apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I like the rug... agreed... paint the walls a richer color (something found in the rug - or from the wingback chair maybe?) and move the couch from in front of the window to the large wall where the small chest is.

I like the art arrangement... it will look nice over the sofa.
Is that a closet on the wall opposite the couch currently? I'm trying to figure out what to do with that... because if that wall were not closets that'd be a great place for the chest of drawers.

That's all I've got for you.

I like your living room very much. And your cat. Can you send in some more pictures of the rest of your home? :-)

(Sorry I can't help with your question - color isn't my strong point, but I do like the room better with the rug.)

The room looks a lot better with the rug. I personally really like the color of your couch, which is also echoed in some of your art. I think I might keep looking for a rug that includes at least some of that great blue as well, but that's just me.

your cat looks like he/she is still deciding. I think a rug with a bit more blue in it might be a better choice.

you are obviously not ga-ga over your rug so you should part ways with it.

i'm not sure if you're willing to try one, but i bought my authentic Oriental rug on ebay by seller Pakobelrugs. it's about 9' x 5' and i won it at the auction bid of $77! it's held up great since i bought it. and i still love it. seller's link:
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZpakobelrugs

i am not affiliated with them, i'm just a very happy customer.

like the rug. sorry to say it, but i hate that floral chair with a passion.

The rug does not match the kitty, so you're going to have to get rid of the rug.

Keep the rug or get another rug with more golden tones. Paint the walls behind the bureau the same blue as the couch.

The rug is fine per se, but you say you want a more contemporary look. This isn't it. I think you should play up the blue in the sofa. Beige with traditional wood furniture is never going to look contemporary.

Are you sure you actually want the room to be contemporary? Your furniture's traditional; it's upholstered in traditional fabrics; your planned gallery wall is traditional; your rug is traditional. It all hangs together and looks very nice -- but it's not the room of someone yearning for cutting-edge trends. (I like traditional, so I don't see a problem!)

Help us out: give us a link to something you consider contemporary, so that we have a reference point on what you're aiming for.

I like the rug, it looks good with the couch but it would also fit in a more modern setting. May I suggest you incorporate a few modern objects in your decorating scheme? I don't think the side table and coffee table are bringing anything to the setup - they make the area dowdy (or "too old lady" as you put it). The wingback is fine but, again, would add some umph if it was in a more contemporary fabric. You could also incorporate a couple of (equine) ink drawings and illustrations to your picture collage -to keep it 'traditional' but infuse some 'modern'.
Check the portfolios of these interior designers for some inspiration.
www.frankroop.com (My all time favorite designer! I love his 'jewel' toned pillows and fabric)
Also, Steven Gambrel @ www.sgambrel.com

The room is arranged well and I love the layout of your collage. The rug is great but not in this room. You need a punch of color to ground the room otherwise our eyes are just bouncing around. Maybe you can try a rich burgundy or a yellow. I would say blue to bring out some of the colors in your collage but it may clash with the couch.

Also, you might consider doing something about the drapes?

You have great classic taste btw :)

That rug is NOT beige, but anywho...

I think the rug is great, and definitely taking you into more transitional territory.

But agree that the floral chair is the next femme/too traditional obstacle. The chair is fine... it's (imho) the upholstery.

I think that embracing your "femme" side can only take this room in the right direction. Your pieces are nice but neutral. And there's a lot of brown with the different woods . . . so the rug, wall, tables, fan, and even your picture frames seem to be blending together (at least from that first two pics).

The rug is nice . . . and your sofa is my very favorite color . . . but maybe a rug that's brighter and more contrasting would be better.

Anthropologie has tons of colorful, girly rugs that aren't too $$$$.

These may be over the top, but I think they could be a step in the right direction and highlight what nice pieces you have without making everything blend together as much as they seem to be right now:

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=6540172832389189028&id=880002&parentid=DECOR_RUGS_CREWEL&pushId=DECOR_RUGS_CREWEL&popId=DECOR_RUGS&sortProperties=&navCount=29&navAction=poppushpush&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=tom

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=6540172832389189028&id=76005&parentid=DECOR_RUGS_CREWEL&pushId=DECOR_RUGS_CREWEL&popId=DECOR_RUGS&sortProperties=&navCount=29&navAction=poppushpush&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=ora

http://www.anthropologie.com/anthro/catalog/productdetail.jsp?_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1&_dynSessConf=6540172832389189028&id=883098&parentid=DECOR_RUGS_TUFTED&pushId=DECOR_RUGS_TUFTED&popId=DECOR_RUGS&sortProperties=&navCount=60&navAction=poppushpush&fromCategoryPage=true&selectedProductSize=&selectedProductSize1=&color=red

Alternatively, if you want to keep the rug, you could bring in contrasting color in a focal piece in your gallery wall (something big and colorful to offset the other pieces) or, recover the side chair (the peach and cream one) in something bold.

