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I've just moved into a new home and am a terrible decorator. We have handscraped wooden floors-i believe they are coffee colored (so very dark). Our walls are just that plain cream color and will not be painted. We have a light color wooden coffee table and media stand that will go in the room that my husband will not part with. I'm looking for ideas for sofa/chair colors. We have two small children and one on the way, so they will not need to be too light and need to be durable. I've contemplated a light brown or tan fabric or just going with leather furniture breaking it up with a light rug.
With dark brown floors, light wood coffee table/media center, and cream colored walls, I feel like you need to add some color to the room. If you go with brown or tan sofas and chairs, consider a nice, colorful rug, some colorful artwork on the walls, etc.
I don't know what sort of colors you like, or if you have an open floor plan and need to take other rooms/furniture into consideration... but some colors that might be pretty with all that brown are: pumpkin orange, medium green, dark red/burgandy.
I wouldn't mind seeing a pic of your stuff in the room, if possible.
Dark floors are wonderful, IMO. They ground the room. Light walls will work with everything, but I think light wood furniture is a bit hard to work with. However, you can do this.
If you buy leather, which I have come to love, buy the best you can afford. If you really can't buy a well made leather piece, try for a medium color well-made sofa in a durable fabric. When your kids have grown up a bit, you can think more about trends and what is fresh, but now think more about durability. If you buy a cheap sofa, you will regret it within a year, with your family.
In terms of color you could go with a tweedy or herringbone pattern which is woven of a couple of colors, including a light one. Using this type of fabric should help tie the dark rustic look of the flooring to the rest of the room. Perhaps you could buy one good leather chair with ottoman, thus adding the smooth look of leather to the textured look of the sofa upholstery.
You need tables near the sofa and chair. If you have a natural focal point in the room, such as a fireplace you should try to group the seating around that. But since you have a media cabinet, that probably is the functional focal point, so I would probably group seating around the TV. Actually we have a media cabinet with a TV sitting on top of it, in our great room. The fireplace is in the adjacent corner, where we put another two chairs. That's what you want to do with your room--group a single or two seating areas together.
In terms of color, you really have many choices. But since you would be trying to tie the color scheme of the sofa to the dark brown of the floor, you could begin there. Pale gray or pale blue look good with dark brown, but I am not suggesting you buy a blue sofa! A fleck of blue or gray in the sofa fabric would be nice. And/or so would flecks of yellow or green. If you have a spare board from your floor you can take it with you to the store when you choose your sofa fabric.
I do recommend that you take your time looking for the right upholstery pieces. Visit stores that carry good furniture and ask questions about their goods. You will learn a lot from doing this. I don't recommend buying from department stores, import stores, or stores that sell rooms full of furniture at "discount prices."
I want to wish you luck on this journey. It is wonderful to be making a home for your family, no?
Also try looking around Houzz.com to decide what style/direction you want to go - it will help a lot of you can say modern, retro, old world etc. - you can also just get a lot of ideas there even though 99% of them cannot be afforded by normal people. lol
Dark red is winner as wood stain is in question. At pine, oak or apple. Crown molding always work, but you need a real expert to install it properly.
??
You must have misunderstood the question... the OP is looking for upholstery colors. Not stain, and definitely not crown molding.
Quote:
Originally Posted by jayandmel
I'm looking for ideas for sofa/chair colors. We have two small children and one on the way, so they will not need to be too light and need to be durable. I've contemplated a light brown or tan fabric or just going with leather furniture breaking it up with a light rug.
Jay and Mel, silibran gave your great advice! Especially about taking your time...
You have a neutral slate, really. I agree that leather will stand up well with your family, but do not go get some cheap poofy stuff. Get furniture with good strong springs that will hold up. Determine what you need to fit your lifestyle, and to fit your room. Will you have a lot of company, or will it be just your family? Go sit in a lot of furniture, and when you fall in love with the comfort, style, and color then just get it. Who cares what other people think?
If you don't feel like dealing with the hassle of painting, color the room through the furniture you choose.
Bright pops of color offset by white will greatly compliment your dark hand-scraped floors and white walls:
I would again use bright, kitschy wall art to make a bold statement against such stark wall colors:
Using white porcelain-looking accent pieces is really in right now.
Of course this is my rendition of what I would do. There is no right or wrong in styling. It is very subjective. Good luck with your new room! ;-)
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