How can I fix my livingroom? It looks like c**p! Help!?

Question

I decided to go with the main colors of tan, brown and olive in my livingroom. I want to get rid of my olive couch and get a fouton, but I want a neutral color for the futon mattress. I just don't want it to be *too* neutral, where everything looks muted. I feel like I have to many little figurines and it seems to clutter everything up, but I like them a lot and can't really think of how to re-arrange. I've got an olive and tan striped chair, small white table, olive couch, black tv stand, brown speakers, small brown wooden stand and brown coffee table...How can I do this without making it look like there's too much brown (the livingroom itself is brown and can't be painted)? I feel like the livingroom (although I want it to feel personal) is so much so that it makes it look like an eyesore. How can I fix this?? Are there any places to get cheaper home furnishings (aside from walmart/kmart/meijer)?

Answer 1

add punches of vibrant colors using pillows, vases, area rug, etc.

also, you can paint your tv stand and coffee table to add other colors to the room

Answer 2

toss convention,

gild the ceiling and apply venetian plaster to three walls (including main window wall) paint a mural of favorite subject on largest blank wall.

Answer 3

While it's hard to visualize your room, I understand your situation. My living room walls are a golden yellow now, but will soon be olive green. My sofa and chairs are brown, my sofa table and coffee table are mahogany, and my carpet is a cream colored print. It's the small accents of burgundy, though, in the form of panels and pillows that punch up the look of the room and make it much less neutral.

As far as accessories go, you can always repurpose some and use them in other rooms. To make your living room less cluttered and in fact brighter and more crisp, choose only a few bold accessories that you really love, and cluster them. It'll make a bigger impact than a lot of small figurines scattered around your room...and you won't have a lot of small figurines scattered around your room.    

Answer 4

1] my first choice would be to paint the walls - butter yellow, or peach, or ivory. Ask landlord if you can paint it a light neutral [ off white, ivory.]

2] add color:  

coral or orange

butter or lemon

lime

aqua or turquoise

3] in:

drapes/curtains

a rug

pillows

paintings or wall hangings

4] include plants, in brass containers, or one of the brights listed above

5] add brass lamps - with ivory or off white shades. Put table lamps on tables, and standing lamps in corners.

5] Go thru all knick knacks. Do you love it? If not, get rid of it! Donate the rest to Salvation Army, or thrift shop.

6] Can anything be moved/traded to bedroom, kitchen? Re- finished in a lighter shade? Covered with slipcovers?

7] place white table in a darker corner, and put brights or dark figurines on it, or clump like items [ all animals, all boxes, all angels ] ] together.

8] put darker stand/speakers in foreground, and put brights, lights, and brass on them.

Good luck!

Answer 5

Sounds like you have a lot of dark colors, which might make the house a bit dull. A quick way to lively up the place would be to add some colorful paintings to your walls.

Depending on your taste, if you like bright colors and modern types of themes. You should check out http://www.aboriginalartsource.com it has a mix of both traditional and modern infused Australian Aboriginal art of all types. This could give you some great ideas and color schemes to work off of.

The other thing is that some of its listings are from an auction so you can potentially get things for very cheap:-)

Good luck

Answer 6

Find some fabric or a print, perhaps a spread you can use as a futon cover or just a throw pillow, with a design or theme that appeals to you and contains some of the colors in your room with another, brighter, color thrown in.  A touch of yellow, orange, or acid green would bring some energy into the neutral scheme you have now.  Then, take a shape in the print, like a circle, or  the theme, like nature, and use elements of it in other places in the room -- for instance, a circle mirror opposite the futon, circle throw pillows, or if nature, a shiny bowl full of pine cones or a glass vase with some branches artfully arranged.  Make it something you love and something that you can change with the season or your mood.  Using fabric, color, and smaller objects can be a low-cost way to personalize a home.  For your collectibles, I suggest placing them on floating shelves on one wall.  This will give them more impact and clear the horizontal surfaces.  If you still have a lot, you might put some away and rotate your collection from time to time.  I put some links below that may help give you some ideas.