Q: Help! I’d really love your input and expertise with a designing conundrum I often find myself in. I’ve checked out several design/home décor books lately in an effort to grasp the ever elusive concept of “the perfect room.” It seems that everything I read both in books and online state the same thing – being matchy-matchy in decorating is the cardinal sin and anyone seen committing it should be voted off the island. So here is my dilemma: how do you coordinate a room using a chosen color scheme, but avoid making it appear too contrived and heaven forbid – matchy-matchy? I feel that every room in my house always come up short – if I stick to my color scheme, it often looks boring and flat. If I branch out and add pops of color, it tends to appear disjointed. Is there a basic rule that would help me in decorating my rooms? I’d love some pointers. As always, love you both. You’re great in every way. Cheers! – Jamie
A: Ideally, you want a room to “coordinate” but not “match.” Rooms that coordinate have varied textures, prints, materials, and tones that work together and appear balanced and cohesive. Rooms that match usually have all the same colored wood (usually all made by the same company and sold in a suite) they also have a matching sofa and loveseat or matching bedding that was sold in a set- heck, you know what matchy-matchy looks like so I won’t belabor it! Here’s a model-home-ish example thanks to JC Penney.
The basics aren’t bad (we could totally work with the tan sofas and the side tables, but we’d bring in a bigger rug with a pattern or a texture and switch out the wood coffee table that matches those side tables for a round leather ottoman or even a few smaller rattan cubes. The major takeaway from this point is that rooms that look collected over time (and feature a variety of tones, textures, and materials) always look eons more stylish than rooms that look like they could have been purchased all at once from one store.
But there’s a fine line between collected over time and mismatched and chaotic, as demonstrated by this tossed-together dorm room decor.
The key:
- variations in texture & materials add stylish, layered interest that draws you in, but…
- a deliberate, defined color palette reins things in and keeps the room cohesive
Here’s a room from House Beautiful that totally gets it right. See how the side tables are painted cream but the coffee table is dark wood? Notice how there’s texture in the upholstery and even in the grasscloth wallpaper? See how the palette is pretty tight, just yellows and creams with a dash of dark wood and two pops of deep blue?
Adding texture and subtle, layered interest is the surefire way to a warm and inviting space that feels finished yet anything but formulaic. Here are a few examples of some varied materials and textures that can be brought in to create the perfect foundation for a stylish space: leather chair + tan couch + black metal & glass coffee table + woven tray on the coffee table + dark wood TV stand + chocolate shag pillows + tan linen pillows + cream linen curtains + jute rug.
You can also see inspiration in some House Crashing photos that we have taken below (find more on all of them here in our Gallery):
Notice all the different materials and textures that will add that layered style that feels collected over time: wood with metal, linen with jute, leather with upholstery. But note that they’re still in a similar color palette: the black metal works closely with the dark wood and the brown leather, etc. Thanks to the coordinating tones of these foundation pieces, you can then add a few brightly colored accessories into the mix without fear of things looking too chaotic. It’s important to keep a tight color scheme in mind and not just go accessory crazy at Target.
Take this room that feels a bit flat as an example (also from JC Penney). It’s not nearly as textured, layered and interesting as it could be.
Just switching out the basic tan curtains with these subtly striped cream ones from West Elm, replacing the matching ottoman with this textured rattan table, and bringing in a larger patterned wool rug would add movement and texture for a serene and inviting space with character and interest. And to expand the palette and bring some color into the mix, some punchy silk pillows on the sectional and a brightly colored glass-based lamp on the side table would inject more of that je ne sais quoi!
Prints and patterns are another way to add interest and style to your space- especially if it’s feeling a little blah. And when it comes to mixing patterns, there are a few ways to keep them from looking disjointed and chaotic, and our new lattice pillow in our bedroom conveniently demonstrates a few of our favorite pattern mixing tips.
First of all, you want one of the prints or patterns to be a larger scale, more bold pattern (the pillow) while the other pattern is smaller in scale and a bit more subtle (the duvet cover). It’s usually a good idea for the smaller sized item to be the more bold piece (ex: a subtle small-scale patterned armchair paired with a graphic large-scale patterned pillow). Although we’ve seen some majorly dramatic rooms with large geometric or floral patterns in the curtains or even on the walls that knock our socks off, so it can go either way.
