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Decorating Plan

Maybe I shouldn’t write this post after talking about Vince’s shopping.

I am not a decorator. I know what I like, I know what feels like home to me, I don’t care if what I have is no longer in style. I really am not picky so feel free to help me out here if you’d like.

The Plan:

My plan is to put a small chair, not a recliner, in the corner in the breakfast room. I do want an ottoman to prop my legs up. I do not want any kind of storage, although I wouldn’t mind if the ottoman was a storage ottoman.

I will probably get a large-ish basket and put by the chair and keep my scissors and the three or four project bags that I’m currently working out of in the basket. The more space I have, the more clutter I generate.

I also want a cute little trash can to put next to my chair for threads, candy wrappers, etc. That’s it – I will put a floor lamp, a chair, an ottoman and a trash can, a basket – nothing more.

The Room:

I’ve already shown some pictures of the breakfast room this morning but here are more so you can get a perspective if you don’t already have it.

This is standing in the kitchen looking to the right side of the breakfast room. The plates on the wall – that’s something Angie left. Eventually that area will become the red bird wall for the cross stitching that has red birds. The corner there is where I want to put the chair. The room to the right of the windows on the right side is the sun room. The window we’re kind facing (longer wall and right of the plates) . . just outside there is the deck.

The wall (with the dirty line near the bottom – which I’ve never even noticed before!) is the wall with the plates but the plates are just to the right out of view in this picture. That’s Rita’s little setup to the left and then that area is open to the family room.

The table is probably 36 or 40″ square and it sits right under the plates . . centered on that wall.

In the above picture, you can see that the windows have red toppers. I could change those but I like red and the dining room wall is red.

Excuse the jackets thrown over the chair rail! But, with the red wall in there, the red toppers in the breakfast room, a lot of red stitching on the houses I stitch, I’m happy with the red.

What I LIke:

This old pillow has been a favorite for years – something I love. Red, gold and tan are some of my favorite colors together. My sofa is a dark green-ish brown with gold and red and gold look great with it.

What About These Things:

I love this rug. I can get a rectangular one to put under the chair and ottoman. I can get a 6’7″ square one to put under the table and chairs.

Now .. the chair! This is my first choice for a chair but I don’t know if it would look bad with the rug? I think the print is really close to what’s in the window toppers so that’s not a concern.

I feel much safer with this chair but I like the above chair better.

Questions:

  1. Are the rugs ok?
  2. Should I put the print rug under the table and try to find a solid rug for under the chair?
  3. With the print rug, should I go with the solid chair?
  4. If I switched to a solid tan or even a solid greenish rug, would it be ok to get the flowered chair?
  5. I think they come as a set but I don’t mind trying to get a solid ottoman for the chair, though it might be a bit hard to match but . . maybe not. I could always have the little ottoman sitting by the side and Addie could sit in there with me and read or visit with me.

Thank you for your thoughts! BTW, neither ottoman is a storage ottoman but that’s ok.

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. I’m not a decorator either, but I would either pair a solid chair with a patterned rug or a patterned chair with a solid rug. I think it’s hard on your eyes to have too many patterns right on top of each other.

    • That’s what I’m thinking. I was hoping someone would have changed my mind. 🙂

      • Get the larger print rug for under the table, and a coordinating solid red rug for under your chair. Then you can get the printed chair you like best.

        OR… you could always take up Oxford punch needle rug making, and make rugs to coordinate with the chair for both places! ??

  2. I like the solid red chair and ottoman with the rug. To me it looks cozier than the print chair. and I think the print chair conflicts with the rug. Just my opinion, if you really like the print chair shop for a different rug, or don’t use a rug in that area.

    • I want a rug because of the wood floors but I’m thinking the same thing you’re thinking and I don’t want a solid rug under the table.

  3. I like the solid chair with the patterned rug. It will be easier to change out rugs than a chair. I know the corner is off center, but there might be a corner shelf unit that can be useful. Don’t forget about a place for Boots to sit and watch outside – a second ottoman.

    • Actually the chair costs half what the rugs cost so it will probably be easier to change out the chair. 🙂

      There are four breakfast room chairs and I can leave the sun room door open so Boots will have plenty of places to see out. The windows in the breakfast room aren’t as low as the windows in the living room and I don’t think he could see out easily from an ottoman.

      It’s almost like the family room and breakfast room are the same room so knowing what a creature of habit he is, he’ll probably sit in the living room and never spend much time in the breakfast room with me though he does love the sun room . . I think because there are so many windows and he can see so much in there.

