apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

Um, didn't you JUST do this? While a home can and should evlolve, leave the Extreme Makeovers to Ty Pennington for awhile and sit back and enjoy the lovely fruits of your labors. Or just attack another room. Let this one breathe for awhile!

PS: I would NOT describe your "After" as stark and modern.
And that Domino image looks to me like a shot from "guess the decade."

You mean not everybody rearranges their furniture on a near-weekly basis?

My living room is full of neutrals (almost like the Domino room -- very brown), and every few weeks I introduce different "pops" of color, making it seem blue or purple or orange or whatever.

I will be blunt...I HATE the Domino photo. It feels very old-lady. I much prefer the colorful room.

Oh wow. I actually LOVE the Domino photo. To me, it looks like a room I'd want to spend hours in. It seems inviting. I like the low low coffee table a lot. I've had this photo in my inspiration folder for a long time.

I like the Domino inspiration-room - it's filled with interesting furniture and objects that can't be easily traced back to Pottery Barn/Crate & Barrel/Room & Board, etc.

I've felt what you are feeling, but learn from me and be kind to your pocketbook - find a style-challenged friend who really needs to redo their living space and offer to help them rather than changing what doesn't need changing in your home. This will give you an outlet for your creativity while letting go of the neverending need to purchase new things for yourself.

For every item you help your friend to buy, put an equal amount of your money in a money market account for you. Use the money for a fabulous vacation, a donation to a charity, and/or an emergency fund for financial rainy days.

I'm a little confused by this post...but if you ever get sick of that poster, please let me know. It's one of my favorite movies.

Sorry, but the Domino picture looks like you should be wearing beige while talking to Christopher Guest about weimaraners.

Throw some plants in there - bonsai that can tolerate indoor living.

Also, bring back some books.

I don't know how old this photo is, but does anyone know where those two matching side tables from the front of the picture are from?

I agree with the above - I wouldn't call the after photo "stark and modern." More like transitional?

I thought, before the cut, the Domino photo is what you wanted to change.

I like you present layout much better than the Domino one!

I actually like to the Domino layout--it's a really nice use of stark white without looking austere or contrived. Great use of color & texture to make the white look comfortable & livable. I love also how books and paintings are incorporated in a relaxed way--one doesn't usually see this in magazine layouts.

Sounds like you don't really know what your style is.

Take a deep breath and think about what you will always want. Leave it the way it is for as long as you can possibly stand. Then let your inspiration come from the room, not a magazine.

I like the Domino photo - minus all that brown...

is it just me or did you stretch one of the photos of your space? The width of that movie poster grows from one image to the next!
I like the general idea of the Domino room but would eliminate some of the more cliche designer moves - like the cow hide rug. Too tired at this point.
Actually, I rather like the bohemian version of your space much better than the new version.

Where did you get the movie poster? Anyone know good sources for vintage posters in LA.

I looked at the link to the older post, and you changed over in May? Redecorating every three months is a bit much...

BUT, you have some good pieces to play with. I would go back to the white walls. That with your brown sofas will look similar to the Domino picture.

I would recommend choosing items in the future that are less trendy and more adaptable. The orange throws can be moved in and out easily, like for autumn. But it's harder to change out and store lamps than it is to change out and store lamp SHADES.

And the options to swap accent cushion covers would help with changes, seasonal or trend-related. Consider also an easy to put up or take down clip curtain style.

The FLOR tiles, too. So that you can put down light tones in summer, and put down darker/warmer tones in winter.

This page hasn't worked for a long time, all you can see is the Modern one...
http://www.bhg.com/decorating/carpet-magic/

The Floral one had a yellow floral rug, yellow throw, and the wicker trunk for coffee table.

The Culture one had a red "ethnic style"??? rug with a different style of bench coffee table. Red pillows, sort of like these in pattern:
http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/60098254

There were masks and statues on the mantle for that style too.

But all three rooms were the SAME room. Same sofa, a perfect, basic sofa. Same two chairs, one red, one beige. Same curtains, same wall color.

The floor lamps changed slightly, but a basic floor lamp could take many different styles of shades, like fabric, rattan, novelty.

Ha!

I figured it out, just changed the address of the image alone...

Floral:
http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/househome/floral.jpg

Culture:
http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/househome/culture.jpg

Modern:
http://images.meredith.com/bhg/images/househome/modern.jpg

Does that help a bit?
FLOR tiles could be stored in their boxes. Cushion covers in the linen closet. So you can change out parts or all of what you have with other colors/patterns. You could keep the majority of pattern on the cushion covers, and use solid color tiles to accent the floor (swapping out some of the tiles to mix with the cushion colors).

The most beautiful element in the Domino room is the largeness of the room - something you don't have. No redecorating will change that.

You can make a few adjustments to what you have now to get a similar effect. Paint the walls white. Trade in your lampshades for paper circles. That would get you a similar look without drastic change.

If you're like me, though, a larger room is what you're really after.

Abby - Looking at your "before", "after", and inspiration for the future, it strikes me that you may have simply overshot your natural inclinations. Both the before and inspiration have a lighter, pared down look and feature less in the way of the "cozy" and "glamorous" accessories. Maybe your taste runs to a simpler, streamlined, more contemporary approach than the bejeweled formality that has overrun the interiors industry for the last few years.

The room as it currently stands is certainly well executed, but if it doesn't achieve the qualities you were looking for, there is nothing wrong with continuing on the quest to find a more gratifying result.

Rooms are like relationships: if you are still looking at the other options, you can't say you are truly satisfied with the way things stand. Go lighter with the walls, or change the window treatment, or pare down a bit on the color and accessories. Or maybe all three. You may find you are closer to solution than you realize.

I love your splashes of pink and orange...please keep the color in your room. The Domino room is nice but boring.

Sorry, I think your first version was still the best... although the orange lamps are great! The Domino room is totally blah, don't do it.