apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

What colors do you wear? pick something that makes you feel wonderful and work with that as either the main color or an accent, depending.

The tables are darling.

Ok, this is from a hard-core neutralist and monochromist, but I think there is a lot to like in that room. I like how the blue pulls in from the dining room to the couch, which adds depth to the space. I like how the gold is reflected in the trim in the next room. The only thing I'd change is the trim color. White would be ok, it would tie into the tables and the table in the next room, I'd even wager to go gold on the trim as well, maybe just in a different finish, like a satin.

Looking at it made me a ill, too! I'd definitely repaint those yellow walls. I think light gray would be an excellent choice. The blue and yellow fighting for attention is a bit much. Please reconsider your picture hanging arrangement, too. They come off as too scattered, and too high. Pictures should be hung so that the center of it is roughly eye level.

Good luck, I hope you find a happy medium between a dose of color and sanity. :)

I do not find the couch and the rug bad together, although that could be because I have some amount of brown and blue together in my living room and so am biased. I also think the tables look good white--it's kind of restful for the eyes in the midst of all that color. I would probably just paint over the red trim (I would just go with white, on the same theory) and see how that changes things for you. I would also want something in the room to tie together the blue and the gold--throw pillows or something, perhaps. Also, I think the blue and gold together require some green to tie them together, like a nice plant.

On a separate issue, the stuff hanging on the wall and the things propped on top of the door moulding seem too high and far apart.

All in all, though, you have nice stuff--the couch seems fine, the rug is nice, and the little white tables and the Saarien table are all good. Don't beat yourself up so much!

I know going dark can be a drastic jump when you are used to such a light wall color, but...a deep, dark, rich plum color might tie in nicely with both the trim and the rug, and also make your blue accents stand out beautifully.

I'm gonna go out on a limb here:

I love the way the gold works with the blue in the dining room, and I also enjoy the way the blue carries through from one room to another...
...but in the Living Room, you have 4 major colors: Gold, Raisin, Blue and Brown. I think you realize it needs editing, and IMO the color that needs to go is the Brown (Rug) - brown w/ yellow is just too bumblee. I'd also be inclined swap the paint colors: paint the trim Gold (including the picture rail) and paint the walls Raisin (or Raspberry?).

BTW - Kudos to hubby for the tables. Leave them white for now and see what appeals to you later - They can easily be changed when you get the background right.

I think repainting the trim white would make everything else work together. As a relatively minor fix, it's certainly worth a try, and, if it redeems your rooms for you, worth reams of time, money and effort you won't have to put in.

I like the tables, too!

Please please, paint the trim in the living room (and the dining room!) white. Leave the rug in the living room, but cover the couch in something - anything! - else. A navy or dark gray would be soothing; a cranberry would pop. If you're just finishing your maternity leave, a slip cover has the added bonus of being easier to wash than a re-upholstery job.

The rug looks mouse-gray on my monitor, though, so my color suggestions may be slightly off from real life if you say the rug is brown. Either way, I stand by white trim!

this is why I avoid lots of color in a room and why most people should.

I vote for painting the walls grey & the trim a bright white. Keep the rug because it's great, and keep the couch the same color, but add some pops of color!

It seems to me that the main problem is too many competing colors. Understandably, you've invested time, money, etc. in the sofa, tables, and rug, so you don't want to get rid of them. I think the easiest thing to do to for starters is to change the wall (and them possibly the trim) colors in the living room. What about a linen white -- not a bright or decorators white, but something with the tiniest touch of yellow in it to give it warmth against the maroon trim? I think the rug and sofa would give you the splashes of color you like, but the more neutral wall would then relieve some of the competition among the various pieces in the room. I'd then leave the tables white and try to find some throw pillows that tie together the blue of the sofa and the red of the rug -- something with a geometric pattern. Good luck!

Well, I agree the "raisin" is kind of yuck. I think you should pick three colors and stick with that until you can work it out . Personally, I sort of like the brown blue and white/cream. Slightly Moroccan with yellow highlights of color. I like the blue and standing out with more neutral tones.

I think that the rug is nice. The couch color seems to be a difficult one to deal with but all in all I would go with a rich neutral for the walls. Maybe a deep purple/ magenta. Something warm but dark to play off the cool bright blue. The white chinoiserie tables are fine but add some interesting coffee table books as well as a sentimental object on top. I would try to close my eyes and think of the mood I'd like to create and then get rid of the things that make you the most uncomfortable... then work with what you have. I'm a novice to the decorating scene and have been in this same exact situation as well. Good luck!!

Paint the walls light gray, paint the trim white. The rug is gigantic and busy - something simpler and slightly smaller would help with the dizzy look I think. Mostly, just paint the horrific trim - I think it's about 90% of the problem.

Of all the jarring colors going on here, I think the raisin and the gold are the biggest culprits.

I rather like the rug, love the tables, and I think the sofa could work (or maybe slipcover it in a neutral).

Or, better yet, prime the walls and trim with white primer. That way, you'll have more of a blank canvas to start from.

You might decide to paint the trim gold to match the dining room. Or you could go in a totally different direction.

Why not paint the living room trim the same blue as the dining room walls? That would reduce the number of colors by one, and the couch would go with it just fine. Then, I'd re-evaluate whether or not the brown rug needed to be replaced with something less assertive. You might find you like it just fine, once the raisin-y trim is gone.

If it were me, I'd probably paint the coffee tables a darker shade of the same blue.

Pick a gray that is a few sades darker than your rug, and paint over the yellow. It is just TOO much color with the red and the blue. If the red trim looks better with the gray walls, then leave it. But my preference would be to do white glossy white for all the trim and have it tie into your cute coffee tables. It won't take much, it will look great! You already have nice furniture and it is almost pulled together.

Opps, on the gray color above, I meant LIGHTER than your rug. . .

