Happy Thursday, BDH. Mod R here, requesting Horde assistance.
I am moving house.
The new place is lovely, and I am very happy and grateful to have housing, but it has also been touched by the Fairy of Modern Rental Design (much less cooler than the Fish Fairy) and leeched of colour. Stark white walls, bright fluorescent lighting, black fittings, grey floors. Add windows that do not get direct sun and the usual English grey natural light, and you get the picture.
Very much a First World Mod problem, I am the first to admit. But the more I get to know myself and my ADHD, the more I realise how much my environment overstimulates me and makes me evil.
I haven’t decorated a home in more than a decade, and I ended up really hating what I did then, which was to work with the monochrome instead of against it. When I got rid of the bigger, greyer pieces, it was like my whole nervous system breathed a sigh of relief from tension I didn’t even know I was holding.
I do not want to get to that situation again.
Now I’m leaving all of that furniture behind and starting anew, with two limitations:
- I can only work with furniture, textiles, lighting, rugs, art, and renter-friendly tricks. The walls, floors, kitchen fittings, and permanent fixtures must remain as they are.
- More importantly, I have no measurable aesthetic sense. As in, I can appreciate it when I see it, but I have no idea how to get things that harmoniously “go” together.
My style is…pretty much everything they dig up at Pompeii? I’m not sure what to call that particular flavour of Mediterranean, but if I could live on an Ancient Rome set design, I would. Creams, terracotta, olive greens, pops of gold and sea blues.
My mission is to lighten and warm up the place by combining the two realities. “What if a spreadsheet became a home?” meets “You wake up on a sunny afternoon in Apulia. It’s 78 AD, and the olive harvest is plentiful.”
So I come to you, wise Horde.
Where do you look for inspiration and shop for home things? I’m in the UK, but please do not let geography stop you. The comment section has never respected borders before, and I see no reason for it to start now.
Is it Pinterest accounts? Design books by…? Instagram people? Specific blogs? YouTube channels? Secret witch covens that meet inside an ancient turtle and discuss where to buy good curtains?
Please advise, because I am currently losing a staring contest with a grey floor.
First? = )
Pin(trest) of First 😀
Yay!
Good luck with the new place! I spent 20 years moving around and always finding white walls. Bleh. When I bought my house a few years ago, I went with a blue-gray for the library, living room, and dining room (split level house).
When renting, I used art/pictures on the walls, colorful drapes and blankets/sheets to break up the white. Your color palate sounds nice and cohesive! I wish I could help with decorating ideas, but most of my things have come from garage sales, antique stores, thrift stores, and family.
Wayfair has some nice things with pops of color. They’re having a Memorial Day sale as of now, too. ; ) I do appreciate a good sale.
Second 😀
Type in the style you like and go on Amazon. They have everything! If Amazon ain’t got it I don’t need it 😆😆it’s amazing what you can find with just a broad search term.
Ok – I’ve now read the post, and congrats on your new home!!!
Being decoratively challenged, I’m also interested in the Horde’s replies. As someone who once painted an entire kitchen lime green, I now start with the Benjamin Moore palettes -you can search their site for “Terra Cotta palette” for color inspo.
Oooooooo
Congratulations!! I don’t know if you have pets or other small creatures (kids), but if you do, you may want to look into washable rugs. There are lots of designs, certainly in the palette you are looking for. They are not as plush, but the peace of mind I have knowing my rug can be washed is wonderful. Ruggable is the company I use.
It honestly sounds like you know what you are looking for… trust yourself, and if you love something, get it! As you have more things, them you will want to be able to return, in case it doesn’t for with what you have. You are at the beginning, still pick something that really speaks to you and to from there!
At least it was lime green. I’ve seen avocado green kitchens. That was an experience you can’t unsee.
My grandmother (aesthetic sense is clearly genetic) had an avocado kitchen. She said it matched the Pepto Bismol pink bathroom.
Reader, it did not.
Hanging textiles is a great way of adding large blocks of color to a white wall (without paint.)
Look for a fabric that conveys the mood you’re aiming for, and buy as much of it as you can. It can be used as a tapestry and / or backdrop.
+1
Mod R, the best place to start looking is your closet to find your style. Do you like scarves? Sweaters? Jeans? You might like colors but what do you really default to will be in your closet. Find an inspirational piece, i.e. a scarf, a picture, a book cover that draws you in and feeds your soul. Use this piece to coordinate your choices. You’ll feel better.
