The Start of a Gallery Wall in the Family Room/My Study
There’s nothing like planning to settle down to write the blog to get a flurry of minor jobs done. I’ve just hung a couple of pictures in my study/family room which I’ve had lurking in their unhung corners for a good couple of weeks. After much deliberation, I’ve started a gallery wall on the double height space behind my desk. It’s a tricky wall, currently wallpapered in a grey Laura Ashley number, I neither have the inclination nor money (it requires a scaffold tower) to redo this room. Besides, I’m rather enjoying creating a space I love with less than loved décor. It’s an interesting challenge. It feels a bit retro in here. After all, I have a much used, scuffed, slightly stained brown leather sofa – remember when they were all the rage? And grey paint. Lots of it.
The old brown Leather Sofa in the Background
I’ve decided that pops of colour are the way to go to bring it around. I replaced the rather faded grey patterned curtains with a more modern geometric pattern in a very dark blue from John Lewis. The originals matched the feature wall of Laura Ashely wallpaper which is a pattern I rather like. A kind of living chandelier large repeat pattern, if you can imagine such a thing. Hints of French shabby chic perhaps. Anyway, the wallpaper is staying for now, but the faded curtains are relegated to decorating sheets. The deep blue in the curtains goes with the dark painted tables.
Coloured Candles on my Desk, the difficult Faux Wood Unit in the Background
One of the tables is used as my desk. It’s ideal. We brought it with us from our last house and it’s one of two that were left by the previous owners. Our previous house had been used as offices and the tables are a sturdy 1mx1.5m approximately, making a very roomy desk. Ideal for essential desk clutter plus a few plants, candles and a collection of notebooks. The wood was an unfortunate orange, potentially varnished pine. Painting was the easiest answer to this problem. My first painting of the table attempt was with Annie Sloan’s chalk paint in the rather eye catching blue Giverny. I loved the statement. However, after living with it for a year, I felt it was too light and possibly too cold to build a scheme around. I’ve kept some picture frames and some barn stars as highlights in the colour, but the table was repainted in Railings eggshell by Farrow and Ball.
The new Rug Defines the Seating Space
Railings is an interesting colour. I know many people see it as black and certainly it appears so in Farrow and Ball’s paint chart but to me it looks like a very dark blue, navy even. With blue being my favourite colour, it falls into my preferred pallet. Using this colour tied the table and the room to the rest of the downstairs. I used Railings for the banisters and stairs in the hallway, the base of the rustic dining table and the dresser in the kitchen are also painted in Railings. The ‘red thread’ if you like. The continuity has brought me some comfort and confidence in the scheme I will admit. In addition to the big desk table, I have a smaller table which was once the girl’s play table from Ikea also painted in Railings. This much smaller table I use as a coffee table for the old leather sofa.
There are two further permanent residents in this room. One, my aunt’s piano which was gifted to my girls when they were learning. I tried very hard to encourage the girls musically. It runs as a thread in my family but sadly neither had the interest or aptitude. Their father’s girls. The poor piano is largely dormant apart from the very odd occasion when I flex my fingers. I have never been taught the piano, but I can read music and have taught myself a few bits. I was an expert recorder player, playing all sizes of the instrument, even being able to read music in the treble key – I have long since forgotten how to do this though. My piano playing is very much self-taught and is certainly lacking. I digress though. The piano itself is a walnut colour, I wouldn’t stretch to say it is actually walnut. It is accompanied by a very mismatching piano stool. At some point I will refurbish the stool; it needs recovering and painting. The wood is a very dark an unappealing ginger colour. The piano top forms a helpful styling surface which I currently have filled with a mix of dried flowers and family photographs, which let’s face it should be homed somewhere.
Potted Spring Bulbs add Seasonal Interest
The other permanent resident is a built-in unit. It was originally devised to provide shelving for my rather extensive and ever-growing collection of books and to house the second television. That essential bit of kit that most families need to have to retain some sanity and to avoid having to watch the endless Scooby Doo films or Hannah Montana modern day equivalents. I had wanted it to be made of wood, but somehow that was either not within the budget or got lost in translation. So instead, it is made from some material that is made to look like wood. Eventually, when we do redecorate in here, I will rip it out and replace it with scaffold plank shelves and a retro sideboard or two but for now it stays. Its rather grey looming presence is a room dominator and really only the bright colours of the book spines and my very vibrant Poole pottery collection is any distraction. Still enough rudeness about my built-in bookcase. It gets a reprieve for now and just adds to the challenge of reviving the room.
'It started with a throw'
It started with a throw the colour scheme for this room. I have a gorgeous floral throw that I picked up in a Laura Ashley remnant sale basket many moons ago now. It is a rather lovely neutral on one side and the other, the rear, a very lovely dusky orange. It’s a very warm colour and immediately ties together the retro, repurposed furniture, the pattern on the grey wallpaper and my ambition for a warm space. I sourced some velvet textured cushions in a deep navy (these have rather lovely little balls as trim) and two square cushions in a matching colour to the throw from The Cotswold Company. These look rather good on the sofa and tie in rather well with the Poole pottery too. I replaced the previous grey rug (this has found a new lease of life in the hall for now) with a traditional patterned rug from iRugs but with colours that fit the developing scheme. My other new piece of furniture for this room was a chair from Made.com in a modern, yet slightly retro style. The colour, being orange, is a statement and goes against my rather traditional instincts when buying furniture. But the exception has finished the room off well I think.
It's become a rather eclectic mix of stuff that I love. I enjoy spending time in here for the first time in many years. It’s a room that is now in use and that I am happy to share with others. Its not perfect and there are certainly changes I would make given help but for now an out of fashion space has been at least partly dragged back to respectability with very little investment.