apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I like the walls. You could jazz up the rooms with brighter accessories, like different colored pillows or blankets for the couches. Add some nicer lamps. I'm really starting to hate the zebra rugs that everyone has, ditch that. Maybe get a different rug in the dining room and find a pretty colored table cloth.

I would suggest Benjamin Moore's Revere Pewter - it's the perfect balance between pale gray and biege/off white.

And a quick question for you - where did you find your living room rug? Thanks!

I agree with a grey in the LR - perhaps a slightly bluish one to go with the upholstery? And then for the DR, I think you could actually pull off a deep, dark red with great results.

For your living room, if you don't want any actual African artifacts to promote the theme, I would at least get plants. I suppose the savannahs are mainly grass, but when I think Africa, I think tropical rain forest plants. Maybe an animal print throw for the sofa. Possibly some Hemingway-esque side tables (those folding tables with leather straps that look a bit like TV trays, only nicer...) For the savannah look, the beige might actually work, or maybe a darker tan, possibly even something with some visual texture like a fuax leather treatment. For the rain forest look, maybe a blue or green?

In your dining room, when I think Scandinavian, I think light blue and white for the walls, with blond wood furniture and some painted pieces (often in bright blue.) You could move in that direction with light paint on the walls and a white rug, or maybe a brightly colored rag rug...

Have fun!

i'd go gray across the board...but then, i've got three different grays in my place, so i am totally bias. ;)

Silver Fox by Benjamin Moore. Not too steel, has a good brown balance to it.

White is a ubiquitous wall color with good reason.

White.

If you are open to suggestions other than gray, I would try a warmer color in the living room to contrast the coolness of the furniture. Maybe a peach or a salmon. The blanket draped over the arm of the sofa could be an inspiration for the wall color.

I'd save the gray idea for the dining room, but it would have to be a light gray or maybe even silver to pick up the light from the windows and the lantern. It would also make the pattern on the chair cushions pop.

Gray is nice, but not particularly evocative of Africa. What about the yellow you see in Kente cloth?

I think a dark brown or a moss green would look better with your current sofas-they look like a blue-grey in the picture. I also think since you're trying for a safari feel in the living room and your dining room is right near it, I wouldn't change the theme too much. Maybe stick with the same color in the dining room, but change the tone slightly, so if you did a dark brown in the living room, do a coffee in the dining room. I also think that any accessory-plant or white pillows and orange throw and grey sofa that you have already would stand out more against that dark color. Good Luck and post the pictures when you're done!

living room - deep red or wine. something that will accent the green hue in your sofa.

kitty-safe plants, new pillows. if you can't or don't to add foliage, what about bringing them in through art work?

i really like the dining room paint color as is. it looks cheery the way it's pictured but i understand that it may not look that way in different lighting. consider another yellow that plays off the red well (if you choose to go that way).

good luck!

i agree with mattster - peach, salmon, pale coral would be FABULOUS with the grey.

and accent with large floor plants.

Re: living room. I agree with grey fans above, although I think a lighter version of your current khaki would work as well. To give this an African feel without getting themey, I would hang crisp white cotton drapes either between the rooms or against the wall in the living room. Maybe hang them from a simple, thin rod with dark leather ties. This would brighten the space and add some texture. Good luck!

Can I have the poster? :)

I echo the need for at least one large-scale tropical plant or ornamental grass in the living room. I saw some suitable ones at the grocery store yesterday for ten dollars. Put it in a large-scale pot or urn of either natural red/brown clay or put it in a plastic pot and then put that in a wicker/rattan/woven bamboo pot. 3 of the same material pot in different sizes or shapes in one corner clustered together with different plants in them would look amazing. If you don't want that many plants (though there are really easy ones) try one tropical plant and two narrow-necked amphora type urns.

For the walls I think a green-tea color or sand-gold would work better than a gray but a lighter khaki could also work as neutrals. For a bolder color I would go with red or a bright yellow-infused green.

What if you color-matched to the red in the painting hanging on the wall? If it is deep enough it could help you with the safari look.

Also, where did you get that globe lame? I really really want it!

I like the living room color as is. Whatever you do, please avoid a saffari theme!!!

ugh! on the fake zebra rug... especially layered on another rug.
if you want that color contract, you could paint the white living room trim an ochre color

I'm sorry to do the classic AT thing - but I love your coffee table... may I ask where it's from? I love the design (the little smaller table that's a shelf or could be pulled out on its own)

In the living room I think grey would drown out the sofas. I would love to see a nice shiny gold.
I would follow the luxe feeling into the dining room with a red/maroon a similar shade to the color of the flowers on your chair pads.

I really like your living space. I like the cheery colour of the dining room. I think you could really take advantage of your big, bright living room and do something drastic, like a deep purple (for example) – complimentary to the yellow. Maybe just on the back wall, even, and then keep the rest semi-neutral. And add in a couple touches of your new accent colour.