Book cover, you say 🤔
Drezmurs EVERYWHERE!
My wife likes to drag me to open houses, especially for new build communities to see what the interior designers are doing currently.
Dawn just suggested the lazy version of this below, which was to snoop on AirBnB photos – both winners.
1. Not sure if you have a green thumb but plants can help tone down the sterility of your space
2. ADHD vs. clutter on flat surfaces. Minimal pieces (no more than 5 or so) that please ME in colors I love have been the balance that I need.
3. Some of the removable graphic “wraps” may help. Maybe do the island and leave the kitchen cabinets?
4. I like textile wall pieces and macrame plant hangers. The function is good while adding both color, shape, and texture to my space. Some round framed cross stitch or embordered work can change a space. Works well with a small wall space.
5. If your space is very square and geometric lean into curves in your choice of furniture. It can give a space the “soft” balance your space may currently lack.
6. I love pottery pieces as art, especially Native American pieces, but I bet their are plenty of Roman reproduction pieces that could work in your space. That could blend your color palate with your art.
7. A lovely retro shaped new tea pot in an ocean blue…
All great points, taking notes 📝
I used Excel and put together pictures of what I liked and saw it worked together first. The pics could be from any store.
ModR, I sympathize. I am very much a minimalist when it comes to furnishings, and conservative by nature, but grey, white and black would make me seriously depressed.
I’m sure others will have suggestions for social media, but you can get some inspiration by looking at VRBO/AirBnB photos, or photos from house/apartment real estate postings (if I remember that’s estate agents in Britspeak).
Good luck!
That’s genius!
Large plants, lamps for mood lighting, large art glass, super colorful rug and large wall art placed at eye level. A variety of soft textures furnishing and curtains if allowed.
First, change all the lighting to warm LEDs. When building that aesthetic with the grey stone color and black, they lways go with the cold, white bright LED. That will help ALOT. For the cabinets? I would look into window films if possible – or something similar that doesn’t use glue. You may have to periodically reapply but it will break up the black. They also have decals for tile (like for showers and bath) that will stick to backsplash and similar surfaces – again, opt for the static ones not the glue ones. If you really want to go wild, buy a projector for one of the walls, and use it to pick your scene- white / grey walls be waiting for that. As for colors? Pick a three color theme and just roll with it. I just went on a safari so all my stuff has been army green, khaki and cream…. And I’ve been working that for non safari clothes because it’s so versatile. So if it’s cream,Terra cotta, and pale yellow (or olive), just base everything of those dominant colors and go to town. Good luck.
I have a projector already! Win.
3 colours – got it. That seems like it will stop the haphazard “well I like this item, and that item, but why are they so messy together” magpieying.
For the cabinets, look for “wall peel” – it’s basically contact paper post it notes. There is a whole world of possibilities. I know you said you didn’t want to change the cabinets, but I bet you could find a whole Tuscany scene for your kitchen.
Mediterranean inspired curtains, rugs and pillows would already help a lot.
Ikea has lots of good and cheap stuff. Get something like this + pots in your color.
https://www.ikea.com/gb/en/p/fejka-artificial-potted-plant-in-outdoor-bamboo-40610607/
I second Ikea (website or irl) for ideas.
We rent but I absolutely cannot live without fairy lights round my rooms, or in my bedroom around the top of the 4-poster (from Ikea) a b*gg*r to build but we love it! An brutal but take it off regularly cos too long on the wall it goes hard and pull the paint/paper off (ask me how I know😆)
Check your rental agreement with how much you can do too….. ours is pretty strict so adding ‘rental solutions’ to searches out there show stuff that is not permanent/easily removable.
Enjoy your new gaff
Find art and decor that say, “sunny afternoon in Apulia, 78 AD, plentiful olive harvest” to you and go for it! Pick the things you love and make you happy. It is YOUR space. And remember that Ripper Cushions go with ALL decor styles…!
As long as you don’t mind fringe, get a woven blanket with a mediterranean landscape. For the size they are much less expensive than a print or tapestry and they are lightweight enough you can use the command hooks that stick to the walls and hang it with a super lightweight rod like you would a shower curtain.
