วีดีโอ

Hi @bluewolf2708, I'm not qualified to address your particular concern. I've not heard of the experience you describe, but I can imagine how that would be difficult to deal with. You might consider speaking with a therapist about the fear you experience. Best of luck!

Personally, I like that idea! If you're committed to the German schmear, you can go fairly dark or bold with your underlying blue. Like a deep navy or a vibrant cobalt. But you MUST NOT judge the color while in process! You won't know the real result until you cover the whole fireplace with the schmear. If you're nervous about that color commitment, try it on a test material! Use a 2ft x 2ft or larger piece of plywood and try the whole technique on it. Then set it against the fireplace for a few days and see how it strikes you. You might ask your son to create a mock-up for you. He's probably used to making them for architects and designers. Good luck and I hope you love it!

Minimalist can be attractive too! (Hopefully your wife is on board with your opinion!😂)

That's great to hear - Thanks!

Thanks for the comment, Rebecca!

Hey Kittypaws90 - What a great comment! I won't argue with you - designers don't often deal with pets. (Heck, we ignore kids most of the time!) Some disclaimers - I don't have pets and I'm on a long-term TH-cam break, so I can't answer you with a video. My impression from pet-owners is that the pets usually take precedence over decor decisions. One person I talked with had one couch for people and four different cat towers, beds, scratch posts, etc. In your case, we'd want to think more about what's not working for you and what would you like to be different. Is the problem that you're tripping over the dog bed when moving around? Would it be a big hassle to push the dog bed under the people bed during the day? Or, if the main problem is how the house looks when company is over, can the dog bed be shifted just for those times? Alternatively, if the dog bed needs to stay out then (1) coordinate the dog bed color with the dog fur so it doesn't constantly need cleaned. (2) Coordinate the room colors with the dog bed. If the dog bed color and the floor color can be similar / low contrast, then the bed won't stand out as a visual eyesore when considering the room decor. (3) In the room from the video, maybe the dog bed goes in the corner on the right so you have kind of a "pet zone" - the dog gets the corner and the cat would get the area by the window. I'm guessing the heater duct is under the window, so both sun and heat are available. The people stuff stays out of that zone so you don't trip over the dog. Not being a pet-owner, I don't know how practical that advice is. But maybe it will give you some ideas! Thanks again.

Hey Kevin - thanks for the question. In a word, yes. To add some more context: As with all suggestions on Roominess, you are the person who needs to enjoy your home, not me. If cupholders make you happy, go for it. If I can assume that you're someone who wants to up your decor game, then I'm here to help you understand what the pros do and (when I can) why they do it. Designers are looking for classic shapes and styles in furniture. They want elegance as well as comfort. They want a room that says something about not just mood, but aesthetic. Overstuffed sectionals with cupholders are basically the pajamas of furniture. Comfortable and functional, absolutely. But they are a giant void in the room when it comes to style or aesthetic. You may see a decor publication show off cupholdered-furniture in a dedicated theater/TV room, but I can nearly guarantee you won't see a designer intentionally place a sectional with cupholders in a typical family/living room setting. Hope that helps!

@@roominesstv wow you couldn’t make anymore sense! I feel like I’m facing a tough decision, whether to go with what feels best to bring family closer with a sectional or chase the look of a hotel lobby which I like. Are there cheap ways to have college interns help with an interior design. I have a knack for others living rooms but for my own it’s impossible because it’s mine and I’m never satisfied.

@kevinjames1587 if you feel like a sectional will function better for your family and your room will accommodate it, go for it. Most likely a sectional sofa is out there in the style of the hotel lobby you're looking at. (Cool design inspiration idea, by the way!) As for ways to get help with design - college interns is one possibility. You might also try the furniture store where you're looking at sectionals. Some furniture retailers (higher end ones, admittedly) have designers on staff. I'm not sure if the service is free, but you could ask. You also might try Roomstyler.com. It's a free web app to design your rooms yourself. I used it to create most of the graphics on the videos. You might be more satisfied with your own living room design if you go into it with a full plan. Hope that helps!

Thanks for watching! Glare can always be a problem with TVs and windows. If your TV is directly opposite the windows, the windows can reflect a lot on the screen, especially when the TV image is black or dark (Credits, night scenes). If it's really a nuisance, blackout shades on the windows are an option. Glad you got a laugh in the video!

So glad you liked the video! Thanks for the info!

It is a Green and Green home.

Thanks David! Glad you liked it.

Thanks Maggie!

That's wonderful to hear! I'm so glad this was helpful.

Glad it was helpful for you, Linda!

Thanks watching and commenting!

I'm interpreting this as "where do I stop one color and start the next?" That's a great question. (Hopefully it's what you're asking!) Here are my thoughts: 1. If the room transition has a door, then the trim color in each room should be uninterrupted when the door is closed. With a closed door, none of the next room's color should be visible. That still leaves the sides of the door and the door jamb itself. I would paint those the same color as the room into which the door swings. 2. If the room transition does not have a door, but just a framed opening with trim, My first thought would be to paint the jamb (the flat middle piece between the rooms) the color of the larger/more important room. I.E. use the living room color rather than the adjacent study color. One exception might be a hallway that has multiple framed openings. I would likely paint all of those jambs the color of the hallway, especially if it's a neutral color. The new color would start on the next trim surface that angles toward the next room. 3. If you want something slightly next level, I have seen decorators in the past paint the narrow sides of just the door itself in a color that contrasts and coordinates with both room color trims. It can be a fun and thoughtful detail. I hope that helps!

