The Nice People Thread, No.16: A Universe of Niceness.

SingleSue

Pyxis wrote: »

Ooh that's rough. Have you got the anti-viral stuff?

Oh yes plus anti nerve pain stuff too.

zagubov

Sue sorry to hear about the shingles. Hope you feel better soon.

Loanranger

Sue that's dreadful. I had shingles 30 years ago and still recall the pain. I was prescribed Zovirax by injection and it really helped. I was on holiday out of the country and when I got home my own GP was astounded that I had been given what he described as the latest thing.
It was quite debilitating for about three months afterwards, in my case.
Hope you soon feel the relief.

chris_m

PasturesNew wrote: »

I swear half the kids are half-wits....

Maybe all of them are quarter-wits :rotfl:

Pyxis

Lydia, what way does the room face? (See edit)
If it's northish, then it will be 'colder' than if it's southish, so a pale blue in the latter might be nice.
My bedroom faces SSE, and the walls are a very, very pale blue, which is nice.

Your blue samples probably don't look right because the carpet's still there. Or maybe they are the wrong blue, or not pale enough?

Otherwise, depending on the type of blue that the curtains and seats are, have a try of a very, very pale pastel green. Green and blue go well together in nature, and really don't clash, I assure you!

Re. the floor, would you consider wood rather than carpet? Copes better with high traffic so you won't get so much of a differential between parts of the room over time, and is cleaner for a dining room where you're bound to get spills etc. Easier to sweep up a few crumbs rather than getting the vacuum out, too.

Cherry wood has a very warm feel, or you could go for a very light one, to brighten up the dark areas and contrast with dark wood furniture.

Re. the curtains, you could ring the changes by also fitting light blinds, for a streamlined modern look,so that you can either have blinds down, or curtains closed, or half and half, or both.

A splash of bright colour could be achieved with pictures sporting a same colour theme, and/or a feature ornament/plant stand or somesuch.






Edit..... just seen that you said it faces south, so a pale blue shouldn't be cold at all! And if it's pale enough, it will lighten up the dark areas. You could even experiment with using an even paler blue, or green, if you're trying the green option, in the dark areas, as the different light will make the same colour look different anyway!

Plus, the use of mirrors in the dark areas would throw light around, too, and a strategically placed floor lamp for the evenings, perhaps a mother-and-child lamp with the 'child' spot trained on a painting in a darker nook.

vivatifosi

I have a mahogany stained staircase, though I think it is probably a different wood. Because it has an orangish tone, colours like pale peach and lemon go very well.

A colour that I personally really like that may also work is that slightly green blue that falls between duck egg and seafoam. Both are very pale, but more intense versions of the colour would then work well to add a splash of colour. As would peach and apricot.

Doozergirl

LydiaJ wrote: »

This summer I am trying to take advantage of my long teacher holiday to do something about my house. I am doing all right with most of it, but really struggling for design ideas for the dining room, and wonder if you NP can come up with any suggestions. To complicate matters, while I've had things all my own way in the living room, I've agreed that choices for the dining room are to be negotiated between all 3 of us - which basically means DD and me, with DS not really minding much.

The room is dominated by a lot of dark wood - the large dining table is pretending to be mahogany, as are the legs and backs of the dining chairs, while the bureau that's probably coming from my dad's house probably actually is mahogany, and the stairs (open treaded) are a dark reddish wood too, although I don't know what kind. The curtains and the seats of the chairs are blue, and in good condition so I don't want the expense of changing them.

It has a large south facing window making one end of it light and bright, while the other end is over shadowed by the stairs and very dark. The current paint colour on the walls is pale, but whether it's pale green or pale yellow depends on which bit of it you look at - the lighting conditions vary so much from place to place in the room. The carpet is a very cheap plain pale beige that's badly worn and grimy, especially in the high traffic area where you come in from the hallway on the way to anywhere else in the house.

