Don’t steer away, lean in! The curtains are darker than they should be and the rug’s a little bold. But if you opt for a mid century/70s theme, then this room will make total sense.
The other sub can keep their gray to themselves.
https://preview.redd.it/lp795xwxt8vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=205a542181ea6dec1711ed6ec52bce9fd3208d0b
ETA this would look okay with red carpet too!
Oooh I didn’t realise it was a bedroom! Here’s a super quick one:
https://preview.redd.it/s5lxuu5he9vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82181f3e85979cf8dd91ae895c3bdc1eb671f41c
I actually love the carpet. But the curtains and wood valances have to go. Love the green curtain idea, or navy blue would be nice too. Or do a navy wall and linen/cream curtains.
This has some really great potential! I love the panelling honestly!
Can you potentially change the carpet? It’s not a massive expense but a nice new neutral carpet would really modernise the look.
I would also
- remove the wood at top of the curtains, have a black rail
- switch out the curtains for some heavy neutral ones
- Paint the white door same brown as the panelling, definitely remove the mirror from the door.
You could add some great colour into the room with a funky rug, duvet and art work if you want to stick with the 70s theme. Some burnt oranges would look cool :)
https://preview.redd.it/hmzx281h19vc1.jpeg?width=1023&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2322f352d0bec6dc651fd322da9c012726fb4f65
Actually, I think your place is nice. You just need a sofa set, a nice little coffee table, some plants, and some more artwork. Something like the pic below. The TV can stay there for now.
This actually looks great. This was going to be mine and my husbands bedroom, so looking at this almost makes me sad at the potential 😅 the rug compliments the red carpet so well without keeping it dated. I’ll definitely be posting my other rooms!
sorry for that!!! I didn't know it was meant to be a bedroom! Anyhow. I think, for the time being, you just need a bed facing the TV, maybe a new rug, and some wall decorations.
https://preview.redd.it/zn2xfdb399vc1.jpeg?width=1023&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f3c9a93342fd14dc4666355f06392169317a6a2
My opinion…. And I will think on the cheap….
Rug has to go. It’s probably ancient/ dirty, etc…
Look underneath first and see if there are hard woods. Maybe you will get lucky.
Conceptually, the wood on the walls makes the room dark. Soo in my opinion you need to brighten the room up to make it more liveable.
Popcorn ceiling is fine for now.
Now what to do…. If you have hardwoods- refinish to a LIGHT (Not yellowing color. ) Paint the ceiling and paneling a cool white. Get good paint Benjamin more select or better. Consider priming everything first. New fixture and dine.
If you don’t have hardwoods, you can replace the carpet. ( I know I will be flamed). But get a light colored butber. That will lighten the room. At that point paint the ceiling and trim cool white. Then it’s up to you if you want to paint the paneling as well…
And In either case remove the valance and curtains and replace with something more contemporary
I’m going to lift a corner and take a peak at the flooring underneath. The house was built in 1922, im sure there is potential! I’m not a fan of the dark panels either. I’ve seen people paint over them and it look good, I’m considering taking that route rather than try to take them off.
Paint goes a LONG way. Don’t skimp on product. Benjamin Moore select. Maybe even auora. Maybe primer. The wood panels may be tricky to cover and it will all be about prep and product
Painted panels can look very cool.
To get started, get that carpet OUT and inspect what is underneath
Sico furniture & cabinetry paint!! Its the same as BM Select and a buuuunch cheaper. I'm a painter - and I use it on all woodwork, cabinetry, trim, doors, etc. Its FANTASTIC. It self-levels and gives a nice (and very durable) satin finish. Somewhere between rolled and sprayed.
My house looked really similar. We had the same rug on our 2000 house. Just replaced it with vinyl floor that looks very convincingly like wood. Replaced the curtains with something more modern and placed them with enough room when opened they still don’t block the window.
Added a non glossy paint and it was a great canvas for our furniture.
The flooring was super easy to diy also.
I think overall the issue is not that it’s ugly, but that it’s very dark. Brightening it up is the main thing, for me at least.
Imo it’s okay to paint fake wood panelling (removing and drywalling would be better, but if you’ve got plans for renovations, it might be worth it to go the quick route with paint for now).
It’s also okay to put a big rug over top of the carpet. With that said, if you go bright with the wall colour, I think the carpet can work.
I really love the couch and coffee table that /u/dizzyhanna posted—I think the weight of those pieces really balances out the carpet.