The other thing to keep in mind when you’re mixing and matching would be to try to keep the patterns or prints in the same color family. Thanks to the similar tone found in both the duvet cover and the pillow, they don’t seem to be fighting each other and can peacefully coexist in our master bedroom.
So there you have it: layered textures + a defined color palette + mixed & matched patterns = a visually interesting, coordinated space that looks warm and authentic and anything but matchy-matchy. Do you guys have any tips for keeping your rooms interesting and anything but cookie-cutter without erring on the side of crazy? We’d love to hear what works for you! Dish the decorating dirt…
Ania says
Hello! Boy do I wish I found your blog last summer when we moved into our new house. Your effortless, clean yet fun style is such an inspiration! This article really speaks to a current decor dilemma I’m experiencing. Hubby and I are trying to find bedroom furniture right now and I’m second guessing all my choices. My goal is to strike a balance between light and dark if that makes sense.
We bought the espresso 2×2 bed from West Elm and I’m thinking of pairing it with their white/ivory tufted leather headboard. But then I get stuck on the nightstands, dresser and vanity. I’m considering these (from WE as well) http://www.westelm.com/weimgs/rk/images/wcm/products/201016/0009/img46m.jpg. However, I have absolutely no idea on the “shade” for the other furniture elemnents. The bedroom is currently painted off-white and has dark brown hardwood. I’m afraid that all dark furniture may be too much – how do I strike a balance of rich & dark without losing the light & airy feel of this south-facing room?
Many thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Ania,
We actually love those nightstands and think you could do the same tone for the dresser and vanity if you’d like- just bring in lighter or more varied textures in the bedding, area rug, pillows, bedside lamps, curtains, art, etc. You also could go with cream nightstands or a cream dresser or vanity, just to change it up (since that color is on the walls it’ll fit right in). Just remember there’s no right answer so a bunch of combinations will work. The key is just to keep the other elements (curtains, pillows, bedding, rugs, lighting, accessories) a bit varied (try to bring in a few different textures if you can) so it feels layered and lovely in there. Good luck!
xo,
s
Jane says
Hi there youngsters! I am so glad I found this post! My question is how to pull things together when they have gone towards the chaotic end. I just got my first place and I love it! It has an open floor plan with medium oak wood floors and a kitchen with maple wood and white appliances. My dining table is oak wood, my dining chairs are espresso with stone uphulstered seats, my couch is ‘brownstone’, the coffee table is black, and the media cabinet is a medium tone bamboo from Crate and Barrel. Also, each piece has a different finish and style; the dining furniture is more cottage, the sofa is a classic rolled arm, the coffee table is a parsons from West Elm, and the entertainment unit is Japanese inspired. Right now the space feels a little manic but boring at the same time. I have been thinking of replacing things but I don’t know where to start or if what I have could work with the right new additions. I want it to feel, as Ania said, effortless clean and fun- classic with a modern twist. Thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
The key is to repeat a few of the same materials in a few different places, so picking up a media cabinet to match your dining table and chairs while bringing in a few accessories that match your floor (wood bowls, wood based lamps, etc) would be a good idea. We would draw the line at three different wood tones since it feels a bit too chaotic. Plus if you limit the wood to two finishes that you repeat throughout a room you can add pops of color in the curtains, pillows, vases, table runners, etc. Good luck and happy decorating!
xo,
s
Dana says
Hi Guys! I love the blog – thanks for all the great advice! My husband and I are young homeowners with big dreams and a tight budget too…
My questions is – when creating a cohesive look like this, where do you start?? We’re starting from scratch in the Living/dining room and love this look. Do you pick a rug first? Paint colour? Furniture? We love the look of grey/blues with accents of white and lots of co-ordinating patterns…
Any help would be great!
Lots of love from your Canadian Readers!