Just search Mediterranean woven throw blanket.
https://www.etsy.com/listing/4478373452/mediterranean-village-woven-blanket?ls=s&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_search_type=all&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_search_query=Mediterranean+throw+blanket&ref=sr_gallery-1-5&organic_search_click=1&pro=1&frs=1&content_source=eda5d6be-f806-4a88-8319-3090a94e154e%253ALTdaacdd7894e6edec9cff583ed2281556654fac09&logging_key=eda5d6be-f806-4a88-8319-3090a94e154e%3ALTdaacdd7894e6edec9cff583ed2281556654fac09
Oh that’s so pretty!
Estate sales
Don’t think we have those in the UK…correct me, British Horde!
I think they’re called a house clearance in the UK, or something like that?
So I am going to be weird but I love the grey floors and white cabinets. But I have quilts of many colors all over my house, colorful serving spoons and cookware, an entertainment center that is bright blue with a colorful tile top, artwork all over the place. And that is mixed with the antique furniture.
And the boring walls, floors, etc mean the eclectic taste in other things is not overwhelming.
Hi ModR! I am the same way with monochrome as it tanks my mental health. I bet there is a version of a Facebook Market place over there where you can find stuff that brightens up the new place. Are there any seasonal markets or craft fairs near you?
Hello, Pinterest is a good place to start getting ideas, also maybe you can go to your closest The Range and just have a nice walk around there. Good luck 🙂
My husband and I are both engineers and do not have the gift of this type of design. We eventually gave up and hired an interior designer for a couple grand to tell us what color to paint the walls and pick out some furniture etc that works. It looks so much more cohesive and nice than anything I could have put together. Good luck!
I love a bit of Interior Design Master, this one had Mediterranean vibes https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/m002ct27/interior-design-masters-with-alan-carr-series-6-episode-8?seriesId=m0007mmw-structural-5-m0029tns
Paint if you can! Warm tones like dusty sage, warm white, ochre, terracotta. Low-slung sofas in camel, rust, terracotta or warm neutrals. A rattan or wicker chair. Throw pillows and blankets with pops of terracotta, cobalt, warm gold, cream. Color layering is your friend! Natural linen curtains. Jute rugs, chunky cotton throws, oversized art. Books! I’d also suggest removable contact paper to cover really dark cabinets if they bother you (maybe just the top row?).. Some places let you temporarily replace light fixtures, so you could put up some brass, wrought iron lights, or wicker fixtures.
On YouTube I would suggest Alexandra Gater for apartment transformations. For more help with color, Farrow and Ball have a Mediterranean-inspired palette. There’s also apartmenttherapy.com.
There are so many more options for renters out there than there were a few years ago, and a wide range of price points for everyone. Good luck with it!
Pinterest for ideas (I’m like you can’t handle the modern grey.)
Etsy, Amazon for buying.
My husband and I also love the Pompeii style we will eventually build a house inspired by it with the mosaic and all.
I don’t have advice for where to shop, but a trick my sister taught me (artistic soul that she was) is how to make the room not only harmonious to itself, but in a palette you love. You cruise around everywhere with your eyes open for a main piece, a focal piece, just one. It can be a picture, a throw blanket, whatever. The rule is you must love it and the colors it has. Then, you use any and all of the colors in that piece, even going so far as to take it with you when you shop (which I had to do because I haven’t got a good eye for color matching when not side-by-side). If you buy pillows for the couch, if you buy a rug (which could be the focal/main piece btw), use any of the colors in the main focal piece. Planters in one of the colors or rugs or pillows or whatever, even little figurines or a mug set. By using any or all of the colors in the main piece, you have a variety and an overall color palette, but they all work together like you know what you’re doing. Lots of color possibilities, and they all work well and harmoniously. With your gray/neutral background, to change it up entirely, simply change the couch cover, pillows, throw blankets, etc to one of the other colors in your main focal piece, and you’ve changed the feel of the room and left the harmony in place.
Congratulations on your new home! And also, I feel for you – it’s always a lot of work to move, regardless of how much help you have.
What I’d suggest for some quick and quirky color, is to take some photos of the neighborhood, get them printed onto canvases, and hang them on your walls. I move a lot and this always helps me feel more at home in a new place.
