apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

You bought the place and have no ideas? Go look at some magazines, pick up some clues.

Red bedding wouldn't be so bad, unless you have a visceral reaction against red itself. Or you could limit it to red pillowcases or something small like that.

nonny's right, the place to start is magazines (or AT, for that matter)--look at pictures and see what you like.

If you really really have no idea what to do (which is a bit hard to believe) - don't do anything. Seriously. Move in what you've got and live with it for a while - even if you "hate" it. Then begin getting ideas fom some magazines and catalogs. Pay attention to how you feel in the space. What fuctions must be served? Be patient - a plan will come - most likely in a flash - after a lot of research and soul searching. DON'T just go out and start buying stuff! The space looks wonderful. Congrats!

Totally agree with WINDWOLF. My impulse purchases are the ones I 'regret' the most. Resist the urge to buy everything at once. Craigslist is great if you are on a budget.

I envy Chicagoans because you have a CB2 store - but based on the bedding your husband likes, CB2 may not have appeal to you.

Maybe you and your husband need to figure out a common style/decorating approach. For the things you need *right now* go neutral and basic.

Lastly, upright piano should not be placed against an exterior wall or against a common wall you share with a neighbor!

Good luck - hopefully you find this process exciting and not stressful!

If you don't have any ideas of your own regarding bedding, what's wrong with your husband's? He's identified something that he likes and you have no alternative in mind; perhaps you should consider his suggestion beyond declaring that it "sucks."

I agree with the above advice to check out some magazines. We had a discussion a few days ago about everyone's favorite magazines. Mine are: domino, Living Etc., Ideal Home, and InStyle Home.

Piece of advice #2 - look in your closet. You can find out a lot about your home style from what you wear - the colors, cuts, fabrics, etc. I think its easier to make the case about the bedding to your husband if you can point out that those just aren't colors you are comfortable with, and the proof is that you never wear them.

Advice #3 - Live in the space before buying anything big, to see how you want to use it. For example, if you find yourself looking out the bay windows alot, you're not going to want to put a big piece like a couch there.

my advice encompasses a bit of all the above..you definitely must decide what your style is first and this can be accomplished via magazines and mini excursions to some of the great shops...crate and barrel. cb2, z gallerie, pottery barn, room and board, etc.

or think about places that you have visited where you felt completely comfortable..what elements made you feel this way, was it the colors or the pieces of furniture or the decorative items?

also think in terms of how you plan to use your new spot. will you want to entertain a lot, will you use certain spots as a haven only, will you need to accomodate overnight guests, etc.

i think red is wonderful..it can blend well with other colors and add that spark..and red is hot for good you know what in the bedroom!!

i hope this helps!

Thanks so much your comments Joan, Windwolf, and JenPDX.

I do have some ideas but didn't write them because I thought I'd bore everyone. Here are my ideas so far...

Great room: I've been thinking of putting our couch and love seat(beige)in an "L" with the back of the love seat to the kitchen with the arm lining up with the (kitchen end) of the fire place. I thought the love seat might serve as a divider between the living room & dining room/kitchen.

...thinking of putting the TV between the fireplace and the windows.

As for wall color, burgundy or sage will complement a Chinese painting we're putting above the fireplace.

Kitchen/Dining room: Not sure what color to put on the walls there. We have some vintage framed advertising that will live in the kitchen - main colors are blue & orange.

Bedroom: So much red is too strong for me & I'd like a more soothing color. I've showed him tons of bedding sets and we've realized that he doesn't like anything too modern or pastel. He said he could be on board with anything as long as the bedroom looks unique.

Thanks again, Heather

just saw the other comments - thanks to you guys too!!!

i agree, red is good for .... that's true. i'd love to have a bedroom that would enhance the mood - but will strong colors be too much for the narrow room?

also, i do love to look out of the bay windows and light is important to me. i was thinking of roman shades???

there is one spot between the kitchen counter and fireplace for a table (maybe an expandable round/oval drop-leaf) and two chairs. i'd like to have this because i'd like to entertain, but we were thinking that it might be too much furniture...

thanks also for the advice of not buying everything now....that's hard - but probably for the best...

even though i like modern furniture, my favorite bedding from anthropologie. it's girly stuff by it's definitely traditional, and they have lots of soft colors. it's pretty pricey but you can find some good deals in the sale section.
http://www.anthropologie.com/jump.jsp?itemID=369&itemType=CATEGORY

Heather - Have you looked at the Apt Therapy book?

I think that might help you and your husband a lot as you plan out what you need. Especially regarding defining a "style" that you both like. "Unique and not too modern or pastel" is still pretty vague.

And go to the newstand and buy a bunch of shelter magazines and see what rooms you BOTH like. (I'd defer to "lower end" magazines like Cottage Living because the scale of the rooms might be more comparable to your space).

Regarding window treatments - take a look at:
http://www.smithandnoble.com
They are pricey but the pics are great for ideas.

For those nicer pieces - check out RoomAndBoard - also with a store in Chicago - you lucky dog.

