Looking for the interior decorating style and design that is right for your home, for your family and the environment is not always easy. Often, it is easier to help someone else decorate their home. You must decide what makes you happy. Learn what excites you.
For a few years, I tried to find the right design and color coordination for the livingroom. The primary intent was to buy two love seats that would fit comfortably in this livingroom/diningroom area and replace the ones that were presently there. After two years, the search was becoming impossible. New love seats were often too consuming and too large for the space in the livingroom. The next thing to do was to find a good upholsterer. I was blessed to find a superb one, whose price was more than just right. As a result, the room was changed around the work by the upholsterer, the discount material from a fabric store, a few changes in furnishings, and the desire and determination to make the difference in the room/home. Before:
After:
With the assistance of this really great upholsterer who also covered the valance, a woman who has excellent skills with making drapes, several items purchased from HomeGoods; I was able to see transition that was pleasing and acceptable. Some definite changes were:
1. The bookcase was replaced by a pedestal with white orchids in a wonderful container on top- 2. The red lamp shade from HomeGoods was among the tremendous buys- 3. The two pillows in the middle of each love seat and the smaller pillows on the end of each love seat are reversible with red fabric on the opposite sides- 4. The valance that you can not see very well, is in the same print as the small end- pillows- 5. Everything was very much under cost - 6. I am a bargain shopper who loves a good deal, but I love knowing that I have great results–thats why I love, love HomeGoods.
1. The living room came alive with the new fabrics and textures. Fabulous!!
by V. Best-Simmons — 6/19/07 at 1:40 pm #
2. The after picture is gorgeous! I thought the before picture was wonderful until I saw the after picture. The colors are so vibrant. It appears to be more light in the room because of the colors.
by Bertha [...] — 6/19/07 at 3:15 pm #
3. Great job! Beautiful! Bette, I really like what you’ve done.
Carla
by Carla — 6/19/07 at 5:23 pm #
4. Betty, The room looks great! I love it!
by Deb — 6/19/07 at 10:24 pm #
5. You’ve been busy Betty. You’ve done a great job with the redecorating.
I love the color. Is it a coral color? A big difference from the before. I like your grasscloth wall. Rattan chairs with the stripe fabric are very nice. The twin sofas are nicey arranged.The fireplace wall looks familiar but very nice in the context of the room. The art pieces show well. You did a beautiful job. I bet you enjoy the room as well as your family and friends. I enjoyed the visit. Cathy
by Cathy — 6/20/07 at 12:10 am #
6. The living room is beautiful. It has great flow. The first picture was awesome, but the second is phenominal!
by Richelle — 6/20/07 at 10:23 am #
7. I like it!
by eliza — 6/20/07 at 11:53 am #
8. Well hello those are all very nice pictures and very good job I’ll like to ask you a question? I have new couches because I recently moved to my new apartment and they are well it’s like leather on the sides and suede the pillows and the cushins and it’s a dark brown the leather and the suede it’s a light brown so I don’t know with what color I should start decorating can you help me it’s my first time so it’s kinf of hard…
by mari — 6/20/07 at 12:13 pm #
9. Superb!! Great choice in fabric — both the color and texture. The updated transformation is artitistic, colorful, tasteful, classy and most importantly — inviting.
by Yvonne [...] — 6/20/07 at 3:10 pm #
10. I would like to speak with miss betty if it is possible
by ANN [...] — 6/20/07 at 4:01 pm #
11. The redecorated living room by Betty is dynamic. The fabrics used on the sofa and love seat are absolutely sturnning. They really make the room. Her accessories are beautiful and the arrangement of the room is outstanding. She is to be highly commended for her decoration and for all the effort and time put into this redecoration. Thank you Home Goods for spotlighting Betty she really uplifts your product.
by Shirley [...] — 6/22/07 at 10:03 am #
12. Hi VBest-Simmons,
- Bertha [...]-
- Carla-
- Deb-
- Eliza -
- Yvonne [...]-
Thank you so very much for your warm and and very kind words of encouragement. I am pleased that you appreciate the work and the love that went into Redecorating the Livingroom. Your comments have been inspiring and uplifting.
