I started putting together a living room design for fun the other day (yes, I love doing design boards for fun!!) It all started with one of my new favorite color combinations: orange, blue and gray. It’s such a cool combination that brings a masculine feel to a room, with its color selection, yet also can have a feminine side, with the addition of fun patterns and whimsical accessories. Here’s what I came up with:
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With this design, I mixed high end pieces with great deals, to achieve a relaxed and eclectic look. When I create designs, I like to play around with pieces, editing often. You may recognize the repetition of circles in this space. The mirror, coffee table, side tables and lighting all bring in a circular shape. It’s important to repeat shapes as well as color, when putting a room together. But, it can also get to be too much and also needs an opposite counterpart to achieve balance. So, I brought in some shapes with straight lines, such as in the sofa, console and chest of drawers. I also tried to repeat color in the space, to make the accessories feel as if they were meant to be there. The orange and blues are repeated throughout, with sprinkles of gray to ground the space. The artwork (shown near the console) helps to tie in all of the room’s colors. There is a lot of pattern seen here, with the ikat area rug and throw pillows. To help balance out all of that pattern, I have neutral upholstered pieces and drapery. The paint color is a soft blue/gray and doesn’t try to compete with the bolder colors in the space.
What started me on this design was a recent issue of the Home Decorators Collection catalogue. What surprised me was their amazing sofa prices. The sofa above is their Dorset sofa. It’s a great deal, but they also have others with even better prices. I have also been looking at Macy’s on line for their unbelievable and stylish options. It got me thinking, would I ever buy a sofa that I wasn’t able to sit on and try out? I might for our living room, since we don’t use that room for gathering as much. It’s a tough one, because you are taking a great risk. What if it’s uncomfortable?
I would love to know what you think… would you take the risk, or have you already? If you did, was it a good risk???
Summer is a great time to make decor changes in your home and go for a new look! To get started, click on the ‘design services’ link at the top of my blog.
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