I think you should choose two shades of grey that lean towards blue for the walls and woodwork. That would look great with your furniture and it'd allow for continuity between rooms.
The red, blue and yellow are too primary colors for me.
I'd also try to arrange the pictures differently- you could make a nice gallery of frames above that couch and it would fill in the space nicely.
I like the other room, but resist the temptation to hang pictures directly in the center of the box that is made by the moulding... Perhaps try a cluster of pictures or nothing at all. The painted moulding is already a nice wall design.

Wow what a great space, you could go so many different ways!!!

That beautiful peacockish blue sofa is drowning in that rug, loose the rug. You are lucky to have dark floors, don't cover them as much.

If it were my space I would work with the blue sofa, paint the trim a glossy warm white, the walls either a blue grey or a lighter turquoise blue/green the room in the second picture and the room with the sofa paint the entire room one of the colors or all white from the second room.
Add some dark wood pieces of furniture and natural med wood pieces like rattan, slatted wood to add texture. Mix it up with antiques and just a bit modern. Add lamps with dark lamp shades. Accent with gold, yellow.

A palette idea-
http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/3278729045/in/set-72157618924915372/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/3279542006/in/set-72157618924915372/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/44713708@N00/3279550938/in/set-72157618924915372/

The Saarinen table with some dark wood bent wood chairs, cream rug.

As a (cost conscious) interior designer I have the following suggestions:
Paint the trim white
Lower your art work- the sofa will seem less lonely...
Find accessories that tie the blue and yellow together

They're similar suggestions to others already made- why? because they're good ideas! And they're simple solutions that won't cost you a ton of time or money.

I think everything would snap into place wonderfully if you simply paint the living room the same light color as is present in the dining room walls (is that a yellowish cream?) and paint the raisin trim stark white.

(leave the rug where it is, and you don't even have to replace the couch if you don't want to....)

It's really not that bad :-)

Maybe this is heresy here on Apartment "Let's paint it!" Therapy, but what about white?

All of the pieces in your room are really lovely-- the blue couch, (gorgeous!) coffee table, and great neutral geometric rug. And the hardwood floors!

Go for white. It'll open up the space and let your bright couch shine through as a focal point. Then you could lacquer the coffee table any color you'd like!

it is disorienting. how about a light, expansive, refreshing color in an eggshell treatment. maybe a very pale periwinkle or gray with blue undertone. even a stone color, but something very stabilizing and relaxing.

i think the rug is a big problem. it so clashes with everything else that it throws me off. maybe one the paint is done, it will be less effecting. also, the rug is too big. it exactly fits the floor. there's not space around it.

and all of your art is way too high. how do you even see it?

I really LIKE the raisin/gold combo!
It's the blue, and the rugs, that I would change. Also the height of the art on the walls.

White trim. White trim. White trim. And the picture rail is trim too.

I personally have never liked yellow and red together because it reminds me of McDonalds. The blue seems really "off" compared to the rug and the wall colors. Your floors seem quite beautiful, i would roll up the rugs and get rid of them for now and see if that helps your nausea. A nice neutral wall color and trim would be a more soothing backdrop to your electric blue couch. i would unify the picture frames, matching the blue couch and the blue picture frames and blue walls is just too much. The pillow doesn't really look right either.

yes I echo the call for a light gray over the yellow walls - I think that's the only thing that doesn't work in the room - maybe it's because the other colors have a cooler undertone? that said I do like the yellow trim the in next room and don't think there's a need to change that...

I don't think there's anything wrong with the couch color, but I would lose the matching frame, and throw some neutral pillows on the couch to help balance the bold color. agree with lowering the frames as well.

I understand your distress, but from an outsider's opinion, it's not too bad. There's just a few things that need to be worked out. The color scheme is a little... crayola. The primary colors are overwhelming. I even spy red making an appearance in the kitchen as well. All you need to do is bring in some neutrals to ground the rooms and make your colors pop, not compete. Paint the trim white in both rooms. That will add some continuity and lightness. I know I may get some flack here, but I would also paint the picture moldings in the dining room the same color blue as the wall. The monotone molding's will add depth to the room without making it feel busy. I would also paint the living room a french gray or something in the color family, so the couch can shine. I wouldn't recommend getting a new couch, they're expensive, and the one you have is perfectly fine. I actually like how the color of the couch pulls from the dining room. As others have mentioned, your art is hung way to high. I would lower that and mix it up a little, choose frames and art of different shapes and sizes. I would also recommend moving that large blue frame to another wall in the living room. To space out the blue color and continue the color story throughout the room. The tables are amazing! Give that hubby of yours a pat on the back! I would keep them white, at least for now. The rug may work in the room colorwise after its painted, but I feel its too large for the space. Maybe it would work better in the dining room. Lastly I would put all the color and pattern back in the room with accessories. That way if you tire of them, they're easily changed. Get some great pillows and maybe a throw for the couch, interesting coffee table books or a tray for remotes and such. End tables with interesting lamps would look amazing. Maybe some side chairs in a fun fabric. It'll all start coming together on its own. The bones of your home are gorgeous. I hope I helped. Good luck!

Why not try a green on the trim. You should be able to find good green that would work well with both the gold and the blue.

Oh for christs sake lekyle the last thing she needs is another color!

Whoa! There is a lot going on in that room!

I actually love the couch. I also like the rug, the rug and the couch without everything else works.

I like the idea of some mocha walls with the blue couch and current rug. With the trim, large frame over the couch, and the coffee tables in some cream color, but not WHITE WHITE.

I don't like the idea of white trim with yellow walls and a dark floor, which is what a lot of people are suggesting. Honestly, i think that will look garish.

Paint the wall some wonderful, more neutral mocha/taupe color. Something that complements the yellow trim in the next room, but is not so insane. Then use a light cream color for the trim.