The easiest things to change are pillows, bedding and throws. If your stores work like the US, there are new colors and combos you see everywhere and it makes life easier if you work with one of those than end up on a quest. I’d look at any stuff you have and would like to display and find accent colors that tie in.
Two words: Italian vintage
This webstore happens to be based in my home country (they ship worldwide). I’m sure the UK also has similar shops or sellers.
https://barlume.fi/?srsltid=AfmBOoooMbVOdKcB4ye_XUGmii-zPle0vBVS9ceJYZvclBQC8ofG0NbE
Start with a throw or picture you love. Look at the colours in that and choose other pieces that use those shades. Go slow only adding what really appeals.
I recently bought a new home and gave away or trashed all my old stuff because, old. My new house is only 5 years old and previous owner left all walls white. So first I took a spare blank of vinyl flooring to a paint center and held it up to various paint swatches. Picked out a handful of colors that I liked and bought small sample jars of each color in the finish I wanted. They now have small temporary sheets of paper(?) that you can paint the sample colors on, remove the backing, and then hang on the walls and move around so you can see how the colors look at different times of day. Once I selected the colors on various walls, I took the original paint swatches with me when I went furniture shopping. I have bought some stuff online, but first set of furniture and accessories were based on those colors. I still haven’t finished every room because I’m taking my time, but this new place is looking much better than my old place.
Have fun decorating. Take your time.
And if you’re artsy-craftsy, watch Nerdforge on Facebook, and she’s probably on YouTube. I can’t do anything like what she does, but she’s still cool to watch to help with thinking outside the box.
I tend to do thrift shopping, and find artwork and textiles that speaks to me. When you’re moving into an apartment with a monochrome style palette,, it’s easy to add colors without worrying about them clashing. You can do each room in a different color or style depending on what you use the rooms for. Bedrooms of course I’d like to keep soothing with blues and grays because that’s what I find less stimulating. Kitchens I like to do reds, dining rooms I like oranges, and then living room rooms I use whatever speaks to me at the time. One thing about the living room or lounge, I usually have a sofa that I can just buy different colors of covers for, or different pillowcases for throw pillows, or I purchase different throw blankets of various warmth and colors or prints.I do have a few pieces that I set up wherever I go, like family portraits or thebig poster that’s framed that my husband bought when we got married of Bugs Bunny and Taz Easy Rider style, 😂
Homeplace (uk version of home goods) may have something you like. It is quirky and the stock changes often so if you don’t like anything, wait a couple weeks and try again. Habitat has some lovely bedding sometimes. And yes, Amazon.
For process: buy a couch you love. Make sure it is comfortable. If you don’t find one you love, buy one that is ok but that you can decorate with lovely throws and pillows. Build around that and don’t be too quick to buy. Mediterranean needs plants and plants are known to be calming and happy.
Here is the thing all designers say: Matchy-matchy is boring. You need pieces you individually love for the majority and then you can have blander ones for the rest. Paint is a girl’s best friend. Paint bargain store furniture and if you don’t like it you can paint it again.
Rugs: Are hard to tell online. Find a place that does free returns and comes back to pick up the rug. Resign yourself into going through a couple before keeping one. Maybe you will be pleasantly surprised by the first one and maybe not. For rugs you want pattern (covers up inevitable stains). Don’t worry about matching the pattern to anything else. Match the feel. Not sure where you get rugs in the UK but in the US you can buy them from the big hardware stores online.
Also, be aware that some carpet stores will take normal carpet and bind the edges to your preferred dimensions. It is one way to cover an entire floor (more or less) that stays within rental agreements.
Use command strips to hand up pictures in mats (but not necessarily frames as they are heavy).
Pick a color for the kitchen and buy some canisters and trivets that work with it.
I so understand your issue. I can’t plan colours to save my life. So I cheat. Benjamin Moore does a great job of matching colour palettes. Also Sarah Renae Clark has beautiful palettes made for colouring but they would work for house decor too. Try googling her name and the colour grey to see what fun combos come up. Then buy blankets placemats cushions in the accent colours. I would pick dark furniture that matches your cupboards to serve as neutral background. Lastly I have a friend who has an amazing eye for interior design so I always vet through her before I grab bold colours. Have fun and try to enjoy
mod r I have a “rag” rug (6×9) made with Indian sari’s and it is is lovely bright.
