Help me decorate my living room

[DriftGames]

Moved in December 2020, every other room is now decorated but we're now ready to tackle the living/dining room - it's quite big but we use it most so want it to feel homely, yet modern. The carpet is staying for now so preferably something to match. We like the idea of keeping a feature wall but I detest the current wallpaper.

What are your thoughts?

Side note - the door is white now.

It’s a pretty dark space. I’d take out the ceiling light and get spots I think. The dark wallpaper doesn’t help either. Do you know what is under the carpet? If you’ve got floorboards then could it go? If you do want to keep it (which you’ve said you do, I’m just not keen on the colour at all) then why not re paint the room with light co-ordinating colours, turf out the mantel piece (perhaps the photo isn’t doing it any service but it looks a bit plastic) and replace with a solid oak shelf or reclaimed mantel and get some lighter curtains.

It’s a nice sized space - just needs some light and character.

@SJaneS49 absolutely no idea what's under the carpet but having a peek wouldn't be a bad shout! The fireplace/mantel is actually okay, I do see what you mean though, image does it no justice. Having said that, my mum has exactly what you describe and it's lovely. In regards to the lights, they will definitely be changed once we've decided on colours etc!

Assuming you have furniture in there currently, what is that like and is it staying?

Is the carpet a sagey green or grey? If you like a feature wall I'd do the fireplace wall in red. Then put nice pictures up. The rest of the room could be a neutral shade, collection of off whites etc. But then I love red and have done my lounge red. As pp mentioned we have an oak surround and furniture and it matches well.

I would paint it white or a muted soft colour. I would add spotlights or a feature light fitting. Then a lovely wall full of photographs!

Get rid of the light and carpet

I think getting rid of that wallpaper is the first thing and the green border on the walls. I’d go for a light cream off white colour as the carpet is green,

It needs new curtains. I’d do Roman blinds, they look great on patio doors, and yes, if you can afford it, get spotlights in.

Won’t it be more of hassle to remove carpets once you have had the furniture moved in? Unless you really like the carpet, you might as well remove it and see what’s underneath it and then get it clean and polished or replace with floorboards etc.

You can remove the wall paper, change those curtains to more neutral ones and replace Iight fixtures. Not sure what is in the first on the left next to the pizza box. It has blue curtains on it.

I’d suggest planning a layout first as it’s open plan so you can zone the different areas of use but keep furniture flow and the colour scheme cohesive.

I would use a colour called “Rock salt” by Dulux.

The feature wall currently is too much and too long/big. I would only do another feature wall maybe only round the fire place only!

The problem with just keeping things as they are ‘alright for now’ is that the impetus isn’t there and quite often you end up with them for years. We kept a really revolting brown (but practical) carpet on our landing when we moved into our house 6 years ago, planning to get rid within the year. We literally only got shot 6 months ago. I think I’d look at the living room from a ‘clean sheet’ perspective rather than a ‘for now’ one and get rid of the carpet now otherwise you might be still looking at it in ten years time!

The reason people usually keep stuff is budget, it’s usually not as simple as just replace it.

What colour is your furniture op?

Yes that’s true Bluntness - which is why I suggested looking to see if there are floorboards.

Yes floor boards is a good idea. The issue is the sanding and varnishing. Having had mine done, it’s not something I’d want to do myself to be honest. But of course wholly feasible plenty do

Also floorboards are cold, so she’d need rugs, so soften and warm it,

The colour of the carpet is nice in itself, but something I’d have on the walls. As a carpet colour it’s quite dated and there are not many colour combos of furniture and walls that will work with it.

I reckon if there is underlay under the carpet she could recarpet for a couple of hundred quid and fitting, but if there is no budget, then floor boards, or just keeping it are the nexg options.

Because the curtains need replacing and the room decorated, which obvs has a cost as well.

As such, it might be worth waiting and saving to do it properly.

Ooooh I love this type of thread! (Unleashing my inner Linda Barker! )
What furniture do you have ?

Skylight from F&B might sit well with your carpet, then coving in either a feature colour or plain white with plain white ceiling ( or if you want to be flash, a slightly paler mix of skylight and white ) this will give you a pleasant neutralish background to let your furniture be the star of the room.

:-) Blinking Farrow and Ball! Great colours but need several coats and costs a bomb.

(Disclaimer - feeling bitter as just literally finished a bedroom using Pavillion Blue and found getting good coverage a nightmare. Three coats, still looks a bit duff in bright light. And no, I didn’t prepare the walls properly!)

Okay so to cover questions so far -

We currently have a solid wood dining table with black leather chairs, grey faux suede recliner sofa, shit load of baby toys & play tent, grey wood effect with glass tv stand.

Curtains will go - they were left by previous owners as a stop gap as the windows are large so finding sizes will be difficult, and the green alcove will go.

The carpet is a very light sage green, it's not amazing but it's okay. Even if the decor doesn't necessarily go with it to start, it's the least of my issues with this room. I'd much sooner get the awful wallpaper gone!

I'm not sure what the poster talking about the pizza box (it's a virgin media box though I wish it was pizza) is referring to though, sorry!

Love the idea of spot lamps or feature lighting. I'd rather neutral than block colour/bright colour so the red isn't for me - sorry!

I'm guessing from the appearance that the house is moderately new so unlikely to find nice floorboards underneath, more likely tiles/patched concrete but you could.put a plastic wooden floor down. If you want spot lights are you up for replastering the entire ceiling as it's unlikely you'll want a spot where there was a central light? If you have floor to ceiling Roman blinds do bear in mind the amount of fabric you'll end up with at the top - you'd probably have to have them into two sections due to the width and weight. I think I'd go with curtains myself. As for colours it's so difficult when the wallpaper is so dominant to visualise anything else. I always thing that paint is cheap and replace able compared to a sofa which you replace, what, every 15-20 years, so if you're not about the replace all your furniture I'd try and find colours that work with the sofa?

Very impressed you've painted an entire house in less than a year. We've been in 6 years and only painted our bedroom when it became apparent I was going to have to work from there and I didn't want peach textured wallpaper as a backdrop. I've not got the salary for F&B but the crown period paints are quite muted and can be mixed in different finishes I think

How about this





Ohh watching with interest.
I want to redecorate my thru lounge , its 28 foot long so it is going to be a big job ,
I have a hated brown carpet and 2 loved ( and very careworn ) huge reddish brown leather sofas.
At the moment all the walls are papered in a slightly textured paper but its been repainted so often its hard to see the texture in some places , I have never done any papering before so I am very wary about stripping it off and I have no idea what the plasterwork in like underneath

Finally

Pale pink with that carpet and your existing furniture could go, though have been searching for the perfect one myself and cannot find it yet. Pictures on walls, not photos. Big mirror. Cushions in pink or sage.

Or like pp's photo!

Paint the whole room white/off white including the coving. Find a shade of paint that nicely complements the carpet- a sagey green or similar and paint the two chimney breasts.

Ikea do great, cheaper longer curtains - get a few sets from there for the windows and patio doors.

Lighting - spots is a fair bit f work so I'd just pick up somethi g again from IKEA to go in where the current lights are and add some side lights around the room.