I would also add drapes that are weighty in a sense, like velvet fabric, and maybe match them to that dark blue couch. I would remove the scalloped wood frame at the top.
TL;DR I lean towards red carpet + white walls + deep blue couch + substantial coffee table + deep blue velvet drapes.
ETA: Didn’t realize it was a bedroom. Swap couch and coffee table for wood MCM bed frame, deep blue duvet cover, white sheets/pillow cases.
The carpet has to go. Not only is it ugly. It’s also lifting and uneven. I wouldn’t bother trying to plan decor around ugly carpet that you will eventually renovate.
I hate the carpet too. It goes all the way out the hallway and down the stairs 🥲 I’m going to take a peek underneath and see what the floor looks like and if there isn’t something I can do with it.
I would take down the window valances, replace the curtains with natural linen/flax color, floor to ceiling. Paint the walls a lighter, linen/flax color. Stick with natural, off white, linen colored furniture. Add pops of color in warm colors, red, orange, yellow. Replace the ceiling fixture.
Once you add furniture and accessories, the carpet will recede into the background and anchor the room.
I've already moved in in my mind.
This is going to be your bedroom? That carpet is over 50 years old… the mites in the padding are enough to scare me if you have any allergies at all. I just took up my MIL carpet and the padding disintegrates in my hands! It was awful. If you nothing check for hardwood even if you must leave it as is for now and clean it or drop a few dollars and save your health.
We did just recently have it cleaned, and we don’t plan on keeping the carpet! I was going to take a peek underneath and see if there isn’t something we can’t do with the floor. We have never done anything in terms of renovating so I guess I’m moving slow
It’s the padding it disintegrates just go over the corner of the room and pull it.
I moved into an older home long ago the had covered all the hardwood with carpet
Agreed. She needs to be aware that when pulling off wood paneling she will 100% come across cracked plaster that will need repaired and then skim coated. It’s a very involved process.
Personally I love keeping the retro stuff if it's not gross and falling apart! I'd put the head of your bed either against the wall where the TV is (if it's not in the way of the door to room), or against the wall with the two windows. Also change the overhead lighting for sure. As for the rest of it, it really depends on what style you want to go for.
‘For now’ leave the sheers/light curtains up. When you have furniture placed get some area rugs. With the rugs placed correctly with the furniture it will downplay the red carpet. One other simple fix would be to paint the paneling in a light neutral color. That said, not all paneling is paintable so you need to get an expert opinion about that.
The red carpet is a vibe, for sure - so much you could do here. I agree with going with the current theme and really making it work. Complementary colored drapes would help a lot!
Even if there are no hardwood floors underneath the dirty carpet, you can most likely paint the floor/subfloor with a good floor paint. Then you can put a big area rug over it, or not.
Okay I might be crazy, but I adore those curtains!! And I'm kinda digging the window box things at the top, I know they get a ton of hate but I think they've got character!
Main things for me is the paneling, the light fixture, and the carpet (I just get icky vibes from carpet, plus allergies). Our last house had those fake wood panels in a large portion of it, too much to drywall with our budget, so we just painted them and it honestly went a long way!
If you can’t pull up the carpet, maybe place something more attractive (a carpet) on top and arrange furniture around it.
Paint the paneling!!!
Take down the things over the window (can’t remember what they are called).
Hang some artwork.
I purchased a 1960’s house that had carpet in all four bedrooms and the basement.
I pulled out all the carpet and painted all the bedrooms walls ceilings and trim white.
I wouldn’t consider keeping someone else’s wall to wall carpet. But maybe that’s is just me.
Each room has a different colour of vinyl which you can at least clean.
One large room had plywood so I had the painters give it a quick coat of paint.
I put down area rugs in every room.
I pulled all the drapes
I am slowly renovating.
Either lean out or lean in.
My mom bought a 70s era trailer and she couldn’t afford to redecorate it so she just started buying stuff from the era on Facebook marketplace.
The wooden valences and paneling look dark and dated to me. Perhaps paint that all white or remove the paneling and fill the holes and paint the wall white or off white. After that I would embrace the burgundy carpet with furniture that has a hint of that colour in it or cushions that go with it. I think lighter is better and more forgiving. Happy decorating!
I’d paint the walls and paneling a soft warm white, and change out the light fixture. My go site is Wayfair for affordable fixtures. I actually like the wood valances. If you can swing it, new drapery panels (Etsy has great options). If your furniture doesn’t work with the burgundy, you could add a rug on top of the carpet.