I got it from Etsy years ago but you could search online for what’s available there of course. then you buy it in your preferred “tones” so you can get your pillows with blues, greens and plants with terracotta etc.
Mod R,
You already have a lot of advice to sort. But, I’m going to go ahead and challantly add to the rabbit hole we find us in today 🙂
1. I sympathize. That would depress me, also. I recently moved and while they didn’t paint everything renter white they did paint everything vanilla. Warmer but bleak. I’m working on it slowly- but I find as I get older I’m less patient with waiting to have a comfortable home. I want it now! (Veruca Salt)
2. You already have great advice. 3 main colors. Choose what you like. Change lightbulbs (so true!) So my question is – what are you bringing from your old home? Are you moving your magpie collection and hoping to tone down the ADHD desire to have it all on display? You don’t mention how many bookshelves or if you need new. Something to consider.Surely you are not starting entirely from scratch.
3. Move.
Put your stuff away.
Change the lightbulbs and hang curtains.
Add the 3 colors to your space and decide if you like them. (I have chosen the wrong shade!)
Enjoy
I actually am starting everything from scratch 😅 Is that bad?
I am bringing no furniture, art, or other decor with me. Unless you consider ironing boards and air fryers as utilitarian art pieces.
I had laugh at the title. I am reading Donna Grant’s Skye Druids series and the evil beings live in The Grey. I am sure the Horde will have lots of suggestions for you to overcome your battle in The Grey. 😁 Welcome to your new adventure.
From some of the YouTube shorts that pop up for me, one thing I can recommend is that painter’s tape is your friend. Apply stick-and-peel *over* the painter’s tape.
https://youtube.com/shorts/J6f9KVbrDTQ?si=bsSUuW2F9oXx8pVI
I like and have used peel and stick wallpaper. I like spoonflower as they allow you to buy samples – which you can also use to test if whatever type of walls and paint you have will actually allow it to be peeled off when the time comes. Place it near the floor or in an out of the way corner for testing – once you know it works with out harming your walls, then use the other samples in the area/lighting you want to fix up. Their Mediterranean style collextion https://www.spoonflower.com/en/inspiration/collections/riviera
Those are gorgeous, I love all the lemons!
https://www.bhg.com/return-of-tuscan-style-homes-11787406
I tend to look for ideas in Better Homes and Gardens. The houses sometimes look overly put together for me but it is a good source for things that compliment each other and neat little touches
I’d suggest checking out Maria Killam. She’s a Canadian designer who specializes in color and is a prolific blogger/youtuber. She’s addressed the scourge of black and gray frequently.
The tl;dr is lots of natural materials (eg jute or seagrass rugs to break up the gray floors) and plants! And pick a couch in your favorite color, not a neutral.
Everyone above has great ideas. I have one too. If you or you know someone who knits, crochet, and/or quilts, you can create your own blankets, bath rugs, hangings, or whatever else using fabric or yarn in the colors that you like.
I’ve been on a crochet tear lately working on blankets. I use acrylic, variegated yarn since I like the variation the colors give me while working on the blanket. Plus, the yarn makes the blanket one of a kind.
I do the same with bathmats. I use 100% cotton yarn for those.
Decorating is all in what you want in your new space. You can go tonal, with different colors in the same color family (paint strips help with that), go crazy and have a Jackson Pollick theme. I have an eye for color and what would go where. I am not a professional decorator. Over time, I learned what I like and go with it. 😊
If it is color confidence you lack go find your favorite poster/scarf/book cover/throw pillow/etc. Pick three colors from that item. You now have colors picked by an expert to go together and that you find appealing.
I watch Clutterbug on YouTube. She addresses organization for an ADHD mind. Starting fresh, you would first determine how you flow through your space. Ikea is your friend for many foundational items.
You already know the colors you like, so a neutral colored sofa like grey or tan with pillows and a throw in the color you like. Choose a favorite chair in that color scheme. If room for another chair, another neutral color that is a shade darker than the sofa or a cream.
I think Esty has seamstresses that will make slipcovers for IKEA sofas when they don’t get the color quite right.
For artwork think of how it makes you feel when you see it. Choose a few pieces that make you feel what you want to feel in that space.
I hear what you say about Romanesque, but I’m afraid that the first thing that comes to mind is terra-cotta, and that ain’t colorful. How about a few mock-Persian/Afghan throw rugs? If you go that route, make sure you get good pads – they are dangerously slick on hard floors.
