General Chat

My son is moving house soon and needs some "quick fix" colour co-ordination ideas for his living room, until he can redecorate properly.

The room is South facing, big picture window, no curtains at the moment but he eventually intends to get vertical blinds to protect the furniture. His suite is dark blue (1 x two seeter and 1 x 3 seeter settee). Stripped wood floor, stained pale pine (not orangey). The walls are creamy beige on the top half and darkish brown on the bottom, dado rail in between (doesn't intend to keep. No accent wall.

I have suggested shades of yellow/ pale blue/ cream cushions and curtains but he doesn't likme this.

Any ideas?

i like beige and white to gether it looks so clean and fresh, then add colour with co ordinating furniture adding pictures with some warmth xx

Is it he doesn't like your colour suggestions Libby or that he doesn't want any suggestions? I would have thought that yellow or pale lime, cream and light blue cushions would be good.

Or shades of rust and orange would also be good with dark blue.

If it as dark as Navy blue he would also get away with red cushions.

To be honest, I don't think he wants his living room to be similar to mine. lol, although my wales are just plain magnolia.

His suite is almost navy blue. The room was only decorated about 6 months ago so he doesn't want to spend too much money because the bathroom and bedrooms need a complete overhal aswll as the hall, stairs and landing.

We have just done a room.Callico Cream on three walls & a gold almost metallic paper on the feature wall & the floor is also pale pine.It looks (if I say so myself) striking but restful.With blue sofas he could accesorise with the gold (throws/cushions).
Good Luck.

That sounds lovely 5EXY - would look good in my sitting room, I think. Can you let me have details (if you don't mind me copying!). Wendy x

Sent you a PM

If it's going to be some time before he gets the blinds, I suggest he goes to somewhere like Paul Simon? or other places to buy curtains while reduced, they will give privacy and stop his suite from fading a bit. If he takes a cushion from his suite (minus filling if too bulky to carry round) and see what curtains he can find to tone in with suite and beige/creams/browns if he likes the colours on the walls, he could then pick out a few cushion covers and/or a rug in a colour to go with the curtains. I think curtains framing vertical blinds look better than just blinds and depending on whether double glazing is installed and any good, the curtains will give extra protection against the cold, so would save on heating in the long run. Even with double glazing blinds aren't as effective at keeping heat in. At the mo the store I mentioned advertise curtains very reasonably, he could try Dunelm too as I think they do curtains, lots of places with bargains at the mo. If he doesn't like the darker brown on the lower part of the walls he could just emulsion those is a lighter shade but slightly darker than the top half of walls, for the time being.
Depends really how modern and minimalist he wants to be, but I would imagine for £50 or thereabouts he could make the room much more his own style and would be able to concentrate on the bathroom and bedrooms.

It's easier to change the feel of a room when you have strong colours for cushions/curtains/rugs rather than on the walls, you can even have winter and summer colours and thickness of curtains later on to change the season as well.

If the sun is really going to be strong on the suite before he gets the blinds, he should look out for throws to protect the colour, we have a throw on our airforce blue sofa but not on o.h.'s recliner chair which is nearer the window and altho we have those blue reeded blinds down most of the time, it's amazing how much his chair has faded cos the sun comes in the window all afternoon (when it's out!) Sofa colour is as good as new and the suite is 13 years old.

Lizx

I guess it depends on his age. Just visited grandson's 'new' house (he is 22), their lounge has walls white on top,then a dado wallpaper strip in black and whit then deep red at the bottom. In the top corner of one wall is a large transfer of modern flowers in black and red and a smaller one in another corner. The floors are wooden with a large carpet square in black red and white. The curtains are also black red and white, the suite is black with red and black cushions. (actually two of the cushions have their photos superimposed on them). It all looks very modern and very striking.

Tell him to pop into Charity Shops, they sometimes have curtains at decent prices ( Just as a Makedo till he gets what he really wants ) For colouring ask ( Aunty Motie ) she,s a real Class act on design etc, **M**.