decoration help - first time, no clue where to start

[Pompbear]

We're trying to decide how to decirate our lounge (on a fairly tight budget) but dont really kniw where to start. Have always rented or lived in nrw build cream boxes. Current house is about 15 years old. Lounge is all we can afford to do, it's quite a large room, with a big bay window, wooden 90s style fireplace with cream marble with 2 big alcoves, laminate floor (can't afford to replace). At the moment it's yellow (!) With huge orange drapes. Have lived with it for 2 years but it has to go, i'm getting migraines.

At the moment open plan to play room which has big patio doors so whole room.is very bright. We took brown varnished doors with those little square glass panels down in betwern the room but planning to paint them white and put them back on. Playroom pink (!) Will eventually paint neutral.

So the laminate is staying. planning to replace drapes with roman blinds. Fireplace is brown varnish and brass trim, open fire (we don't use). Planning to paint it white, spray brass trim.silver and fill with decorative logs (have an idea stolen from a design mag). Only furniture is a light oak bookcase and side table.

Am totally confused about where to start with colours. We have a pretty naff leather sofa which we cant afford to.replace so colour has fit around it. Its a modular, corner thing in a kind of camel/latte colour.

Was thinking of a duck egg/powder blue with a camel colour, but then saw wisteria fabric in laura ashley (cant prob afford but like colours) which are greyish, green and sort of lavendar - would this work with sofa? Thought walls could be soft grey and lilac-y grey.

Other option is a fabric (for blinds) chinese lantern from john lewis in greenish colour, sort if camel and a lighter camel and a pistachio green. I really like the green but dont really like idea of camel type colours on.walls. do i start with fabric and paint to suit or
Paint and choose fabric to.suit? Felt ovewhelmed looking at paint yesterday.

So need ideas for walls, fabric for blind, cushions (dont eamt it all too match too much but to sort of work together), rug maybe.

I like calming, understated rooms when i see them but have never managed to create one!

On phone so cant link and crap typing due to.sausage fingers

It's easier to choose a fabric you like and then match the paint to that. There are thousands (sorry!) of paint colours so you'll be able to find the one that works with your fabric.

The paint doesn't have to match exactly to the colours in the fabric, just to tone with one of them. I'd be a bit brave and go for something on the walls slightly stronger than you think you'd like...it sounds like a large bright room and can probably take it. Your other ideas about painting fireplace and dark wood doors white sounds great, although consider an off-white to tone with the rest of the scheme rather than brilliant white.

Will have a look at the chinese lantern fabric in jl and suggest colours.

JL lanterns

LA wisteria?.

Is the wisteria the right pattern? I couldn't find it in the fabric just that picture.

I think both would work well with the camel, but the wisteria is my favourite of the two.

The JL one, I would be tempted to go with a dove grey on the walls, and u.se the camel colours to warm it up with the sofa and maybe some camel paint in the alcoves.

The muted duck egg colours are still very popular and you will be able to pick up inexpensive accessories all over that you can use to extend the theme.

The colours in the JL fabric are very subdued..I'd be tempted to pick up the green on the walls, tho I can't see whether it's a yellowy green or more towards blue. A spring green is very versatile and would also work with the oak furniture, although it depends a bit on the floor colour. Also on how trendy you want to be. Grey is definitely more of the moment.

You can also accessorise a fresh green with grey, tan, duck egg, Lilac, heather, chocolate, (not all at the same time ).

Can you get a biggish sample of the fabric (might even be worth buying a metre, you can always make cushions) and pin it up at the window? Then you can see if the scale and colours work for the room.

Is grey fashionable? Bugger, I'd just decided on grey for my lounge as I though it wasn't - I don't want to look like I'm following a trend!! Will still use it but I shall sulk about it for 30 seconds

I had another thought - r.e the JL one, if you are any good with a paintbrush you could stencil or freehand the lanterns in the greens and blues on any plain walls to spread the pattern across the room a bit more IYSWIM. (Just a small area as a piece of art rather than the 90's setncil borders )

Yes, they're the right fabrics. The jl one is quite fresh coloured, the green is fresh, but subtle colour. Its lovely but a bit safe i think. The wisteria one is a bit more colourful.

Laminate is the really old fadhioned very pale beech colour. Have saples of both fabrics but i just cant really decide. With paints is it better to have similar shades, so 2 suble colours or a bold and a suble? Iyswim?

Since paint is on offer at b&q have also decided to paint the hall, and really really need help. Floor is a hideous monstrosity of minton floor tiles (bad diy job of previous owners). I hate it but its going nowhere so we're hoping we cam.make a feature of it. At the moment we also.have brown/cream 90s wallpaper (borders and all). Carpet on stairs is green, will eventually go but will remain fir next year at least. Hall is fairly bright, not massive. Front door is new, brilliant white with bright chrome handle/letter box. I would also love a grey hall but dont thimk.it will do with hideous teracotta and mustard floor. Any ideas for a colour scheme that would either tone down.floor ir mske a feature of it. Brigjt white? Banister is varnished but planning to paint white., teplace brass door handlrs etc

Thanks!

I think the JL one would be easiest to get right, and really its up to you which of the colours you want to pull out for the walls, a fresh green would really bring the room to life and accessorise in camel/beige and grey/blue. The grey walls might be a bit harder to look 'alive' and would need the accessories and accents to be well balanced IMO.

I love minton floor tiles and they are a great feature, are they the mustard, red and blue ones? I'm trying to think what colour I would put with that - is the hall bright enough to go with a deep period colour? I know they are not your cup of tea, and when funds allow you can cover then (but please don't chuck them out), but since you are stuck with them I would try and show them off in a period style rather than trying to modernise and disguise them.

I would use chrome handles and faceplates, but in a traditional shape so as to marry the old and new.

Off to google period paint colours!

chalky yellow

chalky grey/pink/beigey colour

the 1829 collection.

If it is light enough there are some lovely old fashioned reds and blues in that collection, if you would rather stay pale then I like the chalky yellow and chalky grey/beige I linked!