Living room is too dark - suggestions?

[quorra]

There is no way to install a ceiling light or fan unless we have an electrician come in, so we're not doing that for now.

Originally, the living room looked like this before move in.  This was looking in front point of entry (the garage):


We dismantled the weird built in plywood shelving and we found out that the flooring was never properly done underneath it. This is the reason that the entertainment center is sitting where it is; there is no flooring there (only old linoleum).




This is an older picture, but will give you an idea of what we're working with here. We don't keep a Christmas tree up year round.  We frosted the window on the door to the garage (excuse the towel in the one picture), and hung up pictures over the couch.






We thought the blue would look nice, but I'm not feeling it these days.  It's been this way for almost 2 years now, and I'm ready to brighten the room up some.  We have one floor lamp in there, but I'm also not a fan of that.

Suggestions on decor would be fantastic as well.  It's just very blah in here, and it's the room that the kids watch TV and the point of entry from the garage (for us and guests).

[mrs.jacinthe]

I think a color like SW Sea Salt or (gasp!) RH Silver Sage would look FABULOUS in there. But really, I think the room needs more light. Are there any windows at all in that room? What does the window treatment look like?

Also, have you considered a rug? I think a lighter colored (not white b/c kids and pets) rug would definitely help.

[quorra]

Jul 3, 2014 12:17:08 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I think a color like SW Sea Salt or (gasp!) RH Silver Sage would look FABULOUS in there. But really, I think the room needs more light. Are there any windows at all in that room? What does the window treatment look like?

Also, have you considered a rug? I think a lighter colored (not white b/c kids and pets) rug would definitely help.

Unfortunately, absolutely NO windows whatsoever in that room, and there is no way to put windows in there (there is another room surrounding each wall).

I'll definitely look into a rug and those colors

[Susie]

Jul 3, 2014 12:52:00 GMT -5 quorra said:

Jul 3, 2014 12:17:08 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I think a color like SW Sea Salt or (gasp!) RH Silver Sage would look FABULOUS in there. But really, I think the room needs more light. Are there any windows at all in that room? What does the window treatment look like?

Also, have you considered a rug? I think a lighter colored (not white b/c kids and pets) rug would definitely help.

Unfortunately, absolutely NO windows whatsoever in that room, and there is no way to put windows in there (there is another room surrounding each wall).

I'll definitely look into a rug and those colors

This is SW Sea Salt in low light:

The darker color below the chair rail is Oyster Bay.  

I've been very happy with it, and like it a lot.  I like the blue that you have, as a color on its own.  But I agree that it's too dark for a windowless room.  Something a few shades lighter on the same paint chip card would be fine.

So the couch... where is it now?  Against the wall like the bottom picture or facing the TV?  I think the furniture arrangement looks odd with it against the wall.  Furniture all backed up to the walls on the perimeter of the room is not a particularly attractive arrangement, or inviting to sit down and chat.  If that's where the couch still is, I think an armchair or loveseat at a 90 deg angle to the couch, facing the TV, with a coffee table inside the L-shape that they'd create, would make for a nice sitting/conversation area.  It also invites the possibility to put an area rug there, further defining the space.  The rug could lighten and soften things up a bit.  Add some pillows on the couch that coordinate, that'd help too.

Ultimately though, you need more light in there.  As a baby step, I'd put a table lamp on the couch's end table.  A taller table would look better balanced, but a table lamp will help either way.

Overhead lighting in there would be a godsend, and I would try to save up for that if it is not in the cards right now.  It's a pretty big room to try to illuminate with just one overhead fixture, so I would do recessed lighting.  We did it in our family room, and it made such a big difference.

[Deleted]

You can get a ceiling lamp that runs off a cord, then you just need to hang it and run the cord along to an outlet.

This one is fun and interesting without being over the top, and on clearance for $69.
www.westelm.com/products/alyson-fox-drum-pendant-w747

Neutral
www.westelm.com/products/short-drum-pendant-natural-linen-w506

[auntie]

Jul 3, 2014 12:52:00 GMT -5 quorra said:

Jul 3, 2014 12:17:08 GMT -5 mrs.jacinthe said:

I think a color like SW Sea Salt or (gasp!) RH Silver Sage would look FABULOUS in there. But really, I think the room needs more light. Are there any windows at all in that room? What does the window treatment look like?

