San Francisco Bay Area - Paralysis by analysis.. Living Room "style" & color suggestions needed

by hoot_owl

Paralysis by analysis.. Living Room "style" & color suggestions needed

Hey Houzzers!
I am having trouble narrowing my vision for my LR (too many pretty pictures!!). We have a 1952 ranch and did lots of work before moving in. (thanks for your previous suggestions, we kept the brick and painted the paneling)
We are at the point now that I can start with the fun stuff, but we are starting with a blank slate and I am nervous to make big purchasing decisions because my eye seems to wander when I see something cool.
We are planning on purchasing a new couch with chaise or L for in front on the picture windows. The TV is in the recessed section in the second picture across from the Fireplace. We plan on doing *something* with the fireplace relatively soon, but don't need suggestions yet. Other than that, I have a round 1950's mahogany? coffee table on casters, a wing back chair and a small club chair in need of reupholstering. The chairs sit opposite the couch and back to our DR. We also have a 10 month old Lab and plan on having kids.
So, what I am asking? I think the colors in the attached pictures would work, but where do I begin? Color of the Couch, Rug? New Upholstery?
I like contemporary but not stark, industrial without being shabby chic and casual but keeping in mind this is our only living room... all hopefully tying in some MCM appeal. Is it possible?

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hoot_owl Here are the before's in case you were interested. ;-) also we did Poly the floors but no stain. the above pic's shows them just sanded but were the best I had of the area.

3 months ago · Like

judyg One more picture, please taken with your back toward the picture windows. Thanks.

3 months ago · Like

garybraker My First suggestion would be to make the fire place the focal point of the room... With the tv opposite there will be a clash. The brick wall seems very dominating so I would apply some neutral and textural contrast... Go for soft tones/textures and neutral colours... The colours you have chosen seem okay but I would stay away from the yellow and blue if you are going to leave the brick wall plain. And introduce a little orange and red?

3 months ago · Like

Suzanne Regimbal The sofa should not be in front of the window . Place it facing the fireplace and the window .nice colours ,keep the walls neutral a touch of black is perfect and your darker shades for accents:-)

3 months ago · Like ·

rod handler Consider painting or changing the mantel. Is the house "modern?" The window configuration looks like it could be and the mantel looks like it was added later. Nice floors! I'm not in love with the brick. Have you considered painting or whitewashing them as well? Glad the fake beams went away.

3 months ago · Like

hoot_owl sure! Although these are still "during". We actually took down a wall here that ran perpendicular to the end of the brick wall. It used be be a huge L shaped Laundry and workroom. You might also want to know that the door you see on the back of the house is our main entry because of how our driveway is situated.

3 months ago · Like

decoenthusiaste Like your palette, but it is very dark. Is this one wall of windows all the natural light you get? Is that primer on the formerly paneled walls or is that the top color on your color strip? Why not start with a fun MCM piece like the chair below in your saffron yellow? Would look great against a wall in that smokey blue. Or flip it and put a blue chair against the saffron wall. Don't forget a MCM mobile and a shag area rug.

Mid Century Modern Living Room - Small...

Element Clay Studio Photos

Pair of Ceramic Table Lamps

Anson Chair

Pearl Blue Mid-Century Modern Art...

Primo Style Shag Rug

3 months ago · Like

hoot_owl @Gary - so if I like the yellow and blue best.. I need to paint the brick, huh?
@Suzanne - So do you recommend moving the TV and to where? If the sofa is in front of the fireplace. the back of it would be facing the TV in it's current position.
@covortionist - Agree the mantle needs to go and was just build with some trim pieces from what I can tell, don't know what was original. The house isn't really MCM, just built in the 50's so have some of the cool features. We have considered painted the brick, but didn't want to commit to painting the brick AND paneling right away.. Might need to revisit.

3 months ago · Like

garybraker You don't have to ... My suggestion would be to change your colour palette slightly. The pic I attached shows the range of colours that I think will compliment the brick. I don't feel blue will do this just my opinion?

3 months ago · Like

hoot_owl @decoenthusiaste, thanks for the suggestions! The colors are dark, and that is all the light we get currently. I like lighter versions of the same colors, but then it seems to get really "beachy" really fast. Although I actually do have a lot of coastal accents currently, they didn't see to "go" with the house. The color on the walls in the first set of pictures is Manchester Tan by BM

3 months ago · Like

hoot_owl Thanks Gary, those color do go better with the brick.
I guess I am just not a orange/red person. Yellow was a stretch. Love blues and greens!

3 months ago · Like

garybraker I have attached another pic with the colour palette that seems to work nicely maybe more to your taste? My only thought is the brick in your room seems a bit to red?

3 months ago · Like ·

garybraker You could always put more of green and blue to your room as it is larger?

3 months ago · Like

groveraxle If the television is directly across from the fireplace, perhaps you can arrange a sofa perpendicular to the fireplace with two chairs across from it. Thus they would relate to both the fireplace and the TV.

Another option: remove the fireplace surround altogether and hang the TV above. Then your sofa could face the fireplace/TV.

In any case, I would remove the fireplace surround anyway. I probably would not paint the brick, but would look at creating some kind of modern fireplace surround from floor to ceiling. It could be a stacked stone facing, or corten steel, or even just drywall painted. I think I'd live with it awhile before deciding what look I wanted.
House on Belle Island
Contemporary design in a historic space
Cary Bernstein Architect Choy 1 Residence
HCM

I would make the decision about the fireplace and TV location first since they will impact the furniture you buy and how you choose to paint.

House on Belle Island

Contemporary design in a historic space

Cary Bernstein Architect Choy 1...

HCM

3 months ago · Like

Jayme Hobbs Color scheme ideas..pics..

3 months ago · Like ·

drnd Are the radiators under the windows? You can make those look like cabinets without losing the heating element. Of course the curtains and valances are disposable. If you need curtains go with floor length that can be opened & closed. There are also some really cool shades that would go well with mcm. i would go with something light and airy b/c of all the wood in the house. You can put some wall hangings on the brick to soften that up, very mcm, and i would consider painting that brick b/c it looks kind monochromatic and a little institutional with all those hard surfaces. Garybaker's photo is a good updating of mcm which allows for changes in electronics. Bounce some subtle turquoise off the caramel color : not harsh turquoise but something more like seaglass. I agree that the mantel is a late starter in this house and if you want it fine but change it to something more natural looking that goes with the other woods. The sconces need to find a good home somewhere else.

3 months ago · Like

collettec I would remove the fireplace mantel and move the television onto that wall so that your furniture could be facing the wall. Since it's so large, I think it would help to break it up with cabinets or shelves something like Gary Braker's attached pic. Cabinets, tables or shelves in a gray or a black would work against the brick. As for colors, I think something like a navy would work well in here as would a gray green and a mustard yellow. For your furnishings, clean lines with some textured fabrics would be nice for a mcm look. Think a sectional in a navy or gray green might be a choice to consider. Like the idea above for a shag for the rug, in a white or off-white.

3 months ago · Like

groveraxle I know you wanted to address the fireplace later, but it's probably going to be the focal point of this room along with that brick wall, so I think you need to think about it first. In keeping with your contemporary/industrial/mcm bent, consider something sleek in steel:

Steel Modern Fireplace

The Olivers House

3 months ago · Like ·

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