Q: I am having a dilemma mixing my favorite pieces with my more practical pieces. I initially had our huge red Ikea couch in the room and I didn't mind the balance temporarily. I just found the exact antique sofa I envisioned in the space and now that it has taken the place of the red couch I'm not sure that the room makes sense anymore! My initial thought is to paint the wood on it to resemble the orange chairs. However, now the floral couch looks even more out of place than it already did! Do I bring the red couch back in? Get rid of the floral or both? If so, what could possibly/affordably take its place. I just love the comfortable feel that the red couch provides and that friends feel comfortable lounging for hours.
Sent by Jasika
Editor: Jasika, we love your fabulous antique sofa and definitely think you need to keep it in the room. We agree the floral seems to be a bit much given the plethora of colors and patterns already at play. Could you possibly slipcover it in a plain fabric?
Readers, what would you advise for Jasika's bright and lively living room?
Email questions and pics with QUESTIONS in subject line to:
dc(at)apartmenttherapy(dot)com)
100 DIY Ideas for the 3-Day Weekend
Danielle's Charming, Classic Walk-Up
Good Food to Share 
The Big Book of Small, Cool Spaces 
Apartment Therapy Presents 
The Eight-Step Home Cure 
White Enamel Flatwa...
Party Recipe: Creamy Crawfish Dip
Perfect Summer Cocktail Recipe: Honey Bourbon Lemonade
Upholster in a funky fabric or geometric. You may want to paint the wood.
If the reds aren't too horrible together, you could have both red couches, and not the floral one. Or yeah, just slipcover the floral...
If it were my room, I'd probably paint the base of the coffee table the hot pink, or another warm bright color...
Looks like the silver table and the green table could help bring it together. If it's easy enough, I'd put a base coat of the green in a few places, then paint the entire frame silver (I wouldn't try to match the table, maybe a high gloss) and rub some of the green base coat areas with #0000 steel wool. (You'll get a mix of the green, silver, and original stain by sanding). If that's too much silver maybe reverse the green and silver - I'd complement, not match the green.
How a couple of silver metallic pillows for the other sofa?
Great find! Love the all the great colors I think it is all working except the floral sofa. I think a simple slip cover in a flax or natural color similar to your curtains would be a way to go-
http://www.bemz.com/index.php/page/shop/prod_id/2/model_id/16/pattern_id/83/
But if that is too boring for you-
You could also do another deep intense dark color like pink in a cotton velvet and take a another fabric that has a wide dark pink and white stripe and cover just the seat cushion just to break up the solid and but without adding too much pattern, this fabric can be taken off at anytime.
Like this- but not this color
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/3795988313/in/set-72157618924915372/
Try arranging the chairs and couch differently. i'd put the antique red couch around 2 feet in front of the window, facing the floral couch. Then move the two orange/red chairs to where the red couch is now, facing the "fire place." This might look more balanced and the two big couches aren't right next to each other.
hm ... instead of reupolstering the floral couch, it might be easier changing the rug i suppose.
the colors look fine together in the picture. i just thought the patterns of the couch and the rug sorta clashed, though it looks like you pull your colors from the rug. perhaps something in stripes?
I wouldn't touch that antique couch, it looks so classy, even to someone who's not into this style. My advice is don't compromise this piece. I would ditch the floral couch. It adds confusion and gives a carnival feel to a space that's already whimsical (not in a bad way). I would get rid of that floral couch and also maybe change the curtains to flat panels and the lamp to something more sleek (for example: http://olystudio.com/products/accessories/lighting/anastasia_table_lamp.html). I think then your antique couch will be the centerpiece and there won't be too much distraction in the room.
Two sofas good, but three's a crowd. Get rid of the floral one - you know you really want to! You've commented on how fond you are of your Ikea red sofa and how much you have wanted the antique one but as for the flowery thing, well you've only spoken of it in terms of it clashing with everything else and possibly having to go so...
Personally, I haven't anything against painting antiques but, since you chose the antique sofa for how it looks in it's present condition, you might regret it if you rush into painting it or re-upholstering it, especially if you decide that it really doesn't work, and want to sell it! Why not save your money for the time being, or spend it on a stand for your guitar instead?
What a colorful space! I think a plain slipcover might be just as out of place as the floral print. Start by upholstering with a neutral color, then experiment by adding details that will complement the other pieces in the room.
The problem is not the new sofa at all - Leave it alone.
What I see is that you have a large living room, but are trying to pile everything into the center into one large seating area - not only is it not working scale-wise, but the riot and styles of patterns are clashing and the sofas are so different that placing them opposite one another on either side of the fireplace wouldn't work that great either.
I'd keep the pair of chairs and the new Victorian sofa in the center of the room around the fireplace on the floral rug - They're of similar scale and the styles work together best.