I agree with lowering the large framed art/photo over the couch, but also change with frame color to some nice cream color that matches the trim, NOT the couch.

I love the tables, just not in that white color.

kirsten must post after pics, whatever she decides to do!!

Not to be cruel, dear, but you seem to have a taste problem if you're responsible for the room having ended up like this. Why not ask a friend whose home decor love to come over and help out - give him or her veto power. Look at magazines together and clip looks you like. When you have a second opinion you trust, you may feel more confident about making the choices you'll have to make to fix this.

Now by way of advice: everything on your walls is too small, even the big thing in the blue frame. If you really want that piece to be an important looking focal point, get a wide mat (5-6" all around, not gold or blue, please) and put it in a bigger frame. Then rehang it properly from your picture rail with wire or decorative cord.

please show us what happens!

and i would say, go with a light grey tone for the walls and white for the trim. let the artwork and the beautiful couch and rug shine.

Looking at the room a second time, here are my suggestions.

First off, leave the gold, if anything, it needs to be a little bit less flat for it looks flat and rather dull on my monitor but it works for it looks to be close to, if not the exact same color as the trim in the dining room. The blue couch may be the wrong shade to work with the blue, but then again, it's all set against that trim color and the gray in the flooring which I don't think is helping it any but it seems to tie in the blue in the dinning room however.

Ditch the raisen colored trim and go white, semi gloss to high gloss, lean towards a warm shade though. Never paint your trim flat, satin or anything less than a semi gloss, trim tends to looks it's best when painted in a glossy finish.

Secondly, the rug being gray/white and of a large pattern seems to be not working too well in the room and I think your furniture placement may well be at issue as well, first off, the couch and tables are right in front of the doorway to the dining area, the couch right up against the wall, the tables practically against the couch is part of the problem and I also very much agree that the pictures are WAY too high, bring them down so that the bottoms of the lower pictures are 2-3 inches at most from the top edge of the couche's edge (or roughly eye level, when sitting) and you have no lamp(s) next to the couch, so in essence, things don't seem to relate to the other and that busy rug that virtually covers the entire floor in that space is just adding to it all.

So in essence, edit the color pallette down a bit, rework the furniture placement and rehang the pictures and you should see a big improvement.

Good luck

sorry, for the third and last comment. keep the blue in the dining room, but once again replace the trim with white or light grey. that blue is stunning, especially as it leads the eye from the couch to the room. good luck and keep it simple!

I'd go white with the walls and all of the trim. With your blue sofa it would be such a nice, fresh-looking contrast. And I'd keep the carpet. It may be a touch big, but the pattern is pleasing. Aside from your couch, I'd stick to blue as accents. But I'd layer that so you're not stuck with everything the same blue on white. I'd keep the tables your husband made white. They look great.

If you don't want to go with white walls, I'd do what another poster suggested and paint the walls light grey, and the trim white. Though in that instance I'd paint the decorative moulding on the walls themselves in your dining room the colour of the wall. I'd paint grey in there too. You could probably go a shade or two darker there if you wanted to.

I know you didn't ask, but I'd also bring your artwork down to eye level. Based on the photos everything looks like it's hanging way too high.

Ooo, such amazing advice - how exciting! Thanks so much. I will be going over each with a fine-toothed comb.

I do think white trim would probably be the easiest remedy. Part of me likes the look of non-contrasting trim ( say all gray or all the yellow- gold of the living room ) but I guess it wouldn't work here. The white would really tie in the other elements. I agree so much with all of you that say a color must be edited. The colors I tend to pull toward are brown blue and orange. ( I'm getting some antique Louis- the -something chairs upholstered in a neutral-ish orange linen with nail-head detail. Might help.. better than no chairs and a too low to use chaise! )

I think the rug is too big too, and it looks accidental, size-wise. I thought maybe I could put it in the dining room and put a neutral/natural rug on top. Disorienting is a perfect way to put it. I painted this flat gold color because I found it quite uplifting in the foyer, but I think gray would have the same quieting effect. I keep drooling over wallpaper sites but that might end badly.

About the art, it must be changed and lowered. I probably put it too high so I wouldn't have to look at it, heh-heh. Not very me at all. The place looks over the top and unoccupied at the same time. This is really helping me to see what's really happening, woo-hoo..!

(Sorry for my ellipse/excalamation mark habit )

My suggestions:

* Change the trim to a warm white.

* Re-hang the art. There are plenty of instructions and ideas for layouts online.

* Find a smaller rug, or get Kid-Friendly Flor tiles in a neutral color.

* Bring in pillows and accessories in yellows, blues, whites, and grays.

I don't hate the blue couch, either - but there is too much going on there.

My first instinct was to just paint the woodwork white throughout your place. Also, the blue frame is way too matchy matchy with the couch. You've gotta make it neutral-black. If I PaintShop it very poorly white, you can see the immediate difference:

http://i208.photobucket.com/albums/bb99/mbc1963/yellowwalls.jpg

I myself wouldn't keep the rug, but taking out the raisin color does seem to make it more palatable.

I'm very much country, vibrant colors in my home. I love vivid colors. But this is too much variety.

I love the blue in both spots - but you've gotta link it better, and make it the focal point.

It's probably been said...

Paint the living room the same as the kitchen. Also paint the picture rail to match the wood work. Above the picture rail paint the walls to match the ceiling, this will give more air to the room. Move your pictures way way down. Paint the frames to match your newly painted woodwork.

Then I'd move the coffee tables to the sides of the sofa, covering your speakers and put some lamps on them. The sofa is a little dowdy but the color works with the dining room. I'm thinking lots of pillows on it to tame it a bit.

I can't tell what all that stuff is in the dining room, but get rid of it. Show off your beautiful table, put some chairs around it, center it under the light.

