Sara Offered...

**AmyBoz** · 09-12-2003, 02:37 PM

...so, I'm taking her up on it. Any advice you, or the other ladies, can give on sprucing this room up a bit, frugally, please, would be much appreciated. It's a little hard to see, but hopefully it will work. Please note that a photographer friend of mine is making a music montage long photo thingy for over the piano.

**AmyBoz** · 09-12-2003, 02:38 PM

and this view

**AmyBoz** · 09-12-2003, 02:38 PM

and this one

**Sara Noel** · 09-12-2003, 02:44 PM

I'll dissect it later. My little one just woke up. You have some great foundational pieces with your furniture. First thing I notice is white/offwhite walls. Also the scale of your pictures on the walls, and the size and color of your area rug and placement of furniture. I'll try and get some time tonight when the kids are down for the evening to draw out and share some ideas.

There's nothing "wrong" with your room. It's cozy, practical, and functional. (as is my own livingroom) It just could use a little flair.

**AmyMCGS** · 09-12-2003, 06:48 PM

I agree with Sara, there's nothing "wrong" with the room at all, and you have really nice furniture. I like the layout of the room, too.

Since you asked, though, I'm glad to try and think of ways to change it a little... I LOVE decorating! (Keep in mind I was an art major in college, BTW!

)

If it was my room:

I'd go for a little color on the walls. Maybe a buttercream color? That would warm it up and give it a soft look.
Or you could:

ragroll it with soft blues and greens to combine the existing colors in the room
stencil a border around the top or at chair-rail height
use Walmart bags scrunched up to make a textured pattern on the wall-- maybe just halfway up, and then either stencil a border or use a wallpaper border

I always go with paint first because it's pretty inexpensive, especially if you do a ragroll or sponge or some other technique where an even coat throughout the room isn't mandatory.

I've also seen some really good wallpaper borders at the Dollar General lately for only $1 a roll. Maybe you'd find something there that you like.

I'd also add some bigger art on the walls. You can get large, framed posters or inexpensive artwork at a lot of places.
Personally, I love to see quilts hanging- it gives such a warm & cozy look. I got a quilt rack on eBay for $12 and hung the quilt my grandma made me, and I have another quilt that I bought for a good price draped over the couch. An added bonus there is that the colors can tie in all the accessories that you want to use.

Hmmm... that's all for now. Like I said, I LOVE decorating projects, so I'm always happy to contribute my two cents' worth...

If I could just convince DH to let me start on our bedroom maybe I wouldn't get so excited over other peoples' projects...

**Sara Noel** · 09-13-2003, 12:13 AM

I dont want to suggest things that would be too costly. I also am limited in my suggestions because you have some large pieces of furniture in there and limited space to move them. Especially knowing someone is providing a picture for above the piano...that really limits your options on furniture placement. I also don't want to have you repurchase new items, but can make suggestions for the future of what you might consider when ready to repurchase some items.

Keeping in mind the age of your daughter and the fact that you and your husband work full time and you bring in students to teach piano...here are my suggestions.

I suggest you first paint the walls a mocha. Not dark mocha. A warm but soft mocha color. I also suggest your sheer panels be a floral pattern of some sort or your solid panels be a pattern. The floral shouldn't be all close together in print. I am thinking something further apart in pattern. Some suggestions for patterns other than floral would be leaf or ivy type patterns. The color pattern in the sheer should not be bright white....it should be an off white or soft color and the colors of the pattern to be of the same color(s) that are in your rug. If money permits, I'd get a nice curtain rod that introduces a new texture. I suggest something "iron" with a pretty finial.
Here's a link so you can get a feel for the difference a pattern would make: http://www.spiegel.com/shop/ensemble...tegory_id=1569

Again the colors aren't right on the money and neither is the pattern, but gives you an idea of what a pattern would bring into the room and how it can help pull some color through that area too.

Your oval rug is nice. A bit oversized for the room, but the thing is that it's the linear placement and shapes of your furniture that set the eye off. There isn't anything else roundish to compliment the rug. To help that, you could add some toss pillows that are round and add a couple of wall things that are round. The following are just some ideas of some round items that would help. I'm not suggesting all of them. Just tossing out some ideas.
If I get more time, I will post more exact items, but for now I'm just grabbing a few items online to show you what types of things you can add to your walls to balance the oval rug. I'd also layer with some sort of chenille blanket on the couch.

http://www.spiegel.com/shop/style.as...ategory_id=659

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/pdp...5152&cursor=31

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/pdp...14972&cursor=6

I would invest in some new lamps. Two lamps that don't match. One being tall and one being a bit shorter. One that is conversational and more rich in appearance and one that blends more. The shorter one to go on a table between the sofa chairs (placement explained later) I would suggest a tall brass or glass (crystal look) or one close in "weight" as the fleur de lis one I am posting one for the taller lamp. (also 2 buffet lamps for on top of that one bureau and the top of the desk)

http://www.homedecorators.com/detail...=89&subcat=651

http://www.homedecorators.com/detail...=77&subcat=651

http://www.ballarddesigns.com/bd/pdp...14958&cursor=8

I'd like to see a scenic picture that is warm. Something with an autumn appearance would be nice. Flank the picture with two sconces. The sconces could be of either "iron" to harmonize the curtain rod and side lamp or brass to balance out the one table lamp selection. I'd place it above that bureau.

