skip to main content

Design Dilemma Dining Rooms Living Rooms

Lounge-Diner Colours/Patterns Designs

last month

Hello

Thanks for reading this! I was going to post a single thread about layout and design of the same room, but writing the first part became so long I thought it might be better to split them into two separate threads. This is the second one.

We're not very good with colours/patterns and as we're also not very good at decorating we'd like to try to it get as right as possible, as I'm not there is not a single definition of 'right'!

Below is the current layout of our room.

I also included a picture of the room taken from the old Rightmove listing 12 years ago which I thought may or not help showing the fireplace. Currently the room is upside down with children's toys! The only real difference is the windows on the French doors have been made full length and no longer have the leaded cross hatch.

We quite like blues or green, possibly navy but probably going white or cream on other walls. My wife would quite like to go 'busy' on one or two walls. But should we go the back walls like above? the fireplace section, the two ends of the room? I'm also not so sure about things 'getting lost' in the wallpaper, for example small photo frames.

Something like the below perhaps?

Or some of the wallpapers below as the primary colour, with a cream or beige on secondary walls:

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/albany/grasscloth/204370

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/caselio/uni-mat/199273

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/superfresco-easy/serenity-plain/209895

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/albany/elba/190718

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/clarke-clarke/kazimir/220839 (seems like more a hallway one to me!)

If anyone could please advise on thoughts or recommendations on which wall to do what it would be appreciated as we're completely clueless! :)

Thanks

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (3)

Isla Cherry
last month
The walls either side of the fireplace naturally lend themselves to being "busy" or feature walls. I like your top link to the blue grasscloth type of wallpaper. That would look great with shelves and maybe a gallery wall placed over it. You could also have matching or complementary sideboards each side. Is your current furniture staying or do you have your eye on something new? I would first choose an overall style that I was keen on before choosing finishes. There are so many. Look through Houzz's archives or photos for inspiration first.Your brief is very open.
0
J W thanked Isla Cherry
J W
Original Author
last month
Thanks for coming back to me. Currently we have a mis-mash of furniture that was purchased over time.

The cabinet the TV is on will need to be replaced, it's old, battered and ugly. Currently functional it's served its purposed as a hand me down when I first moved out and more recently to store kids toys in.

The table will be remaining. It's solid oak, on the yellow shade of oak.

The big cabinet next to the table we like, it's more of a red oak. We really like the cabinet and it's super quality, but a part of us is thinking that we should replace it so we have matching cabinets. It's just a bit sad as we like it and won't get anything 1/2 as good!

The small cabinet between the sofa's is another yellow oak (I don't think that is a term, but I'm sure you know what I mean!). Its similar to the table in colour, but not an exact match.

The sofa's are cream leather. They're on their last legs and really need to be replaced, but we're hoping to get another 2-3 years out of them whilst our children are young and then replace them. We won't repaint/wallpaper at this point.

Unfortunately, we don't know the manufacturers of any of the cabinets or table to try to get matching ones.