Decorating, bah. Just do what feels right to you. I like colorful things, so I would get loud color upholstery and cushions. Get things you like that speak to you, the heck with everyone else. For black cabinets, if you can’t paint, maybe put some posters on them Curtains you like and some rugs. I miss our burnt orange fiberglass 1970s Sears curtains, our 1790 house was 70s with early 1800s furniture and wallpaper with some 40s and 50s thrown in. I really miss our 1920s monster cast iron sink. The house burned down in 1989 or we would still be there with oru 70s 1800s ‘decor’ You can’t go home again, like they say, so my advice is to wing it and be happy.
Right, so my style is like ….junk drawer chic, so probably not what you’re looking for, but I explored really vibrant (dirt hiding) rugs and I ended up with this one: https://www.wayfair.com/rugs/pdp/latitude-run-weisman-abstract-redblue-area-rug-w005932263.html and another by the same company for a couple rooms in my house. They are super fun and since they have like a thousand colors, any other accessories you get tend to match. I have tried to fill my house with things I love ( so many books, art my kids made, stuff I’ve picked up from thrift shops). I don’t worry about it coming together –I just want it to make me feel happy. Good luck with your new space and with your move!
I love this artist based in Scotland, as well as prints of her art you can get lampshades, cushions and other home items. The colours and detail are amazing!
https://www.dawnmaciocia.com/?srsltid=AfmBOop63n-s_3aNT3ukWcgkl1Dr6ikVm7_v0y6yhszkmE49bSSHpGuU
I follow an interior designer on instagram who has some really good videos on how to use colour and furniture to make your rooms look the way you want them to. Her page is here: https://www.instagram.com/juliejones_designs/
I am surprised that you can’t paint the walls. I think rentals in the US are usually allowed to paint (possibly with color approval by management agent). Maybe I’m wrong.
As to interior design, I generally don’t look for inspiration. I find pieces that I like, and that’s enough. Cf. Diamond Fire, Catalina not knowing if Arrosa’s pieces go together. They go together because they are an expression of her personality, and her personality is strong and integrated. Same with Nevada’s bouquet.
For purchases, one of the best places in the US is a discontinued/overstock store, e.g. Home Goods. You won’t find suites of unified furnishings, but you’ll find a constantly-changing varied stock at low prices. Used furniture stores and estate/yard sales (“boot sales” maybe?) are also good places to find individual pieces that speak to you.
Over the years I have lived in a number of places and mostly rented without being able to change much; my first choice is always plants, plants and more plants. I basically turn every room into a jungle.
For furniture I have rarely been able to afford new but have the ability to cover or reupholster when needed.
Other note; had heat wave it was too hot to do anything. Think 90’s in Maine the last couple of days, so read “Maggie’s story” and only comment. I hate clift hangers; George Martin almost totally cured me of buying series as came out.
I like having neutral walls & floors. But I put up a bunch of plants, art, &, rugs that are very colorful. Currently the sofa cover is teal. 🙂
I’ve moved around almost every year since I turned 18. The biggest thing I’ve noticed when in places with lots of Grey is to warm up your lighting. Make sure all your light bulbs are warm tone bulbs not blue daylight bulbs because that will make the Grey feel more cold and unforgiving.
My style is very eclectic and homey with lots of color. But to make sure things go together I keep my woods all the same (dark wood) and use highly saturated colors. Even if you don’t have a set color palette using the same saturation creates a through line and harmony. Like pastels and light oak. As for your style you already know what you’d like Mediterranean and warm colors. So now you just need to find stores that sell things in that esthetic. Pintrist can help also just googling and finding physical locations where you can go and touch things can really help.
If you (like myself) have collected a wide assortment of arts and trinkets and memorabilia but struggle to display them, think about palettes, which will help you take advantage of the existing neutrality in the space.
Sort things by color
Each shelf/ surface/area is assigned a color or set of colors… you can find ideas for combinations online or even from art or gardens you like.
You probably need at least three items of a color to make it look like a part of the palette and not just an accident, but think about proportion if it doesn’t look right.
Once an area has a palette it becomes a starting point for picking out items you need.
If you go to far, toss in some neutral items. Good luck!