The pictures you have already would be best utilized in a grouping vs. one here-one there. You could consider putting them all on the wall near your desk.

I would consider one casement type shelf above that entryway into the diningroom. Place some of those small items you have on top of your bureau and desk.

Try grouping some photos on your piano.

I'd like to see a couple of plants in the room. You could add a bubble bowl with african violets for your coffee table or a nice silk arrangement there. You could also try a candle arrangement. (I'll try to take a picture of mine to give you an idea of a simple way to arrange candles) The bubble bowl would be nice because it would introduce something clear and glass and give color. Everything is "chunky" in the room and you really could benefit from some lighter things.

I wish we could take out the two sofa chairs and add a lighter rocker, but if they stay then an idea would be to place them together with an end table between to create a conversation area. Fitting it is a problem though. I want to move the piano so that it's on an angle almost following the curve of the rug so that it's partially facing the diningroom...thus opening up that area to put your two sofa chairs to be grouped. BUT since you have a picture being made...then I'd like to see the the piano move to the left and the couch angled partially from the corner where that one sofa chair is and the two sofa chairs to the right of the couch. Angle the coffee table accordingly. This would also open up that picture window a bit so it's not completely blocked by your couch. I know the room is small, but try to not place your couch against walls.

I wish I was there so I could see the dimensions better. I love accessories. I'd add something whimsical and fun. You can find items like small figurines. Can cozy things on your stairway with a stair basket too.

I don't want to keep talking because the last thing I want is for you to think I am telling you what to do or that your room is horrible. It truly is a nice room.

I'll try to draw what I mean because reading it may not come across exactly the way I mean it to.

I prefer to hear more about what YOU think before commenting, but these are just my thoughts without you commenting.

I'll shutup now.

**mrscornbread** · 09-13-2003, 01:18 AM

WQow, Sara, now I wish my camera worked so you could do that for me! Im getting it fixed or a new one soon...

**AmyBoz** · 09-13-2003, 12:02 PM

Wow! You should have your own show! Those are all great suggestions!

As for the rug...it isn't a permanent fixture in the room. We "borrowed" it from my parents when we moved in so the dogs nails wouldn't ruin the entire houses' hardwood floors. However, he's supposed to be going soon and we found a nice cream colored rectangular rug that we are thinking of puchasing instead, or just leaving the room with the wood floors.

I like the idea of the light mocha walls. I don't know if you saw in the one picture, but the living room makes an L shape with the dining room, so whatever we paint in there has to carry through to the dining room. The dining room doesn't get much light, so I've been hesistant about getting rid of the white walls in there just because I don't want it too dark.

We've gone round and round about the placement of the furniture in that room. The one sofa chair in the corner (the fabric one) is coming out of the living room and moving into dd's room once we move the glider and crib out of her room and into the nursery. It's going to become her reading chair. That will open up that corner for more movement, perhaps of the couch. We had also considered (prior to my friend offering the music photos) moving the piano, as you had said, facing the dining room, but then while you eat, you are staring at the back side of the piano and it's kinda icky. Moving it left is certainly another option, although then it really does combine the two rooms into one, but that's not necessarily a bad thing.

I totally agree with you about adding accessories. I think the reason we haven't so far is just because dd picks up EVERYTHING and tends to slam them down. We have a scratched up old IKEA coffee table in the play room that has scratches everywhere. The one in the living room is the nice one and I don't want it to get scratched. However, she can't scratch with throw pillows, so that's a definite.

I like the idea of the shelf over the stairs, I just worry that it will conk dh in the head as the rise isn't very high and he is pretty tall. But, I could stand there and hold stuff and see if he hits it to test it out. (He may not like the test, but it sounds fun to me!)

Keep the ideas coming! I asked for your opinion, so I certainly don't take offense when you offer it!

**Heather** · 09-13-2003, 12:29 PM

Sara SHOULD have her own show! Wow, great ideas!!

You have a lovely livingroom Amy, I see you mention about moving your piano but you didn't want to see the back side of it from the dining room. I watched a makeover show the other night and they were addressing that very same problem! What they did was make a "curtain" so to speak and velcro'd it to the back. It looked great and not out of place! You could pick a coordinating fabric/colour that would blend with the rest of the room.

**Sara Noel** · 09-13-2003, 01:26 PM

I don't have time right now, (everyone is in the computer room right now and it's like chaos over here) lol but there are a couple of things I'll try and clarify later.

**aylasmommy** · 09-13-2003, 03:57 PM

You'ge gotten some great idea's!

I would personally add some silk ivy to the banisters( i'm in love with that stuff), maybe tie the curtains back with some white or cream ribbon (although I think the curtains look fine the way it is) I might add a floral/ivy swag to the curtain rod as well? I don't know depends what you do with the rest of the room...

I agree with getting new lamps and getting bigger artwork for the walls...

That cream rug you mentioned will look great! I think it'll help 'open up' the room.

I envisioned that narrow artwork moved over above the desk, and a large wreath put above that hallway.

And I love all the other ideas!

**captclearance** · 09-13-2003, 06:52 PM

OK, I'm giving up on Christopher Lowell and Sara is my new decorator !!!!!!!!!!!!! I love your ideas Sara ! You'll be sorry you helped when we inundate you with requests !!!!!!! lol