Keep your excitement with the HG Openhouse Site, continue to make comments to let us know what you think. Visit us again very soon.
Betty
by Betty — 6/22/07 at 1:13 pm #
13. Hi Cathy,
Thank you so very much for your wonderful and caring response to Redecorating the Livingroom. Yes, it was fun and exciting! You asked if the color was coral. It is a deep red, with a gold/yellow thread interwoven. You commented about the grasscloth wallpaper. As you have probably guessed by now, I love wallpaper. Not on all of the walls, but on one long wall or two walls within a room. In some rooms there no wallpaper. Since I have just finished the room, family and friends have not had a chance to enjoy it, but I’m looking forward to entertaining again.
by Betty — 6/22/07 at 1:24 pm #
14. Hi Shirley [...],
Thank you for your supportive comments. If I were going to run for public office, I would choose you as my campaign manager (smile).
Please visit the site again and let us know what you think. There are always exciting decorating and entertaining ideas to be shared. Look forward to sharing a purchase that you might have made at HomeGoods. Again, thank you and we look forward to hearing from you soon.
by Betty — 6/22/07 at 1:30 pm #
15. Hi Mari,
Thank you for your positive comments. We are so happy that you visited the site. You indicated that you were in need of assistance with decorating around sofas of light brown and dark brown suede and leather. The sofas sound great! The primary thing is finding the right colors for contrasting and highlighting the light brown and dark brown colors in the sofas. Your sofas become the central point to determine how you decorate the room.
My approach to decorating is identifying what colors make me happy. I ask the same question of you, What colors would make you happiest when you walk into your home? What colors make you feel peaceful? To go with the light brown and dark brown some of the colors that could be exciting are orange, green, red, light beige, white, and the combination of colors. But you must identify what colors you like. Furnishings that you will probably need are a cocktail table, at least two side tables, pictures for the walls that will bring out the accent colors in the room, one or two chairs, a sofa table or small decorative cabinet, one or two lamps, throw pillows for the sofas, (This is where the accent colors that you like are seen in these pillows), an area rug that picks up the accent color/s (if you have hardwood floors or you just want to define the conversation area between the sofa and chairs), curtains/drapes or window treatment that picks up the one of your accent colors.
This is just to get you started. The best part about this is everything that we have discussed can be purchased at HomeGoods. Now, that is not the purpose of this communication, but if I were to indicate everything that you saw in these Redecorating the Livingroom photos, it would be most of the accentuating pieces in the room, inclusive of pictures, flowers, vases, a lamp shade, all kinds of decorative pieces. Shopping at HomeGoods made it so much easier to decorate. Everything is right before you and as you have heard again and again, the prices are always just so right.
I would prefer light walls - off white is the preference until you get acclimated to what you want. Light walls also make the room appear larger. Good luck Mari and let us know how you make out. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
by Betty — 6/22/07 at 4:13 pm #
16. Hi Ms. Ann [...],
Thank you for taking the time to visit the HomeGoods site. You indicated in your communication that you wanted to speak with me. How can I help you?
Again, I thank you for your visit and I hope to hear from you soon.
by Betty — 6/23/07 at 8:29 am #
17. betty,
lovely job. the room looks much brighter–larger more balanced
and very interesting. i like the fabric on the sofas and the etageres.
I like the use of the interesting occasional chair. Well thought out.
best,
debbie
by debbie levinson — 6/25/07 at 1:53 pm #
18. Hi Betty: Great Job !!!!! Awesome Love the colors.
by marina — 6/29/07 at 12:42 am #
19. What a fabulous transformation!! It was great to hear that you are also a budget shopper. It’s nice to know that such improvements can be made without having to have professionals and professional prices. Great job! It’s an inspiration to me!!
by Dee — 6/29/07 at 11:13 am #
20. Hi Marina,
Thank you for your inspiring response! Your comments mean a great deal! Continue to check out the site and continue to share your comments and let us know what you have purchased from HomeGoods that you found rewarding and exciting. In fact, you might take a picture and show us. We look forward to hearing from you again.
by Betty — 6/29/07 at 12:18 pm #
21. Hi Dee,
Thank you for your FABULOUS comments! I am pleased that you felt that the transformation was inspiring. Yes, I am a budget shopper who seeks the best way to have the look that I want without paying the ridiculous price. I look at all of that in my planning, whether it is my home or someone elses. I can usually find just what I am looking for when I go into HomeGoods.
