A virtual tour of the new pad. Probably not safe for dialup

[ignom]

You all can give me redecorating ideas.

It's kinda dirty, especially the carpet and the white walls. There are a couple of rooms I didn't take pictures of because they are just normal.

As you can see below, the flowerbed might need little work.

[ignom]

The bedroom. I hate the maroon.

[meredith]

Nice. I'll let Chris Lowell provide the decorating ideas for you.

What is in that fridge drawer?

[ignom]

Nice. I'll let Chris Lowell provide the decorating ideas for you.

What is in that fridge drawer?

A giant, crusted brown glob, hardened to perfection.

[eo000]

looks great!  and i'll give you $2 to eat the brown glob.

[Gamplayerx]

Previous owners were big fans of the wallpaper border, huh?

[eo000]

what does the mini door lead to? wonkaville?

[ignom]

what does the mini door lead to? wonkaville?

My friend Mike (who is a cop) said it would make a good room to grow pot. There is even a light in there. I thought of opening a youth hostel. (There's another little room like that on the other side.)

[Gamplayerx]

I'd repaint the bedroom and take down that border.  It's too old and austere for you.  Maybe a more neutral color, like a sage would be nice - depending on what all you have.  Do you have a comforter or bedspread?  And dust ruffle?

I'm not so sure about the mirror over the fireplace.  Perhaps if you added some sort of border or framing for it and the entire hearth.  I dunno.  The tiling is pretty.

I like the ship bathroom. 

[nishi]

man, the very first thing i would do would be:

rent whatever is necessary to remove every wallpaper border in the house. a one afternoon job.

buy enough stay-kilz primer to cover every room. make it a complete do over.

the rooms are a nice size, though and i like the layout. gamp's right about the mirror over the fireplace - it needs.... something.

[ignom]

The comforter wasn't on the bed when I took the pic. I want to paint the bedroom a green or a blue or a neutral color. I don't know what color sage is, brownish? If a dust ruffle is the thing you hang from the box spring, i have one, but it matches a certain set of sheets.

I'm turning the other upstairs bedroom into a sort of "zen room," not necessarily a meditation room, but a room to relax, no real furniture or tv, though.

The ship bathroom is the only room I don't want to change.

The fireplace and the mirror I like a lot, i just don't know what to do about the white walls around it. I don't like plain white walls, but sometimes you can't avoid them.

[ignom]

What is stay kilz? the only border i want to keep is in the ship bathroom.

[Alice]

man, the very first thing i would do would be:

rent whatever is necessary to remove every wallpaper border in the house. a one afternoon job.

buy enough stay-kilz primer to cover every room. make it a complete do over.

the rooms are a nice size, though and i like the layout. gamp's right about the mirror over the fireplace - it needs.... something.

The problem with the mirror is that it's too high.  They didn't leave tile at the top to frame it off.  All it needs is a frame and it would look much better. 

The rooms are too old for you. What color furniture/accessories do you have?

[Gamplayerx]

Sage is a green - a soft, greyish green.  Very nice non-jarring color.  This is sort of sage-ish, but I'd probably go a little lighter and softer/more muted for a bedroom.
http://www.thelittlescrapbookstore.com/images/covers/Sage%20floral.jpg
And without the floral scrolling.

[ignom]

What color furniture/accessories do you have?

I have plaid furniture, mostly thrift shop 1970s stuff.

[ignom]

I sleep on my couch most nights, if you can't tell.

[dc]

What is stay kilz? the only border i want to keep is in the ship bathroom.

Kilz is a primer/blocker.  Apply a coat of it over stains or other colors so they don't bleed through.  And if you get the spray can of it, pay attention to the "ventilated area" warning.  That stuff'll get you high in an instant.

[nishi]

you have way too much maroon to get the spray can.

it's a oil-based primer, but it's different than oil-based paint - it has an elasticity build into it, so you can paint over it with either oil or latex, and it will go on to either oil or latex. like dc said, kilz is designed to make sure that things don't bleed through it. stains, colors, whatever.

you *can* get it tinted. so, once you decide on a color for a room, you can go to your paint store and get a gallon of tinted kilz primer in that color, and a gallon of regular latex paint in your color, and unless your rooms are really big, or that maroon is really hard to cover - and that's a possibility - you might not need a second coat of regular paint.

you'll need a separate set of brushes and rollers for the oil-primer than you have for the latex paints. if you want, i'll make you a list of what you'll need in order to get going.

are there a lot of holes in your walls? like - did they have a lot of pictures up and stuff?

[dc]

you have way too much maroon to get the spray can.

it's a oil-based primer, but it's different than oil-based paint - it has an elasticity build into it, so you can paint over it with either oil or latex, and it will go on to either oil or latex. like dc said, kilz is designed to make sure that things don't bleed through it. stains, colors, whatever.

you *can* get it tinted. so, once you decide on a color for a room, you can go to your paint store and get a gallon of tinted kilz primer in that color, and a gallon of regular latex paint in your color, and unless your rooms are really big, or that maroon is really hard to cover - and that's a possibility - you might not need a second coat of regular paint.

you'll need a separate set of brushes and rollers for the oil-primer than you have for the latex paints. if you want, i'll make you a list of what you'll need in order to get going.

are there a lot of holes in your walls? like - did they have a lot of pictures up and stuff?

But it's no fun using Kilz without the buzz from the fumes....

[ignom]

There weren't many pictures on the maroon walls, but there were a lot on the white walls.

Maroon is too negative of a color for me. I need something somber. I guess sage might work. I definitely don't like any shade of red in the bedroom. The kitchen I can handle for a while. But I hate just white and I hate off-white.

[dazie]

I painted one wall terra cotta and the joining wall olive.  (Thought it was going to be "sage-y-er")  It looks really hip. 

Don't be afraid to use lots of colors!

[Bennyhana]

THey do make a latex version of Kilz now, but with the saturation of that color, you're probably better off going with the original stuff; I've heard that it still works better.  Just don't get any Kilz in your hair.  Ever.  Never ever.

[Dry then Catch]

Sage is a green - a soft, greyish green.  Very nice non-jarring color.  This is sort of sage-ish, but I'd probably go a little lighter and softer/more muted for a bedroom.
http://www.thelittlescrapbookstore.com/images/covers/Sage%20floral.jpg
And without the floral scrolling.

awesome i painted my living room sagey half a year ago.  now i know it was a good decision

[Dry then Catch]

what is that thing at the bottom of your vegetable crisper ig?

[Alice]

I would recommend not going with a sage in the living room.  That color, along with your furniture, will make your room look outdated.  I would suggest finding a color in your couch that you like... that isn't the most prominent color, and painting your walls that.

Also, if you want to elongate your room - paint your longest wall a color, leave the other walls white.  Or, paint all your walls a color and paint your ceiling the same color but two shades lighter. 

For your living room, I think I see some blue in the couch.  That might look good (666699).  Or maybe the rust color (CC6600).

I'm using HTML colors cuz it seems easier to explain it that way then try to name the color for you.

For your zen room, I'd recommend a chocolate brown (996600) for whichever wall is least interrupted byt windows and doors.  And for the other 3 walls, go with a beigey tan (CC9966).  It'll be very calming and relaxing.

For your bedroom, if you want chill - I'd go with the sage (99CC66) everyone is recommending.  Seems like a good idea to me.  I almost did that in my bedroom here, but went for the exact opposite.

If only you had moved in like 5 months.  I'm going to be taking interior decorating classes soon.