apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

i would say a pale, warm neutral. either gray or a light beige so it doesnt become too overpowering.

That wall color is indeed quite dramatic! Comes out great, though! I'll leave the interior design tips to the experts, but I'd maybe put something of a lighter color in front of the blue wall...we can barely see the Expedit. Maybe it's just the lighting. How would the grey couch fair against that wall?

Looking forward to everyone's comments!

I dont want to sound to critical, but I think the wall with the fireplace should be the more dramatic color as it is the focal point of the room, not the television. Also, with the televsion cabinet on the same wall as the dark color the room looks really heavy, almost lopsided. The furniture should be arranged in more of an L shape to incorporate the fireplace into the design. It is a great feature of your home, you should enhance that...I hope that helps.

I'd paint the angled wall with the fire place the same blue.
Then soften the white. It's too stark. If you warm it up, the blue won't seem so dark.

I was thinking the same thing as jennafura about the fireplace.

i agree with jennafura. You should have painted the wall with the fireplace a more dramatic color like with the blue and then a pale grey for the rest of the room.

Paint your mantle a different color, maybe a light neutral. Definitely need a painting over the sofa and something on your mantle. Pick an accent color you like (for your room I'm liking a strong yellow to brighten it up) and use it in a painting, accent pillows or throws, maybe some vases or something. Maybe the photo is distorting the true light in the room but to me that dark blue wall with the big black entertainment center on it really sucks the energy out of the room. I like the blue color but needs some thing to pop against that wall. Maybe some white decorative items on your entertainment unit instead of dark stuff? Have fun!

Another vote for the fireplace wall. Plus I have always been told that it is the wall opposite where you walk in that would get the pop of color - in this case - the fireplace wall. You also need a much bigger rug IMO. Maybe flip the dark color chair and ottoman on the other side of the couch, or like where the tree is... maybe a console table in it's place? On a coffee table, a cool wide, low bowl in the green color maybe? Some chocolate pillows with that green color in it as an accent color.

My suggestion would be to do a carpet/rug through the whole room (leaving maybe a 6 - 12" border) with Flor tiles, even following the angle of the fireplace by cutting them on the diagonal; I just got a sample of Martha Stewart Needlepoint and though it wasn't the right colors for my room, I really liked how it looked. From a cursory glance at internet colors, Camellia might be a good choice, combined with one of the Toy Poodle colors if you wanted to do a blocky colors & stripes rug.

And then I would definitely do something with the green for throw pillows. I don't know if you like needlepoint or embroidery style (clearly I do) but something like this from etsy would be cute. I have a similar-colored couch and I really like using the greens like your lamp with it.

And not to go crazy with the vintage, but I have this vision of different-colored plates above your mantle in a cool pattern. I am totally inspired by this post AT did awhile ago on Lisa Congdon's fantastic wall of plates.

I don't know what to tell you about drapes, but that window definitely needs fabric over blinds, I think.

I'd check out www.designpublic.com. They have a lot of fun, playful, colorful pillows that would help liven up your room. The rich blue works great with lime green and red (which you already have in your brick). I'd throw in a little rich orange, too, and maybe some gold-yellow. Here are a few examples:

http://www.designpublic.com/shop/blu-dot/11785
http://www.designpublic.com/shop/designers-eye/1708
http://www.designpublic.com/shop/jefdesigns-home/12630

I think you can get really playful with the pillows, since it's a low commitment level.

The Room and Board Library rug in "Spice" might really help to tie it all together, too.

http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product.do?method=get&id=484441&coll=378326&cat=92

I'm sure you can find similar things at different price points, because they're popular colors these days.

Hi, how about a lighter shade of that celadon lamp you have for other walls. I too think the blue should be on fireplace wall.

I second the Flor carpet tiles idea. Super cool at wonderful price point.

You are going in the right direction!!

Paint the entire room Kensington Blue. Anything else is going to make it look way off balance.

Hang a large vertical mirror behind the leather chair so it reflects light from the window around the room.

Hang a large print or photograph over the couch with an art light installed on the ceiling above.