  4. As someone who loves to decorate I always suggest starting with one thing you absolutely love to get @ color scheme. It can be a piece of furniture, a piece of art. Or something else.
    Then use that as the starting point and pull your colors from there.
    Be sure you have some different values in the colors you choose.
    Choose both warm and cool colors but not an equal amount of each.
    Every room benefits from having some amount of black in it.
    Don’t feel you have to choose everything at once.
    Decorating is an ongoing process.
    As to chairs, never purchase a chair without doing a sitting test in it. I realize YOU don’t like to shop, but the chair must fit your body and be comfortable.
    Take your time creating something you will love and will serve the purpose you need the area/room for.

    • The pillow is my starting point. I’ve been to the local stores half a dozen times over the last 8 months and for the most part, they aren’t getting small chairs in stock, nor are they getting any ottomans. I can keep waiting for them to get something or take a chance on liking it. We bought our sofa and recliners without sitting in them and are pleased so either my luck will run out or it will continue. 🙂

  5. I am not a decorator, but I know you have to be careful when mixing patterns because it can become too busy fast. I love the patterned chair, but couldn’t have it myself because I have a black dog that sheds on thing by just walking by and it would be dingy very quickly. I like the solid chair as well, it looks comfy. I love the spot you picked, so much light, I think you will enjoy stitching there, I know I would. I think either would work, but probably your best choice would be to go to a local store so you can sit in the chair and make sure it is comfortable. Nothing worse than an uncomfortable chair.

    • I’ve already gone to the local store and they have mostly BIG chairs and not small chairs and they’re saying it’s taking forever to get custom orders.

      • The pattern chair looks less likely to show the stray threads that tend to accumulate when I’m quilting, no idea if that happens during cross stitch!

        • I just read another comment about that. Also . . cat hair and hopefully some day I’ll have a dachshund!

  6. Solid chair with the rugs. The other chair legs don’t go with the rest of your chairs. And you might get tired of the pattern on the other chair

  7. I love the red chair with the patterned rug. Just think how nice it will look with all of your red bird cross stitch pieces framed. NICE!

  9. I’m going against everyone else’s advice. I absolutely love the chair you picked out! I would have a hard time not getting that chair!

    As far as the rugs — I would get them. One for under your table and one for your chair.

    Like you, I am not a decorator, but I do know what I like. I also don’t care about what’s “in style“. I put in my house what makes me happy.

  10. The rug is mostly solid and I think that print chair is gorgeous! I would put them together.

  11. I love everything you have shown. However, that solid red chair will show every thread, hair, or piece of fuzz you never knew you had. I am loving your home so far. You are doing great for not being a decorator.

    • Oh, you are so right about threads and fuzz but also — cat hair and I hope to some day have a dachshund.

      • I hadn’t thought of that! Might be something to consider. The print chair will be lovely and it’s the one you love! Go for it!!

  12. I like the solid red chair. It looks more comfortable than the other. I would use the print rug under the chair and check to see if there is one big enough to go under the dining table. With using both the same rugs, it ties both areas together.

    • Yes, there is a rug for the breakfast room table but I don’t want the same rug in the dining room. It’s far enough from the breakfast room that a different rug will be fine.

  13. I think the rug is perfect and it will go with the first chair – I like that one much better than the solid red one – looks very cheerful.

  14. I like the red chair. You can always use print rugs under it. With the print chair, you are kind of obligated to get a solid color rug, so they won’t “fight” each other. I also think the red one would be more comfortable with the arms on it. I like the wider arms. This looks like a good reading chair also. You need a big oval basket to put your projects in. If you were here, I have one I would give you. It is about 25 inches long and about 15 inches wide. With the large handle on it.

    • That sounds like the perfect basket. Have you seen how expensive baskets have gotten to be? I need to run by Tuesday Morning as soon as our covid numbers drop a bit and see what I can find there. That’s very sweet of you to offer me the basket.

  16. Have you looked at Wayfair or Ikea? My daughter swears by them for chairs & rugs; maybe you will find something there.

    • Yes, but Wayfair’s prices are not always the best. We do not have an Ikea near us and their delivery costs are outrageous for larger items. I looked at one chair there and the chair was about $300. The shipping was over $400 – the total ended up being about $720 for a $300 chair before taxes. I understand shipping costs but it makes not cost effective for me to buy from them.