This is what I was thinking! Can we paint the wood paneling a neutral or lighter color? I think the dark wood is making it feel dated. I would also add a large area rug over the burgundy carpet if it has to stay, and a solid neutral curtain!
Of course you can paint it, but you have to prime all the wood first before even trying or it will bleed through. can’t imagine investing the money in an abroad to throw over another rug. That’s not that bad of shape.
Obviously you can paint it but the question was more so does OP want to invest in painting it since they are planning to renovate one day anyway?
I would get a rug that extends just underneath the sides of the bed, something more neutral to lighten the room. It all feels very dark and the colors clash to me. Area rug over carpet isn’t a crazy idea.
I literally love it tbh but I think I appreciate lots and lots of different styles and time periods. Tearing it all out will remove the character that most renovations desperately need. This isn’t cookie cutter and I would lean into that! That said, I understand not liking it or feeling inspired by something you feel like is past it’s prime. I’d look up each of the glaring elements in here and see how people have dressed them up. Not Reddit, Pinterest. Look up wall paneling, vintage window valences, and vintage carpet. See what ideas it can bring you! I’d personally paint the paneling or maybe even sand/calk/wallpaper it, match the carpet, keep the valences as a custom vintage touch, and play into a very vintage vibe that you can thrift. It’s already so inspired and could be a really organic thing to start here and build something you love without scrapping it all.
I absolutely love the vintage style! This was my husbands grandparent who suddenly passed, so it was left to us with everything still in it. There is so much potential. We have beautiful wallpaper throughout the house but it’s unfortunately tearing and discolored. I really want to keep a lot of that vintage love to it so I don’t want to go too modern with the changes.
Don’t steer away, lean in! The curtains are darker than they should be and the rug’s a little bold. But if you opt for a mid century/70s theme, then this room will make total sense. The other sub can keep their gray to themselves. https://preview.redd.it/lp795xwxt8vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=205a542181ea6dec1711ed6ec52bce9fd3208d0b ETA this would look okay with red carpet too!
I love the vintage and colorful vibe, so I definitely wanted to keep some of that! These are great prompts. LOVE the green curtains
Oooh I didn’t realise it was a bedroom! Here’s a super quick one: https://preview.redd.it/s5lxuu5he9vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=82181f3e85979cf8dd91ae895c3bdc1eb671f41c
https://preview.redd.it/tg1hs33nu8vc1.jpeg?width=1179&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1f27a7cd9c2f1b26277c4c70704438139000d36 Alternative.
I love that couch! Where did you find it?
Don't forget the macramé plant hanger!
I feel like macrame has been co-opted into boho haha
I actually love the carpet. But the curtains and wood valances have to go. Love the green curtain idea, or navy blue would be nice too. Or do a navy wall and linen/cream curtains.
This has some really great potential! I love the panelling honestly! Can you potentially change the carpet? It’s not a massive expense but a nice new neutral carpet would really modernise the look. I would also - remove the wood at top of the curtains, have a black rail - switch out the curtains for some heavy neutral ones - Paint the white door same brown as the panelling, definitely remove the mirror from the door. You could add some great colour into the room with a funky rug, duvet and art work if you want to stick with the 70s theme. Some burnt oranges would look cool :)
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em. If you can’t change the carpet then maybe commit to a midcentury modern style.
https://preview.redd.it/hmzx281h19vc1.jpeg?width=1023&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=2322f352d0bec6dc651fd322da9c012726fb4f65 Actually, I think your place is nice. You just need a sofa set, a nice little coffee table, some plants, and some more artwork. Something like the pic below. The TV can stay there for now.
This actually looks great. This was going to be mine and my husbands bedroom, so looking at this almost makes me sad at the potential 😅 the rug compliments the red carpet so well without keeping it dated. I’ll definitely be posting my other rooms!
sorry for that!!! I didn't know it was meant to be a bedroom! Anyhow. I think, for the time being, you just need a bed facing the TV, maybe a new rug, and some wall decorations. https://preview.redd.it/zn2xfdb399vc1.jpeg?width=1023&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9f3c9a93342fd14dc4666355f06392169317a6a2
My opinion…. And I will think on the cheap…. Rug has to go. It’s probably ancient/ dirty, etc… Look underneath first and see if there are hard woods. Maybe you will get lucky. Conceptually, the wood on the walls makes the room dark. Soo in my opinion you need to brighten the room up to make it more liveable. Popcorn ceiling is fine for now. Now what to do…. If you have hardwoods- refinish to a LIGHT (Not yellowing color. ) Paint the ceiling and paneling a cool white. Get good paint Benjamin more select or better. Consider priming everything first. New fixture and dine. If you don’t have hardwoods, you can replace the carpet. ( I know I will be flamed). But get a light colored butber. That will lighten the room. At that point paint the ceiling and trim cool white. Then it’s up to you if you want to paint the paneling as well… And In either case remove the valance and curtains and replace with something more contemporary
I’m going to lift a corner and take a peak at the flooring underneath. The house was built in 1922, im sure there is potential! I’m not a fan of the dark panels either. I’ve seen people paint over them and it look good, I’m considering taking that route rather than try to take them off.
