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Decorating living/dining room-any ideas for colour scheme please?

(109 Posts)
loopylou Sun 21-Jun-15 15:40:28

i want to redecorate our through living/dining room, currently magnolia walls and beige flecked carpet. I had intended to buy a new settee and armchairs, carpet, curtains etc. I have seen photos of a pale teal walls /grey carpet that I vaulted like but having difficulties persuading DH who 'can't see anything wrong with what we have'! It's 6 years since we last decorated and I'm bored with it hmm

I hate the dark red settee/armchair (it was secondhand and could be recovered I suppose) and DD says everything's 'beige' hmm

I've looked at magazines galore but wonder if any GNs could suggest colour schemes please? The room is very light with patio doors one end and big windows opposite.

I don't like red/pink or orange.

Thank you in anticipation

Ana Sun 21-Jun-15 18:32:57

Depends on the shade. Our living room is painted in a sort of pale Thousand Island dressing colour - sounds awful but it's a lovely, subtle and warm hue! (Mixed at Homebase several years ago...hmm)

loopylou Sun 21-Jun-15 18:38:44

Not pink, DH would have a fit! The room was pale orange when we moved here, I definitely don't want anything on the red spectrum.

Bedroom I'm equally uncertain, it's white (with 6 match pot squares in green/ blue), south facing, cream carpet (I don't like that either but it was cheap)

Has anyone got a grey carpet? Is it a colour that shows every mark/ bit of fluff?

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 21-Jun-15 18:40:11

jasmine shimmer first one on this page.

J52 Sun 21-Jun-15 18:45:01

We have mimosa walls and oyster silk curtains in the b'room. Until recently we had a pale blue carpet, but we couldn't find a match when we went to replace it, so we went for a true turquoise. ( a bit worried about the strength of colour) But it looks really good. x

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 21-Jun-15 18:46:53

I am sorry I have hijacked your thread a bit loopy.

J52 Sun 21-Jun-15 18:48:04

Grey really depends on the tone of colour. Some are slate, very draining, others are blueish. I'd paint the walls first and then get carpet samples to see how they look. x

loopylou Sun 21-Jun-15 18:53:18

grin Feel free jingl! I'm interested in what other GNs have or plan too.
The more ideas the better!

Tegan Sun 21-Jun-15 18:57:13

My new carpets are in a colour called 'Beaver'; I'm hoping that it's a colour that lends itself to other colours, being a sort of grey/brown. I was worried about having a very light colour.

Katek Sun 21-Jun-15 20:29:54

Nutmeg emulsion

www.dulux.co.uk/en/colour-details/nutmeg-cluster-6

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 21-Jun-15 20:43:56

Alright. Would someone tell me that they hate my jasmine shimmer. I can take it. Thank you.

FlicketyB Sun 21-Jun-15 20:45:18

Every living room I have ever had has been painted a shade of yellow, From the strong orange/yellows of the 1960s to the very pale cream of my current living room and upholstery and curtains have blended in; from dark brown Habitat furniture in the 60s to the soft yellow ochre of the upholstery on my predominantly vintage - antique furniture that I have today.

Coolgran65 Sun 21-Jun-15 20:50:17

Our lounge/dining is ivory walls and barley Hessian type curtains that when closed cover two full walls. The furniture is rustic. The big bugbear is a fireplace which is butterly brick and runs the length of a wall. Lowered section at on end for the tv and filling the alcoves. Brown shiny hearth tiles. You get the idea...stuck somewhere in the 80s. To remove it would affect the chimney breast and leave flooring naked...we've no wood left from what is on the floor.

After several hesitations DH has agreed to paint the fireplace. The bricks will be limestone colour and the wooden mantels will be a deeper shade in the pale coffee range. Black slate matte tiles on the hearth.

Now I have my fingers crossed that it will be as good as I hope because there will be no going back.

loopylou I also wouldn't want a red room however found that cushions in a tartan using the barley colour of the curtains and dark ruby red is gorgeous. A bunch of peonies on the table and a ruby wool throw on the arm of the sofa has pulled it together beautifully.

loopylou Sun 21-Jun-15 20:59:33

It's a pretty colour * jingl*, very similar to my DD's room.

Coolgran I have zero sense of 'pulling things together' mainly because up to now we've acquired family/other people's cast-offs ever since we got married 38 years ago hmm, mainly for practical reasons.
So, having the opportunity to start from scratch has me flummoxed! I have a reasonable budget, but no idea how to coordinate everything sad, hence magnolia galore.

suzied Sun 21-Jun-15 21:13:22

Parma Grey was the F and and B colour I was thinking of. It's a lovely greeny bluey colour. Try the test pot.

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 21-Jun-15 21:35:06

smile

whitewave Sun 21-Jun-15 22:15:39

jing it seems to be blue based rather than pink is that what you want? Mind you what do I know!!!

Coolgran65 Sun 21-Jun-15 22:18:13

I have never had a chance to decorate from scratch and would also be lost not knowing where to start.
I guess that's why my home is all some shade of off white so that it goes with everything. Even bedding is neutral. Everything everywhere goes with everything!!!
Hence delighted with touch of berry red in the living area. smile

jinglbellsfrocks Sun 21-Jun-15 22:21:17

Yes. I want it almost white. But with a slight bit of pink. And then I will start again with some big deeper pink-ish floral pics from John Lewis.

whitewave Sun 21-Jun-15 22:28:42

We got some of our pics from JL, They do a good range.

We saw a tripdytch (not sure how to spell that) of a coastal scene that we liked but the one we saw was miles too big, and then I came upon it in JL and it was just the right size. Pleased with it and people comment on it. Everyone is sure that they have been there - wherever they have beensmile

Penstemmon Sun 21-Jun-15 22:34:21

A neutral grey (sounds dull but isn't!) would be a good background (like magnolia but different!!) Charcoal grey upholstery , pale grey/silver carpets,. A silver curtain/blind with a colour in it which can be further accented with cushions and accessories (pictures /vases etc) !

Penstemmon Sun 21-Jun-15 22:36:14

uk.pinterest.com/explore/dulux-grey/

hildajenniJ Sun 21-Jun-15 23:14:08

My entire house needs redecorating. We've been here twelve years and only the kitchen has been painted since we decorated when we moved in. I wouldn't know what to suggest loopy, as I haven't a clue where to start here. I like greens and blues, but I also like pale shades of yellow. Teal sounds lovely.

hildajenniJ Sun 21-Jun-15 23:15:53

PS. In one of our old houses, my DS had pale grey carpet and light blue wals in his bedroom and I loved that colour combination.

Tegan Sun 21-Jun-15 23:49:45

Our B&B room was blue; not a colour I like in rooms because I find it a bit cold, but it was really relaxing. It's amazing how much difference it's made in some of my rooms just painting some of the pine furniture white or grey, but it's easy to overdo it so I'm holding back from painting more of it at the moment.

ninathenana Mon 22-Jun-15 00:02:38

My through lounge diner sounds similar to yours loopylou we have patio doors the lounge end and a picture window dining end. Chimney breast wall and one wall the dining end are teal with cushions and light shades matching. Other wall s are the nutmeg colour in the above link. Carpet is milky coffee colour and suite tweedy shades of brown.

As for grey carpet we had one laid last year in DS bedroom. It's mid blueygrey and doesn't show bits very much.