Please help me redo my living room

[green_momma2007]

Here's what I have to work with:
http://lh6.ggpht.com/_cCDcvqGtsbQ/TM...0/DSCN0411.JPG
http://lh5.ggpht.com/_cCDcvqGtsbQ/TM...0/DSCN0413.JPG

It will be painted in this same color:
http://lh4.ggpht.com/_cCDcvqGtsbQ/TM...0/DSCN0352.JPG

I have a few ideas, and would love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.

First of all, the rug. Should I keep it, or get a different one. I like this one:
http://www.ikea.com/PIAimages/04285_PE077151_S3.jpg
and this one:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/30140754
I prefer the second one, but it's so expensive.

I plan on adding some throw pillows, but I'm not to sure on what colors to include.

Any other ideas?

[wombatclay]

So the walls will be a sort of mushroom brown, the furniture mostly pale wood and/or white? Do you plan on keeping the color block art? If so I'd probably put a slipcover on the couch (an earthy darker brown or green, maybe chocolate or a deep sage), bring in the color block rug (from the picture the first one seems to match the colors you have better than the second rug, but pictures can be off), and add throw pillows that match the colors in the wall art and/or the rug.

How much light does the room get and how do you want to use it? Casual socializing? Mostly TV? And what time of day? (mostly, the question there has to do with whether you'll be in there mostly with artificial light or if there will be times when it's mostly daylight... a floor lamp or beaded sconce or bright sunshine can create very different feels for the same decore).

I'd probably work with the vertical space too... perhaps a hanging plant or potted plants on shelves. Nothing fussy/formal but it looks like you're leaning towards a "linear"/color block look and with the holidays coming up you can often find "rosemary trees" or christmas lilies or christmas cactus that would be linear/defined/colorful in a primary sort of way. Even just the "lucky bamboo" or a simple bonsai tree might look nice and add texture between the color blocks. Depending on what you selected it could repeat colors from the wall art, slipcover, or rug too... pulling color/life up the walls.

Hmmmm... also in the vertical space, maybe a mobile of some sort? Or windchimes? I'm not gung ho feng shui, but I like some of the techniques, and the kiddos love the windchimes hanging around the house and the every now and then chime is nice. And one of my favorite restaurants has these "home made" beaded light shades that are really spiffy... basically a heavy metal wire and lots of beads, then bent/twisted/wrapped into organic shapes drapped over the light bulb. It's hard to describe, and this picture isn't great, but here is a picture. I've adapted these shades for my own home and they add another layer of texture/color/fun. Something like this could be adapted as a sort of focal point to bring the colors from the rug all the way up. Perhaps add beads to a simple IKEA chadelier?

[wombatclay]

Oh, slipcovers are crazy expensive. If the budget is tight, fabric off the bolt can work (lots of tucking requireds) and, my personal fav since it holds up to young kiddos... one of the heavy cotton fabric drop cloths you can buy at Home Depot/Lowes. They dye easily (coffee! though a deep color require "real" dye) and last forever and you just chuck them in the wash every now and then.

[green_momma2007]

Originally Posted by wombatclay

So the walls will be a sort of mushroom brown, the furniture mostly pale wood and/or white? Do you plan on keeping the color block art? If so I'd probably put a slipcover on the couch (an earthy darker brown or green, maybe chocolate or a deep sage), bring in the color block rug (from the picture the first one seems to match the colors you have better than the second rug, but pictures can be off), and add throw pillows that match the colors in the wall art and/or the rug.

How much light does the room get and how do you want to use it? Casual socializing? Mostly TV? And what time of day? (mostly, the question there has to do with whether you'll be in there mostly with artificial light or if there will be times when it's mostly daylight... a floor lamp or beaded sconce or bright sunshine can create very different feels for the same decore).

I'd probably work with the vertical space too... perhaps a hanging plant or potted plants on shelves. Nothing fussy/formal but it looks like you're leaning towards a "linear"/color block look and with the holidays coming up you can often find "rosemary trees" or christmas lilies or christmas cactus that would be linear/defined/colorful in a primary sort of way. Even just the "lucky bamboo" or a simple bonsai tree might look nice and add texture between the color blocks. Depending on what you selected it could repeat colors from the wall art, slipcover, or rug too... pulling color/life up the walls.

