My pleasure. Our hallway is a very strong red with a special finish and, whilst we love it, it can seem a bit strong on dull days so I've been googling about for ideas on how to handle it.
Like the previous owners we have a sideboard and mirror with a picture opposite but that still leaves a lot of red and we need to sand and paint all the doors as they are shabby but not chic and get some decent door frame mouldings put round them as they are currently flush with the walls and speckled with red paint.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Thank you so much Liri on your lovely compliments about my garden. I'm loving the lady of leisure life so far and can not wait for the weather to improve so i can get out there again. I already have a stash of shrubs and perrenials to plant and don't know how many seeds to sow!
Rosemummy wold love to see pics of all your hard work
Obelixx your new home looks amazing. Have you tried Pinterest for decorating ideas? It's fantastic and really great for ideas.
Liri is your home a cottage? I am not a fan of silk paint myself but it sounds like you already have the perfect back drop with your colours and like Obelixx says maybe you just need some accessories.
Would you consider changing the stair carpet? As its right there when you open your front door changing it could make an amazing impact and change. Also do you have carpet on the 3ft hallway square?
if yes maybe you could change to bright patchwork tiles? They do some fabulous ones or wood flooring?
One last thing I would only have coats and shoes out that you wear every day and have them hang on nice new coat hook or simple shaker style wooden pegs and then maybe a nice basket to chuck your shoes in.
Yes I spend far too much time looking at interior magazines and on Pinterest
Since I have moved to my new house I'm more modern country than shabby chic now I have re decorated most rooms and currently awaiting wall to be knocked down between little dining room and kitchen.
It has taken ages to type all this so hope it goes through! Xx
The white-painted stairs make all the difference, Obelixx, though I can see how the red might be rather too strong a look on a dull day. I was considering painting our staircase white, but we'd need a runner; the noise of people thundering up & down stairs goes through the party walls of this terrace.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Beaus mum - hi, we overlapped there! As you can see from my answer to Obelixx, I'd certainly consider replacing the stairs carpet. My staircase is enclosed - party wall on one side, living room wall on the other. I saw a photo of a similar staircase with white-painted stairs with a striped runner, which looked really good. The little hallway is "carpeted" with rubber-backed coir door matting, because the lane outside is really muddy, so it's the only practical flooring for the entrance. It's part of an 1850s terrace of millstone grit houses in a Yorkshire ex-mill town in the Pennines, so not exactly a cottage.
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
A runner would be very practical and is considered typically English here. Not what the French do at all.
Those stairs are no longer very white. Between their removals and ours, they're looking distinctly worn and even chipped in a couple of places so will need re-painting when we've finished making messes. She insisted everyone remove shoes for going upstairs but you can't do that to removals men and plumbers.
The floor tiles are sort of terracotta with bits of cream plus grey grouting so it all needs lifting a bit.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hi Liri, hope you don't mind i looked up millstone grit houses and they are gorgeous
I think i would carpet all the stairs and not have a runner. Carpet Right (not sure if you have these stores up north?) have lovely new lines in which i was only looking at this weekend They have the pin stripe in all colours and at good prices. They are on trend right now but in my opinion timeless
Obelixx had you thought about taking the treads on your stairs back to wood and keeping the rest white?
Other thoughts were to change lamp shade to maybe a clear glass type. Rattan runner on the tiled floor. Last thing but think you wont like as tried zooming in on your mirror and cabinet and they look like proper antiques and lovely but have you considered painting? Last thing a larger picture on the right?
BM - that cabinet and mirror and artwork are the previous owners'. I have a cherry sideboard in a similar colour and a large, bevelled mirror in a stained pine frame which I picked up in a brocante and always intended painting cream. The sideboard may end up in the annex and then I can have something paler and less solid below the mirror. Funnily enough I have put a larger picture of irses opposite the mirror and I have a predominantly red and cream oriental rug on the floor between the front door and the sideboard. Our lights have red cable and fitting with a white glass shade.
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
Hi BM - wouldn't describe our house as "gorgeous", though there certainly are some lovely ones about. Ours is 40 years too young to have the rows of mullioned windows you get in late-18th to early 19th century weavers' cottages - but it does have huge stone fireplaces and lots of draughts...
My reason for suggesting painting the stair edges is that even with a relatively light-coloured carpet, it's really dark when you get to the top of the stairs. There's only indirect light on the landing, if we leave internal doors open (so we do). And I guess OH will say "nothing wrong with the carpet we've got..." Ah well. We can dream...
Since 2019 I've lived in east Clare, in the west of Ireland.
Bought a solid pine cupboard on Tuesday for 89€ and went to fetch it yesterday, armed with roof rack. They told me it had a matching chest of drawers going for 39€. Turned out to be large and a snip so it came home too. I'm planning to give them both a good clean to remove any wax, oil or varnish then paint with a wood wash to soften the golden tones. I reckon they have enough decoration already so no stencilling or special effects.
Any thoughts on that plan?
.
Last edited: 16 February 2017 09:40:12
Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
"The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
they are sooo gorgeous! I have a wine rack/cupboard rather like those and I've got 5 tester cards lined up to decide the exact colour, I want it kind of the colour of the sea on a cloudy day..,yes, I'd just paint or colourwash them , no special effects needed there
Posts
My pleasure. Our hallway is a very strong red with a special finish and, whilst we love it, it can seem a bit strong on dull days so I've been googling about for ideas on how to handle it.