I think I need that nesting of tables!

I like the previous suggestions of red/wine or the peach/salmon/apricot for the living room. I love the yellow of your dining room but I would want that in my kitchen instead of DR. Whichever of the above choices that you didnt put in the LR, you could put in the DR as they are suppose to stimulate the appetite. Your place certainly has lovely bones.

And a beautiful kitty!

Gray would be a mistake in the living room. I would suggest color, but nothing that is on the blue - green - purple side of the wheel. Anything from brick - brown - olive would work, or harvest gold - ochre - sienna. The best thing you could do is use Photoshop or something like it.

I agree with mattster on the living room- a coral would look nice. I don't know if it would give the room an African feel. Maybe gold instead?

Dining room: maybe a light celery green? It looks like there might be a little of that in the upholstery on the chairs.

I have no idea if a coral room would even look good next to a celery-green room, mind you.

I would go with a gold in the dinning room (farrow and ball does a marvelous one) and I recommend the Pewter Mug from Behr (but just go to a paint store and have them make it in another brand of paint).

I painted a wall in my bedroom with Benjamin Moore Cork. It's a strong but not overpowering sort of mustardy, orangey yellow that would go with your couch and help with the African vibe you're looking for.

Personally, I don't see how your dining room upholstery would tie into that theme and would suggest redoing the chairs in some subtly African-inspired cloth, painting the walls white and adding a nice big tropical plant in the corner beside the windows.

Or conversely, ditching the African theme and going with a white walls, bright colour accents Scandinavian vibe all the way through. The two concepts just don't go together for me.

Gray is lovely, but it has absolutely nothing to do with Africa. If you want to go gray, then do it, but abandon the African theme.

Warm, earthy colors and ethnic accents are evocative of Africa. Your living room wall color is lovely! And it is perfect for the theme. Just some well chosen accessories are all you need. And as others have warned, don't go over the top. How about a few pillows of Kente cloth? And maybe a table something like this:

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product/detail.do?productGroup=19667&category=rm_living_spaces&subcategory=end_table

Room and Board has several tables that would contribute an African feel. And how about some reproduction artwork by Picasso (who was strongly influenced by African art; wiki this for good suggestions)? Juxtapose that with maybe one piece of "real" African art and you've got something that is ethnic but not over the top. It is nice to be less obvious than Pier One. Remember that everything doesn't have to hit you over the head or scream "Africa!" to contribute to the effect.

And how about adding "Out of Africa" to your netflix queue? Yes, it is about a European woman who brings her belongings to Africa, but it is still highly evocative of the place (it was filmed in Kenya). And the production work is beautiful. Allow yourself to be inspired by something other than Pier One. :)

For those of you who want the perfect GRAY: Rent "The Heart of Me" and check out the bedroom of Madeleine and Rickie. Sheer perfection. In fact, the entire movie is an interior and fashion designers' dream...

Giving a room a "theme" is dangerous - this is your home, not a fantasy suite at a motel. Themes only work if they're a natural expression of the things you've already acquired. If you have to go out and buy new stuff to create your theme, then it's probably not a good idea.

I'd like to see the living room in a lighter shade of the sofa colour, with accessories in oranges and whites to contrast.

As for the dining room, pull a colour you like from the seat fabric... although it may be wise to dilute it so that it doesn't overpower the room.

Thanks to all for your advice! The Coffee table and nesting tables are both from Viva Terra, the globe lamp from E-bay, the rug from DwellStudio for Target(and yes I have mixed feelings for the rug). Sorry, not giving the poster away, will probably just hang in another room.
my plant options are limited cause of Simon (our cat who likes to eat even the ones that make him sick) Any suggestions for plants that are great looking that won't make my cat sick? I have a list of non poinonous plants but not crazy about how some of them look and not familiar enough with some to even know.
In the meantime, I settled on a paint color from Donald Kaufman for the living room..#43 I think. Basically I much lighter version of the tan color we have already and I've been dying to try his paints ever since I read an article about them in the NY Times years ago. I will also do white curtains as suggested.
For the dining room I am 90% sure I will do a very pale grey (I'm leaning toward BM Grey Tint or Horizon but horizon has a greenish tinge to it that I'm not sure I like while Grey Tint has a more blueish one...correct me if I am wrong. sadly I can't find Horizon in the little tester pots) and then also do white curtians maybe with the same fabric as on the chairs trimming the bottom edge of curtains.
I like the idea of bold colors but not sure I could live with them for very long. I have never seen a peach or coral room that I like though but interesting suggestion!

When all is done, I will send pictures!

I agree about your walls and getting rid of the rug. Some really good suggestions. Also here is a list of 20 mostly edible herbs and flowers.
Good luck.
http://blog.abloomintime.net

correction: Benjamin Moore Graytint

Correction: Benjamin Moore Graytint