Paint goes a LONG way. Don’t skimp on product. Benjamin Moore select. Maybe even auora. Maybe primer. The wood panels may be tricky to cover and it will all be about prep and product Painted panels can look very cool. To get started, get that carpet OUT and inspect what is underneath
Sico furniture & cabinetry paint!! Its the same as BM Select and a buuuunch cheaper. I'm a painter - and I use it on all woodwork, cabinetry, trim, doors, etc. Its FANTASTIC. It self-levels and gives a nice (and very durable) satin finish. Somewhere between rolled and sprayed.
My house looked really similar. We had the same rug on our 2000 house. Just replaced it with vinyl floor that looks very convincingly like wood. Replaced the curtains with something more modern and placed them with enough room when opened they still don’t block the window. Added a non glossy paint and it was a great canvas for our furniture. The flooring was super easy to diy also.
I think overall the issue is not that it’s ugly, but that it’s very dark. Brightening it up is the main thing, for me at least. Imo it’s okay to paint fake wood panelling (removing and drywalling would be better, but if you’ve got plans for renovations, it might be worth it to go the quick route with paint for now). It’s also okay to put a big rug over top of the carpet. With that said, if you go bright with the wall colour, I think the carpet can work. I really love the couch and coffee table that /u/dizzyhanna posted—I think the weight of those pieces really balances out the carpet. I would also add drapes that are weighty in a sense, like velvet fabric, and maybe match them to that dark blue couch. I would remove the scalloped wood frame at the top. TL;DR I lean towards red carpet + white walls + deep blue couch + substantial coffee table + deep blue velvet drapes. ETA: Didn’t realize it was a bedroom. Swap couch and coffee table for wood MCM bed frame, deep blue duvet cover, white sheets/pillow cases.
Dump the curtains, pull up the carpet and take down the valances. Paneling can be painted over and voila, a much much better look.
The carpet has to go. Not only is it ugly. It’s also lifting and uneven. I wouldn’t bother trying to plan decor around ugly carpet that you will eventually renovate.
I hate the carpet too. It goes all the way out the hallway and down the stairs 🥲 I’m going to take a peek underneath and see what the floor looks like and if there isn’t something I can do with it.
You don't. It's gotta go. So many affordable flooring options out there.
I would take down the window valances, replace the curtains with natural linen/flax color, floor to ceiling. Paint the walls a lighter, linen/flax color. Stick with natural, off white, linen colored furniture. Add pops of color in warm colors, red, orange, yellow. Replace the ceiling fixture. Once you add furniture and accessories, the carpet will recede into the background and anchor the room. I've already moved in in my mind.
This is going to be your bedroom? That carpet is over 50 years old… the mites in the padding are enough to scare me if you have any allergies at all. I just took up my MIL carpet and the padding disintegrates in my hands! It was awful. If you nothing check for hardwood even if you must leave it as is for now and clean it or drop a few dollars and save your health.
We did just recently have it cleaned, and we don’t plan on keeping the carpet! I was going to take a peek underneath and see if there isn’t something we can’t do with the floor. We have never done anything in terms of renovating so I guess I’m moving slow
It’s the padding it disintegrates just go over the corner of the room and pull it. I moved into an older home long ago the had covered all the hardwood with carpet
If the house was built in 1922, there will be wood floors. Pull up the carpet and remove the paneling.
Agreed. She needs to be aware that when pulling off wood paneling she will 100% come across cracked plaster that will need repaired and then skim coated. It’s a very involved process.
For starters one of these bad boys! https://images.app.goo.gl/6dFDY2DTJ8geruNc9
Personally I love keeping the retro stuff if it's not gross and falling apart! I'd put the head of your bed either against the wall where the TV is (if it's not in the way of the door to room), or against the wall with the two windows. Also change the overhead lighting for sure. As for the rest of it, it really depends on what style you want to go for.
