apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I dont understand why you cant paint?
I would suggest getting rid of the red at least... you could even repaint it back whenever you leave (if you're renting)?

Here's a possible scheme that could tie the rooms in together color-thematically: You could use clay (make sure it's not a greenish taupe) and chocolate (as in wenge and other dark wood surfaces) in both rooms, using a bit of the red and cream in the living room and then a bit of the mustard (or is it more of a wheat color?) and cream in the dining room as accents in each. These accent colors can make small appearances in either room, like in a painting. The dark brown would bring out the warmth of the wood floors.

What great rooms! Enjoy!

Since you can't paint I assume you're renting. If you are, keep the colours of your furniture fairly neutral so you can use it elsewhere. Red is a traditional colour for dining rooms which in the past were also fairly masculine, so I would add colours and patterns that go with red and are in keeping with that idea. The living room can be more feminine. I'm all for table and floor lamps as they give more flattering light which is less glaring than ceiling fittings. Have some beige in the dining room and red in the living room so the change of colour is not too much of a shock. For example, have a mostly red rug in the living room and one or two other red accents as well as beige accents in the dining room. If you decide to have a large rug under the table in the dining room, make sure it has a pattern that will camouflage spills. Having said all that, it is really up to you - what you like and what you'll feel happy living with.

I L-O-V-E the Beige-to-Red effect. Furniture may be sticky! Maybe have red furniture/accents in the beige room and vice versa. I also notice the trim in both rooms is white, so if you are a brave soul, go with all white furniture!

Best of luck to you!

Just to add to the great ideas here - adding a couple accents in a shade somewhere between sea-green and barely-teal in both rooms will help make *all* the colors in your home seem a little more modern and a little less McDonald's. Something like a translucent green-glass vase, that's the color I'm thinking of.

Find a fun fabric in red, beige and another color (or 2 coordinating fabrics) to use for an accent. Make table runner, placemats, or cover dining chair seats. In lr add some pillows in that fabric, maybe trim the window treatments and use the accent color in both rooms.

I agree with Christina Stefan completely. Brown was the first color that popped into my head as I was reading the post. Plus, her suggestion on using accents of red and beige is a great idea.

You could let each room mirror the other's colors, i.e. long beige curtains (in an interesting fabric) in the dining room, lots of "dining room red" touches in the living room.

You could probably go beige on the living room furniture with lots of red pillows, curtains, rug (maybe a Persian rug which has "the" red, or another red as one of its underlying colors, and plenty of things (paintings, plants, etc.) that would add an interesting diversity of color.

I think that if you did that, the rooms would work with each other rather than one overwhelming the other.

I think everyone is pretty much saying the same thing: cross-pollinate! To simplify the process, lay out a board with your existing wall colors. Then add 2-3 hues that blend/complement. That is your color scheme for the entire space, and you'll just trade out which hue is dominant, using the others as accents. I think it's really quite a nice start to a warm, energetic color palette. It will look beautiful!

http://inspiredroomdesign.com

"I dont understand why you cant paint?"

I don't understand why you don't understand why they can't paint.

choose a rug from this website, and work the color scheme from there. there are a number of choices that could tie together the two wall colors.

http://www.yurdan.com/yrdn/Browse.aspx?BC=YRDN_Kilims

if you eventually do get to paint it, I'm a huge fan of a light yet cool green for the room that's currently maroon, as you could leave the other room with the neutral beige. In the meantime, if your going for a more serious swanky vibe, I'd go monochromatic in each room, dragging the other room's color in i.e. earthen-beige rug for the red room and red pattern window treatments for the beige room. The visual weight of the red can be offset with some glossy enameled white furnishings and fixtures; you can find a slightly more ornate chandelier and hit it with some white to make it pop.
If you wanna go more playful, then urban outfitters and other places sell wall decals in a number of colors, so you can break up the heaviness of the red.

Hey,
This apartment looks awesome! It's got a very cool vibe, that I personally love.
I actually don't hate the red. I can see why you might not be crazy about it but I think you can make it work. Just stay away from red decor if you don't want the red on the walls to be so noticeable. A suggestion I would have is a very very light blue color, almost creme in fact for different accents in the dining room. I know that red and blue seem too patriotic, but the combination actually looks really good. Then you can work that color into the living room and go into other shades of blue. Chocolate brown furniture in the living room might look nice, maybe even in the dining room. White might work as well, depends on the style.

Good Luck!
ps. I love the floors!

I think you're worrying too much about the colour of your walls, especially in terms of the flow between rooms. With the white trim and wood floors providing continuity, the colour of the walls is largely irrelevant. Red tones well with warm neutrals anyway.

Good ideas: as mentioned earlier furnishings in shades of teal and chocolate will work well in either room. Given that you're feeling overwhelmed, stick with neutral couches, armchairs and dining table, and add personality with small items and soft furnishings which are easier to change if they don't work. You might also like to take some better pictures of the rooms and take them with you when you go furniture shopping - the staff at a quality furniture store should be able to offer good advice.

Bad ideas: Doing the red room in beige and the beige room in red. You'll have no relief from either colour and it will look too contrived.

I'm not sure how to get pictures to you, but I have some of a house with a beige living room and a red DR, very similar....if you post your address I will send them along. Some of them are here, but I dunno if the link will work?

http://www.ziprealty.com/buy_a_home/logged_in/search/home_detail.jsp?source=MLSPIN&cKey=4chd2qrw&listing_num=70672612

House sold last year so it may be cached for me and not avail to you.

Basically, LR had a blue sofa (we wished it was chocolate brown), pale green accents and some modern art with blue and green, brown leather chair, etc. DR was red with a rug that was black with red and white in it (geometric, mostly black) and brown table and some art with mustard yellow and browns. The hall was beige and we used Flor tiles in housepet to incorporate colors that were in the rooms.

Chocolate brown, red, pale green and mustard yellow all are fine in adjoining rooms, just stay in the warm family and be sure something in each room is a nod to the next room so it's not a total disconnect. But, they don't need to "match" that will look like a Pottery Barn catalog.