Good luck!
Bree


**P.S. One tip for Anthropologie.com, if you signup for their rewards program, most purchases have free shipping and if you want to try a couple of rugs and need to return something you can return it to a store and avoid paying for shipping.

I love the rug, but it seems a wee bit small.

There isn't one thing about this room that's contemporary...not even close. If you want to transition in that direction, I would rethink a lot here including the side chairs and tables. And the fan overhead....that really dates the room.

The rug adds omph to the room, but certainly not in a modern direction.

I think you need more blue and less beige. Love the couch and window treatments.

I agree more bues like the couch, and recover that floral side chair in a more modern fabric.

*blues

Try something like this Oriental rug. It's pure wool Belgian machine made and well within your budget.

I like the rug, I would suggest pulling colors from the rug or the blue of the couch to paint the room and the same with the curtains.

Is there enough room to put the couch on the far wall with the closet?

the rug is just too bland - and so are the walls.

I'd go with a traditional rug with blues, reds and golds - and paint your living/dining room a cool medium grey with a semi-gloss white ceiling and trim.

wow, great feedback, everyone. thanks.

I think that maybe I shouldn't have used "contemporary." I agree, the room is no where near it. I am after some accents that help make it less dowdy, more sophisticated. I think transitional is a better word. The coffee table and end table with books are on the list of things to be replaced. Good call. I have been thinking about a round glass table with pewter or gold trim. Not french, maybe hollywood regency?

Other suggetions for end table and coffee table?

Excellent point about the ceiling fan. Suggestions for a light fixture to replace it?

I think bringing more of the ocean blue-green into the room is defniitely the right thing to do. It doesn't jump out in the photo, but there are two 1" borders in the rug that match the couch. I think the art will help, as somone pointed out. I especially like the suggestion of adding more to the pony theme with an styliized drawing or abstract. I'll have to look on ebay for a sketch or two.

The gooseneck arm chair is actually tomato red, gold, and a grey blue that's very close to the couch. I guess it doesn't come across in the photo. I get that's a love or hate it fabric. I really love it. And my upholstered dining chairs are tomato red -- so that part is staying. Link to couch and print fabric swatches:
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2338/2292040927_1bcdc1e164_o.jpg

The brown cheniile french chair is not my first choice. I'm making do with it until I can afford to replace it with a more modern chair -- and I think that will make a huge difference.

Here's a link to the photoshop rendering I did, pre rug. It's got the dream chair in it, badly color-corrected to look like a butterscotch leather with a walnut finish. It's by hickory chair, and runs $2K.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2018/2292040911_70eb174eca_b.jpg

I do love the rug -- but I have a tendency to doubt myself. I think what this confirms for me is not so much that the rug is wrong (it's actually a rich golden color, very close to the accent pillowson the couch), but that the coffee table and brown chair near the closet/oak chest are holding the space back.

Can't move the couch to the other side -- the closet is where my "office" and stereo live. But thanks for that idea.

Finally... I am back and forth on the taupe paint. It's color number 5. Maybe I should lighten it up a bit. I will wait until I get the art on the walls and see if it turns out to be an excellent neutral ground. Or not. :-)

I think the color of the rug with the pillows and the couch is actually quite beautiful.

And I usually think rugs are too small but I don't think that the case here.

"Punches" of color are not the only way to create a finished polished room. I think the base of your color palette is gorgeous and sophisticated.

And some Plants! You need some greens in there, especially if you use the room to relax.

Oh no, please don't change anything. I think your living room is beautiful as is...

Thanks Other Patrick. :-) I'll post more photos when I get the art up, change out the lamp, and have all the paint & tools cleared out of a little alcove none of you can see, parallel and slightly forward of the media closet. Maybe Other Cat will show up for photos, too.... she does like her beauty sleep.

Please forgive me, but it seems you had already formulated your own decisions with illustrated pics on what you wanted to change.....and then at the end said, "well, I really didn't want contemporary"......

so what exactly was this an exercise in ???

"the coffee table and brown chair near the closet/oak chest are holding the space back."

nope, not even close...........

An option for a side table
http://www.shopcielo.com/shop.php?action=detail&ctgry=3&subctgry=16&product_id=184&pageID=1&PHPSESSID=e8b15ad9397915a8312d649873d8e882
Ballards Design had one a while back much better priced (don't know about quality)
My local TjMaxx is selling directoire tables for $80!
Always check Ebay
http://cgi.ebay.com/White-Hollywood-Regency-faux-bamboo-END-TABLE-S_W0QQitemZ200200982189QQihZ010QQcategoryZ156316QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Look up Ebay seller Mad4milo - he specializes in hollywood regency.
For lighting fixtures: Schoolhouse Electric - affordable and stylish
http://www.schoolhouseelectric.com/index.asp
I hope this helps! (And is along the lines of your taste)
PS: Oh and by golly, I wouldn't drop 2k on a chair! Go to your local Habitat for Humanity where you'll probably find something similar, then splurge on the yard or two of fabric and find a good upholsterer (labor:$150 - IF that much for the type of chair in your pic) Way less $$

I rather like the rug.

