greenfurniture's Profile

Sure, you can paint and change floors. but, i think it is more important to rearrange furniture. otherwise, you will have fresh paint and nice wood floor, and still just same looking room. If you are not up for doing floors yet, I would get two big rugs. Note, if you do floors, kind of a shame to cover up with rugs. One rug, about 8 by 11, can unify dining room area. so when you walk in, table will be on left, and ONE wood bureau on right only. Seems like the one there now is very long, then there is another one dividing dining from living space. i would just keep one. I would have rug under table and under wood bureau, so you walk over this carpet between table and bureau to get to living area. i like your two big pictures. maybe hang the large one on left wall behind dining table, hang rather low. hang medium one LOW, just like 5 inches over where top of wood bureau ends. put something vertical on bureau, like big vase or big candlesticks or medium statue or something. If you do rug, must be ok looking. ( i see you have the $12 ikea rug in your living room!)

I would not use the brown bureau to divide dining from living. i would use rug, and paintings to create sense of space. and put one nice centerpiece on table.

take red curtain down. burn white and blue rug. maybe rotate sofa like above poster said. otherwise just move red chair near couch but at right angle and pull in tighter to couch and it also divides living and dining areas. get two more BIG pictures. probably one for above couch and one for above television. get another rug for living room too. really you could get vertical furniture. but i think it is fine if you just get two BIG pictures. you can also rotate dining pictures to living room, and then hang mirror in dining room. don't hang mirror if dangerous for kids. stick to pictures, not so heavy with non glass frame. if you hang big pics on walls, i think it will define spaces. buy pictures , not furniture.

get one or two vertical elements as accessories, maybe straw basket, big pillow, whatever. try "homegoods" or marshalls store, not ikea.

Ok, this is easy.

I'm going to work on your arrangement, proportions of furniture and picture frames, and furniture styles.

PIANO:Yes, if you like your piano there, keep it, cool. I think it works functionally and looks good. How about putting a medium sized mirror over the piano? That little rectangular picture is TOO small.

CURTAINS: Get rid of those white drapey thin things probably and just keep shades. It is nice to have curtains if done right, but your windows are big and probably not too ugly and curtains that are gauzy seem to draw too much attention like you are at grandma's beach house.

FIREPLACE: I see you have little arrangement on fireplace. That was a good try, keep a few things and put others somewhere else (little frames/knicknacks). get rid of those two mini lamps on mantel, too little for living room.

And, what is that mushroom weird shaped thing over fireplace? If you don't put mirror over piano, then put a big mirror over this fireplace mantel, like just a little less wide than fireplace like 30 inches by 40 inches or something. Hang it like 5 inches above fireplace, nice and low. GO to store called homegoods, they have big mirrors for $50 only. No need for crate and barrel $200 mirrors.

PURPLE FUTON AND PURPLE RUG:
OH MY GOD! PUHLEASE! This may be extra seating and leftover rug, but put these together in a spare bedroom, or give them to a young friend moving into a dorm or something. THey are way too young for your fancy place! Please get rid of them, your living room dining table and couch are so classy that these two pieces DRAG the whole living room DOWN!! please listen to me and do NOT think of shoving in a corner of that room as emergency guest seating. throw out RUG AND PURPLE FUTON COUCH or put in another room or give away. no excuses!

PURPLE PILLOWS:
Now that you don't have to tie beige couch in with purple furniture and rug, you can get rid of those mauve pillows on couch! please. get rid of purple pillows on futon and couch and stiped pillow and bright throw blanket.

DINING BUFFET TABLE SIDEBOARD FURNITURE:
Near the dining room table, i see a nice brown buffet table and a white table or something with items on it? If it is a radiatior, you have no choice but to keep it there, since it is built in. but, draw less attention to it, by taking some items off it! If it is a movable table, then put the brown nice buffet table where the white table is, switch places essentially. that while is painted pretty beige and the brown would be nice contrast to it.
Decorate the top of the brown sideboard with a few slight verticle elements. A medium sized lamp, not the ugly ones on floor in living room though. A medium sized picture leanign against wall, or a big vase or large candlesticks, something like a foot or two tall, that won't interfere with shelf above it. Get rid of that shelf above it, if you can, but probably a pain and need to repaint, so don't bother.

IF you can't move brown buffet to where white one is, then keep where it is, remove white curtains, and still stick a few tall vases or things to create decorative arrangement but without bothering windows much. THink medium clunky pieces with a presence , nothing tiny and delicate, no multiple knick nacks!

put white dresser where brown one was and decorate top with something pretty, not just clutter, it will blend in with white wall. can't tell material it is made of, and if it is nice or cheap, need more photos. if nice, keep, if not, get rid of i guess, or move it away from dining room.