You say that I inspired you, but you have inspired me.
Keep checking out the site and share with us what you might have purchased from HomeGoods that has excited you. We would love to see it and share in your joy. Thanks loads!!!
by Betty — 6/29/07 at 12:30 pm #
22. Wow, looks great. I think It would look even better, it you tpaintedt he walls that corral color
by Jane [..] — 7/2/07 at 10:06 am #
23. Hi Jane,
Thank you so much for your wonderful comments and suggestion! It is so great that you took the time to respond and we truly appreciate it. Continue to check back with us and see what we are adding that is new and exciting and share your thoughts with us.
by Betty — 7/2/07 at 11:09 am #
24. I always love the warm colors. I think you did a great job of using what you had. I would like to know where you got the chairs from. My lvingroom is in tropical and bamboo. I found bamboo plant stands and vases at Home Goods. Diane
by Diane [...] — 7/2/07 at 11:58 am #
25. why aren’t your love seats at the opposite end of the room?
by Carolee — 7/2/07 at 12:20 pm #
26. Amazing!!Its so beautiful!! The living room really came alive with your selections and colors. I can’t believe everything came from Home Goods. Wow!! I just love your taste!! I have good taste like that too but I just don’t know how to put it together. I like nice things King Louie XV is my style. I also like Morrocan so I just can’t get it together. Betty your sooooo blessed!!
by Marilyn — 7/2/07 at 2:24 pm #
27. Sometimes new upholstery and window treatments are all you need and are a lot more economical. Great new look.
by Liz [...] — 7/2/07 at 7:03 pm #
28. Hi Diane,
Thank you for your wonderful comments! You asked about where i I purchased the Rattan chairs. I have had these chairs for quite a few years now. They were purchased from a local furniture store in Maryland. However, keep checking! I am sure that HomeGoods will have chairs similar to that style before you know it. If I come across any, I will send you the communication to let you know.
Keep checking in and sharing your comments with us. We appreciate you!
Hi Carolee,
Great question! The love seats are in their present position, because they create a defined conversation area in front of the fireplace. If they were in the opposite end of the room, they would not have the same appeal nor would they be as serviceable. As it is, they are also in the position to receive the sunlight.
Thank you so much for your question! We look forward to hearing from you again soon. Check back and see what is going on and share with us your comments.
Hi Marilyn,
Thank you so much for your wonderful comments! You sound excited and that is always encouraging. No, everything in the room did not come from HomeGoods. However, if I were to remove everything from the room that did come from HomeGoods, the room would be partially empty. I have so much in the room that has come from HomeGoods that it would be unreal to list them all. I love HomeGoods and I know that whatever I am doing in my home, I can find the decorative answers at HomeGoods.
Thank you so much for your comments! We look forward to hearing from you again. Let us know what you think and share some pictures of what you have purchased from HomeGoods.
by Betty — 7/2/07 at 7:47 pm #
29. I love the look of your room. I have a more exotic style myself and I love to see an African styled room. I always decorate for friends and family and always find great deals at Homegoods. Your room is beautiful….
by Yolanda [...] — 7/3/07 at 4:28 am #
30. Hi Yolanda,
I am so pleased that you love the look of the redecorated livingroom! I like the integration of Moroccan, French, Italian, Asian, English and American design. I love bright colors and varied patterns. I am always pleased when people find designs/decorating exciting. Thank you so much for your comments! We look forward to hearing from you again. Why not take some pictures and show us some of your decorating and some of the purchases from HomeGoods.
by Betty — 7/3/07 at 1:42 pm #
31. Hi Liz Sanders,
You are right! Sometimes a little window treatment, and having furniture upholstered is all that you need to make a the kind of transition in your home that you desire. As you said, it can also be quite economical. Thank you so much for your insight and taking the time to share. We appreciate you and look forward to hearing from you again soon.
by Betty — 7/5/07 at 10:44 am #
32. Hi .. love this store..u did a nice job..I like a little less things in my living area..to much clutter will make a room smaller… u r on the right track..my fav. colors of choice..not a fan of gold furniture..good job
by michelle — 7/5/07 at 11:32 pm #
33. Hi Michelle,
We have all become lovers of HomeGoods - in a good way. I agree that minimizing the things in the living space adds more room and space always looks larger.