Also, have you considered a rug? I think a lighter colored (not white b/c kids and pets) rug would definitely help.

Unfortunately, absolutely NO windows whatsoever in that room, and there is no way to put windows in there (there is another room surrounding each wall).

I'll definitely look into a rug and those colors

How did this happen? Are you living in an attached house (in Philly we call them rowhouses) to which someone kluged on a "sunporch" sometime in the past? I know a few people who have some variation of this. A straight-thru row to which someone enclosed the porch as a barrier against weather and to serve as a kind of foyer/mudroom. (Why do you have an exterior door with a deadbolt going into an interior room?)

As it sits, this isn't a room it's a closet. There are ways to work around decorating to minimize the cave-like atmosphere, but none are ideal. Best practice is to sacrifice the sunporch and restore the original layout. It made a huge difference in the feel of the living and dining room in terms of light. If that's not doable, and it's expensive and messy, you can try to decorate around it. One of my niece's friends just did this to a house in Fishtown she inherited and it looks amazing. Plus she enjoys having a porch she can use in the evening after work.

If the room beyond the exterior door has a lot of windows, maybe lose the door or replace it with a full length glass single French door. I had a similar set up in my old cottage house on the creek. The house came to me with a sunporch closed in on the back of the house, off the living room,  overlooking the water. The LR had a huge picture window, but the goof ball who added the sun room (porch with 10 double hung windows on two walls, a fireplace on one and the original house exterior) left the space where the original windows and back door were open. It filled the LR with light and a sense of space- is this an option for you?

If you can't take on a big project, I'd look for ways to decorate the space more like a room. If there are doors that aren't used, you could cover them with curtains which would add warmth and texture to the space and "fake" windows. I think part of the issue is the stark nature of the way the room is accessorized- a textured or print curtain, patterned rug and coordinating pillows on the beige sofa could make the room look more appealing. 

You could also add mirrors to reflect what light you do have. You could increase the light level with more fixtures. I love the drum light idea and it's so easy to do. You could also pick smaller globe lights and hang them in a cluster at different heights in the corner to the left of the dutch door. I would keep the paint color- it's gorgeous. IMHO, going with a safer light color isn't going to mitigate the odd nature of this space- better to embrace it and make it cozy if you can't gut the space entirely.

[quorra]

Jul 4, 2014 8:30:10 GMT -5 auntie said:

Jul 3, 2014 12:52:00 GMT -5 quorra said:

Unfortunately, absolutely NO windows whatsoever in that room, and there is no way to put windows in there (there is another room surrounding each wall).

I'll definitely look into a rug and those colors

How did this happen? Are you living in an attached house (in Philly we call them rowhouses) to which someone kluged on a "sunporch" sometime in the past? I know a few people who have some variation of this. A straight-thru row to which someone enclosed the porch as a barrier against weather and to serve as a kind of foyer/mudroom. (Why do you have an exterior door with a deadbolt going into an interior room?)

As it sits, this isn't a room it's a closet. There are ways to work around decorating to minimize the cave-like atmosphere, but none are ideal. Best practice is to sacrifice the sunporch and restore the original layout. It made a huge difference in the feel of the living and dining room in terms of light. If that's not doable, and it's expensive and messy, you can try to decorate around it. One of my niece's friends just did this to a house in Fishtown she inherited and it looks amazing. Plus she enjoys having a porch she can use in the evening after work.

If the room beyond the exterior door has a lot of windows, maybe lose the door or replace it with a full length glass single French door. I had a similar set up in my old cottage house on the creek. The house came to me with a sunporch closed in on the back of the house, off the living room,  overlooking the water. The LR had a huge picture window, but the goof ball who added the sun room (porch with 10 double hung windows on two walls, a fireplace on one and the original house exterior) left the space where the original windows and back door were open. It filled the LR with light and a sense of space- is this an option for you?

If you can't take on a big project, I'd look for ways to decorate the space more like a room. If there are doors that aren't used, you could cover them with curtains which would add warmth and texture to the space and "fake" windows. I think part of the issue is the stark nature of the way the room is accessorized- a textured or print curtain, patterned rug and coordinating pillows on the beige sofa could make the room look more appealing. 

