SFGate

tennisanyone A picture of a different angle.

Emily Anderson tennisanyone- The rest of the room isn't done at all as we're currently renovating but it's a large great room with vaulted ceilings and this is what you see when you walk in the front door. So this is the shot that gets across the vibe of the room currently. I have a love seat to the left (so a sectional setup) but I haven't dyed it grey yet so it's just distracting and grungy.

tennisanyone I love the gray and yellow combo. I;m doing that or trying to do that in my house too. It is really hard to give an opinion about what you should do based on this picture but I would start with the butterfly picture. Doesn't seem to go with the more vibrant feel. Everyone that posts pictures are in the middle of doing something so the house usually looks like a mess, but we don't care about that.

lefty47 HI -- Great rug ! You should have a look at Jonathan Adler's web site . His style is what you are working towards . The rug is the best thing you have , so work with that as your base , don't dye it . I like the yellow touches and you could add in some purple . You could paint that TV cabinet a dark purple . Benjamin Moore paints "Gentle Violet 2071 -20" or "Mystical Grape 2071 -30 "

Emily Anderson Thanks, tennis anyone. Well here are some more very messy shots. (please ignore the giant table. lol)

acciohaus i would probably switch up the loveseat and sofa positions, if you use it for tv a lot. i think a white glossy coffee table would be nice and lighten up the room a bit as the rug is quite powerful. a quick fix would be using bright colours for the baskets in the entertainment centre. consider putting something like a mirrored chest between the windows with a bright piece of quirky art (check out society6 and the like for cool pieces), about the same size as the butterfly print. i love the yellow, so i would play that up, and add a magenta, aqua, or green if you feel like going brighter.

movethisnotthat your rug is great !!

inkwitch THe gray draperies are too much of the same color as the sofas. A print (geometric perhaps? quadrifoyle pattern?) in gray/white or gray/yellow would work well off the rug (which is gorgeous, BTW). Another option: a 10" band of yellow across top and bottom of draperies about 12" from bottom and 6" from top.

Butterfly picture needs to go elsewhere.

Boxes in entertainment credenza are the wrong color and look out of place. Change to gray or bright yellow or black and line up across the bottom. Brown doesn't work. Paint them if you can.

Emily Anderson @inkwitch and @acciohaus - I think you're totally right about the drapes, picture, and boxes. It's funny how you can get so used to something that you think it has to stay (i.e. butterfly print and curtains). lol

piensa I would add some pops of color. You can orange, red, purple and green. Whichever you like or combinations of. If you use them as accents, you can always change them when you get bored and you'd get a whole new room without having to redo the whole room.

Manon Floreat I think you have a nice start with the navy, grey and yellow accents. I'd suggest changing the curtains to white and maybe repeating a bit of the pink of the entry table into the living area in the form of another pillow or artwork. You could think about incorporating your TV into a gallery wall as in the photo below. Kind of fun look that works and will also allow you to incorporate some art for color.




Below are some fun options to consider in terms incorporating more color into your neutral base. Maybe it will give you some ideas.

wendygreen Or cover the boxes with funky gift wrap is a cheaper option and easy to change

wendygreen Or fabric !!

Dixie Henrie This is just an opinion: paint the entertainment center white, remove the butterflies, and once you have more contemporary artwork -colorful artwork- pull some pillow and drapery colors from your artwork.

tennisanyone I like the idea as someone said of a white high gloss coffee table and then you can add two wood painted chairs either in white with yellow pillows/fabric on chairs or yellow chairs with white fabric or white pillows opposite the couch,. I would try to reverse the two couches and move them back from the tv just a bit. Try the pink piece in between the drapes for more color which you are going for. and either add the mirror or find art that you love. Are you using the room with the crib as a play room? Great place for one if you are. Are you moving that table where the tree is? Is that a dining room? I really like your room.

Emily Anderson tennisanyone - That's a great idea to move the pink chest to the windows! I hadn't thought of that.

The table actually goes in the dining room (which is connected to the kitchen which we are currently renovating). The room with the crib is the music room but I've been using the playpen in there til my little dude is bigger. :) We love the room too as it has plenty of space for us, our toddler, baby and crazy dog.

Elizabeth Dobbs Beach vibe? = Wicker, stripes, white moldings, white curtains, big colorful art, turquoise , orange , colors of a beach sunset , natural matting on floor so that sand drops through, mirror by windows to reflect light and views,. If you feel lost in your too tall walled rooms, hang some cool lighting and paint the wall over eight feet a darker shade than the lower wall. White slipcovers work great with kids and dogs. Look beachy, too. I think your rug is fabulous. Have fun, darling. Great looking rugs also work on the wall as art- I'm just saying.