Thanks for your complimentary comments. We look forward to hearing from you again soon.
by Betty — 7/6/07 at 1:43 pm #
34. Hi -
Love your new living room - it looks very warm and inviting.
Would you please share 1) the name of your reupholsterer, and 2) where you bought your drapes. Did they make your drapes where you purchased the fabric, or how did it work?
Thanks for your attention to these requests.
by Stephanie [...] — 7/8/07 at 3:13 am #
35. Did my previous questions go through?
by Stephanie [...] — 7/8/07 at 3:14 am #
36. Hi Stephanie,
Yes, your question did go through (smile). Thanks for your lovely comments regarding the livingroom decoration. You wanted to know if I could share the appropriate information regarding the Custom Upholsterer and the Window Treatment Specialist. The upholsterer has indicated that he did not want his information going out on the blog site, but he wouldn’t mind if if was given to you through email. The Window Treatment Specialist indicated the same thing. Are you in Maryland? If so, it would make it easier for you and the individuals involved. I will check with HG to confirm that it meets their approval. Thanks again!
by Betty — 7/9/07 at 2:03 pm #
37. Hi Betty,
The change in the ambiance of the room is fantastic. The use of
the varied textures and mono colors come together really well. Great
job.
by Yvonne B. [...] — 8/16/07 at 3:26 pm #
38. Hi Yvonne,
Thank you so very much for your wonderful comments! I am so pleased that you liked the colors and the textures. Your comments mean a great deal to us and we look forward to hearing from you again soon. Keep checking back and feel free to share with us.
by Betty — 8/16/07 at 9:29 pm #
39. Hi Bettiy,
This site started my interest in doing something constructive with the way that I live. I know now that I can have a great looking place to live without spending a lot of money. Thanks.
Tony
by Tony — 8/22/07 at 9:25 pm #
40. Hi Tony,
Thanks for your comments! I am glad that you are inspired by what you see on this site. It is a wonderful site that encourages decoration and creativity. Continue to check out HomeGoods and see what is best for adding to your home. Good luck friend!
by Betty — 8/27/07 at 1:54 pm #
41. Hi Betty,
This is getting to be a habit. I tried to send you a message, but I don’t think you got it. It took a long time for you to get the message because the network was slowing down and seemed as though it was not going to send it. I had said that me and my husband like your decorating style and I wish that I could decorate like you. I also said that I was glad that we could see that people from all over can decorating style.
Karen
by karen — 9/21/07 at 4:18 pm #
42. Hi Karen,
Thank you for taking the time to send such a nice compliment! I’m sure that you have great decorating style and if you continue to connect with the HG site you will pick up a lot of good tips from very dedicated people. Good luck and let us hear from you again soon.
by Betty — 9/22/07 at 6:48 pm #
43. Hi Betty,
My family saw your beautiful home in the Sunday Sun the first week of October. Your home is really beautiful. It was really a great article about you and your decorating your home. I want to decorate, but I don’t have any training. I want to know what I should do to get the talent to decorate peoples homes. I think that I do well. But when I looked at what you did in your home and the way the writer wrote about you, I know I need more experience and help. When they said that you were a bloger on the Homegoods site, we checked out the before and after. There was such a difference in the two pictures of the changes in the room.
I don’t knw you. But we are proud of you and what you have been able to do. Let me know what I need to do to decorate. Do you teach interior designing? Everyone that I know read the article and are very proud of you. Thank you for reading this.