I'd then choose one of the other two sofas to keep - probably the red one (not my first choice - but the color is good) - to anchor a secondary seating area on the other end of the room which you can integrate with the gold chair and ottoman in the far corner. Another rug and cocktail table over there will give you another comfy lounge area.
Trust me, your friends won't mind sitting in different parts of the room since not everyone is having the same conversation anyway.
Can i move in? pleeeeeeeeaaaase? Slipcover the floral, or just throw a sheet over it for a while to see how it feels and if its worth keeping plain, I love 'conversation areas' with lots of options so i say keep all of em if you can. If not ditch the floral, thank it for the good years!
Don't paint it!
I do have an idea for what you could paint, though! And maybe it would tie things together a little bit better?
My eye is drawn into the center of that mantel, and it kind of feels like there should be something special about that area, but instead it matches the surrounding wall. What if you painted the inside of it the same red as the couch? Or even like a red pattern, if you don't want to have a solid color in there? Like red diamond shapes or something?
PS, I meant to say that I'd get rid of the floral couch. :)
I'll probably not be popular for saying this, but I think that this room already has quite enough personality without painting that innocent antique couch hot pink. You risk crossing the line from "kooky bohemian pad" into "clown college".
Some throw pillows in bright modern floral prints will help tie the new couch with the other furniture.
I like the couch! and the floral too! I'd loose the rug and the sunflowers.. just too much. :)
Don't change the antique couch, just slipcover the floral white one in a solid color. Then move the antique couch in front of the window so the two couches are facing each other and put the chairs where the couch is now.
Also, how attached are you to the wall color? It's a nice color, but I think a darker blue or a medium gray would compliment the colors of the couch and chairs more. Just my two cents. :)
Chuck the floral sofa. Simply because it just doesn't fit in with the bright colours that you obviously love since they are all over the rest of the room. You say the floral sofa "looks even more out of place than it already did", so I think deep down you know that it was never going to work for you.
If you bring back your red Ikea sofa I suspect it will turn out to be the wrong red, and even if it's not it will probably be too much red in the room. But since one of the great things about Ikea is that all their sofas are easily re-covered, consider what options are available to you there. I think a navy blue would work very well, it would balance the reds, pinks and oranges from your chairs and antique sofa and be a really good base for cushions in those great strong colours.
BTW, I love your new antique sofa!
do not paint anything else a crazy color -- it's already too much. the brightly colored painted furniture trend is meant to extend to accent pieces, not your entire living space. there isn't much cohesion to your seating area as it is.
the sofa is a great find. i would leave it alone as its shape and color already makes quite a statement.
I agree with duckumu, don't paint. I'd say slip cover the floral and get a different rug. It is a bit too little girl's play room for the awesome antique couch you have!
bring the red in and get rid of the floral... it's way past its "comfortable" state... it looks worn and outdated.
It's obvious you like color and are rather adventurous with it, but, things in this room are just not working together...
watch a few of pedro almodovar movies... beside you'll totally fall in love with them.. you can really get great ideas of bold colors and decor in a more coordinated way...
Don't do anything to the antique. You want, over time, to upgrade everything to its level. Don't bring it down to the level of your temporary furnishings by painting it.
I'd say move the floral couch out if you can sacrifice the seating. The awesome couch and chairs will be much better highlighted if given a little room to breathe.
Ditch the floral ASAP. It reminds me of Laura Ashley in the 90's. Blehhh! Everything is so taste specific, and that sofa looks like a leftover.
Otherwise I LOVE the space. Very daring :-O
The room is lovely - with the exception of the floral couch, as others have said. Get rid of the floral and slip-cover it in a complimentary color.
That new sofa is divine as-is and I'm surprised how well it works with the chairs and the rug you already have! There's no substitute for good bones. Unfortunately, the floral couch doesn't have any - so go with color.
The silver of the coffee table is bugging me too - the combination of color and shape is awfully modern for the new sofa & chairs. But I'm at a loss as to what to do with it. Maybe paint it the dark color that's in the rug (is that black or navy?)?
I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of the coffee table either! It kind of works with the rug, but not much else. Actually, now that I've adjusted my vision to cope with looking beyond the chairs...
Well, anyway... Perhaps you have hesitated this long in slinging out the floral sofa because your friends seem to make a beeline for it as soon as they come in. If so, could it be that their 'preference' has less to do with comfort and more to do with the fact that, if they're sitting on the floral sofa, they're not having to look at the floral sofa? ;)
Just to play devil's advocate here: I keep reading that florals are about to make a comeback. That "Laura Ashley" couch may start to look fresh again in about a year. I think your room has a fun Bloomsbury look.
Problem solved, Jasika - you can give the floral one to Lisa in Montreal!!!