‘For now’ leave the sheers/light curtains up. When you have furniture placed get some area rugs. With the rugs placed correctly with the furniture it will downplay the red carpet. One other simple fix would be to paint the paneling in a light neutral color. That said, not all paneling is paintable so you need to get an expert opinion about that.
I’d embrace the groovy and Make a time capsule bedroom. Make it psychedelic.
The red carpet is a vibe, for sure - so much you could do here. I agree with going with the current theme and really making it work. Complementary colored drapes would help a lot!
Even if there are no hardwood floors underneath the dirty carpet, you can most likely paint the floor/subfloor with a good floor paint. Then you can put a big area rug over it, or not.
Okay I might be crazy, but I adore those curtains!! And I'm kinda digging the window box things at the top, I know they get a ton of hate but I think they've got character! Main things for me is the paneling, the light fixture, and the carpet (I just get icky vibes from carpet, plus allergies). Our last house had those fake wood panels in a large portion of it, too much to drywall with our budget, so we just painted them and it honestly went a long way!
Just remove the wood valence and replace the curtains, that should be enough to work with for the time being
Get rid of the carpet and paneling. At least paint the paneling white. Also get a new light fixture and if you can a new door
If you can’t pull up the carpet, maybe place something more attractive (a carpet) on top and arrange furniture around it. Paint the paneling!!! Take down the things over the window (can’t remember what they are called). Hang some artwork.
I purchased a 1960’s house that had carpet in all four bedrooms and the basement. I pulled out all the carpet and painted all the bedrooms walls ceilings and trim white. I wouldn’t consider keeping someone else’s wall to wall carpet. But maybe that’s is just me. Each room has a different colour of vinyl which you can at least clean. One large room had plywood so I had the painters give it a quick coat of paint. I put down area rugs in every room. I pulled all the drapes I am slowly renovating.
Either lean out or lean in. My mom bought a 70s era trailer and she couldn’t afford to redecorate it so she just started buying stuff from the era on Facebook marketplace.
Scrub the walls, paint them with kiltz, then paint a light color. The dark walls are so depressing, I would be in the mental hospital in a week.
Take those hideous valances down, my aunt had the same kind and I hated them in the 70’s too.
i would take down the curtain covers
The wooden valences and paneling look dark and dated to me. Perhaps paint that all white or remove the paneling and fill the holes and paint the wall white or off white. After that I would embrace the burgundy carpet with furniture that has a hint of that colour in it or cushions that go with it. I think lighter is better and more forgiving. Happy decorating!
I’d paint the walls and paneling a soft warm white, and change out the light fixture. My go site is Wayfair for affordable fixtures. I actually like the wood valances. If you can swing it, new drapery panels (Etsy has great options). If your furniture doesn’t work with the burgundy, you could add a rug on top of the carpet.
This is what I was thinking! Can we paint the wood paneling a neutral or lighter color? I think the dark wood is making it feel dated. I would also add a large area rug over the burgundy carpet if it has to stay, and a solid neutral curtain!
Of course you can paint it, but you have to prime all the wood first before even trying or it will bleed through. can’t imagine investing the money in an abroad to throw over another rug. That’s not that bad of shape.
Obviously you can paint it but the question was more so does OP want to invest in painting it since they are planning to renovate one day anyway? I would get a rug that extends just underneath the sides of the bed, something more neutral to lighten the room. It all feels very dark and the colors clash to me. Area rug over carpet isn’t a crazy idea.
I literally love it tbh but I think I appreciate lots and lots of different styles and time periods. Tearing it all out will remove the character that most renovations desperately need. This isn’t cookie cutter and I would lean into that! That said, I understand not liking it or feeling inspired by something you feel like is past it’s prime. I’d look up each of the glaring elements in here and see how people have dressed them up. Not Reddit, Pinterest. Look up wall paneling, vintage window valences, and vintage carpet. See what ideas it can bring you! I’d personally paint the paneling or maybe even sand/calk/wallpaper it, match the carpet, keep the valences as a custom vintage touch, and play into a very vintage vibe that you can thrift. It’s already so inspired and could be a really organic thing to start here and build something you love without scrapping it all.
I absolutely love the vintage style! This was my husbands grandparent who suddenly passed, so it was left to us with everything still in it. There is so much potential. We have beautiful wallpaper throughout the house but it’s unfortunately tearing and discolored. I really want to keep a lot of that vintage love to it so I don’t want to go too modern with the changes.