YoungHouseLove says
You can start anywhere – that’s the beauty! So if you find a paint color that inspires you that can be the thing that gets the ball rolling, but so can a rug or some bedding. Just wait to find something you both love and go from there. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Becky says
I just found your blog…and its AMAZING. We are a military couple that will be moving within the next year and I could use some advice. I would like to update our master bedroom without painting or spending too much money…Our house is very cookie cutter(so I have not been too inspired to do much)…but I am hoping with the next house we will have an older house with a little more character. I have Craiglist dresser/chest that we are repainting yellow…yes yellow…am I crazy? I would like the color palette to be white, yellow, black, and gray. Our bed is an IKEA black platform…Is it ok to paint the nightstands white…or should I stick with black to go with the headboard? Help
YoungHouseLove says
A yellow dresser sounds amazing! You’re so not crazy! And the rest of your palette sounds gorgeous. The white nighstands would be lovely. Good luck!
xo,
s
Miller says
My cousin just turned me on to your blog, and it is awesome! This posting hit home with me because I find myself in the perpetual dilemma of incorporating modern elements with a lot of the traditional furniture I’ve inherited from my grandparents. Right now, I’m racking my brain to figure out what to do w/ an antique French dresser and 2 bedside tables. I was going for a feeling of serenity when I decorated my bedroom in beiges and gray-blues, but it feels boring and flat. I would love to add a pop of color somehow, but can’t figure out how to “modernize” my very traditional furniture. We have a really big bedroom, so I’m very overwhelmed by the space in general. Can’t wait until you are doing your design advice mod panels again! Do let me know when you’re no longer sleep-deprived w/ your new little one!
YoungHouseLove says
Sure thing! We’re just taking it one day at a time, but we’ll be sure to make an announcement when we’re back to mood board making!
xo,
s
Miller says
No rush! Enjoy your little one. We have three little girls (and three dogs), and with the baby already two years old, it all seems to have slipped by too quickly! I can assure you that our playroom doesn’t look nearly as adorable and tidy as Clara’s does!
Julie says
I just found your blog and am already addicted! My husband and I bought our home in January and are slowly making improvements. Our front yard was just like yours when we moved in! The problem I am finding is that some rooms are rather dark. We have lots of mature trees outside and little overhead lighting inside. I’m trying to coordinate furniture with window coverings and wall color, but we have darker furniture for our bedroom and livingroom which we bought before we bought our house. It’s not really an option to get rid of it or to paint it. What can I do to balance the dark and make the rooms a little lighter? What do you reccommend for wall colors? Our couches are a dark green and most of our furniture has a cherry finish if that helps. Thank you!
YoungHouseLove says
Bring in some soft wall colors that are classic so you never tire of them (beiges, tans, greys, warm wheaty golds). Just take home a slew of paint chips and see what you like. Then lighten things up with accessories (light toned pillows, vases, curtains, etc can really make a room feel balanced and airy). Good luck!
xo,
s
judyelijah says
I just found your blog by accident,what a great find. I hope you can give me some ideas. I have Three black leather & chrome chairs & a lounge also a strip of black leather w? chrome all to go in my smallish living room.I have a an Eileen Gray chrome &glass accent table & wood floors that need work. what I’d like some help with is adding lots of color ideas. I was thinking of adding multi,bold colors to the stair railing What do you think?
Summer says
I’ve been reading through your archives and I’ve found your blog really helpful in trying to plan for our new home.
I have a question: I recently found a great dining table that I loved on Craigslist. I’m not sure the name of the wood, but it’s a medium brown that seems darker on the edges and warmer in the middle. We didn’t get chairs with the table, and now we’re struggling to figure out what to do. Should we get Home Depot to match the stain on the table and stain some chairs? I’m worried that will be too matchy-matchy, or else not come out the way we hoped. Should we avoid trying to match at all, and go with painted black, cream, or white wood? Most of our other wood pieces are dark wood/black, but our sofa is cream (it’s a joint living/dining room).
Thanks for your help!
