This year I am going room by room transforming our house into a home.
Lucky for me I have enlisted the help of an interior decorator (more about that special lady soon) Pinterest and YOU!
I NEED YOUR HELP!
I need practical, beautiful and inexpensive ideas to decorate our home! So here it is in all its beige glory.
The Entry Way.
I love this space which is bright and open with high ceilings. We had this table before we had the house and I LOVE it! But is it too small for this big space? I love white but could it do with more colour. We cant decide between a photo, art or mirror in the space between the welcome sign and table.
Opposite the entry way is this little picture box. At Christmas I bought this picture for the space. It is on the old hook so it needs to be centred but it also needs something else! A wallpaper feature, paint, ANYTHING!!!
Tis is another picture box on the other side of the staircase and a lovely hole we have patched up from an old baby gate and the new baby gate bracket (we have now taken down the gate). I use this space for our seasonal display’s but I would love a more permanent vignette in here! The column to the right is one of two that separate the entry form the living room.
Living Room – First Wall.
You can see the picture box here and this is the first wall. Back in January I put up this IKEA shelf and thats all we have done! This wall is quite large and that chair looks so lonely! If you sit in the chair you are directly opposite the television.
Living Room – Main Wall
Introducing the “Great Wall of IKEA” otherwise know as our Liatorp unit. WE LOVE THIS UNIT! It houses everythign BUT we really want to put cupboard doors on the top section. At the moment to much display area is shown and it looks to cluttered for me!
So what do you think, I would love any suggestions on ways to make this space feel more homely, stylish and add some colour!
So hit me with it!
Related posts:
A few things that jump out at me-
Living area, move one lounge in front of TV, so the two sofas form a L shape. You could have a sofa table behind it.
The Armchair could be bought closer into living area, or perhaps have a rug underneath, a floor lamp and a small bookshelf?
The rectangle wall cut out could house a tall narrow artwork, or perhaps a tall case?
The square one I like as is, strangely.
The entry way- Id keep the table white. Add a chair to the left. Remove the welcome sign and have it leaning against one of the pictures/photos on the table. Hang a large mirror above table, and add a lamp or case of flowers to table.
Your house is gorgeous, can’t wait to see more!
The welcome sign is definitely coming down! It just looks out of place doesnt it!!
Love the cutouts in the walls/picture boxes. Can picture some wallpaper in neutral colours for some added interest but not of colour so you can still swap out your accessories when you wish to change your accent colour. Your entryway would look great with mirror or picture in that spot. The wall above the single chair would make a great gallery wall! Maybe another piece of furniture there that you could use as your seasonal display spot? A repurposed old dresser would look great. Oooh the possibilities, have fun, I could only dream of having sooooo much space to play with
I can’t help you, I’m sorry. I’m great at decorating when I’m in the space, but TERRIBLE with pics.
I adore that first little table. I think you’re probably right, it is small in such an open, light space. But oh, it’s lovely. You have to find a little nook to keep that in. It’s too beautiful not to.
It is just one of those pretty pieces I love to admire!
I LOVE that table! Gorgeous. And I don’t think that its too small for the space – a vintage mirror above, and a LARGE floor lamp (in your favourite color accent) would really help to ‘fill’ the space without taking away from your favourite piece. I think all your furniture is gorgeous, and oh-so easy to team up with seasonal accents – lamps, coushin covers (etsy all the way!), rugs, all make a huge difference to filling in a space and making it look homey
Good luck!
I have never thought of a floor lamp! The table is one of my favourite pieces, so glad you think it isn’t too small! THANKYOU!
Photos, photo frames, cushions..all romantic things, I love all of this! I love the sofas there too!
I think cushions will be the first thing on the list Michelle!
You’ve made a great start Larissa! That Liatorp unit is killer and I’m supremely jealous!! One day…lol.
If you’re not afraid of a bit of colour, I would add teal to the cutouts and perhaps have a piece of white art or a vase/sculptural thing in there. For your entry table, I would add a large mirror and an upholstered chair to the side…something with an antique flair but with modern fabric. Your loungeroom could become a great conversational area but creating an L-shape with the two larger lounges, and the armchair placed where the lounge used to be. I’d also paint the wall behind your Liatorp unit the same colour as the cutouts.
Have fun decorating!
I do LOVE our Liatorp it was a long time coming! I am definitely thinking a mirror needs to be in that spot!
Hi! This is thr first time I came across your blog at IBOT. Hope to get to know you better
I love the table at thr entry way. Think a mirror above it would be lovely to check yourself before leaving the home. Look forward to more of your home transformation.
Ai @ Sakura Haruka
Welcome! Take a look around and make yourself at home!