DIning table:
table nice and chairs nice. you can keep it where it is, just pull it a little farther away from beige fireplace wall and more out into livingroom.

Tan couch:
looks nice, but can't tell quality from picture. hopefully in good condition. move it to location of purple couch now. Then, put those two PRETTY white chairs near it, but really close to it. either one on each side of couch at 90 degree angle. or put two directly across from couch, but all should be close, not far apart like now! You can BUY one nice throw pillow in conservative color or print and small conservative throw blanket for color. no big neon brights, but dark red, beige, brown, black, navy,dark print, may be ok.

Then, as your purchases, buy TWO RUGS!!
They don't need to be expensive. nothing shag, or bright or white or weird, just two conservative rugs. one at living room area definitely. and if you can, put under dining table. if not, skip the dining one. if you buy the dining one, make sure when you pull chairs out from under table, rug is still there.
living room rug should probably be 8 by 11. you can even buy from ikea or somewhere cheap as long as you buy simple durable one that doesn't look too mod.

tan cheap furniture:
since dining room table and buffet are dark and lovely, get rid of your cheap tv stand and mini book shelf. just buy a simple dark brown tv stand. no big ugly tv media stand that will be useless in two years when flat screens become cheap and you decide to buy one. put mini bookshelf in room with ugly futon as practical storage or give away, or put in closet as shelving. do NOT hide in corner of living room as book storage. If you have lots of books, buy one nice tall bookshelf to hold your books, doesnt have to be too fancy, just nothing that looks like it is falling apart, throw out books you dont need. and buy one bookshelf to hold all yoru books, tall, like 3 feet wide and 6 feet tall.

SIDE TABLES:
the one you have is very cute but should NOT be next to those two classical chairs. put it in bedroom or somewhere else. dont throw out, it is cute and little and practical. Buy two medium sized side/end tables, like 2 ft by 2ft and put two lamps on it (that you have on floor now).

Chandelier and lighting:
if a rental, don't bother, if not, and you are sure you will keep dining room table there, then center dining table under chandelier and even change chandelier to cooler one.

Lighting:
looks like cheap ikea stuff, try to go to homegoods and buy one less dorm like cheap metal. buy something more crate and barrel style, less ikea. get rid of all that cheap tall standing lamp lighting. it is functional, just buy a nicer one, but no need to spend $200 on a lamp either. just buy tall lamp with nice looking shade and one tall upright lamp, halogen style but less ugly, to provide needed functional light.

Buy a square or big coffee table or ottoman to put in front of tan couch and to act as anchor of room.

proabably can keep tv stand where it is now, just make it look a little less american, less like all furniture aimed/angles at tv, and more like chairs aimed at couch for group conversation! put bookshelf on wall where couch used to be.

i think i didn't solve your problem yet of what should be against the walls in your living room area still, because tan couch, two white chairs, two end tables, coffee table and rugs should all be in center of living room area, on area rug, not touching walls. However, tv stand and bookcase should be against walls, your walls may still look a little empty though. seems like you should buy two big mirrors and two big pictures to hang as wall decoration and have someone help you place correctly and hang low because your walls look empty. do not just buy furniture and neglect walls, you must hang like two to 4 bit pictures/mirrors on your walls. one above piano, (this one is not so important, but just get rid of that little hanging thing), one above fireplace , and some on bare walls near living room.

this took a while, so i hope this is helpful!!
get out of room list/throw out/give away/put in closet:
blonde wood tv stand, blonde wood mini bookshelf, purple futon, purple carpet, purple/striped bright pillows and blankets, two mini fireplace lamps.curtains. just try having no curtains.

things to keep:
great functional pretty dining set, beige couch, two awesome white classical armchairs, lamps if you must, piano, brown buffet table sideboard.

shopping list:
big 8 by 11 neutral area rug for living room, one or two side tables for living room for lamps, tv stand, tall bookshelf (not ugly leaning kind, just tall and simple wood) don't mess up walls with complicated shelving). 2 to 4 big pictures/mirrors and i mean big like about 3 feet by 4 feet, one throw pillow and blanket.

do these things, then reassess basically, move your living room furniture around how you like it, but keep conversation area on area rug. and think about what to do with walls re: tv, book case and hanging pictures.

good luck, you have a great start with nice table couch armchairs and dining set, enjoy and don't drive yourself crazy.

