Cosy nook ideas please

[blessedarethequichemakers]

My kitchen has a living area at one end. We recently got a joiner to build floor to ceiling cupboards/shelves in that space and the whole thing needs redecorating. I want the two spaces to feel separate. Cosy nook vs light and bright kitchen. The plan was to wallpaper the living room end and paint the kitchen. I'm worried about a line of vertical wallpaper meeting paint though.

Any ideas welcome? I'm really terrible at this stuff. No eye for colour, other half is colour blind. Diagram attached.

This was the paper I liked.

https://www.wallpaperdirect.com/products/albany/kieder/167298?gbraid=0AAAAAD6xCteA11ndWqQuIMlYrGm1DlfU&gclid=CjwKCAjwxaanBhBQEiwA84TVXNvCm7dx41Hmz1R6rqlWI9FxCipU6b98uaddkHPw0EnmTytqEG6pfhoC-0cQAvDBwE

I wouldn’t do different wall decoration, unless you have a pillar or nib that separates the wall into two - doesn’t sound like you do.

Other ways to separate and zone the space and make the living area cosy:

• large rug in the living area
• something hanging over the kitchen peninsula to create a visual divider - pendant lights or hanging plants maybe
• lots of pictures on the wall above sofa
• lamps in the living area

Oh I like the idea of the hanging plants. I have lamps. I made a better diagram!

There's a big window behind the sofa. It has a blind on it currently but that needs to change. I was going to hang lots of pics on the radiator wall.

I think the wallpaper looks lovely, and it can work very well to have 2 separated 'feels' between sitting and kitchen area. Your room is also still divided by a wall.
Paint the joinery first, overlapping the wall by 1cm. Then paper. I'd pick out 2 colours from the wallpaper to decorate the kitchen area. E.g. I would match the white for the walls and the main green for the cabinets. I would then also paint the shelves on top of yhe wallpaper in that green. So you'd have cohesion, but a 'light and bright' and a 'moodier, comfy' area.

Or the blue in the wallpaper is lovely too. Looks similar to DeNimes on my screen. That would be nice, too, for kitchen cabinets and the shelves.

Thanks so much for reply and ideas. What do you mean by the overlapping the wall bit?

I never thought of painting the cabinets. They are grey just now. About six years old.

You asked how not to get paint onto the wallpaper. Paint first the joinery before you paper, but where the wood meets the wall, paint the wall a bit, too, in the same colour, before you paper, so if you have any tiny gaps between the wallpaper and the joinery (which can happen when the wallpaper dries and shrinks) you won't notice.

Ah I see, thanks. I wasn't very clear in original post. There is a point where the divide between the rooms is clear on the floor but not on the walls, so I was worried about having a vertical line with a white paint for the kitchen on one side and wallpaper on the other.

Pic shows the wall concerned.

Ah, OK, I would put a moulding strip up, from the top of the wall to the ceiling, just a shaker style moulding/mdf strip to divide.

Actually having seen the photo I think a divide with different decoration either side could look ok, as you have the 1/2 height wall and the upper cabinets which almost create a divide anyway.

You could get a strip of mdf the same width as the 1/2 height wall and take that up the wall next to the upper cabinets all the way to the ceiling, to form a divider. Ideally with chamfered edges so it looks less basic.

Thank you. A dividing strip was initial idea. Now also wondering about something like this but would need to get the joiner back!

www.etsy.com/uk/listing/1073976226/wooden-wall-partition-room-divider-kit

That could work well. If you go to such length and expense, definitely also paint the kitchen cabinets and get new handles, it will have a massive impact on what you want to achieve.

No tips, just wanted to say I really love your wallpaper suggestion!

How about something like this on top of and same width as your 1/3 height wall?

Really like this but looks like it might be expensive and difficult to dust

I think DH will have conniptions if I suggest painting the cabinets. I do really like the idea though. The kitchen is looking tired and grey is definitely on the way out.

Why thank you. No one usually likes my taste!

Maybe you could fit a dado rail at the height of the kitchen cupboards and wallpaper below and paint above. Paint the area above the kitchen units the same colour to help tie in the two areas. Take a sample of your paper to B&Q and get the paint made to match one of the colours in the paper.