Decorating - I know what colours I want but have no idea how to use them.

[PassTheTwiglets]

So I know exactly what colours I want in my living room (lime, teal and maybe chartreuse) but I am completely clueless about where to start. I don't want it to end up like this but I do want the colours to stand out. We have quite a large window at one end of the room (takes up most of the wall) and I had thought of some really bright curtains in those colours with a more neutral/pale shade of one of the colours on the walls, so it's not too overpowering. And then bright cushions on the sofa. But would the cushions have to match the curtains? I also have a fancy for stripey wallpaper in those colours I love this one but is stripey wallpaper on every wall too much? And if I have stripey wallpaper then I can't have patterned curtains, can I? Have thought about dado rails with stripey wallpaper under and then a neutral colour on top, or feature walls but can't see how to make either of those work either. ARGH, how do people do this?! Is there a set of rules about this sort of thing somewhere?!

I would have the colour on the walls then have the stripes in the rug and/or blinds. Cushions whatever colours/ patterns that co-ordinate.
Someone on here recommended www.houzz.com as an inspiring interiors site.
HTH

Thanks for that site, that looks great!

I'm assuming your carpet and sofas are already fairly neutral? If I were you I'd start by finding the curtain fabric. I think very patterned curtains might be a bit too much with the stripey wallpaper, so you could pick a paint for the walls which tones with one of the colours in the curtains. i.e. if you found a paint which matched one of the colours exactly and then added white paint to it, that would tone. Take a sample of the fabric around with you to paint shops and then get a sample pot of something which looks like it works so you can test it in the room.

Don't do wallpaper below the dado, it's quite an outdated look now. Pick out the curtain colours for your cushions, and have some patterned ones as well as plain. And a stripy rug is a great idea.

Pictures can bring pattern and colour in as well. HTH

We have a parquet floor and sofas don't count as they are old and will be replaced eventually (probably with brown leather but shhhh don't tell :) )

Should I get rid of the dado altogether, do you think?

If it's a period feature of the house, leave it. If not then it's up to you (well it's up to you anyway as it's your house )

What period is the house?

Are they original dado rails?

It's not very old - 1960s, I think. All square and horrible with no interesting features (except my beautiful floor). No idea if the rails are original. If I have the walls all one colour then the dado would look odd, possibly?

No, the dado will look fine if you leave it, but it doesn't sound as if it's original if it's a 1960's house. I doubt the taste police will be round if you decide to get rid of it.

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I would swap lime green for avocado and do it with confidence- I don't think it will work with the colour on just accents IYSWIM...

yy, if it's 1960s, get rid of dado.

The lime green is a deal breaker, tethers! Am LOVING that first photo... I think you are right about accents not being enough. But it's a largeish room and I don't think it can take bright walls everywhere. What about one wall painted in a bright colour and the rest painted in a muted version of it? Or have feature walls had their day?

I hate feature walls; it feels like a half-hearted measure. I would definitely avoid muted shades- colours like this have to be handled with confidence, IMO.

I think if you choose a strong but darker teal it will work well on all walls, particularly if the room is large. I would consider painting the woodwork in a similar hue/same colour too, as per the image you liked.

Will be interested to see what you go with- keep me posted

Have a look at firmdale hotels. Kit Kemp uses bold colours and different patterns very sucessfully. We've just stayed at the Soho and lime is a feature colour there. I agree with tethers a dark teal would look fab on all the walls, striped curtains and a floral rug or visa versa. What colour is chartreuse? A green too? I can't picture it.

Another fan of Kit Kemp here, those hotels are the glorious antithesis of bland, without being self consciously "funky".

Try making a mood board on pintrest, I've just decorated the nursery like this and it really helps. Personally I'm a bit of a wimp with colour, I'd be inclined to paint the Walls a crisp White like f&b all White and then add the colours through soft furnishing. Designers guild do colours like this very well. I'm happy to send you an invite to pint rest if you need one.

Thether -I want that third link room!!!
Absolutely gorgeous

You could think about wallpaper too- something like this could work well.

I want the room to look bright and fresh though, so don't want a dark colour on the walls.

Chartreuse is a greenish yellow - goes really nice with lime and green.

Pinterest a good idea - will look into it, thanks!

Oh, now this is nice This feature wall is lovely (aside from the horrid stencil)...

I would be inclined to use the teal on the walls and have chartreuse and lime green as accents. Teal can appear quite neutral when used on all walls. I think using it as a feature wall would overdo it (true of all feature walls in my opinion)

I would definitely use paint and not wallpaper. For pattern and texture, use window treatments and soft furnishings.

I would be very inclined to add a splash of fuchsia or turquoise too.

Would you have a bright or muted teal, mathanxiety?

Although am having a wobble on my colour scheme anyway as I have suddenly gone onto the idea of yellow with white woodwork, which I adore, like this Only trouble is that my DS's room and my hallway are already this scheme and I don't like to repeat colour schemes. Do we think that a hallway with the same colour scheme as a room which leads off it is boring and unimaginitive or would it be good because the colours will flow nicely?

I would go with a dark teal so not necessarily muted. It could be quite an intense tone.

I think having the same colour in two rooms that lead off each other can lend an air of spaciousness and the sense of flowing is an advantage if you have small rooms. As the light goes through it can look like different shades even if the paint colour is the same.

Dump the wallpaper and choose a boldly patterned/striped curtain material in the three colours you want. Then remove the dado and paint the bottom part of all walls in the chartreuse up to picture rail height. At picture rail height, have a thick vertical stripe (say 15 cm wide) all the way around the room in the teal, preferably metallic, and then do the remaining upper part of the wall in the lime.

Done.