apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I was actually looking at the pillow on the sofa and seeing the muted blue/grey color and thought it might help pull that color out... then I saw what you had posted about the color and I believe like you it will look good. I don't think it will make the space smaller at all. As far as furniture placement I believe you have done tremendously and looks like it works well.

I agree, a stony gray (warm) would look really nice. I also thought of a really soft green along the lines of the green elephant in the couch pillow.

Since you get a lot of light, you should go for a darker wall color, you could get away with it. And then paint that breakfast area a different color. Howabout the livingroom a darker creamy coffee color (a darker, slightly muted version of the sofa) and the breakfast nook a color similar to that rug's green color?

What about a pale blue? I see some in that pillow on the left on the couch, and it might be a nice accent to the oranges greens and yellows in the space. I love this space by the way -- envious!

Laura
http://www.justalittlebit.net

Sorry I can't help with color...big challenge for me. What I'd do is too cliche...like a sage green, picked up from the elephant on the pillow, or a brighter green to match the middle panel of the rug.
What I really want to know is where did you get that little rocker horse??? I made two of them in 1972 when our kids were small. I gave one to my brother in Cal. for his kids and never heard of it again. I wonder if that's the same one??? The other one I 'lent' to my sister and never got it back. She INSISTS it was a gift. She doesn't let go of anything once it's in her hands! That's okay, I get to see a picture of it now and then.
Did it happen to have red painted details on it when you bought it, or was it always white? Can you make out the painted details under the current coat of paint?
I'm dying to know.
Good luck with your color dilemma, it's a sweet space!

I agree with the idea of darker color on the walls. I'd pull the taupe background color from the rug and go a shade lighter. With all that light it won't make your space look smaller.

My thoughts were either a mushroomy grey (like you), or a green. This post has an interesting green that supposedly works with everything!

http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/la/the-best-green-paint-color-100119

i have a sofa with the same color. originally, my walls were white, but it looked to plain. a few weeks ago a painted only the back wall in a dark gray; it looks great.. it added some drama to the room.

If it were my living room, then like veslabeachgirl, I'd paint it the green from either the rug or the pillow. Since you already have a lot of neutrals, it would add some color to the room, and it would pick up on the green details you already have scattered around. (Maybe she's right and it IS cliche, but I would still like it.)

Since your accessories and upholstery are so colorful, I'd pick a neutral color for the walls, maybe in a shade of brown (on the cool side), several shades deeper than the couch. Adding a color-color to the walls like blue might make it look like you couldn't make up your mind about a palette and decided to just use all of 'em.

I would paint the wall behind the sofa about the same grey as in the carpet. The back wall, which is looking a bit dark to me, seems it would be too dark in grey, so I would opt for the green that is in the rug, or even the yellow.

The corner of the sofa where the lamp is....is looking very cluttered to me. It's a cool lamp, but gets lost. I would center the geometric painting over the sofa...and lower it as well.

Is there another wall you can display the instruments on?
They are looking very heavy in that corner.

You have so many warm colors in this space (the yellow green and orange) I'd be real nervous to bring in any more colors. I would probably paint the living room area a neutral with a yellow base, and the dining nook a funky green.
If you do go for a gray try to make it a REAL gray, don't bring in a steel blue, or a muted purple I think it might clash.
It all looks great BTW.

People always seem to be concerned with making a small space seem larger . . . I personally think trying to make it look bigger is the wrong idea . . . . you want your space to have impact . . . if it has impact no one is thinking about what size it is.

That being said when you choose your paint color you need to be conscious of your eating area . . . there are no doors . . . which reads as one space. I would go with a grey, picking it up from the pillow . . . there also seems to be grey in the curtains in the dining area as well. If you are Fearless then go with the green in the rug.

You need a bigger rug in the dining room . . . the rug in the living room is small as well but that okay. . . pull the sofa away from the wall, let the front legs rest on the rug, do the same with the chair.

You have your guitars displayed and one even on the floor, but you can't really see the display because of the lamp and plant. . . . and is that a drum on the wall by the television? I would group the pieces and do the same with the artwork and keep the frames similar and/or in the same color.

The chandelier in the dining room looks a bit odd because its off center . . . I think it would look better centered. I would also move the mirror out of the dining room and add it to the wall where the little table sits and move the tree in the living room to that corner in the dining room. And the side tables . . . are they nesting tables?. . . if they are group them back together. Your side table is very crowded . . .where would you rest your cocktail?

What are your other light sources? I see only one lamp . . . you may want to add a few more.