Wonderful backdrop to add your own flair to!
What if you bought some fabric and framed it for above your old kids gate. With the front entry, I could see many vintage photo frames spraypainted white, with family photos as a huge collage. There’s no right way to do it, just scatter them around your welcome sign. You could even spray paint gold instead to add some colour if you like?
That’s all I have sorry, but the fabric wall hanging I think will add some texture and colour. If you can find one, a fabric wall hanging with gold thread would look gorgeous!
I definitely want to add some fabric! Great suggestion! Maybe I could cover a tall thin canvas?
I love your space
I would paint the large wall where the single chair is, in a blue/aqua shade to tie in with your accessories in the TV/display cabinet. Maybe some white hall tables for that wall with some white accessories or white frames with blue prints (I think they are called subway art?). Change out the rug for one with blue tones and make the seating area more cozy by moving one of the lounges to face the TV. Maybe you could move the single chair into a position to create a little reading nook? with a few books nicely displayed on a table. I don’t think your shelves are too cluttered at all, but that’s personal opinion. If you feel it is, then maybe take an item or 2 to display on a hall table on the empty wall or in one of the picture boxes and rearrange the rest of the shelves till you have an arrangement that feels right to you.
I love uncluttered entryways, so I would just add a large piece of framed artwork or even a large framed photograph where the Welcome sign is and move the Welcome sign to the table, and move one of the small frames off the table.
Have fun with it, whatever you decide to do
I love the side table with books! What great idea!
I LOVE LOVE LOVE your little wall spaces you have! Thats so cool!! I have no suggestions I am not very good at designing. I love the white and blue – it looks very oceanic… are you thinking of changing your colour scheme?
Thanks Yvette, I like the blue but I think I need more colour! The wall spaces are great but soo hard to decorate!
What a beautiful home you have! I love the idea of a gallery wall in your entry way. You could incorporate your gorgeous table, or move the table elsewhere so the whole wall could have framed photos and other treasure… like this from: http://www.younghouselove.com/2011/03/the-hallway-full-monty/
As someone said above, I DREAM of having so much lovely space to play with!
ooh I LOVE it!!! The idea of a gallery wall AND the one from younghouselove! Thankyou!!
you’ve had some really great suggestions so far.
i definitely agree with the suggestions to pull that sofa off the wall and move the other to make an “L” shape, this will make this area feel much more cosy. maybe add a large ottoman that you could put a tray on so your cuppa can sit safely and it can still be for your feet! you can also add some books and/or a small plant/flowers/terrarium to the tray to pretty it up and add interest.
i would add a corner table between the two lounges in the “L” shape and put a lamp on it for some “ambience”. hahaha. the suggestion of putting a hall table behind one of the sofas is a great idea, i love this look and it’s really practical.
maybe add another colour to give the room more interest. do you like yellow? i think a few small splashes or yellow or orange would look great, but it has to be a colour you like so you choose something striking and add just a couple of things, don’t overtake the lovely blue and white that you already have. the ottoman could be one of the things and a cushion or two or a throw rug. you could also change the rug colour if you wanted to put the alternate colour there and make the ottoman more neutral.
without seeing your room i’m not sure where to put that little armchair. it definitely seems lonely and unloved there and if you were sitting there you are really alienated from everyone in the lounge area. it feels like a naughty chair!!! i wouldn’t want to overcrowd that sofa area in your lounge with this matching chair, you could maybe put an occasional chair with finer arms and legs in the space next to the “L” shape sofas to complete the cosiness and add something different – a talking point. this chair could also be the something in an alternate colour or a pattern with all the colours. but don’t forget just chose a couple of items to add the extra colour to the room, not too many.
also remember textures and pattern make a big difference to a room. use the same colours in complementing tones. do you have drapes on the window in this room? they add softness too.
you are doing a great job so far and if you have an interior decorator, she will be able to give you so many great ideas.
have fun.
I think you are onto something with the yellow! I think that may be one of my suggestions! Yellow with tiffany blue? Fresh and gorgeous!
I think you would need a picture with bold colours to place in that picture box near the stairs. You could place some sculptures in the other picture box – the more elongated one. Then probably more furniture on the first living room wall and more stuff on the wall? That’s all I can come up with so far.
Your house is lovely! The living room is so clean and fresh looking. You need big photos on your wall. I know they are pricy, but look on pinterest for the steps to taking a black and white photo to a copier place or staples and blow it up for under $15. that would really help the walls. I think a colorful rug would help too. Your shelves are great as they are, I dont think they look cluttered. If you want some more interest. You could wall-paper the back in an interesting pattern.
How about an ottoman in between the two couches? with a pretty tray and some books on it?