You could also add mirrors to reflect what light you do have. You could increase the light level with more fixtures. I love the drum light idea and it's so easy to do. You could also pick smaller globe lights and hang them in a cluster at different heights in the corner to the left of the dutch door. I would keep the paint color- it's gorgeous. IMHO, going with a safer light color isn't going to mitigate the odd nature of this space- better to embrace it and make it cozy if you can't gut the space entirely.

LOL well....

There USED to be a porch that offered some lighting.  The original owners in the early 70's turned it into a Florida room, and it cut off all natural light into this particular living room.  In the 2nd photo, behind the TV, you can see weird curtains on a door - those lead out to the now enclosed Florida room (which isn't used because it has to be stripped to the studs and redone due to mold and what not).

Weirdly, there are not many windows to this house.  Each bedroom has 1 window, the other living room has a fairly big window space.  There is no window or natural light in the dining room or the kitchen.

[quorra]

Jul 3, 2014 13:10:41 GMT -5 Susie said:

Jul 3, 2014 12:52:00 GMT -5 quorra said:

Unfortunately, absolutely NO windows whatsoever in that room, and there is no way to put windows in there (there is another room surrounding each wall).

I'll definitely look into a rug and those colors

This is SW Sea Salt in low light:

The darker color below the chair rail is Oyster Bay.  

I've been very happy with it, and like it a lot.  I like the blue that you have, as a color on its own.  But I agree that it's too dark for a windowless room.  Something a few shades lighter on the same paint chip card would be fine.

So the couch... where is it now?  Against the wall like the bottom picture or facing the TV?  I think the furniture arrangement looks odd with it against the wall.  Furniture all backed up to the walls on the perimeter of the room is not a particularly attractive arrangement, or inviting to sit down and chat.  If that's where the couch still is, I think an armchair or loveseat at a 90 deg angle to the couch, facing the TV, with a coffee table inside the L-shape that they'd create, would make for a nice sitting/conversation area.  It also invites the possibility to put an area rug there, further defining the space.  The rug could lighten and soften things up a bit.  Add some pillows on the couch that coordinate, that'd help too.

Ultimately though, you need more light in there.  As a baby step, I'd put a table lamp on the couch's end table.  A taller table would look better balanced, but a table lamp will help either way.

Overhead lighting in there would be a godsend, and I would try to save up for that if it is not in the cards right now.  It's a pretty big room to try to illuminate with just one overhead fixture, so I would do recessed lighting.  We did it in our family room, and it made such a big difference.

Those are GORGEOUS colors!!!!!!  

The couch is in the middle of the room.  I personally dislike it, it just feels like it's out in the open - but up against the wall, it looks even more strange.

[dr.girlfriend]

I like the Sea Salt, but honestly I would just save up for recessed lighting on a dimmer. It makes an amazing difference, and everything short of that will be half-measures.

[Deleted]

Since you have a second living room, I would just embrace the lack of windows to make it more of a dedicated home theater type space where the lack of lighting/windows would feel more at home

[auntie]

Any chance you could lose the Florida room and go back to a porch?

[quorra]

Jul 8, 2014 16:23:49 GMT -5 auntie said:

Any chance you could lose the Florida room and go back to a porch?

I wish - but there was a screened in porch built off of that. 

[auntie]

Maybe lose both and do a birdcage?

[quorra]

Jul 9, 2014 10:20:17 GMT -5 auntie said:

Maybe lose both and do a birdcage?

LOL a what?

[auntie]

Those screened-in outdoor spaces?

A lot of the people where my mom's winter digs are have these instead of a Florida room or lanai.

thevillagesremodelingandpools.com/villages_fl_enclosures.html

[quorra]

Jul 9, 2014 10:25:28 GMT -5 auntie said:

Those screened-in outdoor spaces?

A lot of the people where my mom's winter digs are have these instead of a Florida room or lanai.

thevillagesremodelingandpools.com/villages_fl_enclosures.html

OH!!!!

LOL I have to admit, I had no idea what you're talking about.  I'll look those over