The room looks boring and unloved. I know it'll look a lot better when the horrible carpet's replaced and there are some pictures up, but I'm stuck over paint colours. DD suggests blue, to go with the chairs and curtains. We've tried out various pale blues on the walls, but they all look too cold to me. A friend suggested cream walls with blue carpet, which I think would be fine but DD feels is boring. What would the NP suggest we consider next as we try to find something we're both happy with???

Always a fan of Farriw & Ball because not only donthey provide such a beautiful quality of colour, their paint card will really help with advice - you get a few sentences for each colour - and let you know if your blues are warm or cold. Their blues, in particular, always seem to change with the light.

Dix Blue, or Borrowed Light, perhaps. I have Pale Powder in my kitchen and that brightened it up no end and I love it. It sounds like Viva's colour suggestion as it's very easy to find slightly darker toned items in the shops (Blue Green is a perfect match) My kitchen is three rooms now and it was easy to match splashback tiles in the kitchen and a wallpaper in the dining section. I thought I'd painted the entire house white when we first moved in, but it turns out I'd painted it a dull, flat grey, which did nothing for my mental health or the appearance of the house. It's so important to have some warmth.

Or wallpaper. Wallpaper is so much fun now. I love Cole & Sons contemporaries. Or even more F&B - easy to match perfectly with paint and timeless style. Introduce a bit of personality. It's a forever house after all. Go to a Brewers paint shop or John Lewis and look through books, don't buy the regular stuff from B&Q - there's so much more to choose from.

Agree that perhaps a hard floor will help with your high traffic area. Dark will match your furniture, greys are now very fashionable and go with pretty much everything. You could always pop a rug under the dining table area. Otherwise, make sure your new carpet is good for high traffic areas. Choosing blue carpet will limit future decorating options.

silvercar

A mirror on the wall opposite the window would lighten up the room.

I love blue as a colour. It sounds like the flooring is depressing you. Is there any chance that there is a wooden floor hiding underneath? Failing that, engineered wood instead of carpet would be my choice (especially for a dining room).

Pyxis

Pastures, I know this probably won't be a feasible suggestion, but would it be at all possible for you to consider moving to a street that, by virtue of its layout and/or occupants, wouldn't have the doofing problems?

I can see that any development that has an off-road enclosed space would be a magnet for children, so perhaps a more traditional street wouldn't have the same problems? Or an area that is more popular with older people?

It might be something to consider before you go ahead with the extension, although I know just the thought of moving can produce an apoplexy of colly-wobbles! Would for me, anyhow!

(Also, when you're packing up, you'd probably find that electric screwdriver! )

It could be that the thought of considerably-reduced anxiety levels (due to no omnipresents or doofing or mini-evelknievels) and peace at last might make up for the temporary stress of moving.

Although 'out of the frying-pan' might spring to your mind, with careful research into a particular street/its occupiers (and you're good at research!) you'd probably be fine.

It might be a small price to pay for lowered blood-pressure and a calm mind. :A

LydiaJ

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. Lots to think about, so I'll take my time mulling it all over. A few quick replies to silvercar, though, whose thoughts have more immediate answers.

silvercar wrote: »

A mirror on the wall opposite the window would lighten up the room.

This is a great idea, and just what I've been suggesting to my dad to make the living room in his new flat feel bigger. In my house, however, there isn't really a wall opposite the window, or at least not about waist height - that's where the stairs are. I'll post some pics "elsewhere" later today.

silvercar wrote: »

I love blue as a colour.

So do I.

silvercar wrote: »

It sounds like the flooring is depressing you.

Yes yes yes yes! This is my biggest bugbear with the house. I didn't like the carpet much when it was new when we moved in - the vendors had had it done to sell the house. I positively hate it now. :mad:

silvercar wrote: »

Is there any chance that there is a wooden floor hiding underneath? Failing that, engineered wood instead of carpet would be my choice (especially for a dining room).

I was hoping there would be a wooden floor under the carpet too, but when I pulled up a corner of the carpet to look, I found there isn't.