How can I make house look less 'studenty'

[lucysnowe]

What can I so to make our living space look like a grownup lives in it but still be a bit kind of off-beat and academic?

I don't really like the minimilist style (even if I could keep it up) and in theory I like the idea of books, throws and prints etc but the reality is it all looks really cheap and as if DH and I we are still 20 years old. Any advice appreciated!

What is your living space like now in terms of period of property, features and size of room.
things that say student to me are magnolia or White walls, IKEA furniture and utility carpets, those round paper lampshades and lack of attention to detail.
Perhaps aim for an "Oxford Don" look with wood floors, oriental rugs and mahogany bookcases. make sure the throws are not covering up horrible furniture, but are there for comfort!

Original art on the walls. I think that's the biggest thing that changed the feel of our first house. Doesn't have to be especially expensive, either, we picked up a couple of pieces from an open studio day locally and added to it later. And some unusual throws or cushions - ie nothing from High st chain stores, try makers on eBay or etsy - also good.

Oh God 7, that describes our house to a tee . We can't change the furniture as such but we can redecorate and the carpets are in dire need of getting rid - what colours do you think on the walls look best? And is laminate now a bit 'studenty' too?

The problem is the house is small and darkish so we don't want to have too much dark stuff. What's like mahogany but light and airy? :)

TheGirl, so glad you've said that as I've taken to late night ebaying on random bits of art. But I'm a bit worried that if there's too much of it or its a tad tacky (don't usually pay more than £30) it will look a bit crap again. Do you buy sculpture as well - does that look nice? (another thing to clean tho!)

Do etsy ship to the UK? I thought there was a UK equivalent, but I can't find it.

Oh I've just seen the UK etsy site!

OK
I don't think that laminate is "studenty" per se, but you have to be careful about the colour. There is one particular pinky one that screams "holiday let"
I think that planning the whole room is essential. look at what you are keeping and what is going. Sometimes things are actually OK but look horrible with the red carpet (for example). Choose a wall colour to go with your existing furnishings and with reference to the direction of the room. I really like the fired earth colours for example.
Wooden furniture can be painted with Annie Sloan paints for a lighter look.
Think about reframing your artwork using the same frames, simple ones thT complement your colour scheme.
Plain drum shades will always look better than those paper ones.
Woodchip; get rid of it.
You are probably aiming for an eclectic look and that is a hard one to pull off!
Think: I collected this on my world travels, not: I picked this up in Oxfam, as a look
try and use subtle tones of one colour with a couple of clashing/contrasting items. Nothing screams student more than a bright purple wall.
Think ahead and plan the room.

You can choose to search only local or UK on Etsy, and there's UK equivalent Folksy. I haven't bought any sculpture (small children + sculpture = recipe for disaster). But I'd agree framing is important, we probably spent nearly as on professional framing as on the pictures, but it's worth it. Also, i think if you've a few strong pieces on the wall, neutral walls work just fine (ours are currently a warm grey).

If you are leaning towards a simple elegant Conran look then large paper shades are very retro and chic in a plain large room.i get asked for them time and time again (interior designer) in some very beautiful houses. Ditto white walls. Simple frames can make pictures look elegant ESP grouped. Tbh I also use utilitarian type grey and stone carpets too. They offset furniture beautifully and if you choose colour well look like dyed sisal. De clutter and put simple curtains up. But some clutter is ok it's your home the days of beige and no personality are gone thankfully.

Avoid the combination of magnolia walls with white woodwork. Also posters on the walls look studenty, and those brown 'old people' chairs.

If I were you I'd choose a colour scheme - I don't mean a matchy matchy 'everything will be magenta' scheme, more like 'earthy colours' which would include browns, creams, beige, taupe, olive green, terracotta, gold etc.

Black or dark woodwork, or stripped wood, particularly for the skirting boards looks great. Because it is a small area low down it doesn't overpower with darkness, but makes the rest of the room look lighter in comparison.

This is all really useful, thanks! I will look nto framing and skirting boards. I think earthy colors will suit the use, which is quite red.brown anyway - at least the furniture is....