If that television is mountable. . . mount it. I hate the sight of televisions, I like to hide them or incorporate them more into the decor; sit in a floor to ceiling bookcase or in an Armoire.

Living room needs drapes . . . you can still have your light . . . just hang them so that the rod extends past the window and the drapes cover a small part of the side windows.

It might also be nice to add some extra seating with a window seat . . . some low book shelves with a cushion added . . . you could get the shelves from Ikea and have the cushion made.

This is going to sound weird but the plants are bothering me . . . they are everywhere and fighting for space. For example the table in the hall has a lovely display of pottery with the mirror, then the plant is in the center cluttering it up. Not good with plants . . . I don't have any real solutions . . . I only have two in my whole place . . . maybe someone else has ideas.

Hope this helps. When you finish have apartment therapy post the pics!!!!

I have an adjoining living room and dining room. My husband and I recently painted the living room a soft/med gray and the dining room charcoal. The space feels like it goes on forever! It's very cozy. Don't be afraid of darker colors.

I would go with a color that was close to that of your sofa. Something a bit darker but monochrome would help to bring out your beautiful accent pieces.

And you should bring the guitars out of hiding! They're a great accent and need more prominent display! Perhaps behind the sofa - they could switch places with the painting, which is undersized for that large wall. The painting could be hung vertically on the adjoining wall.

In my opinion everything is too muted -- everything sort of blends together. I rarely say this, but I would go with a bright white and mix in some white accessories throughout (pillows, try, vase, etc). The orange and yellow are great, but white would certainly freshen it up. Check out CB2's website since they are always using these colors for more ideas.

The alternative to go the opposite route and go with a darker color, but I would not stay in the tan/yellow color family.

I'd choose the taupe of your rug for the walls. It will cool down the colours and your room will look more peaceful.

I love your place--love the color, love how it looks like someone lives there and like it says "you."

How about an olive green? It would be a neutral and make those bright colors pop even more. It does not have to be the same shade of green that appears in the room already.
You want something that will correspond with all that lovely green outside and absolutely glow when the sun in shining as well as when the lights are on.

Obviously colors look different on screen, so try several in this range: Benjamin Moore Eccentric Lime, Spring Moss, Grape Green, Pear Green, Apple Green, Snow Cone Green, Yew Green.

If you paint the wall the same color as the couch (or close to it), you won't see the couch. It all becomes a blur. I know - I've done it. Won't do it again. :) I like your furniture and the rooms.

Don't forget that the wood floor is a color - and it looks quite yellow. What about painting the wall/alcove behind the couch a strong color, then the rest of the room a creamy neutral (and that includes the white baseboard). Actually, I think coral (or some version of the color in the rug & pillow) behind the couch might be gutsy and appealing. I'd paint the dining area the same color with those great curtains.

If you buy a paint with too much yellow (even a cream), in a room with SW sun, it turns even more yellow (been there, done that). Ralph Lauren has a paint called Architectural Cream that in some light looks like a gray-beige-khaki, which might work for the other walls.

Please move the rocking horse. Also, the sofa table is only big enough for the lamp - plant needs to go. Lower your paintings to about 58" on center, and move the one behind the lamp, perhaps to work in a group with the sofa print.

If the lamp has black stripes, have you considered a black lamp shade for it? Black can ground a room.

I like the elephant pillow, but try it in the chair and get rid of the green throw. I might only use the orange throw over one side of the back of the couch and no pillows. Or lose the brown one and keep the stripe.

Get a small console table, bench, sideboard, chest, whatever in front of the window for storage and put your plants on top of that. Your TV looks like it's growing things. No curtains for the living room? I'd use the same that you use in the dining area.

How about complementing the warm orange tones and try a pale, warm turquoise-? Without any of the muted tones of the other colors, but combined with those to reflect a beautiful day at the beach, sunrise to sunset. Maybe the smaller dining area could be a more vibrant, hot turquoise!

I agree with going darker, like suggested a dark taupe or the background color of the rug. Then paint the dining area a clean white, it would sharpen and make your color pop more its way too muted right now.

Maybe like this color from a blog I found-http://www.flickr.com/photos/pinklovesbrown/4033244421/

The rug needs to be pulled back and the sofa should move away from the wall a bit.

I agree the corner next to the sofa needs editing.

The graphic print over the sofa should be lower, can you group three of those to make it more interesting, turn the purple print to hang vertical and move the other one closer for a grouping, if there is another one add that too maybe that round piece by the TV. It would look more cohesive.

I agree about the plant behind the TV it just not working. The TV on the cabinet in the corner is a bit off too.

I'd choose a green similar to what's in the rug.

