# Need help with living room....



## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

Im looking to change the look of the living room. I would like to hear any ideas you have to change the look. As of right now i ripped out the carpet and am having the wood floors refinished tommorrow. I'm considering removing the cabinets infront of the woodpaneling and then lay sheetrock infront of all the wood paneling. What do you guys think? I'm also going to have painters come in on sunday and need to figure out a color scheme for the room. thanks...


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Cabinets*

I'm new on this site as of about an hour ago, so sorry for just jumping in, but your cabinets have great potential. 


My thoughts are to first cover the top of the fireplace with drywall (sheet rock I think you call it) so it can be painted. 

Keep the cabinets and paint them a white to match any other mill work your have and change the handles on them to upgrade them. If they are too plain, you can have them spoofed up with some wood trim prior to painting. Make sure you sand and prep them well so they look new with the new paint. If you look at some of the decorating magazines you will see this look, add nice baseboard around the room that matches the white, and a nice contrasting warm color on the walls and your floors will glow and the fireplace will be a show piece.

I am going to pay a fortune to have cabinets and bookshelves built for my fireplace to look like yours.

Good luck.


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

*more...*

more thoughts, I should have said keep all millwork below the long mantel, inlcuding the verticle wood panel underneath the mantle as that will add design just above the cabinets and give the structure balance. It will then have a perfect linear cut off from the new drywall.

Paint color's, warm sisal color not too dark but with color in a flat with cloud white on the millwork and baseboards. You may want to consider a crown molding on the top of the walls depending on the height of the ceiling. And if you can get rid of the airconditioner or move it to another area that would add to the new look as well.

I hope this helps.


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

I really like your idea. I'm going to mention it to the painter thats doing the work. Crown molding is also definetly going to be put up. Below is a pic of the rug that i'm planning on buying. I was thinking of using benjamin moore antique white for the walls but not sure if i should go darker. What do you think? thanks again.











This a picture of the dining room. I cant wait to get rid of that nast green lol. Should i just paint the top and bottom same color?


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Great Rug!*

Great rug, how about choosing a color(s) from the rug to put your color palate together? I am also using Benjamin moore paints and some of their designers are excellent, I have used two of them, two because the first one was a little wet behind the ears and was designing to her likes not mine but was still very good. They will come to your house for a fee, (I'm sure you know this) or free if you take a picture to them, i.e., your rug...

I like the light squares in your rug for a color on the wall, maybe a shade lighter but that tone is so nice. It looks like you are into a taupe and white thems, that is the easiest to decorate around and the most soothing I think. Our entire house is in that them right now and we are changing it up a bit, more depth in our color, I hope we are not sorry, it's risky to do what we are doing.

In your dining room, how about looking at some wainscotting for below the trim that cuts the room in half, such as beadboarding. It is very attractive and painted the same color as your millwork it would fit in with your living room theme very nicely. Those walls could be a darker taupe and would look lovely, especially if you use a matt or flat finish on the walls and eggshell on the wainscotting. 

I found a few wainscotting site, just google, wainscotting pictures and uses, and you will get some great ideas.

For the life of me, since I got your friend request, I cannot figure out how to add you as a friend...so bear with me, I am trying, it keeps saying my token has expired...

Your house is going to be lovely when your done. The floors are beautiful!

in the


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

Still a work in progress but here is a new pic....


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

test123


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## derf36 (Jul 4, 2009)

so far so good, I think the progress looks good:thumbsup:


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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Looks good, I think the drywall at the top will look nice
Too much wood before


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

*Wow!*

Perfect choice on the doors! And the mantel.
Are you going to paint the back trim on the doors white too?

Why not follow the door style or something similar on the bottom half in the dinning room for the wainscotting? 

I wish I could do my house this way...I love this look it is so warm and inviting. Our house is 60's contemporary and there is no way we can use too much millwork or it looks out of place so everything we do is clean classic contemporary. That is fine, yet our style is more arts and crafts, so one day...


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

thanks, everything will be painted white. I like your suggestion for the dining room but i'm already way over budget with the other repairs that i have done. Maybe i can still do it sometime in the future.


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

Any suggestions for Blinds/Curtains?


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

You bet, if you can, take a look at what white california shutters would look like. They would go great with your millwork and are timeless. Later, some flowing light curtains from ceiling to floor to set off the furniture would be very nice but I wouldn't add that until much later. 
I think I'm living my decorating dream through your house!

My mantel and skylights just arrived and the crews started back yesterday so we are in a construction zone here I may not be back for a day or so. 

Looking forward to more pictures.


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

Here is a better picture of the windows. Those california shutters look nice, but also look like they may be pretty expensive. I originally was thinking about some white roman blinds that would allow some light through. And then adding some curtains that would match one of the colors from the rug. I want something that would look good with the look of the room of that picture i posted with the rug. Good luck with all of your construction, it must be tough having that done and also living there at the same time.


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## lighting lady (Oct 14, 2009)

Your room looks great! May I suggest a beautiful stained glass fireplace screen for in front of the fireplace. I hope you will be using the fireplace, I only say that because I know of so many people that have a wood burning fireplace and they never use them. If you fit into that category, place a hearth candelabra inside to make the fireplace come alive and add ambiance to the room. Just some ideas.....


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)

Thanks for the suggestion. I'll look around online to see what the stained glass for the place looks like. I'm definetly planning on using my fireplace, thats the whole point of having one lol.


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

Yes, shutters can be very expensive, and don't fit every house, they can make a house look over done as well. 

I love roman blinds, they is a good choice! Can you find "soft" ones, that have a cloth look to them, then you wouldn't have to have curtains, and it would look clean and crisp. I am not sure how put curtains on the bay window, definatley not a topper how it is...The dinning room is much easier as that is where you can do the very long floor to ceiling elegant look on each window with a simple material.

living in the construction is a pain, but it will be worth it I am sure. 

Keep us posted, this is fun.


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## limike820 (Nov 4, 2009)




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## Scuba_Dave (Jan 16, 2009)

Looks great, very nice update


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## sw8689 (Nov 6, 2009)

Been offline for awhile during drywall phase of my own, new ceilings and skylights took a long long time.

Great job! Looks so nice and great choice of color! I wish you could have choosen my colors...I'm not having as much luck with the color, I have had the painter change it three times, hopefully third time lucky?

I love how the fireplace turned out. It all looks very nice.

Sandra


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## hammerandnails (Jan 2, 2010)

*decorating*

I swear I had this same house once! :yes:You are on the right track with the fireplace wall, although I would have gone with glass paned front doors on the cabinets rather than the beadboard look (I am guessing these are the originals just painted). Though it works with fluting of the mantel, it clashes a bit with the tile around the mantel. Maybe it's just the color of the tile? Too stark a constrast between the white and the tile?

On the idea to do beadboard wainscoting in the dining room, as much as I love that look, once you do it, your stuck with it. Maybe remove the trim and do solid color? Keep those bay windows as frill free as possible. They are a great design element and curtains just muddy it up! 

Have a blast! Your house will be gorgous! Here's some pics of fireplace walls I have transformed in the past.


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