YoungHouseLove says
Cream would look lovely- as would black. We love that mismatched look since they’ll still “go” with the rest of your space without matching the table exactly. We say go for it!
xo,
s
Leslie says
J & S –
First I have to tell you that I absolutely adore your blog and it makes me so jealous that I don’t have a home of my own to really go DIY crazy on…but I guess for now I will just have to settle for smaller projects. Or helping other people – which brings me to my questions. My parents’ living area is in dire need of a makeover, and I’ve already taken note of a lot of your tips I plan to pass along to them but here are 2 of the most difficult challenges I could really use some help with:
1. They have a matching sofa and loveseat in a typical mid-western looking floral print – yikes! The pattern isn’t really as bad as it sounds, but I definitely think they should go for a solid color. However…I’m not sure if they have the money to buy new. Would you suggest re-apolstering? Or slip-covers? I tend to think slip-covers can look sloppy and cheap but is there a way to avoid that?
2. All the wood furniture is a combination of distressed off-white with maple tops or even off-white wicker and I know they won’t want to spend money to replace much of it – do you have any tips on spicing some of those items up?
Thank you so much for any help you can give – I promise to send in before and after shots if it turns out well!
Best,
Leslie
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Leslie,
1. Sadly, slipcovers are so hard to get right! You’re right about how sloppy they can look, but you might want to try picking some up at Target or Bed Bath & Beyond and trying them (you can always return them if they don’t work). As for reupholstering, that always costs about $400-800 a piece (yikes!) so it can be more cost effective to start over and buy something new for some people- but you could try your hand at making your own slipcover (so it’s more custom and fitted) or even reupholstering them yourself (there are some tutorials online you can google around for). Good luck!
2. No need to spice up the furniture itself (unless they want to paint it, which can easily be done). We would just recommend bringing in fun art and accessories (rugs, vases, potted plants, runners, art, pillows, etc) to give things a fresh feeling. Just play around until you love what you see!
xo,
s
malissa says
hi! i love your blog and follow it religously:) congrats on the little one! she’s adorable! My matchy question is about light fixtures and bathroom hardware…We’ve changed most fixtures throughout the house to ORB should it continue into powder room and do the fixtures have to be ORB too or can I totally switch to chrome for the b-room? very confused about it…thanks!
YoungHouseLove says
You can definitely switch it up- as long as they look intentional and not all mixed and matched to the point where nothing coordinates you’re good to go!
xo,
s
Natalie says
Hi! Thanks so much for your blog-its helped me so much with decorating my apartment!
On to my problem…
I have a dark chocolate brown couch in my living room, a rattan chair with a white cushion, a white rug, a papasan chair with a dark brown frame and light brown cushion, and white curtains.
I found a great, cheap coffee table/ottoman online, but its pretty much the same dark brown as my sofa, but the table is “leather” instead of the suede (ish) material of my couch.
Is the dark brown sofa and table too much matchy-matchy, or is it ok since I have white and other shades of brown to offset it?
Thanks so much!! (congrats on the baby-she’s adorable!)
YoungHouseLove says
As long as there are different shades of brown to offset things it can definitely work. But you don’t want the whole room to be white and brown, so be sure to add some pops of an accent color if you can (for example, a green tray on the coffee table along with some green and yellow sofa pillows and accessories would really add interest). Good luck!
xo,
s
Wendy Lees says
Great photo of the two of you. Hope you are having fun (and also laugh at the not so funny parts) as new parents.
We are moving into a very nice town in northern NJ from the Atlanta suburbs. Time to ditch the furniture left over grad school and invest in some nice pieces.
I have a family member who works for Thomasville so can get us furniture items from there and the sister stores- Drexel Heritage, Hickory Chair, Broyhill (also Henredon but not my style) – at her employee cost – so I am trying to stick to only those brands for the main elements of our home.
I thought for the spacious high ceiling family room that we would get a brown leather loveseat-wedge-loveseat sectional and a fabric comfy chair/ottoman as our main pieces, and fill in around them. My husband doesn’t see anything wrong with having both items in leather or having the sectional be in fabric and the chair/ottoman in leather. With two kids and the real possibility of getting a dog, I was advised by my designer friend that the sectional would get the most use and that it should be the scratch resistant leather item to show less wear.
