You will see in my dining room that I have a small wood-burner. I am thinking of getting rid of this and then putting my dining room table in the middle of the room. Also planning on taking out the window that's there now and putting in a bigger one, on the same wall. I would like to have some idea on how to decorate with and without the wood-burner (just in case I decide to keep it for awhile longer). I love mirrors, paintings and also candles and candle holders. And maybe a side table on one of the walls with a picture or mirror above it.
The other room — my family room — is quite dark and small, so I need to know how to decorate the walls so as not to make it look any darker or smaller than it already is. I will not be keeping the coffee table you see in the family room. I would like to know what would be the best shape, color and size table to put in here. The window will be replaced for a bigger one in the near future and the room made a little bigger (may be putting in patio doors). But I would like to decorate it according to the way it looks now. I am so looking forward to hearing from you soon. Thank you in advance. Sent by Dale
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Um, this might sound obvious, but decorate with things you like - mirrors, clocks, and art will all work. That orange is going to make whatever you put on it really pop.
This is a strange question since we don't have much to go on in terms of your tastes. Find art you like and mat and frame it nicely (doing this makes nearly anything look good). Since your taste is more minimalist, I'd suggest going with a few large pieces rather than a bunch of small ones. Stick to simple gallery-style frames (perhaps in plain black) until you become more confident of your tastes.
And don't buy everything all at once. Only buy what you like. You'll get a better result this way, even if this means your walls remain empty for awhile.
I love, love, love the color!! Window treatments and a low hanging chandelier over the table would really help the dining area seem less bare without cluttering up your walls!
Wrought iron candle sconces would do double duty (ambient light & decoration) and look fabulous against that wall color. It can be tough to find ones that don't look cheesy, but the right ones could be stunning.
To brighten up the room, mirrors work great. On the same wall as windows won't help much as light won't shine on the reflective surface to bounce around, and directly opposite can cause unpleasant glare. On a wall perpendicular to the window works great.
Also bring in some white. Large white photo mats. Starbucks does this really well--take a normal sized photo, maybe 8x10 for example, and frame it with a huge white mat in a frame that is 16x20 or larger.
You can also have photos enlarged to poster-size on photo paper or onto canvas from a variety of online sources.
To introduce some variety from photos, find other things to hang. Frame fabric swatches, wallcovering samples paint samples or record album covers. Hang terracotta tiles or wrought iron architectural salvage. Find affordable artwork at nearby art school end-of-year shows or at street markets. Hang a quilt (properly so as not to damage it).
slowdown is right... take your time and just wait for the things you love to come to you. You'll get a much more personal, authentic feel if you don't go out and buy things just to fill the space. Invest in a few good, impactful pieces. You won't be sorry.
Cool space, by the way!
http://inspiredroomdesign.com
With the rich wall colours and the bright white trim, I'd suggest hanging white painted plaster ceiling roses on the walls. They provide a bold geometric statement while not interfering with your chosen colours, and you can choose a style that suits the era of your house.
If that's a little "out there" for you, you can't go wrong with large black and white photographs in glass-fronted, white-matted frames. As you have no interest in art, save money by blowing up holiday snaps or old family portraits and getting them printed in monochrome.
i faced a similar dilemma in the beginning. slow down was the best approach for me. now, i love the way my LR looks and visitors regularly compliment it - but it took time. the bedroom is still a work in progress.
my biggest lesson - starting first with drapes and lighting (table lamps, chandeliers etc): it completely changes the look of your room. then pillows for your living rm, dishes, table runners, chair pads (anything of that sort) for the dining room. and plants, if you plan on having any.
once you have that, you can find things that matter to you/attract you not only for the walls but as display accessories too, adding to the walls and room to balance out the rest/play off the colors. for example, in my living room, a narrow wall by a window has a hand-painted pottery piece that was a gift from a friend. i put a small vining plant in it. plants near the couches also play off a vining pattern on long light curtains that frame tall windows. (i highly recommend light-colored curtains for the small room you hoped wouldn't get dark. and a large mirror to reflect the light/space).
another idea: display your interests/discoveries/memories. in my home, for example, i put up 2 photographs of boats in boston harbor at dusk that my sister took to give me as a birthday present (i love boating, the waters off boston and the colors of a twilight sky). the collection grew. now that wall has several pictures. they all have black frames, white mats, and the photos have atleast one of those 3 image themes but the photos are different sizes/shapes. it doesn't look busy cos the colors and themes unify. other walls have other items from my travels - collages, objects, gifts - usually one per wall. it is an ecletic collection, and a very personal one but spread out it doesn't look busy and the common themes help them flow instead of clashing or distracting.
also, on the sconce note, i love them in my home. they add instant intimacy. if you find a pair you like perhaps that might work as a good starting place for you? my point is, find a point of inspiration that is personal and go from there, so you can enjoy it when you're in the room. good luck and have fun! and thanks for inviting thoughts!
p.s. i don't recommend spending tons on prints, frames, sconces etc. that way you won't feel guilty taking things down if you're tired of them/end up not liking them in a few months! i've made that mistake in the past... also, art.com and visualize.com might be 2 good sites to look for art/prints etc inspiration. the dollar tree is a great place for basic frames, vases, candles etc.
I like the woodburning stove and think you should keep the thing. It's charming. Embrace it!
It looks like you've got a unique layout to work with-- which I assume is at least partially prompting your question about what should go where on the walls. Like, figuring out how to maximize the interior window in the second pic.
That said, I don't have much to offer you. Two pieces of advice:
1. Put something large behind the stove (I vote you keep it) to balance the window. Perhaps a large mirror perpendicular to the window, but definitely extending almost to the corner so that you get a better proportion.
2. I always like a mirror by the front door somewhere. It's handy, and has been shown to occasionally upset nervous burglars.
Great color choices!