why is decorating so hard? more living room dilemmas

[caedmyn]

I can see why people hire decorators...would certainly make the decorating process a whole lot easier and faster even if it costs (a lot) more!  I am just stuck on curtains for my blue-carpeted living room and a general direction to go with it.  There seems to be two schools of thought among people I've asked for input on it.  One school of thought is: Too much dark heavy stuff!  You need light colored, flowy curtains and should paint your coffee/end tables white (this is the school of thought I was following when I bought cream color throw pillows which are super impractical with kids around).  The other school of thought is: You have so much dark heavy stuff!  White/light stuff will look out of place--you need curtains and throw pillows with bright color.  (This is the one I was following when we bought the coffee/end table set second-hand, instead of getting the farmhouse coffee table I really wanted which had a stained top and white legs.)

I have bought and returned at least 13 different print curtains (mostly online as we have a pretty limited selection locally).  Either they looked cheap, or the colors were not what I thought they were or not good with the carpet, or I just didn't like them once they arrived.  I'm pretty much over buying print curtains.  I either want to keep these light-filtering floral curtains which the second school of thought thinks are too lightweight (2nd & 3rd pics), or just get plain off-white/natural curtains (and if I go this route, lightweight linen curtains or heavier room darkening or blackout curtains?).  We have built in cellular blinds so the curtains will just be for looks and won't be closed.  But I just don't know which way to go!

Also wondering how badly the coffee/end table look with the couches.  I didn't realize til we moved them in the room that they have a really orange stain which doesn't look good next to those burgundy couches.  Ugh.

 

[kbutton]

I think the curtains are fine, and I don't think the couches and tables clash enough to worry about. If you have a long enough rod to keep the curtains almost completely off to the side, they aren't going to look as airy as with light filtering through them.

How does it look at night with lamps? That makes a difference too.

I would die with dark carpet and dark curtains, lol! I also really like natural patterns--leafs, etc.--so your curtains are very appealing to me.

[kbutton]

As far as the light pillows go, they are a big contrast, so let the kids play with them, and save up for ones that go with the curtains better. 🙂 

[regentrude]

That big window is so gorgeous, I would go completely without curtains for clean lines and lots of light.

[KatieJ]

I like the space in general. Curtains are my style...I them light. Coffee table I think would look fine if there was a pillow cover that had some of that color in it.

IMHO Pillows are too much of a contrast , but easily corrected with zipper covers from Amazon. Some are fairly cheap when you can find sets of 2. I am changing mine seasonally, but they fold and store flat. 

[alisoncooks]

I like the curtains. (Though, in full disclosure, I don't have curtains in my living room because I prefer the clean lines...)

Maybe get pillow covers to tie in the blues. 

[caedmyn]

I'm just going to get new covers for the pillows.  They're nice down and feather ones (non-poky) so I want to keep them.  We don't have lamps.  They wouldn't make it through a day here with my wild boys.  Not a big fan of rugs on carpet but I will consider one...might make me happier with the room overall.  We have this Noah's Ark art.  Not sure whether a canvas would look better.  We have a piano against the wall behind the couch that need a picture over it also.  I've been debating about buying a pretty autumn-themed print with a similar type of frame from Fb marketplace to hang over the piano.

Edited February 28, 2020 by caedmyn

[PeterPan]

I think the colors you've got so far, with the curtains and blue carpet and couches, look GORGEOUS!!! And I wouldn't have questioned the coffee table. Looks fine to me. 

I'd just keep going. I think you're getting there. Do you have a family photo? Didn't you say you just did that? You could do a big print and frame it on that big wall. (big family, big print) Maybe get one of those vinyl wall sayings from Hobby Lobby or put some little pics around it. 

[PeterPan]

4 minutes ago, caedmyn said:

I'm just going to get new covers for the pillows.  They're nice down and feather ones (non-poky) so I want to keep them.  We don't have lamps.  They wouldn't make it through a day here with my wild boys.

Yeah, that seems like a plan. Pillows slide on leather anyway. Maybe an aghan or two. Maybe just fleecy blankets. I got a couple a Target around Christmas that were fun. Or an old denim quilt thrown across the back of the couch so people can use it to nap...

I had a lamp where we watch tv in the basement, but like you say my ds broke it throwing things. It's just reality in spaces where kids play, lol. They won't be that way forever.

[Loowit]

I like the curtains.  I would try to find pillow cover that will go with them.  Wall art would be nice, but I prefer pictures of family or art that my DD makes for my walls rather than some random picture/art.  Although for a while we had a Marvel theme in our living room and had a bunch of posters, and that was kind of fun.

The coffee table is not my thing, but I would probably paint it a nice light blue or light grey.

[Katy]

I like the curtains.  I might like them slightly better if they were tabs or traditional hooks instead of that round ring style, but the fabric is beautiful.

