You guys? We’ve been in our house since May 2011 and still have yet to paint or decorate the main living space. I mean, it makes me feel like the laziest bum that we have done nothing to this area. But I am still having trouble figuring it out. I am most definitely NOT a home decor blog. I have no idea how to make a room look stylish. I’m afraid I’ll pick the wrong paint color and end up hating every decision I make. That and decorating a home is not cheap. We don’t have a large budget for decorating. But I’m so tired of feeling like crap when it comes to our home. I feel like it deserves to look good. It is a beautiful home and it’s practically naked!
So I’m going to show you a few photos and please please please for the love of God, chime in and tell me what you would do to the space! This is your chance to help decorate my home! Fun times.
This is the space I’m having trouble deciding how to decorate. The living room is open to the kitchen. It’s all just one big room and I think that makes it tough because you have to blend the decor and colors throughout each.
My main complaint is that the builders did not put built-ins on either side of the fireplace. There is absolutely no storage for toys or books or DVDs. And there is no place to put decorations! Since built-ins are too expensive for us right now, what do we do? Many people suggested IKEA bookshelves but those are out of the question due to shipping costs. The ceilings are really high so smaller bookshelves would look silly. Our plasma television sets on the mantle so there isn’t much space for photos or decorations of any kind. I thought about ladder shelves but am afraid my crazy boys will just try to climb them! If you have any suggestions or links let me know.
I found this option for a bookshelf on both sides. It has pretty good dimensions for the space and would allow us some storage and room to place pretties on shelves. What do you think of two of these?
Also, I’d love your suggestions for paint colors. This is tricky because do we paint the entire open space or just the living area? Do we do accent colors on the fireplace walls and leave the rest of it brown? I’m so sick of brown. I would really like some color infused throughout the space! Can we do a colorful rug on the carpet or is that just dumb?
We have already hung really long, light tan, sheer curtains over the windows. It is the only decor decision I have made and that was in January. Our sectional is a cafe latte brown and is really the only furniture we have in the space. Seriously. Everything we own is brown. But our sofa is only a year old so it can’t be replaced.
This is the view into the kitchen. The sectional sits smack in the middle acting as a sort of separation. I thought of only painting the kitchen and then doing accent walls to match in the living room but what color??? Oh, what to do. What to do. It’s so boring. I want to put up paintings and photos but on which walls? What are some cheap options for decor?
If only someone could make me an idea board! I’m not stylish enough to make one myself. I’m not crafty either so I’d rather just buy stuff.
Oh friends, won’t you please help me? Our house is screaming for a makeover!
It’s hard to help without seeing it in person, but I would definitely choose a ‘light-ish’ paint color… it’s such an open beautiful bright area that I personally wouldn’t choose a dark color. Keep it light and airy!
It’s such a gorgeous space, Molly! I know whatever you do will be great.
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I think you absolutely could paint just the living room and not the kitchen. How do you feel about the color orange?
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Hey lady!
Given the dark cabinetry, I would paint either one focal wall with a pop of colour and use teh same wood stain in picture frames to create a family gallery…OR I would have the entire room a grey colour and pull in pops of colour and texture with draperies, a colourful rug (no that wouldn’t look dumb!!) Throw pillows, draperies, coloured vases clustered on a dark wood stained mantle. Black and white family photos in the dark wood frames
Have fun with it!! And if you ever need help…I went to school for colour theory
Shan
Twitter: jnenm
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I highly recommend the accent wall. We did one at our old house behind our fireplace and it just added a nice touch. Plus it gives you something to play with for a color scheme without being to matchy matchy. I would try looking for a dark red/maroon color for accents, that way it will blend in all of your browns but you can throw in green and some dark blue’s for some other natural colors without being to wild. I think ladder shelves would look better than a the hutch type thing, only because I think it will distract from the beautiful fireplace… where as ladder shelves will accent and you can throw different decoration things on the ladder shelves to not make them to “full”. I don’t know if ANY of this makes sense but good luck!
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It’s such a beautiful house, Molly…. I do agree it needs some color! I personally LOVE chocolate brown… it’s such a beautiful basic and goes with literally everything. I love those bookshelves you showed… I think that would be a very pretty and functional solution. I would choose a color you LOVE… and do even a couple of accent walls… what do you love? Pale blue is gorgeous with chocolate and tan… (and weren’t those your wedding colors if I remember correctly??) Or a warm, rich persimmon color – something in that color family. You could pick up that color in a deeper shade for the kitchen, or just leave the kitchen as-is, since there is so much rich cabinetry in there. If you’re not ready to commit to any one color, I’ve seen people paint large canvases with a single color and hang those on the wall… kind of modern art
… see if you really like the color or not.
Can’t wait to see what you do, Molly!!! xoxo
Actually, in looking once more at the pictures, you have so little wall space that I think you really can do something beautiful and bold on the walls and not have such a big, scary commitment… paint is relatively inexpensive and if you really hated it you could always repaint… it’s not permanent. If it were my room, I would go something in a warm, rich autumnal orange/persimmon shade, and then pick that color up again in couch pillows (maybe using a complementary green as a lesser accent), and wall hangings over the bookshelves or even objets d’art on the shelves. If you don’t like the orange shades, I also think a warm sage green would look lovely. And I admit to being near-obsessed with sky blue+chocolate brown, but I think that room begs for a warm color.
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I have such a hard time with decorating, too! I think my problem is that I just love everything, so I don’t really have a style. ha. I really like the bookshelves you posted! I’d probably choose a light color. I’m loving grey these days. I also really like light blues. I haven’t painted my house for the same reason as you. I don’t know where to start and stop a new color. I’m ok with having neutral walls though. I just add color with accessories and things on the walls.
Twitter: sarahkoci
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Hey Molly! I’m no decor expert myself, but I am a big believer in making a home for where your family is today. Maybe hang up your sweet boys’ artwork in pretty frames! Or print those fantastic family photos you shared awhile back! Bright colored cushions or pillows can wake up your brown couch without too much money — Hobby Lobby and Target have wonderful choices. A bright rug (or two!) in the center would be great. Have fun with it, friend
Check with some of your local paint stores and see if they have color consultants. Some of our local paint stores do and it has really helped me focus, plus it is free! Get color samples and put paint on the wall that has also helped. As for the storage browse the Container Store website that has helped me. It might give you some ideas. I was thinking open shelves, on either side of the fireplace, then you could paint the walls an accent color and it would still show. Have fun! Think it’s just paint, it can be redone.
Um, LOVE this stuff!!!
I would totally die to decorate your house because it’s so beautiful! Totally agree with the others that you can afford to go wild with colors on the walls because in the end, it’s just paint. I tend to gravitate towards grays, blues, and greens these days but you can really do anything in your space. I think I’d do all one color for these rooms. And for frames I would select the biggest/emptiest wall. Maybe that one off to the left of the kitchen? Either a few HUGE canvases or a little wall collage of frames would look awesome. So much fun! No stress, it can evolve over time (and surely will as your tastes change). Have fun!
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