I understand what you meant about moving toward contemporary and think some of the criticism over your choice of words to be harsh.

Overall it does need a little tweaking to pull it all together, and I'm thinking paint...something a bit more intense, a more golden hue which would like extend to the curtains. More gold metallic accents would give it a more formal feeling, too.

I agree that the floral chair is the problem--upholstering it in a more modern, but still girly pattern, adding some pattern to the couch with some great pillows that pull together the blues, browns, and greens, and some POW! paint and you are good to go...

is not so much that the rug is wrong (it's actually a rich golden color, very close to the accent pillowson the couch), but that the coffee table and brown chair near the closet/oak chest are holding the space back.

The coffee table is definitely wrong on style, scale, and finish. It's a perfectly nice table for some other room entirely!

But the brown chair is more classic and "now" than the print chair, which just screams "flea market find! and I haven't taken my upholstery class yet!" in its current form. That WORKS in some rooms, but it doesn't exude the sophistication that you seem to want, based on the sofa and on your fantasy chair. The brown chair is much more compatible with a femme Hollywood Regency look or with going berserk for Amy Butler-style prints (or both). Print chair also needs to find another room where it will work better.

Given what you're going for, I second whoever said to paint the walls a darker, rich golden-brown color. Your style is pushing against what looks like a contemporary box (complete with wall-to-wall carpet), and you need some overt drama to push back.

That said, I think the rug accomplishes what you want to accomplish, and you can keep the blue going with small accessories.

I love the colors in this rug, and in your room, but the first thing that struck me was that they kind of smoosh together with the warm browns of the coffee table and credenza--at least in the pictures where the nap direction makes the rug look darker. I think my next step would be to put up the pictures, and then check everything out. They will add a visual crispness that's missing so far.

Thanks again for encouragement. I've decided to keep the rug, but I turned it so that the light honey gold is what you see when looking from the dining area.

I hear the resounding *more blue*. I'm all over it! Love the accent table suggestion, too. I have more window shopping to do.

I realize the room isn't perfect yet, and the feedback is great. Really appreciate links and suggestions. To clarify, I don't want the room to be contemporary, just want to connect it across the 19th C through to the 21st with some contemporary elements so that it looks more chic, not dowdy (obviously I'm not there yet). Art, lights, accents. The couch is Room & Board, BTW.

The 'fleamarket find' chair is one of very few inherited pieces that I like. I hear that a lot of people find the upholstery funky (in a bad way). It's brand new upholstery. I'm surprised that it drew such a strong reaction. When people see it in person, they tend to rave about it (in a good way). I guess that's where personal style/preferences make a room 'individual' and not 'catalogue.' I think somtimes things that elicit polarized reactionsmight actually be an indication of a really great piece. I'm sure that makes some of you cringe ;-) At any rate, the cats find it comfy.

And a resounding yes to Wende. The house was built 1993, and I hate that it is such a modern box. This was supposed to be short-stint in Utah, and then I was going to rent it out to ski-bums. Well, there's a reminder to not make too many plans for fate to laugh at.

You guys are all awesome. thank you thank you.

I kind of like the rug, especially from the lighter side (in the second photo down). Perhaps flip it around and see how you like it. Though I will say if your not crazy about it, sell it on craigslist and use it to fund the one you really want.

I think a new hollywood regency coffee table would be a great idea, I like the shape of the chair everyone is talking about but not the print (it doesnt really fit with the rest of the room?). I think the art will bring a very nice focus to the wall. Would like to see a brighter colour on the wall (add a colourful moulding? add a stripe? decals?). At the moment I think the beige carpet and beige walls have a box effect...I would repaint to pick up the blue or the yellow. Post some after photos when you are done..

It's brand new upholstery. I'm surprised that it drew such a strong reaction. When people see it in person, they tend to rave about it (in a good way). I guess that's where personal style/preferences make a room 'individual' and not 'catalogue.'

Or it may just photograph badly due to the gleam of the fabric. The more I look at it, the less I hate it, but it's not looking tied-in. Maybe this is where a darker wall will help, too.

I really like the rug and the organization of your wall hangings. I would also go for a deeper richer color on the walls, because right now it looks a little monochromatic. Get a nice contrasting color to add some punch to the room. I think you are on the right track but it is definitely a more traditional look than modern.