I also told him I didn’t want to be to matchy matchy, and he said we could get the items in 2 different shades of leather so they wouldn’t match exactly…
The sectional would be the Mercer from Thomasville with either the panel or track arm, and the chair and ottoman would be the Natalie from Drexel Heritage with the knife back. Am open to other suggestions.
I’d rather our room look like a magazine page than a catalog page… any advice?
Thank you so much for this blog!
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Wendy,
We agree that leather is a super durable and forgiving textile, so the idea of going with two different shades of leather is a good one. We wouldn’t go with anything too high contrast (cream and dark brown for example) and instead would suggest something more layered and lovely looking (like a sandy mocha color and a medium brown hue that’s only a shade or two darker to pair it with). Then layer in other materials (like wood, metal, fabric, ceramic, etc) in the from of side tables, accessories, art, a mirror, and more- that way it’ll look cobbled together more than matchy-matchy. Good luck!
xo,
s
Misty says
I stumbled on this blog a few days back, and now, I’m completely ADDICTED!! I love DIY projects, but havent had much time with a full-time job, toddler and another on the way!
I’m now inspired to make a few changes to my living room, and was wondering if you could help me out here. My living room wall color is beige/cream and I’ve put up a white/cream damask wallpaper in the area above the fireplace. Its an exact match to the wall paint and looks gorgeous. I have tan colored couches, and dark espressso/black furniture.
I need an area rug and window drapes that would complete the look. I don’t want to go with tan or dark chocolate area rug – that would make the whole bottom part of the living room dark. BTW, we have wooden floor in the living room. Should I go for a cream colored rug that matches with the wall? Would it make it too matchy-matchy? I like your area rug and found one on West Elm. Would it make my living room too patterned? LOL. You can probably tell I’m plain confused here!
What color drapes would go well in this case? I’m thinking of ordering fabric from Fabric.com.
Sorry about the long post!
Thanks in advance!
YoungHouseLove says
There’s definitely more than one right answer so anything from bamboo blinds with a jute rug and some breezy white curtains to a patterned rug and subtle tan linen curtains could work. Just have fun and try a few things out (you can always return whatever doesn’t work). Good luck!
xo,
d
Oph says
Hi,
I like this concept but I am worried that I will be doing it wrong! I thought matchy-matchy was a good way to go…oops. Anyways we are painting our walls a gray. If we were to purchase a leather couch what type of chair would you recommend? Our floors are wood and medium brown. We cannot have a rug at the moment since we are house training a puppy. Also the pillows shouldn’t match? Thank you for any help you may be able to give.
YoungHouseLove says
The key is that everything should “go” but you don’t want it to match (ie: be the exact same color) or the whole room will look flat and uninteresting instead of layered and dimensional. We would recommend a chair in a lighter or darker shade than the couch and some pillows in an even lighter shade (like cream) or a fun color (like celery or amber or gray-blue to go with those nice gray walls). Since your floors are medium brown, try to keep the sofa and the chair from being exactly that same shade so it doesn’t look like a big brown blob. And remember that accessories like lamps, art, curtains, trays, frames, etc can really add interest and other materials and tones. Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Misty says
Wow! You guys are not only awesome but super quick too! Thank you so much for the advice :)
Dawn says
I have a brown velvet sofa and loveseat, beige carpet, safari tan wall as an accent wall (Ralph Lauren), the rest of walls are beige. There is a white media chest and am needing to purchase a chair. I’m thinking white to contrast the brown. Also, I have a desk that will go behind the chair for the kids. Currently it is cherrywood. Should I paint it white or black or what? I get confused with choosing colors of things so they flow.
Also, how does one choose patterns? For example, if I get a rug with a pattern, how do I pick the pattern and how will I know how to match it to any other patterns I may like in say, pillows or curtains?
Geez, sounds like I need prayer!
Thanks for your help!
