Janine writes:  “I just found your site and bookmarked it.  It’s awesome!  I have a few rooms that need help and I don’t know anything about decorating.  I would like to start in my son’s room. I read a few of your articles and I would like paint ideas that would match his curtains….

In the basement I just wanted ideas on furniture placement and any other ideas you have for the basement. It seems so gloomy. It is unfinished, but I have a nice lamp down there that brightens it…but its still missing something. I painted those stripes last year, and now I hate them lol. 

In the living room, I’m looking for ideas to make it more “homey” and cozy - with no fireplace I find it hard…I painted that chocolate brown wall last year and that helped! Any other ideas?

I’m looking to spend hopefully no more than $300/rm. Is that even possible?   I will take ANY suggestions you have, I have no experience with this at all!! I TRULY appreciate your time.”

I answered Janine’s questions in depth in a separate email, but thought some of the solutions might have broad appeal so I’ll share a few here as well.  For each room I’ll give you a ‘before and after’ look though the after is only doctored by me and my trusty Photoshop.  It will help you visualize some of the ideas.

Boy's bedroom

In Janine’s son’s room I think pulling any of the colors from the curtains would work.  Red is an ageless color though quite vivid and energetic; maybe not the best choice for a child’s room.  Blue is the expected color for a boy’s room so maybe not the boldest solution.  A warm golden yellow on two of the walls here – behind the bed and this window wall – would warm the room up, brighten the room and be easy to work around for a number of years.  The opposing 2 walls could stay white, or, for a little more interest, be painted a light blue/grey – not the typical pastel baby boy blue color. 

The next suggestion I would make is about the curtains – they should either end at the window ledge or go all the way to the floor.  Rather than buy new curtains, I recommend buying a yard or two of solid color (red maybe) and adding it to these curtains forming a wide band – the proportions look like they’ll be great.  If you don’t sew, use iron on seam tape.  You could also add a trim (like a braid or really big ric rac) where the 2 connect for an even more custom feel (glue it or iron it on).  Also, let’s move that little hand down closer to the bed.  Not shown here is a dresser opposite the bed.  Pick up a bulletin board (they’re very inexpensive) and hang it above the dresser and use it to pin up your son’s art.  Here’s the retouched picture giving an idea of how these changes might look.  Paint, fabric, bulletin board – you should be able to make these changes for around $100.

Room with warm golden walls, a red band on the curtains and lowered hand. Consider adding a couple things to the hand and hang them in a row over the crib.

The yummy chocolate brown wall is a great start to warming up the living room and making it feel cozy.  The room appears pretty long and narrow and doesn’t have a focal point.  The TV will be the focal point by default, so do a little more to emphasize it.  Add a floor plant and maybe move the ‘family’ hanging over the TV next to the window (don’t hang it too high).  I’d also suggest adding a couple more silk plants – on the coffee table, maybe the bookcase and a taller tree in the corner next to the sofa.  Greenery will really help make the room feel finished and cozy.

I think the curtains in here also need to be lengthened – whether by the add-on method or just new panels.  Look for drapes that have a blue/brown pattern to bring a little pattern into the room and blend the two colors.  Also, have you tried moving the white bookcase over on the brown wall next to the front door and the black lamp over next to the end of the sofa?  The bookcase would certainly show up better and be more dramatic and the lighting would better.  Moving the bookcase will leave you with a blank wall.  Try a paint technique like stripes (see my earlier post here) or stencil a border.  A couple of pretty baskets on the bookshelves would give some storage for the toys.  Changes in the living room would be new draperies, some silk plants and a few storage baskets – probably $200 or so depending upon the draperies.

Living room before.

Living room 2nd view, before.

Living room after - longer drapes, plant on coffee table and art lower.

Living room 2nd view, after with longer drapes, plants added and art lowered.

I know, my funky plants are goofy looking; but you get the idea, right?

Finally, the basement.  This cement block unfinished room is certainly a challenge.  I get where you were coming from to try the stripes on the wall – they’re just too narrow and too far apart.  You obviously like blue since it’s present in all your rooms, so use it down here too – just warm it up a bit.  This base blue is a little too pastel – you need something more blue/gray.  It’s a more adult blue and it’s warmer. 

Besides the cement block look, one of the main things making it look like a basement is the tiny window.  I assume you’ve got 8′ ceilings so taking a drapery all the way to the ceiling will involve a little customizing since that’s not a standard size.  Actually I’d suggest trying something major and dramatic……hang draperies along the whole wall – it would add much needed pattern and softness to a very hard edged room.  If you aren’t comfortable hanging drapery hardware in the cement block, look for ways to suspend it from the ceiling.  Use a light weight bamboo pole, drapery rings with clips and fabric clipped into loose folds.  Add a silk plant or two and, just like that, you’ll have a makeover room.  If there’s room in the budget add a throw rug to bring color down and anchor the daybed/desk area.

Basement before - small window, small stripes.

Basement after - fabric along one wall warms things up (don't know how to make Photoshop show folds in the fabric )

Thanks for the questions and photos Janine – hope there are some ideas here you can use.  And maybe I’ve inspired one or two of you quiet readers out there to try something new.   Be sure and write to me if you’ve got questions that need answers…..I’ll help.  Or, if you’ve solved one of your design dilemmas, we’d love for you to share.

If any of you have other suggestions for Janine, please share them in the comments – there’s always more than one way to decorate a room!

Happy Decorating!

Related posts:

1. What Color to Use With Gray?
2. Art of Accessorizing – part 5: Color
3. How to Display Figurines