The rugs don't bother me so much, but the floors look beautiful. Can you live without rugs and just have shiny gorgeous floors?

Great place really, enjoy.

The couch must go. What is that loosely covered cushion on top of the seat cushion? Too too salvation army.

An attractive couch will make an enormous difference. Also white trim.

Love the dining room walls.

I don't like the red trim, the blue couch or the brown rug. I really like the brown wood floor so I think a nice bright white will look nice with both the yellow, blue, brown floor and white coffee tables. I would go with white, light yellow and a few bold blue pieces (assuming you like those colors).
Is there anyway to change the couch color? I guess I really just don't like the texture, a more solid blue would look pretty. A white or more solid bright blue slip cover would look very pretty.
The arrangement of pictures on the wall is also strange. The best way I can describe this is that they don't look balanced. I would do the bigger picture on one side, and the three smaller ones in a group on the other side. Also the two tiny pictures on either side of the door frame don't look very nice. I would add those to my small pictures group.

Some nice bright white floating shelves would also look pretty on the walls. A vase with pretty fake white and yellow flowers would also look nice. I think the tables are pretty the way they are, and I wouldn't paint them.

and by bright white, I meant painting the trim white

I couldn't log in under my usual log in, so I've logged in under " Kirsty 101"

I'm overwhelmed with all the amazingly helpful feedback, I wishI could thank everyone personally, wow. Much, much needed help. Many people I know have a rustic-y or hotel-y, aesthetic and I aspire to more of a mix-up.

Everything- the trim suggestions, the lamp idea, the distraction of the art disaster... ( yeah, way too matchy matchy, though purely accidental, I love the "bumblebee" comment too...)And the lack of a focal point...

Thanks Mary for the paint job, wow...

And thanks for everyone for reminding me that it has potential. I'll never be a neutral person but a little reining-in is heavily in order.

The problem is that you have all three primary colors: blue, yellow, and red (at least, your trim looks red in the pictures). That's why it's not restful. Get rid of one of the three, and the room will be less queasy-making.

Jesus Cristo! Orange Chairs? No. No. No.
In this situation, Orange is NOT neutral. No.

Please stop adding colors-- that's what got you into this mess in the first place.

I'm begging you. No orange chairs.

My opinions, many if not all stated by other posters: I think the easiest way to correct the disharmony you're describing is to paint the picture rail, the wall above it and all the trim white (gloss on the trim/picture rail). Re-purpose the rug or sell it, as it is too big and the color doesn't work well with the saturation of the sofa. Leave the tables white. The large art piece above the sofa seems awkwardly framed in this photo; either have it matted and re-framed in silver or white or black, or loose it. (There's too much of the blue color.) All the art needs to be hung lower and closer together.

In general, I suspect that a lot of efforts at boldness and creativity with wall paint colors comes from watching too much HGTV, where the "accent wall" is bandied about as a panacea. It's a very difficult thing to pull off unless you are very, very good with color.

(Again, these are my opinions only, and are not intended to sound definitive!)

I would paint the trim white in both rooms, paint the picture rail and the space above it white, and paint the gold molding on the blue walls the same color as the walls. I'd also suggest rehanging the art in the gold room so it is lower.

Is that trim, way up there, about half a foot down from your ceiling? Paint it, and the walls above it, white to match the ceiling, and paint all the other trim the same color. The whole room will look bigger.

And hang all your pictures lower. Then, and only then, decide what to do with your furniture.

i admire your color boldness!

i say ditch the rug (and the matching pillow on the couch).
and ditch the red (paint the trim white).

cluster the pics a little closer together so it looks like one big piece vs a large piece with islands around it.

please post After pics.

get everything you have right now out (of the room, of the house, of your life)... and start from scratch...

everything but the tables.... they are the only thing to rescue there....

if you can afford it, paint everything white (but the floor) and start with a fresh space and a fresh mind.

First of all, your description of your decorating angst made me laugh, so thank you for that! We've all been there.

Everything's been said already, but I'll say it again: Please paint all trim white in both rooms, including the space above your ceiling trim. As you said you had a year mat leave, I'm guessing you're in Canada, in which case I recommend Benjamin Moore Cloud White--it goes with both warm and cool colours so will complement both the blue and the yellow (I believe it has another name in the States).

Put the rug away--I think it's the pattern that's making you nauseated. I would look for a rug with a less graphic pattern that picks up on some of your blues and yellows and maybe softens them up with some greys or light browns. And whoever said it's too big for the room is absolutely right! You should be able to see your floors for at least two feet all the way around the rug.

Lastly, lower the artwork above your couch and group it all together. After you've done those things, you'll get a much clearer picture of where you want to go with regards to major expenses like reupholstering or buying new furniture.

Oh, what is that Saarinen table doing covered with toys? Can you put it in the kitchen? It's too small to be a dining table in that huge room, so I think either commit to making that a playroom or get a table that's big enough for the room.

I'm jealous of your house--it has some gorgeous features!

Now that I've read additional comments and yours as well, and since you are looking to add a chair in an orange-y fabric

You need to edit the colors a bit more, then I'd say ditch the gold and go gray, such as a medium gray, not that super pale gray, but something a shade darker than say Dove gray but don't go dark, stay in the medium gray tones and I'd say, choose a warm gray shade to keep things warm and inviting when it's cold and cloudy outside, paint the trim white, this way, you tone down the BASE color of the room a good deal and then as an accent, add some some yellow pillows on the couch to tone it down just a smidge with perhaps ONE pillow in the orange, perhaps a shade lighter than the chair, leave your tables white and if you want, brass lamps would add some sparkle to the room and use blue for pillows on other furniture to spread the blue around a tad so both the living room and dining room have something to relate to each other and that the blue isn't bunched up at one end of the room.

