It’s been awhile since I did a decorating dilemma and I have one today to share with you. Maggie sent this in last year, so I have no idea if she’s done anything in this room yet, but we are going to take a look at it and give her some ideas today.
Here’s what Maggie told me about her room:
My living room is being used more now as an office for my husband. He doesn’t work at home, or we would certainly need a larger more masculine desk for him. He is enjoying having his own space, and I am trying to make it more put together. I would like to put together 3 or 4 Ikea shelves, as the storage in our house is not nearly enough. The love seat is recent Joss and Main purchase (Decor Chick curated) and the painting is an inheritance from my parents’ home. The wing chair, end tables and lamps are about 20 years old, and are good but clearly out of date. I have thought of Annie Sloan Chalk paint in black for the tables and mercury glass and burlap for the lamps. I would like to figure out a color or something for an accent wall behind the love seat. I have seen some grass cloth that could be interesting. I also need drapes.
This room is open to our dining room, which also has furniture from my parents’ home. On the wall that would be the accent wall is a yellow French provincial dresser that my mother bought in a junk shop about 50 years ago and refinished. It’s beautiful and has special memories.
Any suggestions that you have would be so appreciated.
First, the room seems like it has too much furniture to me, just looking at that first pic. I would take out the wing chair and the Mission style rocking chair and move them to another room. You could paint the end tables with Annie Sloan paint (or another paint) and make them look more updated. I would stick to one for the end tables, maybe a soft creamy white. It looks like the desk is already black, which is a good color for that. I’d paint the chair that goes with the desk in a brighter color.
The coffee table looks to be Victorian in style, so you might take it out of the room too, but it might could stay with the other pieces moved out. The entertainment center definitely could use a paint job to update it, if you keep it. If you do decide to get Ikea pieces, I can see that far wall being a good place for the built-in Billy bookcase look. You could span them all across that wall and put up crown molding across the top and this would give you plenty of storage and still have clearance on the windows.
The loveseat is really cute and I’d add some pretty throw pillows with color on it. I don’t think I’d do an accent wall in here. If you painted the wall the loveseat is on a different color, I just don’t think that would enhance the room at all. With only 3 walls in the room, I’d keep them all the same. You could go for a color on the wall, maybe something soft and serene, like the gray loveseat. It totally depends on what feel and colors you want to live with.
I would also add an area rug for color and texture and yes to adding a pretty pair of drapes, hung high and wide to make the window appear larger. The lamps are pretty dated, but if they are not expensive pieces and you want to paint the brass, you could paint them a brighter color to add some color to the room.
It really depends on the feel you are going for, but the painting has some nice colors to work with, so maybe bring some of those colors in the room for accents.
OK, girls! Let’s help Maggie with her office space, which is right inside her front door. I know she’d like this space to be welcoming and warm and I definitely think it has a lot of potential.
She needs to look at the room with the desk from Feature Friday: The Daily Nest. I printed out all these pictures and we are going to use them to redecorate my daughter’s office/den.
Because it is your husband’s man cave, I would definitely make it a little more masculine. I would paint the wall on the left a chocolate brown so the sofa would have a good background and to make it pop!
Adding shelves all along the end wall is a great idea. Some color placed just right could be a good focal point for the room. I would place his desk right in front or even put on an angle right in front of the shelves so while he is sitting at the desk, he isn’t facing a wall. This will give him a better work experience.
The room looks small so I wouldn’t put up long draperies or even wider ones. I would buy some really good wooden blinds and some kind of swag at the top.
Along the dark chocolate wall, I would place the sofa with your pretty pictures above it. Use a color from the pictures to bring the entire room together by pulling that color around the room.
I had a room just like this one time when we lived in PA. I had painted it every color possible, but ended up with the chocolate brown wall on the long wall and that wall sold the house. It was bold, brown and beautiful. Everyone loved it. Some clients even came and took pictures of the wall and room.
I have found that pulling furniture away from the wall and placing some pieces on angles really adds to the ambience of a room.
Good Luck on your decorating challenge, and I hope to see the end results.
This is so much fun! I find that everyone has their own way of decorating so it is very dependent on the owner. If this was my room, I would first determine the purpose of the room. From the information above, it appears that Maggie has decided to make it an office space for her husband but she needs storage space (be still my heart…this is an obsession of mine – I don’t think I’ve ever furnished a room without first considering how to maximize my storage capacity). Ms. Maggy, I absolutely love the Joss and Main love seat but maybe you could find another room for it?
