So this post is inspired by a friends recent decorating dilemma, which upon hearing has made me think about this...
Lots of us end up lumbered with brown stuff that perhaps we didn't choose or maybe choose a long time ago before we all got super cool (we have inherited a brown leather bed, the thought gives me shivers, that Craig brought from his Dad's. You know the Argos type, he loved it when he was a teenage boy.)
By 'stuff' I'm talking things like big old comfy sofas and wooden tables and chairs that have been passed down from parents and family. Lets face it, we can't always afford to buy everything new when were changing up our spaces, and besides some of the brown 'stuff' can have the most character and charm - it's just knowing how to nurture it.
So we have a couple of options with this brown sitch:
1. We can change the colour of the stuff- So paint or re-vamp those old school, classic, built-to-last pieces that you pick up at car boots or had passed down to you. Not only paint but changing knobs and how you dress these pieces is all part of the tarting up process.
and
2. We can integrate the brown- so this is all about making the brown stuff work in your space in a cooler way. Adding other elements, offsetting with other colours and accessories, and throwing in more brown (yep you heard me -more brown) all helps to transform your brown stuff works.
Number 1 is mainly aimed at wooden furniture, (although I have come across painting leather and fabric on the crazy web I've not yet tried it myself, check it out here if your intrigued.) I adore cleaning up and painting old furniture it unleashes so much life into a piece that can be quite unbelievable, but this is going to be another post for another time. Today were talking how to work those awkward pieces into your scheme on mere integration tricks.
Add more brown
Honing in on the hue with touches like cushions, accessories, artwork, wallpaper and even paintwork will stop your brown furniture sticking out like a sore thumb and create harmony through your scheme. Play around with tones of the colour to create an interesting feel rather than sticking to one which may leave it looking flat and boring. Be brave and try depths you might not have explored before - dark sludgy browns can add grandeur and really ground a space, where lighter tones will make a place feel more calming.
Compliment the hue
Adding pops of other colours to offset the brown will help to update the look and modernise the whole scheme. Hit it up with brights like orange and pink for a really quirky contemporary vibe or go for greys for a more understated cool. Using lots of earthy colours (greens, neutrals and warm reds) can bring a relaxing element to your space, however for me this is kind of a bit predictable and 'been there'. This is all amount hitting up your 'stuff' with a big bag of cool.
Go glam
If you do lean towards these earthy tones, think rustic glam and add shots of surprise in other ways. Super scale-up your shiny surfaces like mirrors and metallics, hang your lighting a little lower and layer up varied textile finishes. All of these things will stop your space looking as mundane as the front page of the Next home brochure and create extra WOW (I realise I may offend Next fans here, but I had to take the risk sorry guys. It's not that it's not lovely, but it's just not AMAZINGGGG.)
Mix it up
If your piece is old, clash it up with something uber- contemporary to create unexpected intrigue, a big wooden elephant per say. As I'm learning, this is what makes spaces exciting. Throw in the unexpected and not only does your space scream personality but it will fill your guests with decorating envy!
Play up pattern
Pick out patterns in your sofa or wood work detail and play on them. As long as your sticking to one or two colours, adding in even the most subtle of patterns will transform your space. I must admit, I'm a little bit of a pattern phobe, so I tend to add it in subtly through rugs and cushions in big prints that barely look like patterns.
Get rid of anything else uncool.
Okay, sometimes we just have to be cruel to be kind (like the NEXT jibe). If your re-arranging or redecorating and keeping hold of your big brown 'stuff', it may be time to throw away any old pieces that just don't fit the bill. I tend to live by the rule of investing in the long term. It the same as with clothes, the more you spend on pieces the longer they will last. If you buy furniture, art or accessories for your home based on your true instinctive style, and not from the latest trend of a cheap homewards shop (I'm not saying you have to spend a fortune here- in fact sometimes the cooler stuff is cheaper - I have a big glass urn that I ADORE and it cost me eight quid from the charity shop. I also managed to pick up 4 ERCOL dining chairs for £90 in a charity shop - safe to say I was chuffed up!) then the more likely it is that you will never have to throw it away. Of course you can grab some good cheap bargains in these places that might see you through the next year, but be prepared to part with them once you're ready for a change.
I hope these tips enlighten you, I'd love to see your brown transformations, or if you have a piece / pieces that you're not sure what to do with and would like a bit more help give me a shout!
XOXO
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