Kirsty--

If you're looking to add orange chairs to the blue sofa and you have a particular yen for brown - then IMO, the entire room needs repainting.

I'd suggest Brown walls w/ cream trim to match your existing rug (Unless it's against the wall on the other side of the room - can't tell from the photos - It's not too large, it just needs centering)

BTW - If as you say, you're not loving your artwork, get rid of it!

Okay, a lot of this will sound like an echo but here goes.

1. Paint the trim white.
2. Paint the picture rail and the area above it white (to match the ceiling).
3. Move the tables to the sides of the sofa.
4. Paint the blue frame dark brown and move it down and to the right. Regroup the smaller paintings to the left (you may have to add one or two more to balance things).
5. Place a lamp on the left hand table.
6. Move the things over the doorway to the right hand table and construct a vignette. Adding a plant may help (balance it with the lamp or use a matching pair of lamps instead).
7. Add a single pair of matching neutral pillows (20x20) to the couch (pull the main color of the pillows from the lighter color of the rug).

Good luck! :)

Thanks everone - the raisin trim will be obliterated, its a visual splinter, it makes me itch. I love the rug, but it might have to go to, unless it would work being slightly covered in the dining room.

I will get rid of the artwork, one is folky- and folk art to me is largely abhorrent. I mean, I like it, but not in my house. I have stuff needing to be framed, largely put off by the dangerous cost of framing and my dislike of many stock frames. I've got some I've begun to paint should improve things. A huge Henry Darger-esque pcture would cheer me up instantly.

Ok, I know orange is not a neutral - but beige linen seems so blah, and with the white table, wouldn't that be icky... Would grey linen be ok with the dining room chairs? The louis chairs would be painted gray-ish white... I guess I was using the reasoning that blue and orange are complimentary. Still, too much.

I love the grounding element of natural fiber rugs but the sisal one I have in the dining room ( with the dhurrie on top ) bears hideous stains everytime a drop of water comes into contact... I assume that jute and sisal would be the same. I might try to get two 3 by 5 rugs sewn together for in front of the couch to combat the huge rug problem. A 5 by 8 looks too dinky, accidental, dwarved by the couch I tried in and had to return the rug.

Dearmisha, My kitchen is small, my house is an intact 100 year old so the table would be a major obstacle, but I do love the idea. As for the toys, I was actually planning on painting all the farm animals and dinosaurs a violent gumby green and marching them across the top, I guess I should hold back. As for the placement/size of the table, you are so right. I'm a total victim of the bowling alley syndrome, I have a horrible habit of pushing all the furniture back for maximum rollerskating room. I really have to break out of that. Maybe I could move the indonesian chaise thing over and get an upholstered cushion?

While I'm enjoying such a great flood of ideas...Should I make the hearth light or dark stone? ( I haven't decided whether to use our old - not original-victorian firebox or to get a gas fireplace.)

( myywayyyy, I cannot bear HGTV.. I can take credit for all my own blunders!)

Thanks for the advice, manumanu I know there are legions of zen folk, who adore white, and I often love it.. but I lived with primed white walls for two years and it made me feel sort of unsettled, I was always wanting to leave. ( Probably due to the kazillion houses I lived in as a kid, white-walled, stucco-ceiling, echo-y homes... where my mum would promptly 'open up' any old-fashioned architectual details with a sledgehammer within 48 hours of occupation..) Gray would be nice though.. I know it's having a moment, but it really is a nice backdrop. It might be able to legitimize some craziness.

I will post after pics, thanks, thanks, thanks!!!

You've gotten tons of good advice and don't need help from a spastic novice like me. Just putting in another request for after photos! Good luck!

white trim makes it much easier to unify things and rooms. plus it's classy and timeless. white trim for sure.

-Off white trim
-slightly deeper off-white walls
-keep the gorgeous blue sofa
-lighter, neutral rug
-fun throw pillows in avocado green
-lots of black (or neutral) photo frames with family photos
-paint the tables your favourite colour (or avocado green)
-it's a great space, have fun and don't stress over it!

'spastic novice' I love that! I should put it ( in parentheses ) on my wall next to my mock-gallery vinyl cut lettering of " I often dream of the dolphin hotel.." in my (haha) all white hallway. It is ridiculous but I love it, much better than my decidedly crayola living room.

oops, I painted many of my vintage frames white.. Would black be too bumblebee if the walls stay gold, candice&shreve? I'm not sure yet if they will, I'll start with the cloud white on the mouldings. Sorry to babble.

If you're adding orange chairs, then the yellow needs to go. And blue and orange is a much better combo than blue and yellow (which always looks like an IKEA to me). A light warm grey on the walls would be good, or really anything neutral. You need some neutrals somewhere as a visual resting place from the bold colors.

I like the rug. Have you tried turning it 90 degrees? It may fit the room dimensions better that way, I can't tell. You could also try folding it in half or part way under if it's a flatweave and not too bulky, essentially making it into a smaller rug.

So yeah, if it was my place, I'd paint the dining room mouldings to match the blue walls before adding orange chairs. Paint the living room walls a light warm greige with white trim. Fold or turn the rug. Keep the tables white because they tie in with the dining room table that way. Ditch/paint the blue picture frame.

Wow. It was fun reading all of those points; many passionate and inspired points of view. I am in agreement with those who made suggestions about toning down the color. i get the sense this person (Kirsten?) likes her color and her drama. When I look at these two rooms I see an over-emphasize of POW! IN YOUR FACE color and an under-emphasis of using accessories to bring in dramatic color.

Paint out the trim in a warm white. I like the dining room a lot and even like the gold trim but white would also be dramatic. Center the tulip table in the dining room and get some decent chairs to place around it. Start with wooden garage sale and then upgrade a pair at a time. That bench thing against the wall needs to be placed elsewhere. The clutter is problematic. Maybe an organizing service is needed?

