We’d like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum.
This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are – or become – political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.
📨 Have you signed up to the Forum's new Email Digest yet? Get a selection of trending threads sent straight to your inbox daily, weekly or monthly!
Advice please
LydiaJ
Posts: 8,083 Forumite
This isn't really about mortgages but since you're were all so lovely last time I was on here...
Having paid off my mortgage with the help and encouragement of people on this forum, I have now been a mortgage free homeowner for a while, so this summer I am trying to take advantage of my long teacher holiday to do something about my house. Upstairs is mostly OK - we decorated that to our taste when we bought it. Downstairs we left as it was when we moved in, but that was a while ago now, and it's getting tired and a bit grubby, besides not being what I would have chosen, so this summer's project is to redecorate and recarpet.
I am doing all right with most of it, but really struggling for design ideas for the dining room, and so I wondered if you lovely MFW people could 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. (DD is 13 and DS is 16. I'm widowed, so no other adult to take into consideration.)
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 soon from my dad's house as he downsizes 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 to waste money 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, while the bit over the stairs has light but not direct sunlight from a north facing window. 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 anyone suggest we consider next as we try to find something we're both happy with???
Having paid off my mortgage with the help and encouragement of people on this forum, I have now been a mortgage free homeowner for a while, so this summer I am trying to take advantage of my long teacher holiday to do something about my house. Upstairs is mostly OK - we decorated that to our taste when we bought it. Downstairs we left as it was when we moved in, but that was a while ago now, and it's getting tired and a bit grubby, besides not being what I would have chosen, so this summer's project is to redecorate and recarpet.
I am doing all right with most of it, but really struggling for design ideas for the dining room, and so I wondered if you lovely MFW people could 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. (DD is 13 and DS is 16. I'm widowed, so no other adult to take into consideration.)
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 soon from my dad's house as he downsizes 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 to waste money 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, while the bit over the stairs has light but not direct sunlight from a north facing window. 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 anyone suggest we consider next as we try to find something we're both happy with???
Do you know anyone who's bereaved? Point them to https://www.AtaLoss.org which does for bereavement support what MSE does for financial services, providing links to support organisations relevant to the circumstances of the loss & the local area. (Link permitted by forum team)
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
Tyre performance in the wet deteriorates rapidly below about 3mm tread - change yours when they get dangerous, not just when they are nearly illegal (1.6mm).
Oh, and wear your seatbelt. My kids are only alive because they were wearing theirs when somebody else was driving in wet weather with worn tyres.
0
Comments
-
We painted our sitting room and dining room 'cornflower white' which is a very very pale blue - makes the whole place very light and doesn't feel cold. My OH thinks it is white (to the extent that he tried to use the paint to patch the white ceiling at which point just how blue it is became clear!).
Could you do something that's cream with a 'feature' wall? That might be a compromise that both of you could live with?0 -
A personal blue favourite is borrowed light from farrow and ball. Not exactly MSE, but a little goes a very long way. Jade white from dulux is very nice, and more blue than the name suggests.
Why not go with a blue you both like, then add some colour to liven things up? Could use a yellow or orange for a few accents to warm the overall look.
Or, paint the walls in a more white/cream colour ( a veritable minefield these colours however!) then add accents in blue to soften the look.
Honestly, Pinterest is your friend here. Have a browse for some looks you both like.
Good luck
Bexster 0 -
Go down to the library and get some ideas from all the house style magazines.0
This discussion has been closed.
Confirm your email address to Create Threads and Reply
Categories
- All Categories
- 352.3K Banking & Borrowing
- 253.6K Reduce Debt & Boost Income
- 454.3K Spending & Discounts
- 245.3K Work, Benefits & Business
- 601K Mortgages, Homes & Bills
- 177.5K Life & Family
- 259.1K Travel & Transport
- 1.5M Hobbies & Leisure
- 16K Discuss & Feedback
- 37.7K Read-Only Boards