded grey faux Persian rug, grey patterned cushions and floorlamps (Dunelm are a good price) and some budget art from Etsy. It will go with the orange sofa, or your future teal one nicely. Here’s what I mean:
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@sonia I'm leaning towards grey walls too. My bedroom is going to be goose dawn and teal tension (I think!) so I'm wondering about doing the living room in the same greytl bulk buy paint! It's a bit darker than polished pebble though. I like those pics and I have a rose gold standing lamp already... Here with my desk (grey and rose gold)
- 5 years agolast modified: 5 years ago
annabellaamy