I like the blue couch and how it is complementary to the dining room. THe furniture placement in that room is not working. Can the couch face the dining room? Two chairs across from it? Ocassonal tables between them? Agree with a soft dove grey in the living area (thanks ciddyguy -- you always have good suggestions). The rugs are cheezey looking in both rooms. Your floors are lovely. Can you show more wood and less rug?

Remove all of your art work. Everything. Locate every piece of artwork that you own including textiles, rugs, baskets, photography, collectibles, and things that are dear to you (sentimental) etc. and carefully start appropriating artwork to your walls. Hang artwork at eye level -- sitting down eye level -- not NBA basketball player eye level.

Accessorize your butt off; no accessoring or layering is happening currently just an over-dependence on way wall and trim color. You can create amazing drama with only accessories. Add a variety of interesting pillows to that blue couch. Get some interesting lighting in those rooms that create texture and ambiance. (I like the globe in the DR) Where are your collectibles and personalized pieces? Bring those in. Do you have hobbies or interests or loving pursuits? How can you represent those things as well? And tackle the clutter. You might have yungins but they can be taught to contribute to order and neatness just like the adults. Shift your perspective on what's possible with yungins.

The room has a lot of potential and it won't take a total do-over to get there. Tone down the color and dial up the accessories and you'll get the vibe you're looking for. Don't rush. Post "after pics" if you can.

In terms of painting your frames black...maybe, maybe not. Maybe some stay white. Maybe some go black. Maybe One is Orange.

Okay, so you took a giant flying leap into Color My World decorating and landed flat on your ass, but hey, it's only life :-) Even your headline was colorful: "My living room makes me nauseous!" instead of "oops I'm having a wee problem with paint selection." I don't have anything to add to the advice you've already gotten, but just had to say, once you've got some skills to go with your gusto, you'll have a vibrant, original and liveable space. Have fun!

Check out the post "Living in The Ontario: A History Lover's Dream" from earlier today. Do something like the "orange room" only in the same shade of blue as your couch.

Just paint all the moldings crisp white, and everything will fall into place instantly!

Hi You have prpbably stopped reading by now! But I registered especially so I could comment all the way from Melbourne Australia.
I think you have a lovely space. With this room I would paint the walls (and picture rail) a light blue and the skirtings and architraves white.
Move the blue framed picture to another wall adjacent to the couch. And group the other pictures lower.
Everything else looks great as is. Love the hall it looks great too.
If you would like to tie-in the rug then a throw with that brown/taupe on the couch would do it nicely.
Have fun and enjoy Motherhood! :)

I like everything but the paint colors - they make me nauseous.

I love your house! I think that white mouldings in the living room would really tie things together. The big rug moved into the dining room under the table would be a good idea to try. It might or might not work... It is a beautiful rug! You could use a shade of the rug color on your dining chairs. I like the yellow with the blue that you have already. Work a little on your artwork, even paint something original and big for the living room. Make it light and white/brownish (I think...) If you have any decorative friends, have one or two over to help you "redesign" after you paint the mouldings. It really helps to have someone move things for you and give lots of input. Two friends are better than one, that way no one will take it personally if you don't like their suggestions. It is team work!

avoid the primary colors all together -- they can instantly make any space look like a playroom. it is one thing to like color but if you don't scale it back a little it just looks too kid-in-a-candy-store and not adult appropriate. see if you can find a copy of the last few issues of house beautiful magazine -- one featured a room that had the most amazing turquoise on the walls. the color worked because it was complemented by the more neutral furnishings and accessories rather than competing with them. in your room currently none of the colors stand out individually, so it looks disjointed and uncomfortable.

I agree with multiple posters above - a few random thoughts:

1) I like the gold trim in the dining room - but if you really want blue I would go with a much richer, deeper blue and a neutral carpet with gold undertones.

2) I like the Living Room rug and the tables are a great contrast in the white they are currently in. However, I would slipcover the sofa. A color similar to this sofa strikes me as perfect - a little bit of rich brown and a little bit of gray: http://www.crateandbarrel.com/family.aspx?c=931&f=28585
A very light, sky blue wall would look gorgeous with it (and allow you to keep some color as well as lead more logically into the dining room if you keep it in the same color family) and definitely paint the trim a BRIGHT white. ONE large image - we're talking something nearly as wide as the sofa - with a two modern sconces behind the sofa would look fabulous. Use the image/artwork as an opportunity to infuse some color again. Something like this in a large print would be perfect: http://17thandriggs.com/Reflections.aspx

I feel like once you get the colors and living room reconfigured you'll be able to more clearly see how to handle the dining area furniture configuration. Love the white Saarinen style table but would integrate it into a sitting area rather than use it as the dining table due to size.

Aw. We've all made color mistakes. Or at least I have. Working on fixing one myself. A color combo that looked good in theory and in Photoshop but not so much in real life, for some reason. Yes, there's way too much going on in here color-wise, but yay OP for being brave and trying different things. It takes guts to experiment with color like this.

Everyone has posted some great ideas here. As others have already said, I would definitely paint all the trim white in both rooms-- when you have a lot of bold color going on, it helps things look cohesive, as other posters have already said.

The yellow-gold wall color is pretty by itself but is too strong of a contrast with the blue couch and the matchy-matchy huge blue frame on the wall. I didn't see the part where orange chairs were mentioned, but if orange anything is going to be involved here, then I think the walls are almost going to have to be a neutral shade of some sort. Maybe chocolate brown or a charcoal gray? Either one would be bold yet technically neutral and goes well with a lot of other colors.

The dining room seen through the doorway is has amazing potential, BTW. Love the tulip table, the gorgeous blue, and the trim on the walls!