Your furniture is quite traditional and neutral, which means you can do anything with it. I don't think the stain on the coffee table is too orange at all, it just looks more orange because the dusty blue carpet is opposite on the color wheel.

I think you can pull some colors out of the curtains and make them the basis for some wall art.  Maybe take a folded curtain with you to a craft store and match them with some tubes of craft paint.  Buy every color, plus maybe 2 more, and a big canvas.   I think for the two additional colors I'd choose the flamingo pink and either the aqua green or the purple banner color, all from the Noah art.  And have either all your kids together or maybe just your most artistic child paint a large canvas with those colors.  Any design, from abstract to simple blocks of color.  There are tons of ideas on Pinterest and YouTube if you're blanking on what to do.

Long term I might replace the carpet with a hard floor and an area rug, but carpet is great for small kids so I wouldn't do that anytime soon.  Same for some kind of shelving on the wall between the window and the corner where the furniture is - long term a shelf there, with a few special books, photos, and decorative junk might really personalize the place and bring it together.  But right now you have kids and IMO it's better to have them feel loved at home than it is to have a perfectly decorated place.

I wouldn't feel pressured to make it look white (like people who don't have kids), or dark either.  The white trend will end soon.

You might consider wall sconces instead of lamps.  They hang on the wall instead of on a surface, but they can provide the same ambiance as a lamp.

[The Governess]

I love those windows and would just leave them as is. Add some wall art, a few nice throws and more pillows in complementary colors, and you are good to go. 

[Tree Frog]

I really like the curtains, too. If you're concerned about the coffee table/couch color contrast, look for some pillow covers that have burgundy/orange/blue in them to bring it all together. 

I also wondered if the curtains are really necessary.

[Laura Corin]

I like the idea of bright wall art.  This is our sitting room - it's not as big as this looks - estate agent photo:

 

[Carrie12345]

Curtains have been my biggest problem. It’s been especially difficult because our rooms aren’t broken up and we have a TON of windows in relation to the square footage. (I’d estimate about 600sf, with 9 windows that need coverings, plus a sliding glass door, and an additional 6 windows above that don’t need covering. That’s living, dining, kitchen, and staircase landing.)

That contains zero advice, just sympathy!

[Teaching3bears]

I think it all looks nice together: couches,table, curtains, cushions and that picture. I would put it all in place and call it a day. If you add anything it might look too busy. With little kids and lots if toys it will be busy enough.

[Acorn]

I love the windows, curtains,  carpet and couches. I would change the throw pillows to blue and look into something for the wall above the couch.

[lmrich]

What great natural light you have! 

I think a rug to tie together the sitting area would help define that space.  You won't have to get a super high quality rug since it is going on top of another rug. You will want to add some art on the wall above the couch. If you have a Hobby Lobby nearby, they have pretty large art pieces for a decent price - in fact - I would get two panels instead of one large piece. Throw a blanket on the couch to make it more cozy and buy some potted plants or trees to put next to the couch. Home Depot has some for less than $30 and with all your light, it will live. And if the kids knock it over, they can clean up the dirt - just dirt not glass. 

Another great designer trick is to move the furniture away from the wall. It gives the idea of more space. Have you tried swapping the couch and loveseat? Just wondering if that would help you define your play space from the living space. 

[Jaz]

I like the curtains. I agree with covering the pillows with colors of the room, good idea. 

I think your main problem in your coffee table as it doesn't look good with the couches and is also fighting with the beautiful window trim. Can you thrift store a different coffee table? Perhaps one that's lower so people can rest their feet on it easily. That's what I did and it works well, especially if it's already distressed.

It's going to be a great room!

[caedmyn]

So that curtain that was pictured in the OP that everybody liked?  I thought I had the other five panels I needed sitting in an unopened box, but when I finally opened the box today, the others are the wrong color.  And these curtains are discontinued and I can't find more of the color I want anywhere:(  So I'm going to have to choose different curtains.  Would any of these work?

[KungFuPanda]

I have trouble decorating because I like too many things.  I think picky people have an easier time narrowing down the possibilities and creating cohesive rooms.  I like your curtain choice, but I would mount them higher, maybe on the ceiling, and make sure that they open fully OFF the window, so a few feet on either side of the window.  You may have to sew in a contrasting strip to make them long enough.

If you have trouble committing to 'large wall art' you can cheat and use a large mirror.  It'll bounce around more light and reflect your lovely window.  I think once you have something to look at that's higher than the furniture, the furniture won't look so heavy.  

I love the play kitchen.  It's really cute.

[klmama]

I like the last set best.  I'm not sure if it will be too much blue, though, with the carpet. 

[alisoncooks]

I like the next to last pic. The first two (and possibly the last) have too much blue, though I do like the pattern of the last one.