It looks like this room is visible when guests arrive – so, it really needs to be free of clutter and state a purpose – I wonder if it would be possible to have French doors that open up into the room? I’m lovin’ that idea! I would build-in the Billy bookcases – against the same wall as the bookcases are now – but go end to end…and go up with them to touch the ceiling and finish them out…but I’d make sure that some of the bookcases have doors or bins that you can use for storage. As time allows, I’d replace the desk with a larger piece (like an antique executive desk that has side drawers) and place it in front of the bookcase – with the comfy chair for Mr. Maggy that is placed behind the desk. I like the wing back chair and I think you can make the dark navy color really work in this room – but add a pillow – something plaid or leather – to give the room some masculinity. I’d put the wing chair in front of the desk at an angle for guest seating. I’m really struggling with the wall color, carpet and color of the bookcases – I think (emphasis on think) that I would choose a neutral color (ivory, gray, neutral blue) and paint the walls and bookcase the same shade (I might paint the back of the cabinet a navy to match the chair). I would replace the carpet with hardwoods and add a rug – put it partially under the desk and chair. On the desk, I’d make sure to have some masculine accessories – leather tray for mail, etc – but I’d keep it simple. I’d add floor length drapes – I’m thinking linen-look with key trim (probably because I’m obsessing over this look right now). I’d take out the rest of the furniture and add a credenza on the wall opposite the window (more storage!!!). Definitely add crown molding as time/budget allows. I’d add a decorative tall vase to place on the floor next to the credenza. I’d also put some art on the wall – I’ve purchased some prints from art.com and you can really find some great deals online (I like the art you have in there but it just isn’t masculine enough in my opinion). I’m drawing a blank on lighting – a lamp on the credenza would look nice (coordinate with the navy chair and the pillow). I would put some canned lights in front of the book cases….I honestly think I’d install them throughout the room to provide ample lighting.
The possibilities are endless! I wish you the best, Maggie. I hope you will post some pictures of the room once you’ve finished the transformation – I am sure it will look great, whatever you decide.
Mrs. Rhoda – your blog is AMAZING!!! I am addicted to it! 🙂
Shelia from Birmingham, AL
http://www.houseofhighlands.com
I agree with you, there is too much furniture in the room. I think all that wood dates the room, also. I’d start by painting the trim white. A paint color like Sherwin Williams Rainwashed would pull out the lt. blue in the photo, and some coral accent pillows would give it some color. I agree about removing the mission style chair. I’d also remove the desk. It looks too small to me. I’d also change out the frame on the painting, as I think it dates the room, also. Would also add either some plants or a green fig or palm tree. I’d probably keep the blue chair or opt for some kind of wicker to give it a more modern feel. I’d only keep the bookcase if it’s used for function….just my opinions. ;o)
French Doors…..perhaps with glass sidewalks, that have some sort of drapes that can be opened and closed depending on privacy needs…. Then, make it an office, with a sitting area. All new furniture, wood floors, ….
I’m one of those folks who strongly believes in trying to use what you have in order to re-purpose items and keep the landfills from overflowing. I LOVE the settee/love-seat and like the idea of putting it on the wall with windows with accent pillows. That way it is the first thing you see when you enter the room. Since your settee is sort of formal, I’d add pleated draperies to the windows. I would remove one of the end tables and paint/distress the other and place it on the wall left of the door, next to the settee. I would keep the bookcase, but paint it. I love your artwork and would reframe it in something a bit bigger and like others have said, I would paint the room a color that you love from the print. I would use the desk in another room, perhaps as a night stand or a makeup vanity, and when you can, purchase a new desk that is a bit bigger and coordinates with your newly painted bookcase. I love a floating desk, so I’d play around with the best placement according to where electrical outlets are placed. I too, would use the wingback as your office chair. I would be very selective with my choices for items to place on the bookcase. One item in the largest opening and only items that you absolutely love on the others. The lamps can be updated with either silver leaf or paint and new shades, and I’d place a longer rug in the foyer. You have very nice pieces and I hope you’ve gotten some great ideas here. Rhoda has great readers 🙂 and ideas! You came to the right place. Best wishes.