I think red can work in small rooms, if you include a lot of balancing neutrals. Like this:
http://www.bhg.com/bhg/decoratinggallery/room.jhtml?roomNumber=1&roomid=/templatedata/bhg/dg-room/data/MB_ToileTrailBedroom_04012005.xml&list=true&sponsorid= But I can see how you would find it too strong for a bedroom.

One option might be to go for simple, solid bedding and add unique-ness with some awesome throw pillows.

Heather,
I feel you. The bedding your husband likes, is first of all not unique. And obviously not soothing. But soothing doesn't have to be pastel. (Try some greens, for example.)

Another idea: Eddie Z's (link in my name) for window treatments. Their designers know what they're talking about and when they come to your home with samples for a free consultation, they should be able to dispense free advice on tying the whole room together (i.e. bedding) and the (pros?) and CONS of red.

I think your husband has excellent taste, appreciate that. There are worse choices he could have made.

Actually in the photo you show, with the other light colors in the room, I don't see anything wrong with the bedding. I thought you meant bright red and green, while this has a very Arts & Crafts feel.

Try it, compromise with your husband. If you keep the walls neutral, you can always switch out when you find one that appeals to you. Good luck.

Move in with whatever you've got, then "listen" to your home. Write down those moments you think "I wish I had a ____ [table, chair, whatever] here." Keep surfing sites like AT, reading magazines and books and getting a feel for what you want. Take notes. Eventually, your home will start telling you what you need, once you've equipped yourself with sufficient ideas. The right spot for a landing pad will make itself obvious. The right pieces will scream out at you after a while. Purchase slowly.

Now, I say this as one of the most impatient persons in the world. But it's taken me 15 months to even come close to furnishing my place just right. Heck, it took me 6 months to figure out what I wanted in a living room rug! (Still don't have one in the bedroom though...) I needed a year to figure out how to furnish our bedroom -- we finally got rid of the collegiate futon frame last month, replacing it with the *perfect* bed that I found through AT, actually (someone posted about Hold Everything and lo and behold, my bed was there, just waiting for me to find it).

Keep yourself open to moments of enlightenment: I walked into a department store with my partner one day, looking for a food processor. We walked out with our dream bedding! It was just one of those moments when we saw the comforter and *knew* it was perfect. Those flashes of instant gratification will get you through the long droughts of not knowing what the heck you're going to do...

I also agree with most people here. Don't rush it. But definitely walk into every furniture/design store you pass by. Even if the stuff is way out of your price range, it might still give you ideas. I just moved into a tiny Chicago condo in December and took until last week to finally get some furniture and design elements together. And that's just the bedroom! We ended up going with an antique white/sage green color combo for the bedroom. It's both soothing and really, really pretty without being too girly or anything. (I got some great bedding at West Elm .. check their website out at www.westelm.com).

As for furniture, don't limit yourself to one store. Look in all those stores mentioned by others and at a certain point you will just KNOW what type of table or couch or rug you want. Then you'll have to find it. I thought this moment would never come, but it suddenly came to me with a little encouragement from a friend. She told me to pick one item in my place that I love and try to design the room around that. So I picked my bed. This concept might work for you, too.

Also, don't discount the HGTV type of television shows. Watch some of the design shows or "Sell This House" or House Hunters. This gave me all kinds of ideas for colors and things like that.

Good luck!
B

Weirdly and fortuitously, this month's Domino mag has a feature on bedding combinations.

The one thing that nobody here has mentioned it actually hiring a designer. You can find one to fit your budget. Even if you just need a kick-start in the right direction you'll save money in the long run by getting professional advice at the beginning. A lot of expensive mistakes can be avoided this way.Perhaps you'll only need someone to come in for an afternoon to discuss options and ideas to steer you away from those costly mistakes. People have this idea that designers are too expensive but trust me, the money and time you save will be well worth it.

I'm with Anne. A designer is a good idea. If you're not sure you can afford one, how about hooking up with someone at Walter E. Smithe? I've bought several pieces through the store and developed a relationship with MaryBeth, my designer who's now more of a friend. The store can be a bit pricey (depending on your budget), but there are always sales going on, and the deferred billing is insane. I bought a table for my dining room that I didn't have to pay for for two years! And you want to invest in good key pieces anyway. Don't skimp on the sofa, cuz it'll get a lot of use. Save money on other pieces. Chicago is a fabulous town for "finds." In addition to all the nifty stores like C&B and Room & Board, there are several salvage places if you're into offbeat items. But I heartily second the "live in the space until you figure out what you want" advice. I've been in my home for nearly 6 years and I still haven't found rugs I like or bedding for the guest room. But one day, I'll see it and know. Most of all, embrace this opportunity to create a home. Don't stress over it. It's not a chore. I once suggested to a friend that our homes are never really done, anyway. As soon as we think we've "finished" our house, we change our mind about the color of a room or what have you. It's a living thing, evolving with you. Let it tell you what it should be.