Cool and Warm

Every now and then, I like to fantasize about redecorating. Now that I am unemployed retired, I get to exercise my imagination, but (since I'm not earning dough), it is all window shopping.

We've had the same burgundy, plaid livingroom furniture for more than a decade now.

I just realized the centre cushion is upside down.

And I'm tired of it. The problem is, there's nothing really wrong with it. It's still in amazingly good shape, especially considering its age and the fact that we have a family of four children. So I can't justify replacing it unless I sell it on Kijiji.

So far, only a couple of nibbles. In the meantime, I've been Internet-shopping. One of the issues with our big, comfy couch is that it's big. We like the comfy part; want to keep that.

But our living room is long and narrow and the existing couch and matching armchair are 44" deep. We would like to find something shallower, around 35-36 inches deep. We also prefer a loveseat (no one willingly sits in the middle seat. It's like the middle seat in an airplane).

Fortunately for us, Ikea is just down the street! I found these economical and "apartment-sized" options, with a depth of 35 inches:

Sandby Loveseat, approximately $350

Muren recliner, approximately $350

I wasn't excited about the colour options, however, so I decided to see what would happen if I put them in a room. Here's what happened:

COOL MODERN

I really like the slightly beachy yet still sophisticated feel to this room. The paint options are a Benjamin Moore's Blue Heather and Wickham Grey. (These "mood boards" were done in PowerPoint, so forgive the rather artless cropping.) The artwork is stuff we already own. Unfortunately, the window print is too tall for over the fireplace, and the portraits are too small for the space. The blueish accent colour came from the Ikea area rug - an inexpensive option, but it's a "flatwoven" rug, which I don't really love.

Then I looked at my Pinterest "Home Decor" board and realized that I'd pinned a lot of turquoise, warmer tones. So I scrapped the blues and tried warmer colours. Still mostly blue, but with a hint of green to them.

WARM TRADITIONAL

The paint colours are Benjamin Moore's Turquoise Mist and (again) Wickham Grey. I really love the rug that would anchor this room, but it's from Pottery Barn and is (as you might expect) pricey -- more than $1,000. Maybe we could find something similar in a more affordable price range? The photo is actually a colour-swatch inspiration I found on Pinterest. I would have to source some art with the same colours, but I don't think it would be a problem. I may even be able to find something in my own photo collection.

I'm more drawn to the warmer tones, but Stephen likes the cooler blues.

And isn't it surprising how the furniture works well in either room? That was the main question I wanted to answer, and I'm glad it does.
Not that we're going to be doing anything about this in the near future, but it's fun to brainstorm, isn't it? Which room do you prefer: warm or cool? Modern or traditional?