As the floor is wood as well, we do have a bit of a mis-mash!
0
Related Discussions
Loung/diner design ideas
Q
Comments (5)
Hi. Which way does the room face? How many do you want to seat for dining, will you have a tv and is the fire off centre or is that the photo angle? I'd ideally keep dining by the door and the sofas arranged around the fire. Depending on orientation I think light blue or blue with a grey undertone work well with biscuit shades. This colour is farrow and ball light blue, their skylight may also work or little Greene Bone china blue. I've just looked at this before and after shot on houzz and think something similar to this scheme could work well in your room with touches of red, gold, white curtain poles and pale biscuit curtains and the room also has a tufted coffee table/footstool which would work well with your sofas. I'd also look at the position of the pendant lights. I'd probably go for an L shape sofa position so one opposite the fire and the other opposite the door. You can add a console behind the sofa and a round table for lamps in between the sofas. It will give enough room to walk past and should look fine visually but try it with cardboard boxes on the floor if possible
...See More
Lounge/Diner inspiration needed
Q
Comments (13)
Thank you for your ideas, I'm happy to live with the grey for a while and see how the room feels. Also my layout idea was the top diagram, we have a radiator cover and was going to put the tv on the wall above it, it's not a huge flat screen. Originally before I decided to open the fireplace the tv was going to go there. I like the other layout too and do have a Queen Anne, maybe we can include it in the room instead, my furniture is dark wood that I thought of painting, here's the sideboard and queen Anne chair, I do have a coffee table which my dog chewed when he was a puppy hence painting the furniture.
...See More
How to decorate/furnish this through lounge/diner?
Q
Comments (21)
@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)
...See More
How to decorate north facing lounge diner
Q
Comments (22)
With north facing rooms you have to accept they will never be light and cheerful so it is better to go for warmth of colour with layers of textiles to create an inviting space in which you feel coddled and comforted. Looking at your photos and where you are in your thinking I would use your favoured peachblossom but perhaps zone the dining area back wall and cupboards to the side with the slaked lime to keep the rear of the room lighter and aid the mirror. I notice there is an eating area in the kitchen so how often is the dining table used? If the room is primarily used for sitting then the table could be pushed back releasing more floor space. To tie the two ends of the room together recover the chair seats with a peach/blue/grey patterned linen and dress the table with a runner, decorative bowl or plant/flowers in the same palette. Even if you are not keen on pattern it does hide spills on dining chairs! The aim is to layer up the decoration using plains and patterns without confusing the eye. Your wonderful urn flanked by a pair of bowls or candles on a pale runner would work. The side window is crying out to be dressed and could have a roman blind set in the alcove or a flat pelmet of dramatic shape or proportions to match or complement the dining chair fabric or runner fabric. The window corner would benefit from a standard lamp, perhaps a multi bulb to avoid using the over head lights. If the table goes back slightly the sofa could move to in front of the garden doors with the mirrored console behind. It may be difficult to get power to here for lamps but it is possible to find battery operated ones although they are still very costly but there are realistic wax battery candles (some of which are on remote controls) that could go in a pair of glass storm lanterns to an extra glow to both the dinning and sitting areas. The wooden sideboard could then go on the right hand wall as you look at the garden with two small arm chairs flanking it to provide more seating when needed, another mirror above to catch the evening sun and either a pair of tall lamps or one huge one. The navy chair could be angled in the corner of the doors with the sheep to the window side. The tv console is a bit of a problem as the proportions are slightly out. Just pulling it out of the corner along the wall slightly with a turntable underneath the tv itself for angling may help. Alternatively could the console be used at the dead side or the sofa for books and cups etc? The tv could then go on a small round table in the corner. The space between the doors and sofa needs a large rug to define the space and minimise the wear to the carpet from garden traffic. A large square storage footstool would layer the space whilst giving extra storage. The finishing touches will be throws and cushions to complement the peachblossom walls and navy chair; a navy blue wool/mohair throw for the sofa mirroring colour and adding texture, with cushions in the dining chair fabric along with your velvet ones and one other texture or colour. I seem to have got rather carried away! Sorry, but thank you for providing a break from the misery of the day! A
...See More
Isla Cherry
last month
I love oak and solid oak does tend to become darker with time. Definitely don't rush to replace the sofas as you have little ones to consider. I think get the layout right first and then you can think about the final look. Don't worry about mixing woods it can look very effective. Don't get rid of the sideboard that you like and is good quality. There are always other rooms like bedrooms with shelves above and endless other places to use it. I think I would just add a lot of cushions, maybe a throw or two and cosy the space up a bit. I don't see any small side or coffee tables? Go for a round or organic shapes if you add them as it's nicer to small children and looks softer.
0

Sponsored

More Discussions

Please help me with my bedroom layout.

8

Help me with living room spacing and furniture

14

Please Help Me Decide a House Paint Colour!

7

Help me with my bathroom / kitchen layout please!

5

Fireplace - Don’t know where and if to start

5

United Kingdom

Tailor my experience with cookies

Houzz uses cookies and similar technologies to personalise my experience, serve me relevant content, and improve Houzz products and services. By clicking ‘Accept’ I agree to this, as further described in the Houzz Cookie Policy. I can reject non-essential cookies by clicking ‘Manage Preferences’.