Help decorate my sitting room!

[FrenchTrellis]

Recently moved into a lovely Edwardian house and have set to work redecorating. This is going to be our grown ups sitting room, the playroom next door will be much brighter!

We've repainted and glossed so far, walls are F&B Eating Room Red and glosswork is brilliant white. We've not yet painted above the picture rail... My preference would be to paint it an off white, something like Wimborne white, husband's is it leave it.

I'm also struggling to decide what accent colours to use in the room. Curtains (left by old owners) are a yellowish cream but old fashioned. I really want to get rid asap! Husband is happy to keep them 😐Chesterfields are dark brown tweed fabric. Light fitting is antique brass and will have light cream shades. Carpet is coming next week and is a neutral cream/beige colour.

Help!

Agree with your husband about leaving above the picture rail white. It looks nice & fresh as is.

Could you go for heavy cream damask/self patterned curtains? It would go with the cream lampshades & brass fittings. Also be neutral with your carpet. You could get some matching cushion covers to tie in the sofa. Or you find some that are plain background with a close match red running through. Personally if spending a lot I'd go neutral cream as then it still goes if you decorate again.

Ps! Thinking rich cream verging on gold, rather than off white cream.

We have the same colour in our sitting room, I really like it. We have William Morris curtains with a beige background but that have a similar red in, plus dark blue and olive, which we have for sofa/footstool.

I was also thinking something - similar dark toned olives/blues for accessories and some of the shades in the painting you have on your mantle piece to give an organic and layered feeling especially if you have large expanse of dark wall and contrasting light floor - to knit it all together.

Gorgeous colour and nice quality job. Agree leave the ceiling.

I also like curtains to be the same / similar colour as the walls - so that they don’t dominate when open especially when you have such lovely windows. Also dark and cosy when closed.

You need a stronger colour above the picture rail, to balance the red wall and make a contrast to the ceiling. Possibly a strong cream F&b Cord for example. Then the curtains can show both colours, hopefully with some brown as well to go with the sofas.

Can the curtains be floor length, perhaps with blinds on the window! Then curtains could go in front of the bay. And draw right back during the day. Just Fabrics Oakmere ( can’t upload) if the red is right.

Great suggestions, thank you everyone!

I'd really love Roman blinds on the windows, but because we'd need 5 of them it's ££££. Good idea about having the curtains in front of the bay though.

Unless Roman blinds sit up above window frame they cut out a lot of quality top light when folded up IMHO

Roman blinds are very easy to make.

Lovely colour, but I think the white is too stark with it.

I’d paint the skirting and picture rail the same colour as the walls and then a gold toned rich cream on the fireplace and above the picture rail. Definitely floor length curtains and a William Morris print would look fabulous - loads to choose from that would pick out the red as well as the rich brown of the sofas.