Wow, can't wait to print this and try out ideas... Thanks to all for specific color suggestions. I really needed a subjective viewpoint. Now I might even understand why everyone's home - whether I personally like the decor or not- feels cozier, more welcoming than mine!

Uh, sorry, I meant objective.... Sorry, not enough sleep makes me stupid.

Good God, it makes me nauseated too. ;P There are a few things you could do, the most obvious and easy being taking it back to white-- then you could keep the blues and you'd have a bit of a Moroccan feel. I did read your comment though about not liking white, so here's what I would do:

Walls to a very pale silvery grey
Trim to gloss white
Keep the two rooms the same color, or at least just complementary shades of grey, you've got a lot going on already
Switch the rugs between the two rooms-- the table cans tand up to the big print better than the couch can
Big browny-grey and white print throw pillows on the couch with a very natural, organic texture (will calm down the blue and tie in the rugs-- you can find some/have them made on etsy)
Move all your art down to eye height
Get rid of the small pieces or cluster them together for better visual impact
Push your dining table out a little
Use the Chinoiserie tables as side tables and get some blue & white ginger jar lamps with neutral linen drum shades-- your room could use a little symmetry and some vertical lines
Get a low, rectangular ottoman to use as a coffee table instead, you can put a big lacquer tray on it (a natural linen in cream or grey might be nice)
Get some plants!!!!
Replace that terrible round pendant lamp thing in the dining room with something more in scale with the room

*after* you do everything else, bring in one bold, exciting accent in a color that ISN'T any of your main colors-- say a red tray on your coffee table, or a very bold painting. You need to break up the matchy-ness.

I think doing any or all of those things, or things that various other posters recommend, will help. But if you do nothing else, getting rid of that gold and raisin combination will work wonders!

Dear Kirsten --

The space you have is wonderful from what I can see! Great bones, a brilliant foundation! (much, much better than what most people have to work with).

The blue velvet sofa and Saarinen table are a great start to work with.

You obviously love intense colours, and they can work well in this house, but you need to first educate your eye on how to make strong colours work successfully. The three colours you picked are not just an ugly palette, but truly horrid shades I am afraid to say -- the gold and "raisin" are common school team colours (my high school actually). As for the blue, it is not intense enough somehow. The blue with the gold is tacky, and the three together... well... I'm sorry, but they just don't work together. But you know that yourself, which is why you wrote in.

Just hold your horses on buying any other strong colours for your space until you come to grips with it first (don't trust your instincts on this one, and just walk away from those orange chairs...).

In order to get a sense of how such strong colours can work, check out issues of Marie Claire Maison, Elle Decoration (France and UK). All three show a lot of homes with saturated colours, and you could get some great ideas there.

Also, stop going to the hardware store for paint, but rather, check out Farrow&Ball, Fine Paints of Europe and the like to get a sense of good colour palettes, and how the colours work together. If you go with Fine Paints of Europe, they have the amazing Emmet, who is a professional colourist, and can help you with all these questions (just email him your pictures and questions). The best intense paint colours are pigment-heavy, which is why hardware store paints in these sorts of shades often look very cheap and do not give a good effect. You will be amazed at the richness of Farrow & Ball or the others I have mentioned in comparison; and although they cost more, the price of paint is still quite an inexpensive way to make a huge difference in your space.

To me it looks like your dining room gets a lot of sun, and so the saturated colour I would suggest to you is a very fashionable dark teal -- here are a couple of shots of it in situ:

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=3755

http://www.livingetc.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=3704

There is another great shot of walls that colour in the July 2009 edition of Living Etc. (page 18). It would be really useful for you to check it out, because it shows how to marry it with whites and (this is for you Kirsten) a strong clear bright red. The colour in question is this one, Canton by Little Greene (another historic paint company from the UK, like Farrow and Ball):

http://www.thelittlegreene.com/paints-for-home/colour/Canton/

You can write to them for a set of sample cards.

Or try Pantone's Tidepool or Cadmium Green, available at Fine Paints of Europe.

It would look amazing as a dead flat paint, with all the applied trim painted out. Combined with your paper lantern, Saarinen table, and Thonet chairs, it would be gorgeous. The shot of red that you could introduce would be the Herman Czech armchair (also Thonet):

http://www.conranusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?cid=ChairsStools&language=en-US&pid=6827

Actually, maybe in your context it might look nice to have mismatched bright red chairs at the table (if they are not "heavy"), and would better channel your desire for colour.

Combining orange with your midrange blue would summon the flag of the Netherlands I am afraid -- it just wouldn't work.

Trim should be painted a nice balanced white throughout -- something like Little Greene's Slaked Lime:

http://www.thelittlegreene.com/paints-for-home/colour/Slaked-Lime/

In the living room, I would go with a grey or greige which would coordinate with the teal. Get advice on which exact shade might work for you. I would go with a light warm grey, maybe Lamp Room Grey, to help marry the teal and mid blue velvet:

http://www.farrow-ball.com/productdetails.aspx?pid=0088LR&cid=PFTD&prop1=Dead Flat Oil&language=en-GB

Here is a suggestion on how to hang pictures in your living room, as well as a successful palette. The grey walls are fairly dark and cloudy, and make the bright colours -- the red, golden yellow, and turquoise, shine.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/jul/12/sam-roddick-homes#zoomed-picture

Good luck!

Oh, and a final word of advice -- tread slowly, plan carefully, and don't leap too fast to a solution.

o thanks mschatelaine, love that room! So Tannenbaum! I would've never guesses that would go with the dining room ( which is Pratt & Lambert Spanish Blue, hard to tell by the pic. with reflective gold.) but I think that would look great and make the white accessories look less predictable.

paint the wall kelly green and your beautiful sofa will pop like nobody's business.

paint the trim white.

everything else can stay the same.

you're further along than all the opinionators are telling you!

