When we first put out the call for our “Design SOS” (instant response to people’s styling problems), we got a ton of responses and we couldn’t be more grateful! Unfortunately, we can’t reach everyone, but we can stay away. Emily did the first round in this post, and I thought I’d take a stab at it this time! Of course, I made mood boards and probably cataloged them Say For some magical presentations because I can’t help myself, but I hope there are useful tips for everyone and you enjoy peeking into some of our readers’ amazing homes! We’re talking fabric selection, small blank wall issues, and a big accent wall dilemma. Ready, set, styled!
Ottoman issues
Question 1:
Hi Jess and the EHD team! Long time fan of the site and the entire team’s approach to design. Happy to share my own mini design dilemmas with you all!
I was eyeing the Greenrow and Etsy ottoman with the Christopher Farr Lost & Found fabric to complement our sofa (we were exploring the sectional but weren’t ready to make the dollar or design commitment yet). We found a large ottoman on FB Marketplace for $150! It is 6 feet by 2 feet wide. The main question for you is based on the room (multi-colored red Persian rug, cherry, brick wall) and the adjacent room: Which direction would you take this fabric? Still like the Christopher Farr fabric but don’t like the price! We previously had a Crate & Barrel glass coffee table in this room…excited by the ottoman to soften the room a bit and add coziness!
Answer 1:
First of all, love this place! The ottoman is going to be great, but I’m not sure this fabric pattern (which is beautiful) is the best choice. For me, textiles and rugs are fighting too hard for attention. The pattern scales are virtually identical, which is the biggest issue. The rug is very nice (and I’m sure not cheap), so it’s probably better to go with a different, solid fabric rather than getting a more solid-colored rug. Let me show you what I mean…
The render changed the size of the ottoman, but the view still shows my point. Your eye doesn’t get a chance to rest with the green patterned fabric. It’s made even more difficult by the brick wall. And look, some people like brick walls more than me, so I’m a big fan. However, this is another bold pattern/texture that is drawing attention to your eyes. The competition is very high! But with a solid velvet (I love the idea of adding another material for subtle interest), the room still looks eclectic and luxurious, but in a way that’s more casual. I like dark gold, but that’s just a suggestion 🙂
I couldn’t stop there and give some unsolicited styling and product advice. Oops! Since the rug is so busy floral, contrasting it with some soft geometric patterned pillows would look wonderful and really intentional. The blue-green pillow with the broken stripe will look great with the velvet pillows already there, and that burgundy disc will pair perfectly with the rug (they have it in a different color and love it too). Then for the accent chair vignette, I like this green dot, which talks to the green on the dining chair cushions (which you’ll see in a moment), and a cream hand-knotted blanket, which ties in with the light-colored sofa! And again, I know this is untested, but from the pronunciation it sounds like it needs a side table friend. For the contrast of the legs on the chair, I love this black plinth table, which I paired with an LED cordless burgundy lamp! No need to worry about finding a practical outlet 🙂 Below are all the products and links!
table lamp | side table | fabric | Brick Grid Pillow Cover | velvet disc pillow | Pierce and Ward Dot Pillow Cover | Handmade Chunky Knit Throw Blanket
Okay, onto the second question!
Question #2:
What to do with this boob light is easy…it’s the first light you see when you enter the condo, and it’s parallel to our hallway lights. Should we replace it with something beautiful/different or consider wall sconces instead? The placement seems odd; We’ve even thought about converting the lights into overhead lighting for the living room!
Answer #2:
It’s simple…get it out of here! This obviously bothers him, and there’s already plenty of light in there, so it’s not even necessary. They or an electrician can take it down, secure the wire, and then cover it with one of those circular plates they already have in another location on the roof. Done and done 🙂
accent wall crisis
Question:
hello! First off, let me just say how excited I was to see Emily’s IG story about this. I’m really struggling with this room and keep thinking to myself, “I wish Emily Henderson could tell me how to make this room better!”
So here we go. This is my family’s living room. It is the heart of our home where my boys (4 and 1) play, we watch movies, relax on weekend mornings, and just spend time together. It’s the first room you see when you enter our home.
Last month, my dad and sister graciously helped me build a shiplap wall, and while I thought it would pull the room together, it actually did the opposite and highlighted how big and empty the room is! I would love Emily’s advice on how to improve this room. I know the green color I have chosen is very wrong. It’s very empty above the sofa. Toys need a home.
Please, please, please would appreciate any and all advice!