I know I am late to post, but I wanted to tell you that your couch is beautiful! I love the color and the lush-looking material. It reminds me so much of this room I saw in House Beautiful a few years ago. I looked for it on their website, but I couldn't find it. Here is another room from HB that reminds me of your room. Maybe you could get some ideas from it? hmph. well, i can't figure out to do the link. go to www.housebeautiful.com/pictures/. If you enter "living rooms" as the only search field, go to the very last page. It is the 4th from the last picture. The one with the desk and green/seafoam sofa and white bookcase. I hope you find this helpful!

http://housebeautiful.com/pictures/

Painting the room blue will not make it cozier. I like the wall color you have, or something darker or honey-er. But I say move on!

I'd do a cleaned up brass and glass coffee table. And a side table "without legs". Could even be a draped table.

And it's not the patterned upholstery is bad... it's just that it (and the curvy-legged side table, ceiling fan and torchere) are the most traditional-traditional pieces in the room, and you wanted "cleaned up traditional"...) A solid, a modern pattern, or even a stripe would take that chair a step closer to what you are trying to hit. And I like the other chair as is.

I also think the patterned chair and the other chair should be swapped. And I think you have room for two chairs on the "other chair side" once they are swapped, with a tiny side table between 'em.

I'd also point you to the books and catalogs of Mitchell Gold and Williams Sonoma home to get more inspiration for a "fresh traditional" look. Sometimes its as simple as one modern piece (furniture or art) and a modern lamp.

But I think you nailed the bridge piece with that rug. Just keep doing what you're doing and stop the self doubt!!! :)

another source for 'modern traditional' ideas & colors would be Baraba Barry's website...

http://www.barbarabarry.com/

Westhenry, thanks for the photo -- very nice. I love the cocoa brown and ivory colors with this oceany green grey color. Thanks for the link.

Patrick, *now* I get what ya'll are saying. If I modernize the print on the gooseneck arm chair, that's a way to make the setting more transitional. It's going to be hard to find something with the grey green, tomato, and gold, but I see what I can find. Maybe an outsized damask in tomatoe and taupey-gold bronze. Or a multi-thickness stripe.

That torchiere is on the list of things to leave. I've ordered a Claridge lamp from room and board to replace it. It's like a little jewlry for the room. http://www.roomandboard.com/rnb/product.do?method=get&id=509592&coll=91944389&cat=76

And how about a coffee table like this?
http://www.doveworld.org/ebay/Antiques/Tables/COFFEETABLES2/080223glasscoffeetable/g.jpg

I love the clover leaf table on the left side of the couch. I'll really pout about taking it out. But it's worth a try. Gotta keep moving and removing things until the space feels right.

kimg924--

Thanks for indulging us so graciously!

A square or rectangular table in that style will relate better to the side buffet-like piece (which I love) but this is definitely the style I'd introduce, yes, even in the round.

No doubt that other side table is a beauty. You just seem to want to move a more cleaned up traditional look than that piece leads. But you could keep it, and "modernize it" with a cluster of mercury glass vases on top, or some clean-shaped pottery all in one color (as an example).

Wish you lived in NY!!!

ha! yeah, SLC leaves a lot to be desired. But square footage with a small garden is affordable. And there are mountains. And a desert. I'm born and raised in SF and I miss it dearly. I don't care what anyone says. Salt Lake is not a city!

I have a flickr account with the "before" pics for this room. It's come a long, long way. http://www.flickr.com/photos/23102046@N03/

I'd sure welcome feedback and suggestions as I go. There are four more rooms also undergoing the total makeover.

your before pictures with the red walls and hanging kimono look much more intriguing than the after photos. nice chair in the before too........just sayin'....

Definitely intriguing! but it was too much. After 4 years with the red walls, I am ready for splashes of color, rather than beating myself with it. It was hard to live with afer a time. Maybe you'll like this room a little better once I get some more of these dated peices out, add crisp new lighting, and put the art up. (or maybe not!) I'll shop for a more contemporary textile for the armchair, too -- but that's last on the list. I want to see if I can get where I want to be without putting another $500 into recovering that piece again so soon.

Thanks for looking at the pics and hanging in there with me. I bet you'll like celedon green in the kitchen. That color is staying! :-)

Shouldn't cost $500 to recover that chair. Think solids. Look @ Barbara Barry's site. Something to go with the couch.

Put pints in your pillows. Those are easy enough to replace if you tire of them.

The chair in you 'before photo' would go with your couch.

*prints......that is! lol.

I'll keep thinkin' on it. I've got tomato-red upholstered dining chairs on the way from R&B .... I need something to tie the dining and living areas together. Maybe that means putting that print into a pillow. (it was $250 to cover the chair, and $250 for the fabric).

I found several rooms at BB's site that have the same palette I'm using actually, just no prints. :-)

ps -- that chair you like so much is an overstuffed club chair, stripped of it's slipcover and hanging around in it's duck-cloth underwear. I think you if you saw if from the front you'd hate it. But! I understand your point.