Kirsty,

Was just getting to the rug part of your question, and was thinking how wonderful it would be to find a chintz patterned rug -- instead of chintz wallpaper (which would be historically appropriate to your house), a rug -- something of a witty reversal.

Well, I found one, and look at the colour palette -- the walls are dark teal, furniture white (btw -- a similar white sideboard would be perfect in your dining room). And look how they have added bright red, madder pink and deep wine -- just gorgeous.

http://www.therugcompany.info/roomsets.htm?roomset_id=51

It would be a complex and unexpected look for your dining room -- it wouldn't look "flat", which is what happens when the palette is limited to 2 or 3 colours.

The living room (with the grey walls) should have something less complex -- I would suggest this rug, which is the nicest jute rug I have ever seen. I think it must be discontinued, and is probably on sale now:

http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p10388/index.cfm?pkey=cnatural-fiber-rugs

It would introduce a strong contrasting texture, which would be very welcome in the space. Naturals, cream and white with greys would really showcase the blue of the sofa.

A couple of contrasting style (and yet comfortable) armchairs would help finish off the room... I have the LC1 Basculante Chair by Le Corbusier on the brain, and think it would be perfect -- it is small scale, comfortable (it reclines), and comes in red.

http://www.classicdesign.it/images/le-corbusier-basculante.jpg

The classic ponyhide would also work -- it would pick up the black in the arm of the sofa:

http://dsi24.com/shops/images/le_corbusier_lc1_pony_stuhl_sessel_basculant_armchair_LC_1.jpg

You have a great space, which is really fun to work with!

Keep us posted on how it turns out!

Wow, now I'm really excited to get started.... Links are great. ms. ch...I do love the Rug Company but soooo pricey. I think I will get the jute one, or a herringbone jute. Sisal is unspeakable when you have cats and or kids. Our dining room sisal is ready for the garbage, which makes me feel awful.

Thanks , diannar, for the encouragement!!

I think you first need to decide on what the most important/sentimental pieces are. The stuff you definitely want to hold onto. If you feel like you just re-upholstered the couch and want to keep it than, that's a good starting point for the rest of the color scheme and room style. One trick you can use is browse your local boutiques or stores and check out the product packaging. I don't mean corn dogs in the frozen section, but pretty packaging that jumps out at you as being appealing to look at. Find something with your blue in it. Use the other colors on the package to add to your room. These colors already work together, so that should be a good starting point.

Ack! I'm so late to this party!

Firstly, let me say that I love that your choices reflect boldness and courage!
Also, I kind of like your stuff, your carpets, couch, table. Even the orange chairs I haven't seen, I like the idea of them.
However (there is always the however, right?), the wall colors seem to be killing your stuff!
MsChatelaine has already posted the look I think would work with your stuff.

So I really only have two suggestions:
1. silver paint, just for one wall to complement a gray color. (I'd paint the trim gray too) but I think painting one wall silver will pay tribute to that rock 'n roll persona that seems to live inside you, but in a an understated way
2. a gorgeous piece of furniture to hold all the stuff that's populating the Saarinen table (sacrilege!). A huge chinoiserie chest? A large, painted armoire?

And then as mentioned, let the super pop colors come from the details, low hung art etc.

"Consistently nauseous", "deep wrongness", "psychotic", "super ick", "repulsive nuclear", "botch job". For goodness sake, quit the dramatics, paint your place white and start from scratch!

Paint the red trim blue like the other room... fix the arrangement of your pictures... and please... GET RID OF THAT RUG!! The rug is cute but not for the style you have going with that room. That rug shouldn't be paired up with such bright colors... it's just too much. I agree though the foundation of your house is beautiful! Don't go gray, that is just too boring. You can have a bold and bright living room without it being "super ick"

The main nauseating issue foe me is that the yellow and red paints really lack pigment so they have a powdery mauve-y unsaturated feel to them thats kind of 80's creepy, to be frank. I'd commit to 3 strong colors in this room: white, brown and blue. Then you can add bright orange accents as wanted. So I'd paint the trim a warm glossy white, the walls a very deep saturated cerulean blue and keep the rug and sofa. Once you get set in a stricter, stronger, and more serene color palette you can play with the pops of the orange you like- maybe the tables will turn bright orange or deep brown, and you can accent with wood, etc. I would also definitely rehang the art in a more coherent fashion. Then I would likely paint the next room a warm espresso bean brown with the same white trim. This room and your whole house - has GREAT bones, so you are not far off. But if you commit to color, go for real true pigmented statements , not those powdery colors.

Oh I see now that I'm repeating mschatelaine's advice! But it's great advice!

Me too I lust after color but in a tiny house I have to be careful. After buying about 900 of those little sample pots I used B. Moore Desert Tan on the walls with Acadia White door and window frames. Love it. Looks rich and saturated but not... um... bossy.

I am starting to have a little fear of colored trim.

Puddle, I love the silver idea ( I love bejamin moore's metallics, fairly subtle too..) I imagine I would have to paint out the gold moulding in the dining room though. Gold and Silver. I do have a big chinoiserie storage wardrobe in the foyer for toys etc. I honestly did not tidy as much as I should have for the desperate photo session. I really have to figure out how to use the dining room, period.

Would gray really be 'too boring....?' Now I can't help imagining giant panels of metallic mylar wallpaper over the poor couch.
(Whoa there.... there are much better ideas here, I know...)

I think a warm gray would be a perfect way to neutralize your living room. It would allow your fun pieces to stand out instead of fighting with your yellow background

Yeah, perhaps the gold would have to become silver? Or the same blue as the rest of the wall?

I think gray is a beautiful color that allows other colors to pop and sparkle. Never boring!

ps. liking the wallpaper panel idea! you could buy a HUGE canvas and wallpaper that, if you fear that you might not like it as a permanent solution.