Sunlight Staging & Home Decor I love the rug! I think you need more pops of bright color based on the look you're going for. I like the yellow accent. How about a bright yellow coffee table? Maybe you can find something with 'good bones' on Craigslist and paint it a glossy yellow?
Also, I know you mentioned keeping the paint color but i think you need something on that tv wall. How about painting/ wallpapering or stenciling that wall in an accent color, or perhaps creating a gallery wall with black, white, grey and yellow frames all over and around the tv? That could be fun too. You could then also pull small pops of yellow in the other room where you have the playpen, and paint the inside of your front door black.
I agree that the butterfly print doesn't really work, but I think the curtains are fine as long as you add more color elsewhere as I suggested. Check out pics on Houzz or Google images of yellow coffee tables, gallery walls and black front doors to see if you like it. Good luck!!

Emily Anderson Manon Floreat - Love those photos! I'm totally planning on doing a gallery wall around the TV, I just need a LOT more art. lol

tennisanyone My beautiful world just posted those two white chairs. Thats what i had in mind for your room when I said get chairs you can see through and that have great lines that you can paint.

debari GREAT rug! I'd try to work some aqua/turquoise into the mix. That, or red!

Sunlight Staging & Home Decor That's funny - I just realized that Manon Floreat had already suggested a gallery tv wall! I didn't notice that before but clearly that's what that wall is screaming! :)

lsullivan5016 Where did you buy that rug? It looks really good!

Emily Anderson My Beautiful World - Great ideas! That's funny that you mentioned painting the front door as I had just started thinking about painting it dark gray but black is probably a better choice. :)

Lsullivan5016 - I bought it at RugsUSA.com. They had an AMAZING Black Friday sale. Score! ;)

Tres McKinney Design You have a good start. A Gallery wall over the TV cabinet is a great idea. The TV cabinet is a bit small in scale but you might be able to balance it with an ottoman on each end. I agree that you need to add a couple of occasional chairs to balance the seating arrangement and make it more conducive to conversation as well as TV watching. I would screen off that angled wall to the playroom with either doors or a pair of curtains matching the window curtains. They would have to be lined in the same fabric or a complimentary fabric other than plain lining To look good on the back side. Eliminate the hold backs and let the curtains fall as a a column to the floor. I would bind the lead edge of the curtains with a wide decorative tape in yellow. The best way you could punch up the room is to paint the walls a bright yellow gold which would be a great back drop for the gray sofas and curtains and then the walls would stand up to the black and white geometric rug. If you like the butterfly print then paint the frame black which would give it a more graphic look. A lacquered red or white coffee table and side tables next to the chairs could be fun. check out Bungalow 5 or Oomph furniture for great options.

Tres McKinney Design PS -I agree that a black front door would look great but I would recommend that the side lights and paneling stay white like the trim color. That way the door is a focal point, I would look for a slimmer black, yellow, red or white lacquered console table to replace the magenta piece in the entry as it seems to be crowding the side light. A tall narrow table lamp or pair if the wall and table are long enough and art or mirror above would be an inviting tableaux. A low bowl of fresh flowers depending on the season would be a great way to welcome you and your guests. Is the area behind the sofa where the Christmas tree your dining area or an extension of the living room? if it is an extension of the living room then a desk and chair could work well as you have placed the table and chair. Then you could add a secondary seating arrangement at that end of the room. If it is a dining area then you could replace the table and chair with a sofa table behind the sofa and a pair of fun lamps. We will need to see a photo of that end of the room to give you more informed advice. Have fun!

lessismoore Good suggestions as ever - I think you should send me your butterflies :-) and since you mentioned surfing, get some surf board "art" instead.
Glass table , color key wall, white for the entertainment unit ... etc. ?