Raychel
by Raychel — 10/29/07 at 5:36 pm #
44. Hi Raychel,
Wow! It was great of you to share about the article in the Sunday Sun Newspaper, UniSun Section. It was wonderful article and the writer has excellent writing skills. It is amazing how many people saw the article. As you know, it was on Four Inspirational Rooms in four different homes. I chose my livingroom. I am pleased that you and your family liked it. Thank you very much for your support. I am one of those blessed persons and I take nothing for granted.
You wanted to know what kind of training you would need to get into decorating peoples homes. I took a course in Interior Decorating at a local college. I took this course to solidify my design interest. For clarification, I am not qualified to teach interior decorating (smile). Thank you for the enormous compliments. However, see about the possibility of taking a course at a local community college. If you feel like you have the talent and your family feels that way, do what you can to expound on your decorating. The one thing you want to do is identify your own style and work from that.
I do interior decorating on the side. I also have a part-time business working with companies, corporations and agencies. Again, I cannot thank you enough for your support! Good luck to you Raychel! You sound like a great person. Keep in touch with us and share.
by Betty — 10/31/07 at 8:33 pm #
45. I have just purchased a beautiful dark chocolate suede sectional couch and I have no idea what colors to use to accent this piece. Right now all I have is the couch and plain blank walls because I am so clueless on what to do! I was thinking orange and beige but i am not sure if bold colors will take away from the elegance of the couch! PLEASE HELP!
by Natifah — 4/14/08 at 3:58 pm #
46. Dear Natifah
With your chocolate couch you do have a wide range of options. First your walls for example could be creqm, soft taupe as a possible combination. You could also look at colors that are the base for chocolate. Think of dawn and sunset. Colors that are calm and comforting will work. Aslo , consider lamps and tables to highlight and compliment your couch. I wish you good fortune with your decorating.
by cassandra — 4/14/08 at 5:52 pm #
47. Hi Natifah,
The dark chocolate suede sectional couch sounds fabulous! Color adds a wonderful dimension to dark brown couch. If you notice the room for the hotel owner, he did not want any throw pillows on his sofa/counch. He wanted it kept with the rawness of the leather in the room. For this dark brown, I think that according to the colors that you want in the room to accent that couch, that can determine what you do. The orange or beige could be great! The orange does not have to be bold, it can be a quiet orange that highlights the dark brown suede. Try to identify one or two other pillows that have some of this combination of colors in a print or an op design. Also, consider a throw that could highlight the decoration in tan and brown or with some of the other colors that are highligted in the pillows.
Now, one color that comes to mind are pillows in pale blue and different shades of blue with different designs that highlight the dark brown. Then you could have two accompanying chairs in light blue that would be perfect for the room. The walls could be a very pale-pale blue and wall decor would pick up the colors. You might even have a pillow or so with the colors of tan and blue. It would be great if you could find a rug with the colors that are accented in the pillows, or find a rug that goes with the brown couch that you can then find the accent pillows for the couch.
This is another suggestion for pillows, what about a variation of wine color and tan with a combination of wine and multi-colors. Check out my blog on the “Silver Spring Home Welcoming Fall.” There is a very interesting assessment of the wine and tan/brown pillows with a dark couch. Also There is a wine throw that has specks of brown colored yarn in it. Look at that and see what you think.
You have wonderful ways to go with this and I am sure that we can have some real success. Get back in touch with me and let me know what you think.
Are you planning to keep your walls the same color? Or are you planning to paint them? When you start looking at wall decor, determine what kinds of wall art that you like. Try to make certain that you pick up the colors that you have in the room. Now, if you buy your wall decoration before you buy your accent pillows, identify pillows that will coordinate with your wall decor.
by Betty — 4/14/08 at 8:27 pm #
48. Hi Cassandra,
Great advice! I know that Natifah appreciated your comments as much as I. Thank you for taking the time to respond. It sounds as though you looked at the “Silver Spring Home Welcomes Fall” blog that highlights the quietness of the wall color in the livingroom (smile). We appreciate your sharing. Keep in touch and let us know what you think.
by Betty — 4/17/08 at 12:48 pm #