Dawna
YoungHouseLove says
Hey Dawna,
Both white or black are considered “neutral” colors so they’ll work in nearly any space with any combination of tones. In short: either of them will look gorgeous- so just go with the one you like the most! As for mixing and matching prints and patterns, here’s a post about that: https://www.younghouselove.com/2009/02/pillow-talk/
Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Twiggy says
I’ve been trying to redo our master bedroom, and I keep coming back to this post for tips and ideas. We have all dark wood furniture in the room. Although I purchased it separately, it pretty much all matches. We just bought a bright/light blue comforter, and I had curtains (from a different manufacturer) in the same color. I love blue, but I’m beginning to feel like the room is TOO blue. I wanted to use pops of bright green or orange to break up all the blue and brown, but I’m worried that those bright colors aren’t the same tone as all the dark brown furniture. Painting the furniture isn’t an option, and I’m on a small budget. Any advice?
YoungHouseLove says
You can totally bring in pops of green or orange (or both!). Just think of the blue as your primary color and the dark wood furniture as a neutral (it goes with everything). There’s still lots of room for a few accent colors since you just have a primary paint color and a neutral going on in your space. Just bring home a bunch of paint swatches and hold them up to see what tones look best and bring the winning swatches with you to the store when you get accessories to be sure they’re the right tone. It’s practically foolproof! Hope it helps!
xo,
s
Twiggy says
Thanks for your quick response! I know that you say colors should be repeated in a room in order to feel cohesive. Does that include neutrals? I have about 4 dark wood items (2 dressers and 2 nightstands) in the room, but the dark brown isn’t in any of my other furnishings.
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah, that’s enough items in that dark color to make them feel like they belong!
xo,
s
Stephanie says
Hey guys:
Question for you. Maybe you’ve answered this, but I’m too lazy to find the answer among all your project posts/comment replies. My husband and I just bought our first house, and have already started planning all of the things that we want to tackle. Of course, certain rooms/projects are priorites over others, and our budget certainly helps dictate with priorities win out. We inherited a bedroom suite from my husband’s grandfather that includes a bed, nightstand, dresser with a mirror and tall dresser. The color of the wood looks very similar to the color of the wood dresser that you refinished for Clara’s nursery. It also has a veneer. My plan (eventually) is to sand down all the pieces and stain a dark wood color. But with four matching furniture pieces, I fear breaking the no “matchy-matchy” rule. What do you suggest? Maybe trying to use the pieces in other rooms in the house to break up the set? The furniture is very sturdy and well constructed, and when we finally get around to re-doing the pieces, I know they’ll look wonderful. Just wondering what you would recommend. Thanks much for reading this rambling comment! :)
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yeah breaking them up in different rooms or even keeping them together but using punchy art and accessories and rugs and curtains to add layered interest and color will definitely help! Happy decorating…
xo,
s
Erika says
So, I want to pick your brain. We are (finally) getting down to decorating business. Since we have an open floor plan, the living room/dining room/kitchen are kinda of one big space. We are replacing the kitchen and dining room light fixtures with drum pendants that have a polished nickel plate/cord. I’m in love with an ORB finished ceiling fan for the living room and I would also like to purchase ORB window hardware for the living room, patio doors off the dining room and kitchen. Should we try to keep the finishes consistent? Would it look wonky if we had two finshes going on? Thanks for the advice!
YoungHouseLove says
I love mixed metals! In our living room we have ORB curtains and chair legs and hardware with silver table lamps and floor lamps and a big silver nail head ottoman. Love the layered look!
xo,
s
Dina says
I am styling my living room. We have a black leathered sofa and loveseat(came in a pair, hand me down), glass coffee table, darkbrown and gold curtain, again dark brown and gold rug, darkbrown-gold- grayishbluish pillow…… it seems too matchy. I can not return the things. so I have to work what i got. I feel like stuck…. any ideas. I got one peacock canvas picture and that’s my inspiration. But i do not know how to use my inspiration picture when the room is half way done- may be incorrectly?????
YoungHouseLove says
Oh yes, I would use art and accessories to break things up and have some fun with other colors! You also could add to the pillows you already have with a few bolder colorful ones to wake things up! Good luck!
xo
s
Taya says
Hey guys… I was on your project page and under decorating and selected “choosing the right sized rug” and it brought me to this post. I think something might be amiss.