Joan Bartos The rug is gorgeous but-as is-overpowers everything else. The area just doesn't look like a place to relax yet. I think the main problem is the lack of soft lighting and over repetition of the straight lines. Your front door entrance also opens up right into this area,which will make anyone sitting their feel a bit vulnerable. Try to find (or make) a curvaceous (S-shaped?) room divider between the entrance and the sitting area. This can be double as a toy/books/art supplies chest if it's designed right. Reconsider having your TV in this room. With a young child, you might not want to make TV the focus of this family gathering place. Go for some safe floor lamps that will provide soft light. Don't go with a glass table with a young child in the house.A low coffee table that could serve as a child's art table and some soft furniture-like poufs would be great.

bellandromeda I am thinking of having and placing rugs in my place too.. this discussion helps me more on deciding what will I get :)

Natalie Hi---your wall color is dull---more saturated hue is needed. Pops of color with art, pillows, and fresh flowers---perhaps adding another rug with a bit more color. :) Good Luck!
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Jayme Hobbs I like the rug. The sofa and loveseat should be switched/ sofa crowds that media center. Butterfly pic isn't in the right genre. I would look for a contemporary piece with vibrant colors including the yellow/blue. The color of the media Ct. doesn't match. I would paint it black, white or darker grey. I agree the door would look nice painted. Matching chairs for a seating group with a smaller table inbetween on one side of the room/fireplace. A few runners on the floor and I think that t.v. wall needs help. It's so tall and to me should be a focal point.

nevadan Don't die your rug. De-emphasize your sofa (which looks oldand tired) by removing the contrasting throw pillows. Use a magenta red for your accent and c onfine it to your window treatment. You have a nice-looking window but currently you have spoiled it with the wrong drapes. Your drapes need to pull across, and need to be wide enough that when open they reveal the entire window glass. They are also hung to high.

wgrosenthal I love all the ideas everyone submitted, it really comes down to incorporating our suggestions to a style that is all your own and suits your family. The rug inspired my decor, same dilemma. I think you should add white glossy coffee table. They have great low glossy white tables at affordable costs at Ikea. You could replace the table behind sofa with an Ikea white console table to match the coffee table or paint a high gloss finish on the existing one in white or turquoise to save money. You can add a turquoise pouff and some chevron pillows to add some interest. I like the white drapes suggestion as well. I also like the idea of painting your tv console white. I would leave the baskets the color they are. Some organic touches, and texture make the modern decor warmer and they match the flooring. This will give you a cohesive look without being too matchy but give the pop of color your looking for. Love the look you started, can't wait to see what you decide to do. Be sure to post the final touches. Good Luck. Pretty house, and great taste.

Whitney Nordstrom, BAID The furniture is too close together. Pull your sofa and loveseat futher away from the wall, and add end tables. Turn the carpet in other direction to accommodate the sofa and loveseat being further from the wall. Add 2 chairs to finish off the grouping (with their back to the front door, and angles toward each other, with a table in between). The tv wall definitely needs layering, with eclectic frames, and interesting artwork.

7768 I think the butterflies are nice. I would add a black frame around the white one to make it larger and set it off.
Manon Floreat
Where did you get the photo of the painting of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Buidling and Brooklyn Bridge. I would love to see about getting one.

7768 I was just trying to find the painting of the skyscrapers and bridge and I came upon these painting of the Brooklyn Bridge in your colors!

sweetsy Paint the room all white with white trim, then incorporate the (many fabulous) ideas mentioned. It will serve as backdrop to all the color you would like to pull in from artwork, glossy table, throw pillows. Change the drapes and do not use those holdbacks. Down the road you might slipcover couches. You've got such a fabulous starting point with this room. Good luck and enjoy!

newmouse You definitely need some sparkle and shine. A little mercury glass, high gloss enamel, chrome, crystal, glass, etc will enliven the space.

twinsmami Just a suggestion on your entertainment center. Ikea has cubes in wood or resin that are done in bright colors which should fit that. Additionally, they make tall cube storage that could fill that wall better in combination with what you already have. Below are some links.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/70138400/

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/categories/departments/living_room/10382/




As a mom who remembers well those toddler years you can NEVER have enough storage. Additionally, I think the grey works well - consider another black and white print for your curtains to layer some texture. Mixing prints is fine, just vary the scale of the print so they don't compete. Also, I would consider doing something really fun and graphic on that entertainment center wall. I'm not big on wallpaper but in this case I think the texture is needed. Here's a link with some examples.

http://www.grahambrown.com/us/color/black-wallpaper

Darla what would it look like to get 6 framed prints,with bold butterflys, nice size ones.. Paint the frames a bright bold color and put on each side of the windows. and 2 in the middle, or keep the butterfly print you have,add a great bold matt that would pop the butterflys with frame and add 4 other single butterflys prints with great poping frames on the out side of each windows? the butterflyes need s to be in the colors that you want to pop in the room. also maybe paint the entertainment center a chrome color and place some funky colorful objects on the center shelves. I would try switching the sofa and the loveseat placement.. and get a long upholsted ottoman to put on top of the rug, and i would upholster it it yellow...but i love color.. i was just thinking out loud, or typing...lol

