Sep 21 2007
basement decorating #2
So, I am having a hard time with this basement design stuff. We are getting our sofa on Sunday, and yet I still need to pick a paint color. Not that I’m going to have time to paint in the next few weeks anyway, but all I can think about (especially now that our sofa’s arrival is IMMINENT!) is how all the elements are going to work together? I’m deathly afraid of picking a paint color that isn’t going to WORK, and then James will sniff at me and tell me how fickle I am. I don’t want that! I want to be CONFIDENT! 🙂
Ergh.
So to help my brain try to bring all these components up, I tried to do a little design elements sheet thingee. You always see these type of things on the design shows, right? So with the help of a little photoshop… here we go (sorry it is so long!)
I originally thought the palette would be a nice chocolate brown on the walls, greenish touches in the furniture (the sofa is green, some green pillows on the chairs, maybe a greenish rug..) and then some real pops of bright color – I originally thought turquoise, but for some reason now I’m leaning towards yellow, or even a bright red. Maybe because there is already a good bit of turquoise in the amy butler fabric?
The deep shelves pictured to serve as the TV media stand I like, but not necessarily in white – and I also envision floating shelves on the wall above the TV as well.
Obviously there’s a few elements missing above, we’re not going to do a coffee table, but a large flat ottoman might be just the ticket, we’re going to need a rug, and some side tables, and I’m thinking a table on the backside of the sofa. I feel like these will come together after I get the basics down (like establishing the color palette). I also have to remember that this is a BASEMENT with only ONE tiny window, so maybe a dark brown on the walls is NOT a good idea? Any thoughts on that? As well as being our prime TV viewing area (while I dream about sofas and paint chips, James is currently dreaming about Visio and Samsung) this room will serve other functions as well (toy area, mommy’s craft/sewing/office area). There’s a floorplan of the room on this post, although we’re now picturing the sofa and tv rotated 45degrees clockwise from what is on that picture.
I still have some time, but it is ticking away. I can’t wait to make this space FUNCTIONAL again! Any thoughts and ideas you have, please comment!
I’m also going to send this post along to one of my favorite design blogs, Another Shade of Grey – she has a keen eye for color and design as well as awesome vintage pieces (she has a store with her vintage finds), and has helped many others do little mini make-overs of their space.. maybe she can help kick me off in the right direction for mine!
Some other folks she’s helped:
And Julietta, who’s black and white kitchen I ADORE.
Check out Another Shade of Grey – you won’t be sorry 🙂
-amy
4 Responses to “basement decorating #2”
Red is often a great idea in theory, but living with red walls can be a challenge. It’s sort of dark and it can be an intense color to surround ones self with?
I know it sounds crazy, but would you consider doing something in the purple family? Purple compliments green (according to our friend the color wheel) and you do a lighter silvery purple that’s closer to red than to blue.
My second suggestion is my universal fall back. I don’t know the formal name of the shade, but it’s a white with just a smidge of yellow in it. I refer to it as “bisque”–buttery, slightly golden, very easy to live with and quite flattering to the skin. It looks great with everything.
If not those than perhaps a lighter brown? Like coffee with too much milk poured into it?
Everyone in my entire neighborhood has a red wall. Granted, they are more of the darker burgandy types of red, but if there’s one thing I don’t wnat to be, it’s the other house with some red walls 🙂
Purple! I’m with you! I think that could be really stunning.
I’m not sure we have the cleanliness to pull off a white.. I dearly love some of the white rooms I see, but I just don’t think we have what it takes. The surfaces have to stay clear, you know what I mean? My surfaces are never clear!
The lighter brown is how I’m leaning. I just worry that it’s because I’m being “safe” and not because that will be the best choice.
Thank you so much for the input – I need all the help I can get!
Oh, and cute turtle pictures (on your blog!)
I like the Khaki suggestion from “another shade of grey”, but I love the light shade of turquoise she used to show your couch with the brown pillows. Have you thought of painting one or two walls a different color to seperate the space. Maybe you could do khaki in the main area and pale turquoise in the play area, it may be two many colors but you could probably find a purple shade that goes nice with the pale turquoise and use that in your sewing/craft area. Definately wouldn’t put brown on the walls.
I used a floor to ceiling curtain in my open living room to seperate a small dead space where I had originally planned on doing built in shelves… anyway, I love the curtains, that was a good suggestion too. You could use a curtain to close off your craft area.
I have thought of the accent wall – and I just positively love the chocolate brown and blue combination. I love the idea of painting an accent wall in the kids area – I originally thought bottom half, chalkboard paint, top half, accent color. However, I think we may change our minds as to where the kids’ play area will go as we put things in the room, so it may have to be done later, rather than sooner. Thanks for the suggestions!