Thank you that has been very helpful!

I'm glad you found it helpful! That's something I wanted to do more of - a step-wise approach to different styles. I feel like most decorating shows and advice always take the "all or nothing" approach.

I understand, it's a tough choice!

Hi Michael - thanks for the question! My first thought is that you aren't necessarily required to fill that space! Having nooks and crannies open can sometimes give you more of a sense of space when they are not filled. (I.E. focus on the fireplace and the center of the room.) You question suggests that these open spaces appear to be calling for something. I get that too. I have a couple of videos on what to do with blank walls. You might have a look there. Another "easy button" solution is to search for images of older home fireplace decor to see what other people have done that you might like. Some specific options - the nooks might be a nice place for small matching ottomans that can be pulled out as occasional seating. If you need more storage, matching trunks is also an option. Above you could have art (a set of four related prints flanking the fireplace could be nice) or mirrors. A traditional approach would be to have bookshelves on either side of the fireplace. If instead of blank walls, you have windows, then plants would be a great choice. Tall plants would probably work well. You could also put a round-shaped plant like a fern on a stand. Hop some of that helps!

@@roominesstv thank you very much for your response. I really appreciate the help and suggestions. I just came across your video and enjoyed it very much. The only thing I get about decorating is when decorators say make sure the furniture touches the rugs? But I certainly will take you suggestions. And look forward to seeing more from you in your videos. I don't know if you can answer this one but does the furniture or either side of the fireplace have to match? I should say my style is eclectic. I like the old mix with new. If that's the right term. Thanks again for your help, I really appreciate it.

I would say eclectic definitely encompasses mixing the old with the new. And since you said that (instead of "my style is formal"), I would say your furniture on either side of the fireplace does not need to match. But I would encourage you to create a visual balance from one side of the fireplace to the other. If you had a grandfather clock on one side, you want to have something on the other side that's visually about the same size. But it doesn't have to be the same shape as a grandfather clock. It could be a piece of vertical wall art that's roughly the size of the clock. Or a set of pieces that you hang vertically and together are about as tall as the clock. Or some tall branches in an urn. If you have something wider than the clock, it wouldn't necessarily need to be as tall. You want to feel like what you're seeing on one side has about the same visual weight as the other side. Hope that helps!

Thanks Lisa!

I'm glad you liked it, Linda!

haha! Thanks for the comment.

So glad it helped! Thanks for the feedback.

Hi Irene! I'm guessing you may have already set up your TV. Sorry for my delay. As always - it is your house, and you can set it up in a way that works for you. So don't let self-appointed know-it-alls like me make you change your home. That said, I would not put a TV on a bay window if I were you. We buy homes with big windows so we can have a light-filled house and see the view outside. I would find an adjacent wall or someplace else to put the TV so I could enjoy both the outside view and the TV.

Thanks for your thoughts Linda! I agree, vintage items don't get a lot of air time in decor media!

I like a lot of color too! You might take examples of your current colors with you if you go shopping, so you see how the new colors will look to you.

Great Linda! Glad it helped.

Thanks for your comment, Linda! I'm glad the video was helpful to you.

I'm so glad you liked it Anna!

Hi Sara - So sorry I've been away with other projects and didn't respond. I hope your husband's health is improving. You certainly have a tough challenge. Here are some thoughts that I hope might still be helpful: My first priority would be the person in the hospital bed. Does he have a view that's as pleasant as can be arranged? I talked about focal points in the TV video, are they the focal points he's most interested in? Would the view out the window be better than a view of the fireplace? Does he prefer to see everyone coming and going, or does he prefer more privacy? (I apologize that I'm only asking questions, but those priorities are in the eye of the beholder.) You might also consider the rest of what's in view from the bed. Is there a blank wall that could be used to hang family photos or other memories? Is there a table that might be a place to have a plant, standing photo frames, or a favorite memorabilia? Functionally, you have to maintain all the required access around the bed. If you can create storage places near the bed for all the supplies you regularly use, that can help from a "decluttering" perspective. If the storage pieces can be attractive - like baskets or wooden chests, etc. - then they can make the room more attractive rather than less so. The last hurdle - probably the one you're asking about, is the rest of the room and its furnishings. A hospital bed is out of context in typical rooms. Its scale, especially the height, is incongruent with most home furnishings. For a small room, you likely can't have too many pieces. You might consider upholstered chairs with higher backs. Something that's the scale of wing back chairs might be small enough to fit, but have enough visual presence to not be overwhelmed by the bed. (You can use a more modern style, I'm just suggesting a size.) If they are also rocking chairs (with the curved bottom rail) they would appear a little cozier, be easier to sit in for long visits, and would be more easily moved to face the bed, TV, or other focal point as needed. Beyond that, I would try to have a healthy amount of visual texture, especially natural wood, woven materials, fabrics and plants to offset the hard edges of the hospital bed. Since production is temporarily on hold for Roominess, I won't be able to make a video on this topic. But I really appreciate that you came to me with your question. Best wishes with your living room and good health to your husband.

I'm so glad this was helpful for you! I hadn't thought of it like that. Be well and thanks for commenting.