Joan Bartos Just a reminder to people that it's vitally important to make sure any recommendations for rugs or carpets are those made with the "Goodweave" label. This assures that your rug was made by adults,not children. For more information you can go to www.GoodWeave.org

Studio NOO Design Put fushia drapes, lime green cushions mixed with yellow and pink, and paint the media kit, orange or yellow...and voilà ! Love your carpet by the way !

proftonik Everyone has great ideas! Can I put some together ? I think rug is a bit too harsh on eyes, although beautiful. How about light grey walls, white slipcover ( at least on sofa), glossy white large coffee table (preferably round - no edges for little ones), maybe white baskets in entertainment unit, move speakers to floor and art gallery on wall around tv. White frames (maybe some black with large white mats). If you follow the ideas that folks have given, you could have a really lovely home, good luck!

proftonik Sorry, forgot - I would add turquoise accents & do not tie back drapes - as someone has suggested - much more today. I am furnishing a room in beige & gray with an older beige wall unit & hope I can get as much help as you!

Emily Anderson So I've decided I was fighting to hard to use yellow in the room and it's just not working for me. So I found a print that I love to go in between the windows and I'm going to use it as the color inspiration for the room. I'm keeping the couches grey (i dyed them from white bc my boys are just too messy right now) but I think it will be a good base to layer on. So off to Home Goods to find some pillows and maybe a few gold accents. Thanks, everyone, for your great ideas!

Interior Expressions/ Nardelli Home Decor

love orange and gray together

7768 Manon Floreat
Where did you get the photo of the painting of the Empire State Building, Chrysler Buidling and Brooklyn Bridge. I would love to see about getting one.

Manon Floreat Hi 7768. I found those prints on Etsy. She's got several fun ones and they're very affordable. You can find here:

http://www.etsy.com/shop/lauraamiss?ref=pr_faveshops

Carolyn C How about a nice yellow on the walls, with a great white lacquer or wood table with a nice pop of yellow on the table.

Emily Anderson @carolyn colagiovanni - I really like my grey walls and couches because I can use whatever art I want on top and be a bit more eclectic. I'm much more of a fan of using grey in the color scheme than yellow (plus when you have really high ceilings, painting is a LOT of work. lol)

Carolyn C Hi there. Here is your art on th e wall, you can insert red pillows, but I like the yellow in there as well.
Coffee table can be a real statement. It would be nice if you could, when you have money :-) get a TV on the wall and maybe put the speakers in a less conspicuous place. See if you like this better.

Carolyn C oops, cut the art off at the top, sorry.

Emily Anderson @carolyn colagiovanni - That looks great! I definitely need a coffee table to bring in some shine I just need to find one that a 2 year old won't injure himself on or break. ;) I'm planning on doing a gallery wall around the TV and painting the boxes that I already have so hopefully that will down play the husband's speakers. lol We might be moving in the next couple of years so I'm kind of hesitant to put the TV on the wall since I'd have to figure out a system to hide the cords for the DVD and Wii as well. Definitely would be nice in the long run though.

anitajoyce The rug is over powering the space. Your room is still neutral even though you wanted to add color.It's a very nice rug. I would place the largest sofas a little on the rug of the tv. Paint the tv stand in white. Add two end tables and lamps also. Add a nice coffee table too. Add some accent pillows with bold print or similar to the rug (black and white, grey and white, grey and yellow) add solid color pillows too .color pillows like blue, rust, orange or green. You could change the panels to rust, orange, green , blue or another color that you like.. Take away the all the pillows on the sofas now, because they add nothing to the space.

Vera Beaman Design Consultant Ward Brown Builders sofa is dead and the rug is so full of life. need to put more energy into the sofa ..cover the cushions or put color on the sofa

Natalie Paint your walls darker and add colorful pillows... Your rug is the darkest thing in the room and it has the most pattern---the entire space needs to be balanced...Window panels with a pattern or a band of contrasting fabric/stripe anything would draw attention away from the rug. It's really an easy fix. Good Luck![houzz=Living Room] [houzz=Western Springs Living Room] [houzz=Vintage Modern Living][houzz=Cat Mountain Residence]

anitajoyce Panels and pillows in a nice green color would be nice with the black , white and grey color scheme.

Natalie This wall color is exactly the hue I think perfect for your room. It is daker than your floors and that is what would make a world of difference. Currently the walls and floor are even in shade---definitely needs contrast. Peace out...
[houzz=
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Emily Anderson Natalie - That's a great wall color. I have to repaint anyway since we added a wall so I just may do that.