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

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Very happy that it meets with approval. Agreed the colour looks white in the pic - it is actually 'limestone'. Slate hearth being fitted on Wednesday. DH is at this moment removing two layers of tiles !!

It does look good. I don't think I am going to be allowed to paint mine ours white. Unless I can get DD onside. Need to clean candle fat drippings off of it though.

It's looking good Coolgran65

The fireplace looks lovely Coolgran, it's amazing what a change of colour makes to red brick.

The bulbs Flickety mentions are really well worth having. The light is good, they light up quickly and are dimmable. They do cost a lot but should be cost effective in the long run. They come in proper shapes too!

Purple?

At last... I think there is a pic of my 'no longer a red brick fireplace' on my profile

Nelliemoser... if my fireplace had been a lovely limestone there would never have been a paintbrush near it.

Thanks Apricot. I'd be wary of pure white, anywhere. The contrast with dark wood tends to make a room seem darker. x

J52 you have lots of good tips. White loose covers on my sofas would look lovely and bright and so practical with two dogs and a cat and little grandchildren!

Just got back to thread. Loopylou 19:47 Re taking the eye through furniture, it might be slightly difficult with things you've already got. The principle is to arrange the room so no solid pieces block the sight lines.

So, in small dark rooms it is better to have dining chairs that don't have solid backs, sofas that are raised on legs, and make a clear pathway through the furniture.

The sight then travels to the outer walls and the brain thinks the room is bigger. The same thing happens with the mirrors placed opposite the windows.

Lighter coloured curtains are less of a barrier against the light outside so the eye travels past them and brings the outside lightness into the room.

x

I give up... Updated my profile and set it to show to all Gransnetters, clicked save, and get a whole screed of technical gobbledigook that task could not be completed.

merlotgran that's what I thought, paint first.

Regarding pic.
Yes, I'm in a pickle.
I've found my profile and it was set 'not visible' so I've changed that. Can't find pic... that I sent. Will continue to fight with technology

Agree with FlicketyB that LED bulbs are fine (though quite expensive, but they're going to last!). I only wish they'd make them in a 25W equivalent.

The lowest they seem to come in is equivalent to 40w which is sometimes a bit too bright. (I'm talking about ordinary lighting, not spotlight bars).

You could try painting the hearth, Coolgran and see how it looks. At least it will be easy to tile over it if you don't like it.

I don't think we'll be able to see it, Coolgran as you're not 'blue'.

Red brick fireplace is no more.
It has it's first coat of masonry paint - limestone colour, and will get a second coat.
The hearth will be black slate tiles.... or ... I've had a recent thought, and wonder... once the old tiles are trailed off I'm assuming there will be a concrete hearth shape and wonder how this would look painted in black matte paint. Perhaps a bit too rustic ??
Haven't said to DH yet.

I have uploaded a pic of it onto my profile.... at least I've tried to !!

Energy saving bulbs are yesterday's technology. They have been replaced by LED bulbs that are now available in a range of light levels and give instant full light.

I am currently writing this under the light provided by 6 LED bulbs in two spotlight bars. The light they give out is sufficient to light Wembley Stadium. I think the total wattage is around 40 watts.

They are based on the same principle as the old fluorescent lights that people used to find a bit depressing [unless they've changed again over the past couple of years]. The chap that used to test the electrical equipment at work told me that.

I also detest the saver bulbs and always just use lamps.

I have to admit to hoarding an indecent amount of 'old' lightbulbs because the house is fitted with dimmer switches everywhere and the energy saving bulbs couldn't be used with them(I think that's changed now). I suspect that the bulbs will outlive me

I seriously dislike the lack of light from energy saving light bulbs, I can't put my finger on why? They're certainly not sufficient for knitting or needlework for me.

Some of you seem to live in some delightful places.

No one is painting over my beautiful fine grain satin finish Portuguese limestone fireplace ever! Or it will be over my dead body. Or theirs.

www.peakfireplaces.com/surrounds_natural_stone.asp
Faro fireplace in natural limestone

The lovely stone is like this, full of tiny sea creatures. www.cabecaveada.com/

I love my fireplace. Before that we had a dreadful late 1980s rough red brick fireplace which came with the new house.

But my house is seriously in need of redecorating. I can't do it anymore.

apricot I have tiny diamond lattice windows in my old cottage, so it can be dark on some days, but since moving in, I've put glass doors between the kitchen and sitting room, and to replace the back door. Still in keeping but I've got lots of borrowed light now. There are dark wood pieces of furniture, but I have a large white and blue cotton striped rug that brightens up the room, and the curtains are ivory, walls are off-white. There are two table lamps that have daylight-type bulbs in them, pale lampshades, too. It's much lighter and appears more spacious than when I moved in.