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Thats exactly what we did, except for the painting part.
You can get the color matched at any paint store, and they will advise you on paint sheen.
Now, about that rug.......
When I am designing for a client, the rug is not one of the first things I choose.
When you are doing a room, its important to have a master plan for it.
Choose your color scheme first, then fabrics for sofas chairs, pillows, window coverings etc.
When you have decided all that, then you can move on to the rug.
Its really difficult to choose the rug first, and then spin the rest of the soft furnishings around it.
So, then, I should cancel the rug order and then re-order once the furnishing are in place?
I seem to have a perpetual history of doing things backwards here
that really does make sense to me. I know that I want the rug to have color that will lift the room, but I also don't want to make a $600 mistake that will be difficult to return.
I'm going to ask my guy tonight about making some changes to that piece, if there is a consensus that it could work in the right shade of white. Would love to not have to buy a new armoire if I have something that at the end of the day could work with a little bit of elbow grease.
So, then, I should cancel the rug order and then re-order once the furnishing are in place?
I seem to have a perpetual history of doing things backwards here
that really does make sense to me. I know that I want the rug to have color that will lift the room, but I also don't want to make a $600 mistake that will be difficult to return.
I'm going to ask my guy tonight about making some changes to that piece, if there is a consensus that it could work in the right shade of white. Would love to not have to buy a new armoire if I have something that at the end of the day could work with a little bit of elbow grease.
Yes, I would cancel the rug if I were you.
Get yourself to a GOOD paint store, Benjamin Moore or Sherwin Williams and get a bunch of the little paint sample chips in whites, then you can match the color to the built ins.
Here is something that I think will help you a great deal as far as what to do, and in what order.
I have given this to lots of friends, following these steps has helped them a whole lot! Christopher Lowell's 7 Layers of Design - iVillage
Wow! I can't recall seeing this much helpful advice in a single CD thread. You are all to be commended. Wish I had something to add, but sadly, this is above my pay grade.
Wow! I can't recall seeing this much helpful advice in a single CD thread. You are all to be commended. Wish I had something to add, but sadly, this is above my pay grade.
Good luck OP.
Lol, the OP really needs some help, and I have downtime right now, so here I am!
Although I know it's part fun and part generosity that motivates you all. Good job!
I really want to thank all of you, the advise here has been amazing and is really inspiring me to fix this room.
I never really cared about design and the look & feel of a room when I was renting, so I am literally starting with scratch here, I'm a complete empty canvas
Alright, this is going to be a very long post, so bear with me.
We are going to pretend your room is empty, and I am going to suggest furniture and placement, so you can see what is going on in my mind.
I am going to start with just the anchor pieces, we can fill in later.
This is how I do a room for clients, so they get the big picture.
First things first, I know you love the audio piece, I suggest you put that where the book cases are, to the left of where your audio is now.
Facing that, I would put this sofa, (this is all for fun, but that sofa may not mach the color of the audio piece, and I am using mostly EA because of ease, other, less expensive places will have similar pieces) I would place the sofa slightly closer than where it is now, in between the windows that have the green curtains, does that make sense?
The EA site is being balky, I tried to load a fabric on the sofa, but it seems to be not wanting to do anything, the name of the fabric I chose is Starlight Linen #81639.
My monitor may be different than yours, but that looks like apple green to me!
If you are sitting on the sofa, facing the audio cabinet, there is a space where the white desk was/is.
I would put a pair of chairs there, something like this, fun and funky, that can be moved as demand allows, with a small round table in between, chairs would be angled towards each other....will get to the table later.
Now, facing the built ins, against the back of the sofa, I would put another pair of chairs, but something more like these, angled towards each other again, with a table as yet to be determined to go with them.
I would put the same fabric on these as the sofa, and the same finish on the legs that the sofa has, that way everything looks very pulled together.
I'm getting kind of tired, and I have an early day, so thats as far as I am going to go this evening.
Will suggest rugs, window treatments and accessories tomorrow.
Thanks for letting me play with your room, I had fun tonight!
Thank you so much, this is an amazing amount of work! I'm going through the options you suggested - some of them aren't really my style but I will put a cohesive response together about my thoughts. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts regarding window treatments, rugs, etc.
Thank you so much, this is an amazing amount of work! I'm going through the options you suggested - some of them aren't really my style but I will put a cohesive response together about my thoughts. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts regarding window treatments, rugs, etc.
This is excactly how the design process works IRL.
Will reply again after I read your response, I will have a better idea of what your likes and dislikes are.
Thanks everyone - just woke up, looking through the rest of the comments.
Funny you should mention craigslist, I bought a tv armoire there for the den, that ends up not working at all that I am also trying to get rid of:
Off White/Cream Colored Media TV Armoire (http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sfv/fuo/2801612618.html - broken link)
Which I bought before moving in which was of course a huge mistake. So I'm a little bit hesitant to go down the armoire road again. But keeping all my options open regarding a solution that will keep my audio equipment in a neat way, but functional so that it can all be used in the way it was intended.
Also finding the idea of going back to having all my electronics on the side of the room where the fireplace is, and using the built in to compliment my new desk as an office area appealing - my only concern being that I want it to feel like one room, and not like its cut off into two separate areas, which is the situation I am in right now, just with everything being mismatched.
Also, I"m not clear on exactly why some people are not liking the rug I ordered -what I liked about it was the bright colors that it will bring into the room, and the way it will blend with my lavender walls. I think a little more guidance in that area would be helpful for me -I don't like oriental rugs and I was purposely looking for something bright, welcoming, multicolored. What is the overall recommendation regarding area rugs, based on my tastes?
Still reading through all the comments.....
My thoughts on this is that you are trying to make the room something it isn't and that is a big part of why you don't like it. That room set up is not conducive to being one big room and trying to make it one will only make it feel lopsided. Creating "nooks" for various purposes will work very well in that room and if you have a big party with lots of people over, slide the couch to one side and grab chairs for everyone to sit an talk but day to day, it just doesn't work with that room.
As for the rug, I think your idea was correct, bring in some color, that is just the wrong way to do it. It's too overpowering for the softness of everything else in the room, and honestly, it's just ugly. There are better options out there and I agree, wait until you get everything else in place before you worry about the rug. Without knowing what furniture you will be using, etc. you don't really know what size rug you will want in the end.
If it were my room, I would rather have fabric on some side chairs that brought color into the room. It's more visible, and not as limiting as a rug like that would be in future choices for decor. Bring your color in with some pillows, art, etc..
Where is the fireplace? I can't find that in your photos.
My thoughts on this is that you are trying to make the room something it isn't and that is a big part of why you don't like it. That room set up is not conducive to being one big room and trying to make it one will only make it feel lopsided. Creating "nooks" for various purposes will work very well in that room and if you have a big party with lots of people over, slide the couch to one side and grab chairs for everyone to sit an talk but day to day, it just doesn't work with that room.
As for the rug, I think your idea was correct, bring in some color, that is just the wrong way to do it. It's too overpowering for the softness of everything else in the room, and honestly, it's just ugly. There are better options out there and I agree, wait until you get everything else in place before you worry about the rug. Without knowing what furniture you will be using, etc. you don't really know what size rug you will want in the end.
If it were my room, I would rather have fabric on some side chairs that brought color into the room. It's more visible, and not as limiting as a rug like that would be in future choices for decor. Bring your color in with some pillows, art, etc..
Where is the fireplace? I can't find that in your photos.
Burbank said he his it behind a piece of furniture because he didnt like the tile?
I would actually like to see it, as it may be totally workable.
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