Now that our kitchen / dining room is finished (the butcher block counters are supposed to arrive later next week, and then I can show you some after pictures!) I’ve decided to FINALLY finish our living room… since we’ve been living here for almost 2 years now.
And by “finish”, I really just need to figure out what to do on the wall above our couch.
Plus we have plaster walls so I don’t want to put too many nail holes in (at least until I’m positive the nails will stay there for a while).
As you can see by the rest of the room, everything is very neutral (carpet, trim, walls, couch) and then I have accents of green, red, mustard, navy, brown, and black — so pretty much any color works in my house 🙂
I should mention that the two mustard-colored swivel rocking chairs will eventually get slip-covered, we’re just “testing them out for size” right now before I spend the money.
But aren’t they cute? $35 for the pair on Craigslist!
Anyway, back to the living room…
Here’s a bird’s-eye view of our living room — pretty much “to-scale”. You can click on the photo to enlarge.
UPDATE: After reading a few of the comments, I should mention that we are not interested in changing the layout of the living room. For the past two years we’ve been arranging, rearranging, and moving furniture — trying every option we can thing of — but we ALWAYS come back to the couch in this position. It makes our living room feel much larger, it gives Nora lots more room to move around, and it flows better with the rest of our house. Just trust me! Plus, Dave might shoot me if I ask him to move that couch one more time 🙂
All the other walls are decorated, it’s just the wall above the couch that need something… a big something 🙂
Here’s a closer look at the color pallet I really like…
Also, now that we knocked down the walls between our living room, kitchen, and dining room, I’d like all the rooms to “flow” color wise. So here’s a picture of our dining room — hopefully I don’t spoil too much of our kitchen “reveal”!
So lots of “warm colors”.
I’ve already thought about doing a picture collage… but I feel like I would need SO many pictures.
I’ve thought about hanging old windows or an old door… but not sure how that would look either.
I’ve looked through Pinterest and I’ve flipped through magazines.
And now it’s been TWO years of living with a huge bare wall above our couch!
Thoughts, suggestions, ideas?
Anyone want to come do this for me? I’ll pay you in baked goods!
Vicki says
I love your home and the fabrics that you have chosen. I would do a large picture in the floral print in the center. You can either use liquid starch and paste a large rectangle centered above your sofa and then frame it out with some wood, put it on a canvas or staple it over a frame. I think the over a frame would make it look more like a large picture. To surround this large picture, I would take all sorts of frames in different sizes and shapes possibly and the color black and alternate matting colors with the different colors in your fabrics and furniture such as; the green, red, and gold. Leave some matting cream or white and use a color of burlap or ribbon to hang that picture with in the gold, red, or green. A neat finishing touch could be to add a black wood letter monogram of the letter your last name begins with. The pictures can be botanicals, family portraits, or a mixture of all the things you love. You can even use small peel and stick phrases below the smaller frames to even out your configuration. Move you couch and lay this all out in front of the wall, the height and width you want it, then hang it once you find a configuration you love. Good luck!
Jessica says
What about the big city pictures at Ikea? I have the Paris one in my living room and it looks fabulous!
https://www.google.com.tr/search?q=ikea+paris&hl=en&client=safari&tbo=d&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=rqa9UOzuEI_R4QTJ-4DwCg&ved=0CAkQ_AUoAQ&biw=1024&bih=672
KalynBrooke | Creative Savings says
I agree with Connie. Vinyl wall art is really fun and there so many family oriented designs that would go there perfectly. In full disclosure, I am a consultant with a vinyl company, but I love the product so much that I just have to sell it. 🙂
Connie says
Andrea, why not try those big stick on wall art- I’ve seen them in Hobby Lobby, also on the internet. They go up and come off the walls without ruining the surface. You can start small and add it you want. Like peel&stick but they have beautiful designs. I am getting a huge tree to put together for my craft room wall.
Also a large mirror that you can scratch the back off and insert family pictures in would be another idea.
“Walking thru Life Hand in Hand”
Mac says
This might be difficult to describe but have you thought about moving your TV to the current wall above the couch? Then moving your couch 180 degrees so it is facing the window (I think) and when you walk in the front door the room is open to you. This would do a couple of things besides solve your dilemma about what to hang over the couch. 1) you could watch TV from the kitchen which might be nice if you have game parties, etc. 2) it opens up the room so when guests arrive (assuming they use the front door) they have space to come in. 3) It makes the window a more focal point in the room (I can’t tell what it looks like but it brings in a lot of light). Just a thought…
Debbie says
Your original idea of picture frames is good. Using 3 large picture frames with large white matting should fill up that wall quickly and you’ll only need 3 good family pictures instead of so many. Add two wall sconces on the sides of the two outside frames.
I also want to add this, and hope I don’t sound like I’m criticizing. Using the wall to put your flat screen TV would work too. It just seems that where it’s located now is too far from the seating area. There’s a lot of dead space in the middle. The sofa can be arranged so part of it can face that wall for viewing. The two swivel chairs can be arranged closer to each other and adding an end table between them for a cozy conversational corner.
Sue says
In our old apartment we had large white walls that seem to go on forever… and I did not want to spend a lot on something that might now fit in the future house we wanted to buy so I got a quilt hanger and hung a beautiful quilt on the wall.. it kept it nice from being used on our bed and gave some color to the room..
Also since the apt was not well insulated. it keep the room a bit warmer!
Sue in NJ