Tuesday, October 14, 2008

new house: room 1

The time has come!! It is time to decorate my new house. How desperate am I to have this sucker decorated? Enough to have gone to every talk show site (especially Oprah...Nate Berkus...pray hard!) and apply to have a room/house makeover. BUT since we know that is very unlikely, I will just have to put myself to work and figure things out. I am commissioning you to help me out on this though. I am not creative enough or cool enough to put things together and not have it look like a Muppet mish-mosh. So, let's get started.

First room of choice: the front living room.


Okay. So very Napoleon Dynamite-ish (like Kerry would say). I could definitely leave things the way they are and apply to have our house be the site for the next movie OR make it look very modern/cozy/awesome.
Your job: go crazy! Tell me everything and anything you are thinking...paint colors, furntiture styles, decorating, etc. How should the room be arranged? Would you recommend a TV in the corner? Where can I get some cool slip covers? Oh. And have fun! ;)

9 comments:

Valeri said...

I love the fireplace! It has a very classic look, and it's the one thing I'd definitely keep exactly the same. I wonder how hard it would be to tear the wood paneling down. Although it could look cool if you paint it the right color, or if you're wanting to go with a more retro look. I'm the worst at making decorating suggestions, but I'll definitely be curious to see what you do!

Slipcovers are hard because so often they just look bad if they aren't the exact right fit. I have also seen them look awesome, so it's just a matter of finding the right one(s) to fit. Target or PB would probably have something decent.

I didn't see it until you said it, but I SO agree it looks straight out of Napolean Dynamite. Love it!!

Rebekah said...

Love the new house!
First, I would paint the wall that the fireplace is on, I really like the beige colors with white accents around baseboard and windows. Ikea has some pretty nifty slipcovers. Or if you know someone handy with a sewing machine you could make custom slipcovers, that's always fun! Update the ceiling fan to one with a light fixture on it.
Have fun decorating!

marni said...

i would definitely take out the paneling and that fan. if you're really feeling ambitious, re-do the fireplace-new mantle, etc. i'm telling you, ikea has some great ideas. if you don't want to go all the way down there you can look online. looks like your house is going to be full of "fun" projects. :) anyway. you don't have to listen to anything i say cause i am definitely no decorator. good luck!

dayna said...

YAY! SO SO exicted for your (YOUR) own place...something about that makes any girl want to 'nest' ya know! I have lots of suggestions--maybe I'll shoot you an email. one thing I'll say here, though,--no tv in this room. the fireplace should be the focus and there really isn't a great place for it (the tv). i'll email you:) LOVE IT!

Julie said...

Are you moved in??? Looks great! Congrats. As for decorating advice, I third the IKEA idea. Pretty good prices and fun stuff. Just go wander, pick out a room you love and COPY it!! Paint makes a huge difference too! How about updating the texture and painting in earth tones.

Anonymous said...

Yeah! I made the blog :) Now I must make my first ever comment!

My suggestions are- Best features of the room are the fireplace and that gorgeous big window. Either paint white, or take down the paneling. Get rid of the fan and replace with a light fixture. Put a big clock or painting above the fireplace. Are you keeping the carpet? - looks in pretty good nik in the photo. Perhaps a rug in the middle of the floor, in the same theme as whatever you put above the fireplace. Sofas - either buy or make (would your Mum volunteer??!) covers - plain on the larger ones with a design on the smaller one.

Goodluck! Sounds like fun times ahead...

Sorry for the lack of comments. I'm lame. I'm a great reader, poor commenter and non-existent blogger. One day I'll reform.

D.I.M. Incorporated said...

Congrats on the new home Orrs! We have the same fireplace in our living room! lol But, we rent, so there's not much we can do with it!

The Homely Animal said...

Questions, 1- what is the available budget for this room (don't get freaked like I'm thinking total overhaul..I just want to give a realistic opinion based on cash.) 2- what are the measurements of this room? It's hard to get a grasp of the footage from a pic.

Nells-Bells said...

Animal,
Yes, our budget is minimal. We don't have a lot of dough right now to dish out. BUT want to do some improvements. I'm actually not sure what the measurements are. But it is quite a large front room.

I love all the comments thus far! Keep 'em coming!