idriel's Profile

A scratching tree is necessary! The sisal rug screwed to the the wall is a good idea, or use a random big piece or branch of a tree for your pets needs. I found out where my cats can't reach in my place and that's the spot for breakable decoration. The rest is for metal, wood, anything else. Also, most cats dislike the smell of orange,, which is why farmers here in Germany, where I live, nail fresh peels to the steps of the chicken hat. They replace them every few days. So go get some essential oil and anoint your treasures, clean them off with pure alcohol every few days and find out if it helped.

Just take care not to paint too dark! I would choose something rather neutral and then work with fabric (pillow cases, throws, etc.). Change it with the season to make sure it does not darken the room in December, when you will need light, and go bold and strong in summer. The colour it has now is a nice one, btw!

You basically say you hate the fireplace and as it is, I would too. Make this weakness in the room your strength. Put the heater somewhere else, because it adds more uglyness to the uselessness. Put big candles into the fireplace, even if you don light them. Put effort in decorating this wall (with bright colors, I agree with the former posts). Also: Use bright fabrics like pillow cases, blanket, maybe a rug to add some coziness. Stay with one colour or colour group since you already have different styles and colours in furniture. Use more lamps. Put them everywhere you can possibly place them and if you can find, use upwards-pointing models, maybe with reflecting lampshades to add more sparkle. It will make the room look less dark and closed-up. And, a personal advice: Your home is what you make it. Have fun finding JUST the stuff you want for it and enjoy the process. Take an example of all the people here: They love rearranging, remodeling, redoing things and post the results. Take up their spirit and love what you do!

I go with Ikea´s Billy as well. Good idea to separate topics: Take simple bricks or, smaller, cobble stones, and spray paint them in copper or another metallic colour. Cost is basically nothing and looks great and individual. Have fun with rearranging your books! Another idea: Buy enough "Billies" to leave some space. These books are not the last ones you are going to buy.

I think if anything belongs above the head of your bed it should be a picture. May it be a nice photography or a piece of art - doesn´t matter. Nothing in screaming colours (you also want to sleep there), but maybe something sexy. A curvy woman, a couple in love (no kitsch!), something that is appealing to the eye.
And if there is anything that doesn´t belong there: Dirty Clothes flying around in the open (get some boxes or fit them in your closet somehow) and children´s toys. Not an easy task, but you want to get intimate in there, not stumble or subconsciously look at their residues. Teach them to keep their stuff out of this room, since you are not leaving your stuff in theirs.

I really love the stripes... very strong contrast and a bold move with a fantastic outcome! I would ask for a bit red to contrast all the black and white though (if it were my room). Nonetheless, it looks very bright and big now compared to the stuffiness and the shudder the "before"-look gave me.

Since you don´t seem to NEED the space: Spots on the sides pointing to a very good piece of art and below it a small table or built-in shelf with great depth that displays a changing still life of what you love. And so the least loved corner becomes the most loved!

Nice job! I liked it before, too. But the colours give a surprisingly fresh and happy mood to the room. Also: I like the wedding photo more than the seabirds (as a symbol, I wouldn´t want to share my private room with a bunch of loud and greedy birds when I can look at the symbol of our love)!

@ inspiredbypeople: You can, depending on the surface. Wood is possible, but you have to take off as much of the old colour as possible. The whole thing is very dirty and mostly not worth the effort, just cover with curtains and nobody sees the dark frames anymore.

I think everybody above has said enough about the colours. I don´t know if this is available where you live, but in Germany you can buy so called DC-Fix-Folie (i.e. foil) in every diy-shop. It comes in various width and length and every colour or pattern you can think of, and this for cheap. It is easy to clean and looks astonishingly good for being just a foil. Stick it on the furniture. If you move, heat it a bit with a hairdryer and take it off without remaining glue rests. Easy!