Living Room Rugs: December 2009 Archives

How should I decorate my new apartment?

I like the idea of Feng Shui


I don't know what color your current furnishings are, but if you want to add a color scheme that is complementary with Feng Shui, try to balance colors.

Red equals fire, and needs to be balanced with beige (earth), white (metal), blue (water), and brown/green (wood). My suggestion is to choose a central color (it might be white in your case as you aren't painting) and add the other colors are complements.

If you have a beige, blue, or brown couch, you can add red throw pillows or just one red throw pillow among a few neutral. You can also add the fire element by putting art work on your wall with red as a central theme.

The wood element can come into play with plants, such as bamboo or ferns. Water can be balanced by adding a fountain in the corner that will provide a soothing trickle like rain on your roof top.

You can find some great area rugs that will add color and dimension to your room. Try a rug such as this Red Shag or this blue that adds beige/blue components.

I'm not up on specific placements for your elements, but this should help for a start.

Cold Floors and large cold rooms?

Without dropping a fortune on changing your floors or getting new windows, I'd say that if you do a little decorating you might be able to warm up the room.

Place large area rugs on your floor in key areas. Purchase three or four large rugs and place one in the living area, one in the kitchen under the table, and the other two in additional open areas. Having a rug down on the floor really cuts down on the wide, open feeling by cozying it up a bit. Try a rug such as this Caviar Wool shag area rug It has a deep pile that is comfortable to sink your feet into.

Do you have a fireplace? If not, you can buy portable fireplaces that you can place on key walls. If you are able, buy two: One for the kitchen and one for the living area. If you get the right kind, they do generate heat.

Do you have pictures or art on your walls? Having bare walls just contributes to that wide, open cold feeling. Put up large photo frames, art work, or mirrors. Add some throw pillows and couch blankets to your sitting area.

Color makes a room feel cold as well. Are your walls white? Painting a warm brown, taupe, or coffee color can really make you feel as though your room is cozy.

Have you added weather stripping to your doors and windows? Magnetic weather stripping can eliminate cold drafts.

Whatever you plan on doing, even implementing a few of these tips can warm up your room.

I have a beige sofa and beige carpet. what color throw pillows and vase do you think would go with it?

With such a neutral palette, you can add almost any color you'd like.

Try orange, red, deep yellow, or dark, chocolate brown for throw pillows.  Mix it up by adding two or three in complementary colors such as orange, yellow, and red. Dark brown also goes well with orange.

The color of your curtains would depend on what type of colors you are using to accessorize your room.  If you use dark brown, find some chocolate colored curtains. I usually recommend sheer curtains for windows in living rooms, as they still let the light through and don't darken the room. Other fabrics you could look for could include twill and synthetic silk.

To pull it all together, you could add a piece of art with your favored colors in it.  Alternately, you could add a large area rug to your floor to become a focal point in the room.  A rug such as this Aria Brown with orange swirl would look great with chocolate brown and orange. Another great rug is Aria Natural if you like beige/red combos.

Add a great throw blanket to your couch and some small picture frames in deep chocolate.  You will have a very well pulled together room!