Like the previous owners we have a sideboard and mirror with a picture opposite but that still leaves a lot of red and we need to sand and paint all the doors as they are shabby but not chic and get some decent door frame mouldings put round them as they are currently flush with the walls and speckled with red paint.
Hi Girls, just catching up on your posts
Thank you so much Liri on your lovely compliments about my garden. I'm loving the lady of leisure life so far and can not wait for the weather to improve so i can get out there again. I already have a stash of shrubs and perrenials to plant and don't know how many seeds to sow!
Rosemummy wold love to see pics of all your hard work
Obelixx your new home looks amazing. Have you tried Pinterest for decorating ideas? It's fantastic and really great for ideas.
Liri is your home a cottage? I am not a fan of silk paint myself but it sounds like you already have the perfect back drop with your colours and like Obelixx says maybe you just need some accessories.
Would you consider changing the stair carpet? As its right there when you open your front door changing it could make an amazing impact and change. Also do you have carpet on the 3ft hallway square?
if yes maybe you could change to bright patchwork tiles? They do some fabulous ones or wood flooring?
One last thing I would only have coats and shoes out that you wear every day and have them hang on nice new coat hook or simple shaker style wooden pegs and then maybe a nice basket to chuck your shoes in.
Yes I spend far too much time looking at interior magazines and on Pinterest
Since I have moved to my new house I'm more modern country than shabby chic now
I have re decorated most rooms and currently awaiting wall to be knocked down between little dining room and kitchen.
It has taken ages to type all this so hope it goes through! Xx
The white-painted stairs make all the difference, Obelixx, though I can see how the red might be rather too strong a look on a dull day. I was considering painting our staircase white, but we'd need a runner; the noise of people thundering up & down stairs goes through the party walls of this terrace.
Beaus mum - hi, we overlapped there! As you can see from my answer to Obelixx, I'd certainly consider replacing the stairs carpet. My staircase is enclosed - party wall on one side, living room wall on the other. I saw a photo of a similar staircase with white-painted stairs with a striped runner, which looked really good. The little hallway is "carpeted" with rubber-backed coir door matting, because the lane outside is really muddy, so it's the only practical flooring for the entrance. It's part of an 1850s terrace of millstone grit houses in a Yorkshire ex-mill town in the Pennines, so not exactly a cottage.
A runner would be very practical and is considered typically English here. Not what the French do at all.
Those stairs are no longer very white. Between their removals and ours, they're looking distinctly worn and even chipped in a couple of places so will need re-painting when we've finished making messes. She insisted everyone remove shoes for going upstairs but you can't do that to removals men and plumbers.
The floor tiles are sort of terracotta with bits of cream plus grey grouting so it all needs lifting a bit.
Hi Liri, hope you don't mind i looked up millstone grit houses and they are gorgeous
I think i would carpet all the stairs and not have a runner. Carpet Right (not sure if you have these stores up north?) have lovely new lines in which i was only looking at this weekend
They have the pin stripe in all colours and at good prices. They are on trend right now but in my opinion timeless 
Obelixx had you thought about taking the treads on your stairs back to wood and keeping the rest white?
Other thoughts were to change lamp shade to maybe a clear glass type. Rattan runner on the tiled floor. Last thing but think you wont like as tried zooming in on your mirror and cabinet and they look like proper antiques and lovely but have you considered painting? Last thing a larger picture on the right?
yes I'm a very busy lady of leisure lol x
BM - that cabinet and mirror and artwork are the previous owners'. I have a cherry sideboard in a similar colour and a large, bevelled mirror in a stained pine frame which I picked up in a brocante and always intended painting cream. The sideboard may end up in the annex and then I can have something paler and less solid below the mirror. Funnily enough I have put a larger picture of irses opposite the mirror and I have a predominantly red and cream oriental rug on the floor between the front door and the sideboard. Our lights have red cable and fitting with a white glass shade.
Hi BM - wouldn't describe our house as "gorgeous", though there certainly are some lovely ones about. Ours is 40 years too young to have the rows of mullioned windows you get in late-18th to early 19th century weavers' cottages - but it does have huge stone fireplaces and lots of draughts...
My reason for suggesting painting the stair edges is that even with a relatively light-coloured carpet, it's really dark when you get to the top of the stairs. There's only indirect light on the landing, if we leave internal doors open (so we do). And I guess OH will say "nothing wrong with the carpet we've got..." Ah well. We can dream...
Bought a solid pine cupboard on Tuesday for 89€ and went to fetch it yesterday, armed with roof rack. They told me it had a matching chest of drawers going for 39€. Turned out to be large and a snip so it came home too. I'm planning to give them both a good clean to remove any wax, oil or varnish then paint with a wood wash to soften the golden tones. I reckon they have enough decoration already so no stencilling or special effects.
Any thoughts on that plan?
Last edited: 16 February 2017 09:40:12
they are sooo gorgeous! I have a wine rack/cupboard rather like those and I've got 5 tester cards lined up to decide the exact colour, I want it kind of the colour of the sea on a cloudy day..,yes, I'd just paint or colourwash them , no special effects needed there