How to marry retro lighting with contemporary furniture

7 years ago

We have bought an Edwardian seaside villa but the lounge is part of a 1995 single storey extension with candle stick wall lights and centre chandelier. It also has a fair faced brick hearth (without fire) with wooden mantelpiece. It also has a solid pine boarded wooden floor and a deck overlooking the sea. Our furniture is light oak tables and two tan coloured leather sofas. Contemporary yet classic. We need help choosing inexpensive curtains and gas stove or fire which will marry together the two styles and make this beautiful light room with two sets of French doors and side windows overlooking the sea. Our wish is to make it look 'of a piece'

Eve Storm-Petersen

Notting Hill Apartment · More Info

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Ok - currently saving money on carpet; already have pool table and lamp for this area. What about creating different seating areas in the room. You said there are built ins? Computer station? Family using this space. Here is MY suggestion: I would use MORE than one rug - each for specific areas of this room. You can have the sisal berbers made to fit - and I think ONE large one would actually end up being a little messy as this would be huge - and could get off bounds? (out of shape) You could have these bound and use them to create different areas within the larger space? Is that a gold or a taupe or beige color between the red pattern? Here is my suggestion : the opposite side of the color wheel tones down the other - since this is a red color - how about using a very soft BLUE/GREY on the ceiling? Or a very soft Grey/Blue? And a very soft taupe or mocha color on the walls - something which is within the SAME tonal family as the NON-red portion of your rug? This should go nicely with your brown sofa and the sisal or other type berbers? YES - get one larger one (RUG for the area in front of the TV . . . large enough to go from the baseboard area - to completely under your sofa? BTW - LAZYBOY makes beuatiful furniture - and you do NOT have to get the plumped and rolled ubiquitious leather chair. OR, I can personally, highly recommend FurnitureLa South, in Hickory N.C. - and they will deliver for FREE! Love that! They have a style for everyone and this is where they actually make the furniture. They sell ALL manufacturers at cost. Well not Lane or Ethan Allen. My one last thought - since this is such a very large space - I would also get a rather substantial and DARK drapery rod using finials - and extend the width of the drapes to help balance the room on the other side with the windows. Since you have built ins on the other side - this will help balance the space visually. IF you do not like the color of the fixture material on the pool table light - you can get any finish you desire in a rustoleium paint - I would consider spray painting this something in the neighborhood of a oil rubbed bronze; or something with more of a dark patina? This would also help balance out the room and bring focus into the space you are utilizing - the rest will fade away. SO - ceiling paint a must; paint the trim or add a more traditional trim - at least 5 inches in depth; TWO separate rugs - not one big one - at least one for now for the TV area; Extend your drapes and raise them almost to the ceiling to help balance the room; Darker drape rod - and double the fabric for your drapes to make them look fuller; Spray paint a darker finish on to the pool table fixture. Use a tone of paint on the wall which will go with the tone of the other color of your rug! Another thought: You consider finding an old wooden bench - or church pew ??? that would be fun; you could place facing into the space around the pool table area? This will give folks a place to sit and could help further define your separate areas?
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How to marry retro lighting with contemporary furniture

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