Paint over or tone it down with big paintings?

[Folicky]

I had one wall in my kitchen/diner/family room decorated in this wallpaper. I like the wallpaper, reddish tones are my accent colours and thought the room needed warmed up with the cream.... but it really doesn't go with the rest of the room. The rest of the room is charcoal, pale green, white and ash wood (very pale). The cream and red/brown make the green look like dirty. I will paint over it of needs be but wondered if some tall book shelves at the right hand part of the wall and two big paintings above the sittee (I paint a bit so could rustle these up). I don't want to more throw money and time into this if the die are already cast and it simply doesn't go! Thoughts please

I have to say the wallpaper looks very old fashioned to me. Like something my gran would have had (and I am in my late 50's so I am talking a long while ago). I personally prefer plain coloured walls and that is what I would do in your room.

The two colours just don’t go.

If it were a mustard colour background or something it would go better but the red-brown and grey just don’t seem to match.

As the furniture and accent colours are all greys I’d suggest you paint or paper over the flowery wall as that would be the cheaper option compared to recovering the chairs and replacing the soft furnishings.

Sorry OP. I know that’s not what you want to hear.

Nice cat.

Paint over - sorry

Paint over. It's not very nice wall paper, and combined with the cool colours of white / Ash /lime is a bit of a disaster.

Is it the lighting that is the problem? The room seems a bit stark - look at the harsh shadow that the lamps are throwing onto the wallpaper.
Change the direction of light? Change the intensity of light? Change the colour of light, to something softer?

This is it with different lighting @Senua I'm not sure it's making much difference to the wallpaper but it does to the shadows

Here are photos

H

the cream and charcoal really clash in my opinion. Change either wallpaper or sofa and curtains.

Painting over wallpaper always looks dreadful. You'll need to strip it. The wallpaper is so old fashioned and that's the problem. I think you could paper the wall again, but research something modern.

It looks so much better in the second picture.
I think there may be too many solid blocks of hard colour (white and shades of grey). I like your idea of a tall bookshelf, or picture frames in that accent red. Also, get some texture in there - cushions, a rug, plants.

I feel like large pieces of artwork would clash even worse. What sort of art were you thinking?

Strip it and paint a warm white. Then get a couple of table lamps on either side of the sofa, for ambient lighting. You have a floor lamp but it isn’t large enough for the room. Based on the colours in your art you can choose some over-sized cushions for the sofa.

Don’t paint the wallpaper, you will regret that. Strip it and replace it (or strip and refinish the wall for painting, but that is more work)

I think the biggest problem is that the style of the wallpaper and the style of the furniture don't complement each other. The sofa, footstool etc are pretty chunky/ modern in terms of style and colour. Try finding some accessories that match your taste in wallpaper if you want to keep the wallpaper and furniture and try and bring it together.

I love your wallpaper. I love vintage patterns. But I agree that it’s not in keeping with the style of furniture in the room.

You can mix vintage and contemporary well, but older “modern” styles from the 90s now clash badly. (I learned that through an expensive mistake).

It could be a starting point for changing the whole look of the room, and that doesn’t have to happen in a weekend.

But it would be simpler, quicker and cheaper to change the wallpaper. I’d suggest keeping to a neutral palate and then adding your art for interest. Your low slung furniture gives you so much wall space.

Personally, I like to use paintings as my starting point for decor. But you can do it the other way round, pulling the colours of the room into the canvas and adding some accent colours.

if you prefer to have pattern in the room, look for a wallpaper with a bigger one, and something more geometric and angular, rather than small florals will suit the furniture better.

I would paint over and then paint yourself a large canvas which contained the colours you want. I would be painting large, lively hibiscus or tulips with equally lively leaves!!! Only suggesting that as I have done that for my daughter and myself at various times. If the canvas is large enough it would have real impact. If using acrylics it wouldn’t take too long and would be suitably warm and bright.

You need to buy it borrow a wallpaper stripper. Then you need to paint in one colour. And then you need some decent artwork. Your room has so much potential, but the wallpaper has to go.

I think the wall paper does go with the sofa( the stems look grey?) and also matches the radiator. It's the book shelf I think you should paint.
I always find working with just three colours works in a room,so your colours are grey,burnt red and cream. But no more patterns or pictures as the wall paper has enough going on. I like it.

The wall paper is not to my taste at all. Almost looks like it was done 10 years ago, not something that would have been chosen recently. Sorry op. If you really like it, then like others say, think about changing furniture and accessories to go with that style, but if you aren't even that keen on it yourself, strip it off asap, and repaint in a shade to compliment the room. It's a nice wide wall there, so a lovely big feature mirror would lighten the room also.

I actually like it! But what I’d do was find some plain cushions in the burnt red colour and have them scattered on the sofa. I wouldn’t put pictures or art up on the wall as I think it could look a bit messy.

I like your cat!

But I would strip the wallpaper off and go with paint.