Place a big flokati rug in front of the couch and put a glass or travertine topped coffee table over it.

You could use a piece of furniture with some heft to it on the side of the couch. It could be a

Add more decorative pieces in the same green-yellow color family as the lamp.

oops. posted too soon.

a bureau or secretary next to the couch woul look great.

Painting the entire room Kensington room may seem like it will be too dark but it won't be if you have plenty of light, a well placed mirror or two and some pops of white and color.

Go for it!

I would:

1. Swap the expedit bookcase with the couch.

2. Paint the wall that the bookcase will be in front of, a neutral color, not to dark though.

3. Paint the surround of the fireplace, it's getting lost in a sea of white and put some candles in the fireplace, maybe surrounded by stones or river rocks.

4. Move the small chest from in front of the window and use it as a coffee table. Flor tile could work and allow you to add just the right amount of color but, if that's to modern for you, go with a bold rug. Then find something longer like the skinny expedit bookcase(not necessarily that, but something similar) to place under the window.

5. Place the leather chair and ottoman where the large plant is now and put the plant in the corner where the green lamp is.

As for curtains, I think the Anna Sanela could work in beige, http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70119072

Pillows for the couch should have a lighter blue and maybe tan. They should be a cool, kind of organic pattern.

Wow, I'm exhausted!

Another vote for painting the Fireplace wall blue and swapping the Sofa and Bookcase...
...perhaps paint the remaining walls a shade lighter than the sofa, and for draperies choose the Sutter Jacquard Draperies in Ink Blue from Pottery Barn - hung floor to ceiling. (Get them quick - they're on Sale)

Then replace that bathmat in front of the sofa with a huge 8' x 10' Zebra-striped rug in Red - like this one from Horchow:
http://www.horchow.com/store/catalog/prod.jhtml?itemId=cprod45590070&parentId=cat6120736&masterId=cat6120732&index=4&cmCat=cat000000cat1590731cat6120732cat6120736

...and on top, place a round coffee table - perhaps similar to the angled-leg coffee table from West Elm.

Some more substantial light-colored end tables and a pair of larger scale vintage lamps would be great (or the Silver Globe Table Lamps from West Elm) - one on each end of the sofa - and over the sofa place a great big gilded/silvered faux-bamboo mirror (there are always some available on eBay) Fill in w/ more Red and Spring Green pillows, etc, especially a red or green throw over that dark leather chair.

You might even consider some faux-fur pillows in Coyote, Golden Fox, Lynx or Snow Leopard, such as these from Fabulous Furs:

http://fabulousfurs.com/18-pillows/p/91670/

I know you just painted, but I think that the bold color is a little bit too dramatic for that wall, unfortunately.

I'd paint the wall with the fireplace that same blue, and paint the rest of the room a very light feather grey color. I'd also fill the fireplace with different size, tall white pillar candles.

I would also put the couch where the bookcase is and the book case where the couch is. Then I'd move the leather chair over to the left of the bookcase, on an angle, after the bookcase has been moved. I'd ditch the rocking chair, maybe it would look good on the porch if you have one?

I'd also get rid of the lamp that's by the chair because it doesn't really compliment the style of the room.

There are a lot of angles in this room, I think it would look great if you softened it up a little bit by replacing the boxy end tables with circle-shaped tables.

Maybe you could just paint the fireplace wall and leave the other wall blue as well to see how it looks.

For pillows and accessories, I can see putty, beige and white colors with that green lamp color as an accent. Maybe get a nice big fluffy white rug, collect some books in that green color (thrift stores!) and line them up in one of the boxes of your expedit, maybe get a big white pot to plant a large plant in.

West Elm has some window treatments that I can see fit for your living room...check them out!

Let us know how it goes! Good luck!

I can't say it enough.....

Be fearless!!!

I agree with Seaside- the blue looks fabulous, and would look even more fabulous on more walls. And where are your pictures? Every wall needs something on it, not just color. Be fearless, saturate with more color, hang pictures and mirrors to spread the color and light around.