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So I'm going to add a few more pics to my photowall and see how it all looks and comes together. I'm always nervous on how my decorating is coming along but I've received so many compliments from friends and family so I guess I'm doing an alright job. LOL. I just cant wait to see how it all looks when the dining table is in along with dining chairs. I want to get something eclectic in the room though. I think the photowall helps personalize it. I'd like a nice but big mirror in the dining section to reflect the window in the living area and I still want another big piece of artwork to go beside the current one. I would also like a floating buffet hutch or a glass hutch something to just add more reflection and glam to the room. We'll see. I'll post more pics when the dining table arrives.
I did a wall of frames that I bought on umbra.com in my dining room; you have good wall space to do a gallery setting of frames. Looks amazing. Also bought wall decor for my living room, inexpensive way to have really great art that you can change up frequently.
Sure you can do floating shelves. Do you have things you can put on them that you have in mind? Other things that could be done to fill the wall might include:
- a gallery wall of pictures (think of things like a series of 6 or 8 or more pictures or an assortment of various pictures)
- one or two very large pieces of art (you can find reproductions at great prices if you keep your eyes open or consider having something you like printed on canvas and gallery wrapped (no frames required) to get something custom). If you are at all crafty or adventurous, you can hit dollar stores and get some very large canvases ready to paint for under $10 then just add your own talent to them
- look for something interesting and off-beat to hang. Off the cuff...a big old sign, film reels (somewhere on here is a thread about those), a tapestry or interesting fabric (framed even)
I guess what you need to decide is what look you want and also look at what you might need in that area. For instance you may need some storage which opens up a whole new area of thought like one big floating shelf or a piece of furniture you can use a place to hold both serving dishes etc. as well as having a surface for plates/food and such when you are having a party.
Still need help with my dining area. I think I've decided on a rectangular table but I'm not sure what to do in terms of what should go on the walls. I think I'd still like to put up some mirrors on the dining wall to reflect the living area. And I'm not sure what to do in the dining room section wall that is part of the long wall that the fireplace is on. Should l do floating shelves? Not sure but it looks so boring in this area and really lacks life. I found a chandalier that I like that I'd like to use.
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At first I thought you meant coffee table but I think you mean dining table. So, I like the look of a square table but I see them only at bar height and I know alot of the members did not like bar height tables as they are hard to get in and out of. If you do go square, go as large as you can for your room so you can have more people around the table when you have a crowd (or get leaves to go in it). At Stoney Creek Furniture in Stoney Creek, Ontario I have seen a neat table that is round but the round edges tuck up underneath so then it is a fairly large square table. You can comfortably fit more people around a round table. I was looking on the website and can only find an octogon table that had drop leaves to make it a square table.
Try taping out the floor and then put some kitchen chairs around the tape to see how much room it will take up when the chairs are pulled out, etc.
Hope this helps.
STUCK!!!! DO I DO A SQUARE TABLE OR A RECTANGLE TABLE???? We've decided to do a reclaimed wood table that has a gray ash type look to it. I can either do 5ft by 3ft or 4 ft by 4ft or 5 ft by 5 ft. What does everyone think? I like the idea of a solid wood table. Just to balance off the room. I think for chairs I will do something a little light.
But not sure what dimensions will work in that area.
Thanks for sharing your progress with us. Neat to see it all come together!
Wow, your pictures show up really small but from what I can see, it looks great. Love the cow hide in the neutral colour. You did a great job.
Updated pics of the living room. Added cowide rug and turquoise vase.
Hey Mrs. Peacock thanks for the compliments and feedback. I'm going to be purchasing my area run fairly soon. I'm also eager to get working on my dining area soon.
Still so much to do ....but we're enjoying every minute of it decorating!!
Cheers Nicole
The room is looking good. I think an area rug will really finish off the space when you find one you like. I like the idea of a cow hide but you could also consider a graphic black and white chevron style.
-I'm also trying to find a nice big mirror to put above the fireplace. I'd gladly welcome some more suggestions. Still haven't found a dining table ...and I'm not sure what style table would work with our decor. I'd also like to get some things on the walls but I still haven't found anything that I love...and nothing from my old condo really works. I think I'll use the prints from my old place in my family room downstairs.
Love some feedback.
It looks like a nice house. I like that it has some detail/character built into it which is not very common in new homes.
Although you are pretty much free to go since you don't have a lot yet, I'd get the sofa away from the window. Two reasons, the sun is going to kill the fabric in short order, and two if you pull it out so it's facing the fireplace you will cozy up the room right away and lose the long look of the room.
Try it so it's centered in front of the fireplace with it's back facing the stair wall. You need to leave 4' or more between the sofa back and wall as a natural walk/traffic lane into the rest of the room/house. If you get a sofa type table or console of some sort (they make some really neat ones that would give you storage too) you can put lamps or accessories on it and make it really interesting. Then you can get some more seating for either side of the fireplace and make a nice conversation area around the focal point of the room.
You can have other things in front of the window like a bench seat or little table with a chair or whatever that will be easier to protect from direct sun and make a nice little conversation or reading or whatever area there. You will also have better access to the windows when you get drapes or want to open/close the windows. You may also be able to put the TV in that corner between the window and fireplace which would make it easy to see (angled so the sun doesn't cause glare on it) and out of being in center stage which it may end up being if you leave the sofa where it is (thinking the TV will end up facing it and therefore ends up the first thing you probably will see when entering the room).
I know it may sound like it will make the room smaller but I can tell you from experience, a decorator suggested I do this in my last house and once I got used to the sofa being close the fireplace it was a really nice solution to placing furniture and made a long narrow room seem wider and more naturally divided into livingroom/dining room.
If you did get an area rug, that would really help cozy things up (and protect the floors) and then another for the other half of the room and a runner for the traffic lane and you'd automatically have some good visual division of the spaces.
That nook by the stairs looks like a great place to set up some sort of vinette. I'm thinking a bench or desk or some sort of unit to put a mirror or pictures or accessories. On the simple side, just a big urn or vase would be striking too. If you are crafty you could even go find a nice gnarly old dead branch and paint it out in black or metallic (check auto stores for great metallic spray paints) or whatever you like and put it in a nice pot (weighed down with rocks) to make a really inexpensive sculptural piece to fill the space.
Here are some examples and you can make them as big or wide or simple or intricate as you like (and depending on what branches you can find). Cheap and cheerful and if you paint it up and do it right everyone will think you ran to a high end store.
Nixx: what a great home. Love the floors. I would put a rug in the livingroom to define the sitting area. Other than that, I think you need to start putting out what you have to fill the space and then post some more pics so we can help you fine tune everything.
Hi Everyone,
So finally some pics are posted of my new place. I welcome suggestions and ideas on how we might enhance the rooms. I'm a fan of mirrors, black and white pictures and floating shelves....anything I can do to make the room simply chic without overcrowding the rooms yet making it warm and inviting where you can sit and chat and have a glass of wine that's my goal. I still haven't fully unpacked but I wanted to share with everyone some pics!!
thanks for the feedback :)