Grey (tick)

[Brissles]

Just seeing Gill Gaunt's video call from her home, and it struck me that it must be like millions of other homes in the country - has to be like a magazine photo shoot.

grey walls - tick
white/grey sofas - tick
couple of framed prints - tick
white shutters - tick
Freebie qvc lantern artfully placed - tick
QVC tree ? - tick

Nice but soulless, no sign that anyone actually lives there and all a bit too perfect. I can imagine Gauntlett doing a quick sweep around the Range to see what the next 'look' in ornaments will be.

I wonder when this obsession with alll that is grey will end. I remember decades ago thinking I would paint the spare room walls in grey, then hubby says it will look like a b....dy office ! so I didn't, - clearly I was ahead of my time. As for the shutters, my brother has them installed, but when visiting I felt like I was in the middle of a crate with just a bit of daylight seeping through, so they're not for me, I'll stick with my full daylight and curtains.

 

[Twilight]

I spend two days a week at our daughter's home looking after our granddaughter; the hall & reception rooms have laminate floors, the kitchen, utility & conservatory have tiled floors & the windows have shutters or blinds, to say it's cold is an understatement.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I like grey decor but don’t like furniture or accessories bought by the yard so I rarely buy from chain stores.

Although I don’t have the energy now most of my life I have “upcycled”when it meant cycling up a hill.

 

[Bigbean]

I spend two days a week at our daughter's home looking after our granddaughter; the hall & reception rooms have laminate floors, the kitchen, utility & conservatory have tiled floors & the windows have shutters or blinds, to say it's cold is an understatement.

So you’re allowed in again? I think you said it was difficult at the height of the Covid-19 restrictions....

 

[candycane]

I've got grey walls and a white sofa courtesy of the dog

CC

 

[Deleted member 21102]

My home is stubbornly off-white (on the creamy side) with colour, albeit muted. The style gurus would hate it but then they don't live here, I do. And I'm me, not them.

 

[Turandot]

We have white walls throughout . No white furniture though. With a Doberman and two cats it would be a nightmare. Shutters are all the rage round here but they don’t let much light inand I prefer to see a bit of light .I have black out blinds in the bedrooms but only because the sun rises directly into our windows and there is a street lamp directly outside.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I have blue and yellow in my living room, but cream everywhere else. It all needs updating, but I don't know yet what I will change it to.
I remember we had lots of strong colours at home when I was a child. Orange, mustard yellow, cinnamon, peacock blue.

 

[boffy]

just recently redecorated my lounge: stripped it of pelmeted, heavily lined curtains with matching sofa and armchairs, wool carpets fitted and Laura Ashley wallpaper. Now its painted walls, jewel coloured velvet sofa in a very sleek but old fashioned style. Pure wool abstract Habitat room size rug.The velvet gives the sofa a modern clean look. wood floors and white shutters the room is dual aspect so shutters both sides. the room looks triple the size. Looks modern up to date and is easier to keep fresh and clean.

 

[merryone]

My place could do with a good redecorating session, about 10 years ago we picked out brightly coloured themes for each room and it looked lovely and quirky, but now it's looking a bit stale and tatty. When I do eventually get around to getting it done - I have no desire to make the place look like a blinking hotel. All these whites, greys and beiges with accents of silver, gold and general bling seems to be the "thing" these days. Beds dressed with extra cushions and accent "runners" across the bottom (which no doubt will end up on the floor when you get into bed), tables with glass panels with a couple of strategically placed books on top, a bar cart decorated with lights (wouldn't say no to a bar cart though lol..sadly no room), exposed floorboards festooned with hideously expensive looking rugs, fecking great big statement mirrors. This does not say "home" to me. It might be "aspirational" but I aspire to have a clean, uncluttered, practical home that I can relax in and so can my guests.

