Decorating Dilemmas is a weekly column in which our stylists answer your design questions, so you can tackle your home decorating project with complete confidence.
Dear How to Decorate,
I purchased the Vintage Cloissone prints from Ballard and have them above my mantle. I’m just not sure if the colors in my family room are coordinated. Something seems to be “off.”
We just had the accent wall painted blue, but I’m not sure if it’s the right shade of blue. I love the prints, so I want to keep them. We have a dark brown corduroy sofa because we have children and dogs, but again, I’m not sure if the color is right.
Also not sure if there’s too much pattern in the room. I tried non-patterned curtains, but they did not look right either. Our family room is off the kitchen, which is also blue with white cabinets and dark countertops. The family room has high vaulted ceilings, and we get a lot of light with the skylights above. I would like to coordinate both rooms.
Any suggestions would be helpful.
Thank you!
-Cindy
Cindy,
The Vintage Cloisonne Framed Prints look fantastic above your fireplace! We like how you have used them in your space.
We suggest you stay with the brown-blue-white color palette you have started … let’s just do a little tweaking on the idea.
We think you should repaint the blue accent wall as a first step. With everything else going on in the room, it appears that the color is a little bold so pull a subtle color out of the cloisonne prints as the inspiration.
Let’s not stop with painting one wall, we suggest painting all of the walls the same color. When there are multiple architectural angles and features within a space, painting all walls the same color will provide a visual resting point for your eyes.
We recommend editing pieces with orange undertones as an additional edit. For example, the chair in the corner to the left of the fireplace should be recovered in a fabric that compliments the artwork above the fireplace. We suggest Athena Mineral as a fabulous option.
Next, consider replacing the mirror and the small side table … both of which have strong orange undertones in their finish. We think our French Farmhouse Mirror is ideal as a replacement piece above the chair back and the Olivia Side Table is perfect to replace the nesting tables.
We adore mixing different surfaces and wood finishes, but sometimes there may be one too many in a room. Editing out one color or surface finish from a space can result in a harmonious style.
Happy Decorating!
The How to Decorate Team
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