Wow, looks great. Really like the proportions of the pieces and the way you set up the wall decor to the place looks complete. That first photo of couch with orange drapes behind looks like a great contrast!

I figure you must work in the industry somehow (or be gay). Please tell me your profession? It it related to design?

Each piece is not exactly my style, but the way you pulled it together and arranged furniture so well, and chose correctly proportioned sizes and mixed up colors, it looks great. I am really into different materials, i see you used fabric, glass, chrome, etc....not all wood.

Also, can't say that this entry is really about COLOR though, it is more about good design, than color. :( sorry.

You can definitely tell that you are a pro, and totally true about applying principles of graphic design.

1. great use of proportions of wall hangings. good large size pictures for occupying wall

2 great use of contrasting colors, light in front of dark, etc.. wow!

3. really like third photo, that shows living room close up, great use of that wall, with green cabinet, bright red framed pic above with contrast of pink against black wall, and green plant next to it. also an artfully designed photo!!

duh, just get a desk with a back, so you don't have to see wires and what is behind desk. or if you want to keep desk, lean some type of board, or thick clear plastic that will obscure view of wires, white crate on floor, etc..

no need to build walls or buy screens you don't need, this aint a studio with a roommate, it's your condo. really, no need for divider in small room. maybe you want to be on internet, and watch tv, not divider wall!

just get something that gives a backing to the desk, or get new cheap desk on craigslist. no big deal.

Good ideas by others about moving living room near windows. But, if you really like your bed near window, then I guess keep it. Magazines suggest bed at angle, I agree with other poster, it is kind of weird, so get rid of it, unless you really like it.

You did a great job with living room furniture arrangement. Just a few more suggestions. Small wood table on left of couch, holding remote, doesn't match that great. Try to pull in nice red chair closer into furniture arrangement. size is good and red color contrast bright and interesting against couch. seems like other green chair, tiny table and white table thing get a bit small looking and cluttered over there, especially since couch is so big.

seems like tv furniture holder and tv are against wall, it happens, but good you pulled couch sectional away from wall, looks nice. but if you pulled red chair into mix and pulled couch further back from well, would look more like a better seating arrangement and less like young americans just sitting on couch staring at flat screen tv, y'know??!

also, only front legs of couch need carpet underneath. don't waste all carpet under couch. make it a little warmer and extend are rug to tv area.

keep dvd like furniture away from living room and dvd player, even though more conveneient because not too pretty, and don't need to be that convenient. you can walk across room to get dvd. that black dvd holder doesnt match pretty mod lviign room setup.

agree with other poster , work table and/or desk somewhere closer to living room setup, but not too close, since living room already looks so pretty. that way can eat near lvivin g room not kitchen, if you want. get 4th chair and pull table out from wall!!

bed linens are very nice. but i'm not fond of the two bright couch pillows, too dramaticlaly different from brown couch. maybe a bigger pillow with brown and the bright color in it would be good. because couch is so big, instead get something less shiny, browner with color, big and thick.

enjoy your place, looks great!!!!

Well, if he insists on keeping the light blue walls and dresser, then you should be able to add to accessorize it. Just kind of ignore his stuff and pile sexy stuff over it!!!

FIX BEDDING:
It doesn't have to be a matching expensive set, just a fitted sheet, plain sheet, duvet cover, throw pillow.
For example, you have a plain white down comforter and exposed mattress! How about getting some nice cotton sheets that are a little silky, then don't have to be made of tacky satin or anything. But, choose some sexier colors, not a wedgewood patterned sheet. Get a throw pillow, not 20, just one pretty sexier one. Get a duvet cover for the down comforter.

Accessorize dresser:
How about a small glassy warm light lamp, a little jewelry box of yours, a small stack of books, some sexy looking accessories on top of dresser, to make it feminine, not grandma-ish.

Hang something on the wall-a big cool photograph, a neat painting. cover up the blue wall.

yes, get a headboard. and maybe move the dresser that you hate farther from the bed.

good luck.

WRITE BACK!!! Hi. Please write back to me. Where did you get that white and green dresser next to your bed????

I think my mom had the same one! She got it at her family's furniture store outside Boston around 1970 I think! It was a white dresser, and the drawer covers were reversible, bright yellow on one side, 70's bright lime green on the other, with a silver handle. It had two mirrors above in weird vertical trapezoid shape.

It came with a tall dresser, and two small nightstands, and can't remember the headboard.

And, she still has it!! but, they painted the green part white now, so it fits in better. Please write back where you got it! That is so funny!