Hmmmm... also in the vertical space, maybe a mobile of some sort? Or windchimes? I'm not gung ho feng shui, but I like some of the techniques, and the kiddos love the windchimes hanging around the house and the every now and then chime is nice. And one of my favorite restaurants has these "home made" beaded light shades that are really spiffy... basically a heavy metal wire and lots of beads, then bent/twisted/wrapped into organic shapes drapped over the light bulb. It's hard to describe, and this picture isn't great, but here is a picture. I've adapted these shades for my own home and they add another layer of texture/color/fun. Something like this could be adapted as a sort of focal point to bring the colors from the rug all the way up. Perhaps add beads to a simple IKEA chadelier?

This room has no windows actually, so it's very dark. Eventually I want to get a new sofa, but we can't right now. Ditto sofa cover. But I'm gonna try and find some nice pillows because the sofa looks kind of blah.

[busymama77]

I recommend the slipcover as well and recently I've heard that when choosing a rug, choose something with bold patterns like these:
http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/HomeTex...g/Default.aspx
http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/HomeTex...g/Default.aspx
http://www.pier1.com/Catalog/HomeTex...g/Default.aspx - I think this one would work best for you.

Good luck, mama. I love decorating - when I have the money! So I do it in bits and pieces.

[wombatclay]

OK... if it's dark and you're planning on a darkish/earth tone wall color with the color blocks (on the wall and/or the rug)...

I'd play up the cozy vibe, maybe start flipping through books/magazines with images of studies or library spaces? The painters cloth we had on our yellow sofa (the sofa was a gift and crazy comfy... just this horrible yellow) cost around 30 dollars and was HUGE. It required a sort of free form origami approach but looked/felt ok and was easy to clean. If you don't want to go that route, stalk you fabric store or thrift store for afghans/throws/fleece blankets/quilts in your theme colors... then use this fabric to cover the back of the couch or drape it over the back and across the arms/seat cushion.

A neat trick I saw once was a large framed mirror "dressed" as a window... a curtain rod hung just below the ceiling and a drape swept back across the mirror. It added a lot of light and made the space feel more open.

I've also hung curtain rods around the top of the walls and then hung fabric shower curtains to cover the walls... it was a rental, I couldn't paint, real curtains cost triple the cost of a shower curtain, and the apt was drafty so I wanted to add insulation. Anyway, you may be able to find a quilt or curtain/sheer in your colors, or make a fabric wall art hanging to bring in those colors without the cost of a new rug.

(I'll confess the curtains in my living room right now are actually "autumnal" table clothes from walmart... 72 inches, 8 dollars each, a sort of dusky gold with a leaf print in a lighter gold. and instead of curtain rods I grabbed sticks out of our woods... I used cup hooks to attach the branches to the wall, then drapped/twisted the table cloths around the wood, and finished off hanging a few autumnal things off smaller branches... little metal pumpkin shaped bells, a yellow glass ball, a red felt waldorf style gnome dd1 made, etc. So, um, I'm a bit unconventional when it comes to home decore... but I'm unconventional on a serious budget and I do get a lot of compliments so it can't look that strange! ).

Hmmmm... given the lack of windows and the darkness I'd probably try to find a more flexible lamp or lamps. A floor lamp with attached reading light, or a "medusa" style light, or a swagged style that you could plug in and then adjust across the space with hooks. And a mirror (or mirrors) to bounce light and bring in a bit of a view?

And given the small space... could you slide the couch out from the wall a few inches and install a shelf at the height of the couch back? That would give people sitting on the couch a space for drinks/food/books/etc and remove the need for the end tables (making more space). You could also merchandise that space, perhaps with reading lights or whatnot. That would also create a space between the wall and the back of the couch that could be used to store DVDs, games, whatever. A DVD shelving tower would be about the right width, come to think of it!

[zoebird]

first, everything you hvae is fine. it's all neutral (furnishing-wise), and so from there, you could do whatever.

your paint color is fine as well, and i don't see any need to cover the sofa. it's a fine neutral.

i like the first rug--if you are going to replace the rug--and would use it so long as it matches the art you already have in there, and then get a couple of throw pillows in those colors (and here is my rule of thumb: two for each side--one that is just one color, such as the blue in the rug, and one that is a pattern that includes multiple of the colors in the rug. i know ikea carries both, so you should be able to find something easily. if you can sew, just get some of their fabric that you like and make your own).

and that's it, really. nice little room.