decoration ideas

melb

We're redecorating various rooms in our house - where's the best place to go for inspiration? I've got all the colour charts going but can't visualise what they'll look like. We;re having lining paper and paint. I fancy putting up a dado rail in the hall and stairs and having maybe 2 different colours. It's an old house of 1890 so think a dado rail would fit in. also the dining room - one wall is taken up with 2 very tall thin windows and a chimney breast with a painted sllate fire place (I tried stripping it but it didn't look great so am leaving it painted). This will be lined and painted too. I was thinking dark red on the chimney breast wall and pale cream elsewhere. I've tried doing google images with some success but has anyone heard of a webiste that gives you decorating ideas? thanks

beverleyhills

See if you can get hold of any of the magazines that are dedicated to homes and home improvements. Often the local libraries recyle magazines.

Look up the magazine websites and any of the products they advertise.

A dado rail would suit a late Victorian house.

You may have to do test patches of colours as the amount of light available will affect the different shades.

TomsMom

Melb - BBC have a design section on their website. Also Channel 4. And if you google "interior design ideas" you'll get lots of websites to check out.

Some of the paint charts (maybe Dulux???) show ideas for colours that go together.

adandem

I like this website http://www.idealhomemagazine.co.uk/.

This might be worth a look too http://www.periodideas.com/.

Doozergirl

I prefer magazines to websites as ranges are generally more current so I can pick a paint colour or refer to a supplier. I'm a big fan of livingetc magazine because it's modern with a nod to more classic styles, their website is good and people post up their own houses on the message boards, which are lovely too and a really good source of inspiration!

And take your time. My dining room is nice but my H decided he was suddenly doing it and literally kicked me out of the house to buy paint whereas my living room I love and spent absolutely ages getting wallpaper samples until I found the right one. Really think about what works for you and don't forget that accessories play a big part in your design so if you want red and cream, do you have plenty of bits and bobs already around the house that you can reorganise to fit into the scheme?

I'm sitting in my dining room now which is red and cream. except I picked the wrong shade of cream really - it's not warm enough. I think it's jasmine white when I should have gone for Ivory instead to keep it warm. The red I'm pleased with the colour - it's Dulux Red Stallion which they make up for you to order. Looking at it right now the skirting needs to be red as well on that wall, it looks ridiculous in cream.

Wickedkitten

I've got more decorating books that I can shake a stick at, but last week I checked the Good Housekeeping Complete Home Book out of the library and now I've got to go buy a copy.

Check your local library because they will have an absolute load of decorating books also if you go to the Dulux and Crown Paints website, they will have a project section where you can mess around with colours in a room scheme.

melb

thanks for all your suggestions - much appreciated. Doozergirl I agree completely about taking your time. However the painter came round on sunday to give a quote and is here today doing my daughter's bedroom so we had to make a decision about that immediately. Mind you we've been in this house 13 years and needed a kick up the a**e to get us moving on this. Oh, and OH has decided we need some windows replacing which will now have to be after the decoration!

melb

thanks for the hint about the red skirting board Doozergirl that's an idea although would it look a bit funny if there others were white (which we're going to have) We've got jasmine white in our utility and on the kitchen ceiling with burnt orange walls and it is a nice colour but I know what you mean about it being a bit cold. We don't have any accessories we could bring into the dining room but that doesn't matter we've mainly just got natural wood table old pine dresser and bookcase and we need to get new bits and pieces - we've just put up with whatever we had in there for all this time from when we moved in

ormus

http://www.homesandgardens.com/gallery/main.php?g2_itemId=43

loads of ideas here.