-Jacqueline (mom of a boy who wants a beautiful house even though she knows Hot Wheels and toys will be part of it)
Answer:
First of all, it’s a beautiful house! But yes, accent walls make the room feel unbalanced, unless it’s some kind of corner. My initial idea with minimal labor would be to choose a lighter version of the green on the shiplap wall and paint the other three walls in that. This will help soften the transition from a dark colored wall to a light colored wall and also avoid creating a dark colored room that is too stark for this otherwise white walled home. Another idea is to choose a light green in general and paint all four walls for an overall tonal look similar to Caitlin’s beautiful basement, just in a lighter version. The green sofa is already there 🙂 This option is what I was able to present above! Oh, and since the pillow color is pink, these “mulberry” colored textured curtains will add comfort and warmth. I’m sure this is also a future plan, but adding large-scale art on the wall above the sofa would help balance the space. To make sure I was giving the right advice, ha, I contacted M and she agreed, but here was her exact response:
“I think your instincts are totally right. The accent wall is cutting the room in 1/4 and making it feel smaller. I think since they probably don’t want to paint the ceiling, I would paint the entire room a light color so the ceiling doesn’t contrast as much and it still feels a little cozy, but it doesn’t have a wall which makes the room feel really unbalanced. A good second option is what you suggested – to soften the transition and tone down the boldness of the single. For a lighter tone wall color on three walls, it’s possible to have white, but for a TV room, I understand why they wanted to put the TV on a darker wall.’
My rendering skills are lacking, so I couldn’t show the option of three light walls, but here Emily and I both felt that either one extra-tall credenza or multiple put together would also balance the room and give plenty of storage for the “less pretty” boys’ toys 🙂 I have to say that the credenza as it is is very pretty, but something larger would work better. Oh, and adding two beautiful textured plug-in sconces will make this room cozy and add balance.
From Emily: “A large credenza below with flanking lamps could balance out the sofa greatly, then adding a bunch of art and maybe even a white room with a pop of color would look great.”
Here are the three products I found:
Tapered Rattan Pivot Plug-in Sconce | round sideboard | Classic Slub Linen Curtain
Till the last reader…
What to do with small empty walls??
Question:
Hi Jess!
Funny story…I’ve already asked ChatGPT to “decorate it in Emily Henderson style” for a corner of my house I’m furnishing!! As you can see, it’s still very much embellished, so its timing is perfect because AI couldn’t come to the rescue!
We have been living in this house for more than a year. We love it, but we’re really trying to be intentional about how we decorate it (see: Target checkout counter in the background, ha). It’s bigger than our previous home, so it feels like it’s taking a lot of time to develop that lived-in and layered charm.
We can help a lot! However, we have two short walls and we can’t figure out what to do! As you can see, we need to use at least one for 3 dog bowls (although yes, it’s unsightly, unfortunately this actually seems to be the best/most convenient place to keep the bowls). The wall with the light switches leads to our kitchen, and the other wall that leads down that long hallway will eventually hit a small laundry room/mud room. We would love to squeeze dog food and water bowls in here, but that doesn’t work.
We don’t think a coat rack is a good idea!? Seems odd to use a console table, especially on the wall where the dog bowls will live?! Looks weird hanging artwork or sconces on the wall with all the light switches (height/spacing)?! Again, I’m completely out of ideas!
Would love to see anything your team can come up with! Please let me know if it would be helpful to send any additional angles or dimensions. I greatly appreciate your idea!”
Answer:
I think this reader is thinking a little too much about this, which may *cough* make me more angry 🙂 So let me be a design friend and say that a console table wouldn’t be weird to me. It simply needs to be without storage or have a shelf underneath it to be able to place dog bowls. Then, as you can see in the graphic, a fun lamp and a vintage knitted cool tray are really all that will be needed to make that wall feel pulled together (Hot Tip: Consider adding some earthquake clay under the lamp in case puppies or kids knock it over. Then, for the other wall, I think a large piece of art would be amazing, and the same dog bowl tray to keep everything looking cohesive!
table lamp | woven diamond tray | console table | dog bowl stand | large art print
I really love that console table, but I also love this this other console Table which is even more affordable. Art prints are just a suggestion, but could be something neutral but fun. Finally, Etsy has lots of customizable dog bowl stands (I think using a stand would make these setups look more intentional). They didn’t have any pictures of these black stands, but I liked the idea of that color contrasting with the table and I’ll talk about the dining chairs as well.
Like I said in the beginning, I really hope this is helpful, fun, and relevant. It’s very easy to get stuck when you look at the same spot for too long. But if you can ask a friend in your life, it is also very helpful. Design is rarely a solo game. Until next time!
I love you, it means it.
Opening Image Credit: Photo by Caitlin Green | From: How I convinced my friend to paint her room really dark: Article Kid/Dog Friendly Basement Makeover with Furniture
