My mum just gave me £1000 to decorate my living room! Anyone want to help me spend it?

[hippopotamouse]

It is an early Christmas present apparently, completely out the blue, so I'm hoping it's from a small lotto win and not something dodgy!

Anyway, I will be keeping my sofas (inherited black leather but quite nice) and changing everything else hopefully. I have my own money for a new carpet but have not ordered yet.

Colour schemes and ideas would be great!

curtains and cushions, nice overmantel mirror if you have a fireplace, rug, lamp....

i have yet to own a proper sofa

What about green and cream as a colour scheme?
or you could have a feature wall like on 60 minute makeover where one wall is covered in a patterned wallpaper and the other 3 walls are painted a different colour

what colour are the walls right now?

yes, depends a lot on the style/period of the house

My living room is midway through being decorated. I have painted the walls a mushroomey cream colour and wallpapered the chimney wall in a floral paper. Its a tad bit predictable but looks amazing IMO. Once the shelves, pics and mirror are up I think its going to look amazing!!!

I used this wallpaper Im getting new sofa after xmas which will be black leather and leaving it neutral means I can accessorise with different colours and then when I get bored all I have to do is change the accessories rather than re-decorate.

Ok more detail.

My flat is like this, high ceilings and big windows, white gloss on doors and skirting. Walls are cream just now and I like the idea of one feature wall but not too flowery DP would hate it! I also have 4yr old DS and 2yr old DD so nothing white!

thats just how i imagined it!

Ooh that is lovely spookycharlotte, DP can do circles/stripes/patterns as long as there are no flowers his mum's house has every kind of flowery pattern you can think of, on everything!

I like green and cream as a colour scheme, do you think that would look ok with black sofas?

You could go for a stripedor patterned wall and chrome lamps and green including some pale green glass, kind of 1930's Art deco look

John lewis have some lovely wallpapers and although they're expencive if your only going to do one wall then theyre affordable and very unusual. They have a few on their website, but if you go instore they have books of the stuff and very helpful staff, you can send off for a sample too which is good.

They also have some beautiful accessories in John lewis so it might be worth a trip there.
Their staff might even be able to help you come up with a scheem for the room

First, how much light does it get? I don't like feature walls, I think they're a bit naff unless you are using incredibly expensive paper. One colour looks much cleaner and more modern and then some really punchy soft furnishings in quite loud patterns and textures.

What a nice Mum by the way.

I think you're better off buying some nice mags like LIving Ect or Grand Designs or Elle Decor - that sort of thing and trawl through what you like and don't like. make up a mood board and then you'll have a good idea of what you like/don't like and what will work for your space, not what works in someone else's space

Thanks everyone, I will pick some magazines tomorrow.

I am quite good with choosing colours but usually trying to match cushions with curtains I don't want to replace or an old carpet. Having a blank canvas is much harder!

why not spend some of the money on an interior designer if you're not sure of which way to go? or some of the bigger department stores offer this service too, like John Lewis

I think you will be able to decorate more than one room with that amount!

lalalonglegs it is an L-shaped room so part of the room is not very bright.

I think you could really go all out with that amount. We;re currently doing some stuff on our house and have a grand to spend on the whole thing so can completely comprehend quite how far that could go.
Go all out and get the things you've always wanted but couldnt.

I'm torn between going all out and buying stuff that is practical and easily washed! Darn kids

Anyone know any good online places for ideas?

If you have an L-shaped room then I would definitely avoid feature wall especially if it runs down into the L iyswim. It could look very unbalanced and draw attention to lack of light.

This website has some useful tools for looking at way colour works in different rooms. Site is sponsored by Dulux but I would always recommend expensive paint such as Farrow & Ball or Fired Earth because I think it allows more interesting colours while (somehow) remaining quite mellow even if you go strong.

Paint, unlike wallpaper, also has advantage of being easy to touch up when the handprints/crayons/chocolate spread get too much to ignore. Cushion covers and a lot of rugs can be thrown in the washing machine. Nice photographs/art can be hung out of reach. So that's where I would spend my money.

If you are buying curtains start with them first. Then get the carpet to match, its definately easier that way. Then get the accessories.

Even definitely.

Thanks for that link lalalonglegs, the feature wall would be behind the fire, I wouldn't do it along the full length just the chimney breast. I will probably use paint like you say as it can be touched up.

Good idea deste, I've never done things from scratch before and was looking at carpets first