So, here it what it looked like 8 years ago. Please remember that I had a new baby, just had a horrid car crash AND was battling cancer. The LAST thing on my mind was decor. It shows.
The little baby on the couch is now 8 1/2 years old.
When I finally did something, it was this. Above and below. New rug, covers on the horrid sofa. I painted out the atrocious fake wood paneling. We changed out the door. This looks more like a play room (and it was) than a living room. Above was the "winter" look, below, the "summer" I love that sofa- it's in my basement now, but it CLASHED with the wall cover something awful......
Then I did this. Now, this was the basic look I was happiest with, but the sofas we falling apart.
and the chairs were very uncomfortable. Also, the fake fireplace was giving me migranes. It was cold and didn't work right.
Then, we had picked up a lovely vintage sofa for cheap and it had been in our living room in the basement. We moved that upstairs when it became a better "sit" than the sofas upstairs. It died in about 18 months upstairs and I was left with chairs.....
Then, we got an offer from my Aunt about a year ago. She was getting new furniture, did I want her old stuff? It was nice, comfortable and free. But it wasn't my style at all. I took it anyway. I call it a land barge. It's a HUGE 8 ft long 4 ft wide pillow back tanker truck. It's great for sleeping though, and for making pillow forts.
The pattern is distracting. But the colors are good for this room. But I have no idea what to do with this room. It's not the sofas fault. It's my lack of vision. It's dull, and boring. Way too rustic cottage-deer shack even for me.
This is how it looks right now...
Just to know, I am going to paint this room AND that new wall behind the sofa this winter. It will be a darker green than you see here.....
This wall is giving me headaches. I took down the shelves that were there and threw up some pictures, but I need a plan for this wall..... (above) I liked the shelves, but they were dangerous with an 8 yr old boy and his friends and nerf guns and well, you get the picture. Safety first.
close up of the land barge....
See just how little wall space I actually have?
Below is the cat area. That's why there is a large piece of wood next to the desk- scratching post. She likes hiding in the ferns and sitting on the desk looking outside....
does anyone have any brilliant ideas? I am all out.
9 comments:
hmmm...I have some thoughts that might or might not speak to you. The land barge reminds me of my super-comfy but huge and oddly pattern couch featured. I had a lot of success with a plain stretchy slipcover (seen here on Apartment Therapy). The slipcover was surprisingly durable for me- I would recommend investigating a plain slipcover for that patterned couch.
I also think everything seems really low and heavy. I would replace the two low bookcase with tall ones that extend almost to the ceiling. I would also look at replacing the legs on the couch and chairs with taller tapered ones which would help create a bit of a feeling of airiness.
The room is complicated and a little hard to visualize as a whole- maybe share a floor plan drawing to help us see the room as a whole?
ooh also- the wall with the cut out, the mirrors and then the door opening is a lot of rectangles. I would suggest removing the mirror and hanging the white deer head in that space.
Colleen- I tried the deer head there- it's a great idea but that deer head is MASSIVE and juts out and seems odd. I might just have to get rid of it completely- and that mirror too...
I agree with your assessment of low and heavy. It's very evident in the photos- less so in person. Don't know why. I'll probably do a floorplan post tomorrow....
a floor plan is now up (link) so you can see the room without furniture.
OK, based on floorplan, I have more thoughts. Basically I love moving furniture so this is super-fun for me since my husband never wants to move ours!
Given that I am not certain of the measurements for your stuff, here are my thoughts. I would place the land-barge under the windows, flanked on either side by tall bookcases. I would put that awesome console on the wall that runns from the dining room entrance to the anged wall, and place the tv offset on the console to be where the wal is solid rather than under the cutout to the kitchen. I would put on chair angled on the angled wall and the other angled in the corner near the dining room opening. I would put the desk on the wall that curerntly holds the TV.
I have done a little mockup- let me know if the link doesn't work because I have a jpeg.
proposed layout
I like this. I am concerned about floor space, and I would have to get the Mr. to move the cable (that is totally do-able though) if the space worked. I think I have furniture moving to do this weekend......
thanks Colleen- and I am glad that was fun for you! I'll report back when I move some stuff!
yay- can't wait to see if moving things around helps give you an inspiration for your room!
If the TV unit doesn't fit on that wall, it might fit on the angled wood wall. If so, you may want to consider removing one of the chairs from the room if it doesn't fit.
I also wonder if the deer head might work on the angled wood wall?
The deer head might work on that angled wall....it's heavy though and that's a fake wall....I don't know if there is a stud in the center where it would need to go.....the Mr says that the cable CAN be moved and that HE can do it (yea!) so we just need a few hours to re arrange and see what looks best......
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