Nothing is wrong with the current color! First rearrange your guitars and plants... I agree with ladybug's suggestions. If you still don't like what's going on, then paint it a spring green that works with the green in the rug.

Since I'm color-picking challenged I won't chime in on that. However, I'm wondering where you got your sofa? I'm looking for something similar.

Thanks!

I'd avoid introducing any more mushroom/grey colors -- they're making your space look blah, even though you've got a lot of style.

What about orange? It's the complimentary color to your plants and the greenery outside, and it with the bright orange accents you've already got, you'd have more oomph.

a light-medium shade of taupe to match the rug :-)

Avoid the taupe, neutral color and do the green in the rug, or an accent wall of the orange in the rug.

Love all the different comments. I think the rug in front of the couch is lovely but needs to be much bigger so that couch and chair actually are grounded on the rug. I likewise would loose the plants. Picture behind couch needs to be lower. How about a colour in the vein of the throw rug on the couch. Could look really gutsy, then a pale blue or something for the eating area.

Everything is already so neutral. I agree with a green similar to the one in the rug.

I feel that adding an additional color on the walls may detract from all the great, colorful accessories. Do I see a pop of green on that back wall? Very nice. I would love to see what Ben Moore's Davenport Tan would look like in this room. It's a very rich, medium brown that I think would complement this room.

On my screen the throw on the couch looks to be a terra cotta and it looks great on the couch. Why not paint the wall behind the couch that color?

I completely agree with ChicagoDesign. I think that the color choices are beautiful, but that the room blends together, all base shades are too similar. I REALLY think a lovely white would be gorgeous in there!

I would take the clutter from the corner, leaving the lamp and table, maybe the plant on the floor. I would hang both pieces of art horizontally, one above the other, centered behind the sofa. I'd then play off the bright colors in the room with a few more accent pieces here and there.

For the dining room, I'd go with the taupe shade of the rug, but maybe a lighter shade. Use heavier wooden curtain rods, raise the rods nearer to the ceiling and extend farther past the ends of the windows for drama. I love the curtain print, and if you can find more of those in a longer length, I would use them. Otherwise I would just go with white. I'd also do this to the sliding glass door(?). Then accesorize the table with white, and a bit of color to unify w/ the living room. Spray the mirror frame white as well, maybe the little accent table too. A centered pendant shade with a cute funky fabric print would be great if you use white curtains.

Your rooms are great! Really clean and fun, and I love that elephant pillow! Can't wait to see what you do with it.

Just wanted to share the pendant lamp I had in mind. You can go here to design your own, make it match your space perfectly......

http://www.alluminare.com/wiz.asp?step=1&src=2&sku=P124-239;P;c80;121;103;124;80;200-9700-9700-10-CSHB2x1-CBx1-0000-0-0#

A strong gray.

Green accent wall and possibly a light grey?
example:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/seesawmarjoriedaw/4095634673/

veslabeachgirl - thanks for the note. I checked the rocking horse & don't detect any red pain but it does have blue hearts along the bottom. is that familiar? we did pick it up second hand, not sure where...

erinc79 - thanks for your comment. actually, the sofa is from crate & barrel, which i picked up at the outlet store in berkeley. it's the troy sleeper. i think the color is "camel" but actually don't recall. it's microfiber which i formerly hated but realize it's awesome for spot cleaning. thanks!

MARG1E - thanks for the comment. how did you do that in flickr? did you use photoshop to change the wall color or some app? would love to try it!

thanks!

I would do pure white walls, remove the picture over the sofa and replace with a white background, yellow sunflower painting there, remove the tall brownish lamp, and replace with a white ginger jar lamp with a white shade for the table on the left. Keep the elephant pillow and the tan pillow with the brown fringe, remove the yellow/orange swirl pillow. Replace it with another tan with white fringe pillow. Remove the rocking horse.

Take the green plant that is on the end table and put it on the acrylic coffee table. Remove what is now on the coffee table. Remove the orange throw. Take the green throw and place it entirely over the chair it is on....like a slip cover. Drape it over the back of the chair and the seat of the chair.

Remove the painting on the wall behind the tall brown lamp. Remove the orange/white drapes in the dining room. Put up white valances only, do the same in the living room, opposite the sofa. Find a better place for the chandelier. Remove the green rug under the dining room table. Remove the round wall hanging that is on the wall by the TV.

Remove the plant from the TV.....maybe find a better place for it. Put the child's table in a better place...maybe the kitchen.

I vote to leave the rocking horse! I think its cute and playful. Helps to keep the room fun and lighthearted...