
HOW TO CURE UGLY WITH A DOSE OF SIMPLE!
Hey everyone,
Hope this post finds everyone well and ready to tackle the Symptoms of an ugly room with a few easy and simple changes.
Let’s face it we all have an ugly closet if not an ugly room. Or at least if not all of us (yes, myself included) a lot of us. So what are the really apparent symptoms of an ugly room? Here are few questions that may prompt you to seek imaginative, creative and resourceful “Design” help.
Taking the example of this picture let’s take it apart into bite size pieces.
- Does the room feel inviting to you?
- Does the room make you want to sit and stay, grab a book and read or have a friend over for a girly chat?
- Is the room bright during the day? Cozy and comfy at night?
- Does the room spark something in you that is pleasant?
If you have answered No to any of these questions you are at risk of an ugly room diagnosis. Especially, if you have answered No to more than 1 question.
WHY IS THIS AN UGLY DINING ROOM?
Let’s go back to the picture.
- The room is not inviting, it is cluttered with too many pieces and they make the room feel as though it is closing in on you.
- In my opinion, there are too many seemingly heavy pieces for the size of the room. (Seemingly, because perhaps those same pieces would look different in a larger room)
- The room does look dated and dreary.
- The only thing this room sparks in me is dated, old and dull.
LET’S GET DEEPER
BREAKING DOWN THE UGLY ROOM FROM FRONT TO BACK
It seems the window is small and there isn’t a lot of natural light. The ceiling appears to be some sort of Vaulted ceiling, which adds to the architectural interest but in turn, it also contributes to the room appearing small and tall. Although the interesting vaulted ceiling enhances how small the room is, we could use it as a feature by just changing the height of most of the pieces of furniture and by painting the ceiling and the walls the same color. In this case a white with a soft hue to it.
The window treatment is antiquated and doesn’t enhance the window or the room, nor does the hardware.
The flooring is also outdated and not cohesive, but for the sake of this example let’s assume we can’t change that either. Although, nowadays you could really come up with an inexpensive way to replace the floors or a creative way to improve them. But we will just leave it and call it “vintage charm.”
The furniture is not only dated but also inadequate for space, the sofa doesn’t look comfortable. The colors are drab, the artificial lighting doesn’t fit with the rest of the room, and the whole room looks pricey- it doesn’t flow, and it’s not cohesive.
We could go on and analyze each piece and each element but you get the idea. Now let’s see what we could do with very little.
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DESIGN SUGGESTIONS TO UPDATE THIS UGLY DINING ROOM
- I would first give the room a fresh coat of crisp white paint, perhaps Cool December from Dunn Edwards. Or White Dove from Benjamin Moore.
- I would enhance the window by hanging the hardware higher and across the width of the wall. This will give the illusion that the window is larger.
- I would also use a more appropriately scaled rod/window hardware and make the panels white-white and the length would be all the way to the floor. (The white-white cotton panels would show a slight contrast against the white on the walls. The texture will add depth and still keep the room airy and open.
- Throw a rug on the floor or add Flor carpet tiles that attach with sticky dots that hold them together and you can mix and match or simply just add a fun touch.
- The sofa in the new room was placed in front of the window. I see how this placement would open up the room. The sofa is all slipcovered or upholstered which adds to the comfort factor. It is also in off white which contributes to the lightness and airiness of the room.
- The table in the new room picture was placed against the wall allowing the space in the middle of the room to stay open. The light fixture in the new picture is more cohesive with the general style of the room.
- The mirror allows the light from the window to reflect light. Also, note that the walls are kept pretty open, there isn’t a ton of tall pieces occupying wall space as in the picture of the ugly room. The color of the pieces in the new room have been kept light also, so visually the room appears less enclosed. The new room doesn’t show 3 walls as the old room, but assuming that it is the same or a similar room on the walls we are not seeing I would probably add a tall white bookcase or light wood color. Or a credenza that served a dual purpose, storage inside the doors below. A place to display curated, well-chosen accessories on top as well as books. A credenza would also serve as an anchor point to add a few select pieces of art above it, on the wall.
Literally, it is that easy to take a symptomatic ugly room, to light, bright and open. With a dose of creativity, two doses of imaginative resources to repurpose or find key adequate pieces. An open minded attitude to trying new things and use pieces in different ways (as the mirror seating on the floor and not hanging).
A little TLC, a sense of scale and a can of paint. That is it, go from dreary old and uninviting to bright, updated and cohesive in just a few steps.
The first 5 people who comment and follow us on Instagram & Facebook, I will give you a quick suggestion list via email for YOUR ugly room. (Send us a picture or 2 of your space for a free consult).