 

[merryone]

We have white walls throughout . No white furniture though. With a Doberman and two cats it would be a nightmare. Shutters are all the rage round here but they don’t let much light inand I prefer to see a bit of light .I have black out blinds in the bedrooms but only because the sun rises directly into our windows and there is a street lamp directly outside.

I've got to disagree with you about the shutters, they're amazing. Until recently we had wooden venetian blinds in our living room but they were cheap, the wood made the room too dark and they became very broken and shabby and never hung straight when you tried to adjust them. I forked out for the white shutters that everyone round my way seemed to have and omg! The slats are wide so really easy to clean..you shut them by just pushing them with your hand, you can open the slats as wide as you like or keep them flapped down. When the slats are fully open they let lots of light in..we did choose the large slat ones and whats more you can open them right out and fold them back in their entirety. Seriously, there the best things I've bought for years!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

Hate blinds of all description.

 

[merryone]

Hate blinds of all description.

Funnily enough, I'm the same about curtains!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

For me curtains must be generous. Cant abide skimpy curtains which is a problem if you have long or wide windows as you can rarely buy them off the peg.

 

[maymorganlondon]

just recently redecorated my lounge: stripped it of pelmeted, heavily lined curtains with matching sofa and armchairs, wool carpets fitted and Laura Ashley wallpaper. Now its painted walls, jewel coloured velvet sofa in a very sleek but old fashioned style. Pure wool abstract Habitat room size rug.The velvet gives the sofa a modern clean look. wood floors and white shutters the room is dual aspect so shutters both sides. the room looks triple the size. Looks modern up to date and is easier to keep fresh and clean.

Sounds beautiful!

 

[stratobuddy]

I've got to disagree with you about the shutters, they're amazing. Until recently we had wooden venetian blinds in our living room but they were cheap, the wood made the room too dark and they became very broken and shabby and never hung straight when you tried to adjust them. I forked out for the white shutters that everyone round my way seemed to have and omg! The slats are wide so really easy to clean..you shut them by just pushing them with your hand, you can open the slats as wide as you like or keep them flapped down. When the slats are fully open they let lots of light in..we did choose the large slat ones and whats more you can open them right out and fold them back in their entirety. Seriously, there the best things I've bought for years!

Never heard of shutters in modern homes, only the ones outside in hot countries, or inside in stately homes.

Do you have to have lots of space around them to open them, like doors?

 

[merryone]

Never heard of shutters in modern homes, only the ones outside in hot countries, or inside in stately homes.

Do you have to have lots of space around them to open them, like doors?

No, the one we have is in a bay window with minimal wall space on either side...they fold up like a folding shower screen if that makes sense (fold flat back on themselves and take up literally no room at all)

 

[maymorganlondon]

I've got to disagree with you about the shutters, they're amazing. Until recently we had wooden venetian blinds in our living room but they were cheap, the wood made the room too dark and they became very broken and shabby and never hung straight when you tried to adjust them. I forked out for the white shutters that everyone round my way seemed to have and omg! The slats are wide so really easy to clean..you shut them by just pushing them with your hand, you can open the slats as wide as you like or keep them flapped down. When the slats are fully open they let lots of light in..we did choose the large slat ones and whats more you can open them right out and fold them back in their entirety. Seriously, there the best things I've bought for years!

I am contemplating getting this type of shutters.
I may still need to have something extra in bedrooms, though. More for light exclusion than cosiness.
I think reducing soft furnishings generally is on the cards as I have discovered, during lockdown, that I am more than a little allergic to house dust. Unfortunate, as I'm also allergic to house work!!

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I just love those shutters you get in stately homes or big old houses but you need the right room and the wood needs to be beautiful .

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

I am contemplating getting this type of shutters.
I may still need to have something extra in bedrooms, though. More for light exclusion than cosiness.
I have discovered, during lockdown, that I am more than a little allergic to house dust. Unfortunate, as I'm also allergic to house work!!

It wouldn’t be so bad if after dusting it stayed dusted for more than a nanosecond.