YoungHouseLove says
Thanks so much Taya! Will ask our big fancy coder (aka: John) if he can fix that :)
xo
s
Sadie says
Hi There!!!
Let me start off by saying I love this site! And I love you even more! I recently found you after searching for window treatments :) Anyway, I had a question about my living room.
We just moved and have barely any furniture. Im talking just the basics. However after reading, I think I too have fallen into the further with being matchy matchy! LOL.
My sofa set is a dark grey that came with throw pillows. My entertainment center is black wood, and in the apartment we stay in now, the living room, kitchen and dining room are all pretty much one space.
What would you suggest for a paint color or window treatments as well as defining each space??
Best Regards,
Sadie
Sadie says
Also, we rent so cant change our light wood cabinets, or beige ish tiled floor. the base board that runs all throughout the house is some shade of beige or grey (cant really tell but It looks hideous and I hate it) the countertops are also a darker shade than the baseboard! but with a brown ish tint (not really sure what its made of either, definitely not granite or anything.)
Thanks Again!!
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, maybe a soft sand color on the walls would be nice with the tile floors and the sofa. Something like Ashen Tan by Benjamin Moore. Then do white trim and white curtains. Sounds so pretty!
xo
s
Sadie says
How about an area rug for living room? what color would you suggest/texture would you suggest? I was thinking a shaggy one with blue grey tones in it. it has some type of swirly design on it?
Loving your eye for great designs!
YoungHouseLove says
That sounds pretty! I’d check out overstock to see what they have!
xo
s
Kristi says
Hello!
I stumbled into your blog and loved all your advice and tips! It made me feel more confident in where I am going in our first home. One thing I am struggling with though is our living room. We have an open concept to the kitchen/ dining room.
Our walls are a neutral light tan with white trim. Black leather couch and chair and new dark hard wood floors. A new fun swirly two tone fluffy area rug is on its way. The thing is I love neutrals!! And that is the theme in my living room with varying shades of neutrals with a pop of light and bright greens in the throw and floor pillows and faux hydrangeas and custom artwork made by my 6 year old) on the walls for accents. Is that too much neutral?
My issue is what to do with the coffee table and the old dresser/ turned tv stand that just joined the family. They both need to be refinished. I was considering doing a cream for the legs/ base and a dark stain on top for both. Then I realized that my kitchen table that you can see from the living room is the same but with a honey stain (hand-me-down). Do i still go with the cream and dark stain? Or do I do one in the stain and the other in the cream? Do I go a different route all together? *pulls hair out* grrr! I just can figure out which direction to go! If you still respond to these and have any tips on which direction to go I would greatly appreciate it!!
Thanks for posting your blog! Super insightful!
Kristi
YoungHouseLove says
I love the idea of doing both of those with the stain and the cream and then eventually maybe you can refinish your hand-me-down. In our experience decorating around a hand-me-down (and not doing what you love most with other items) isn’t always the way to go because you might eventually upgrade or update the hand-me-down, ya know?
xo
s
lawrence says
Hello,
I am a 34 year old male trying turn my apartment into a home.I’m starting in the living room which is 13×12.I have two wall to wall windows on two sides of living room and a third wall whick is solid.I just bought a cream colored sofa
And am thinking of buying the matching chair and an accent chair to completethe sseating arrangement.I am very conservative but do want an stylish bachelor’s pad at reasonable cost.I need help with accent colors and
How to make the most of my space.I have decided on two bookcases a media center although I don’t watch. To much tv .I consider myself a distinguished gentleman and would like my apartment to reflect that.
Thanks for listening
YoungHouseLove says
Hmm, what about brown leather for the accent chair to add some layered color/texture? Your curtains can be clean and crisp white and the pillows on the couch and chairs can add color (navy and tan would be nice). A navy rug would be nice too. The bookcases and media center in white or wood would be nice (since the sofa and chair will be cream, doing something different for the other furniture will keep the room interesting). Good luck!
xo
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