  17. I just wish I was closer! I got it at a garage sale Pat’s cousin was having. He has a catering business here (Casey’s Catering) and he was getting rid of some of his prop. I don’t think it was more than $2! It is heavy duty too.

  18. I am also not a decorator. I am a quilter and think the same rules apply to decor color as to quilts. Perhaps what doesn’t quite feel right about the first chair is the white background. You said you like tan, red and gold together. The rug you love is tan, red and brown. The chair has the red, tan and gold but the white feels colder. If the background was off white or tan you might never have questioned that choice. The red chair is a safe, more conventional choice. It fits. You may not be a decorator, but you are great with color. All your quilts and knitting and cross stitch, the colors work together. Trust your color sense.

    • Thank you, Edna. That’s a nice thing to say about my colors. You’re right . . even though we have white light fixtures and white doors in that area, I think that white chair would have stood out. I’m not 100% sure the red chair is what I will end up getting. I did find a pretty brown chair last night that I liked.

      I think I’ll wait til the rugs get here and I can put them down on the floor, then put a dining room chair in there and throw a brown fabric over the chair, a red solid fabric and a red print, and see which one we like the best and go from there.

  19. LOVE the red chair & ottoman, those will be gorgeous with the rug you’ve chosen, especially with the red work you’ll have hung up on the wall. The white chair would be too stark with the gorgeous rug, and it would show any spots very quickly – the red would be easier to keep clean. The colors you chose are the colors I have in my home – I have various shades of red, too, as well as browns, and other autumnal colors. I do have a variety of area rugs (all but the 2 largest (those are at least 10×12) purchased through Ruggable, as their rugs are washable in our washing machine), and it really makes it comfy for walking on (especially in cold winter!) and keeps the sound down of walking on the solid floors. I’ve noticed one of our little dogs (an 11 pound terrier) loves to jump from rug to rug when she’s playing with us and then run on the solid flooring when she wants to ‘slip and slide’….guaranteed to get us laughing every time.

    • Ahhh . . a Ruggable user! You’re happy with those? I had heard people say some of them curl up on the edges and make a trip hazard. I would love to get those but was waiting til I met someone who had actually used them. Thanks!

  20. Have you looked at Goodwill at their baskets? That’s where I get most of mine – and I’m picky about baskets. Makes for perfect storage in the quilt room. I even use baskets for my purse – those I purchase at farmers markets as the baskets I like for that purpose are made overseas (usually Africa or Indonesia) and are beautiful as well as being roomy for my quilt projects that I take with me to work on. One of the small ones I use for my purse I picked up in an antique shop – for only $12, which was a bargain for the quality and colors.

    • Our Goodwill doesn’t typically have a lot of good stuff. I’m not going out very often now so, at this point, IF I feel like I have to buy a basket or two, it’s easier to run into one place that I know will have something that will work. BUT, it’s going to be three or four weeks (since the floor guy won’t be here til next week now because of the weather) before I can put rugs and furniture back on the wood floors so hopefully by then, our covid numbers will be down and hopefully the next variant won’t be here yet and I can run in Goodwill and check. Thanks for the reminder to check there.

  21. You can make yourself crazy trying to match everything. I say, go with what makes you happy. I’m all about eclectic…finding things that make you happy. If you look at a lot of classic designs they mix and match patterns all the time. If you’re worried, I think the rug doesn’t really read as a print as the pattern is really spread out. I have a red and camel couch and our area carpet has a red background with the border and print in it…think persian style but not. The reds aren’t exactly the same but I think they go together and it makes me happy. By the time you add the table, light, samplers, basket and ottoman, you will have created a charming vignette and I think it will look good together.

    • I think the “make yourself crazy” happened years and years ago. 🙂

      True! Think how many reds will soon be on that wall.

  22. You have lots of opinions already. You really have to decide what you like. I like all of your choices. If you are really in love with the print chair then get it and do what you said in #2 above and get a solid rug for under it. It will come together.

    • Julie! I forgot . . you’re supposed to be decorating my house. You’ve seen my decorating “style”. You should encourage me to leave that kind of stuff to those who know what they’re doing! : )

      • Ha ha I really would help if I was there. I love to decorate! I still remember giving you suggestions and the light that went off in your eyes as you had never even considered that idea! I do like your choices. Just be careful about mixing too many patterns. I love scrappy quilts, but somehow it doesn’t always work with decor items. 😉 Putting a solid rug under the print chair does work.

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