redecorating chapter house HELP!

trisigmaAtl · #1 07-28-2003, 05:42 PM

ok, i am on a committee to redecorate our chapter house. Our chapter house is very small, so there is only one real room for us to worry about, the downstairs living/dining area. Our current look is very dated (maroon, red, white, green paisley) so we have some painting to do. Our big problem is that our carpet is dark green and that cannot be changed. we're thinking somewhere along the lines of purple, green, and beige. I don't really know... i was just wondering if anybody had any good ideas for color schemes, curtain styles, etc. we don't need anything really fancy or expensive, just a style that looks nice and put together. Any advice or links to good websites would be greatly appreciated. This may be to difficult for people to post about, but i though that there might be some other GCer who has gone through this kind of thing before and knows of any good resources to use. THANKS.

Ashley

AOIIalum · #2 07-28-2003, 06:14 PM

<Putting my Corporation Hat On>

It's quite possible that any decorating changes need to be approved by your House Corporation personnel (and possibly approved by National personnel as well) before any funds can be spent on redecorating. If you haven't talked with them, I suggest that be your first resource! They may know of local alumnae or other contacts in the interior decorating industry who could help. You'd be surprised to learn just how many GLOs actually have decorating guidelines or other info available to their House Corporations (and how many Corporations fine chapters if they make physical changes to the house without written permission!) </hat Off>

It may be hard to work with that dark green, but you can do it! BTW, how old is that carpeting anyhow? If it's getting toward the end of it's lifespan, your corporation may have already be planning to replace it in the future. Ask, so you don't have to go through redecorating again if the carpet is going to be replaced in the next couple of years!

A few more questions to think about:

1. Is the current furniture staying in the room? If so, will it be cleaned/updated/slipcovered, etc. as a part of the redecorating? Make sure your color choices match well with what you have to keep in the room?

2. Same goes for window coverings, are they staying or changing as well. If you have non-standard sized windows (oh, like windows that are approx. 34" wide and 92+" long!!) it gets expensive to replace existing window coverings!

3. Can you put an area rug on top of the existing rug to break it up a bit?

4. What really happens in the living/dining area? Is it Grand Central for all activity, or only used for occasional TV viewing and formal meals? Is it the first room guests see after entering? What do you want people to think when they see this room? Choose fabrics, paints, colors and lighting to work with the room and how your chapter truly uses it.

5. What do the other rooms on that floor look like? Are you looking for a smooth flow from room to room, or wanting a distinct feel for each different room or space.

6. Does Tri-Sigma own the house, or do you rent? If you rent, make sure any redecorating is in compliance with your existing lease agreement. If the lease doesn't outline how redecorating will be handled, contact your landlord and get permission before changing anything. Trust me on this one

7. Take lots of Before and After pictures to document your hard work!

Feel free to ask if you have any other questions and good luck!
Christin

CatStarESP4 · #3 07-28-2003, 06:42 PM

I am not much of an expert in decorating, but that doesn't mean that I can't throw an idea or two. You want purple, green and beige for your colors? I will do my best to come up with something.

Curtains (the easiest thing I could think of): Beige with purple flowers (violets) and green stems attached to them.

Walls (this is a rather interesting idea I just thought of): Paint each wall one color and airpaint sporadically with the other two (just don't cover the entire thing, just enough to give it a nice touch).

If I could think of something else, I will let you know!

LeslieAGD · #4 07-28-2003, 08:02 PM

My suggestions:

Slip covers are a beautiful thing
A tasteful border (maybe ivy) can link your ceiling line and carpet nicely
Make sure the room is functional...if the room is a busy traffic area/hang out zone, don't use fancy fabrics for pillows and curtains
Don't be afraid of solid blocks of colors...if you're working around your green carpeting, don't feel like everything have to be floral, stripped, checkered, etc. so that all the colors are incoporated in everything

trisigmaAtl · #5 07-28-2003, 08:55 PM

Thanks so much for the replies so far. To answer a few questions:
yes our housing board does have to approve anything we do and I am in contact with our chief alumna, we will have a meeting with them soon, but she wanted us to get together and have some ideas about what we as sisters would like. I'm actually crossing my fingers that we have an alumna out there that can help us out. The color scheme I suggested is just one we could come up with, any other ideas about what goes with green carpet would be great. This is the ONLY traffic area in the house. All of Oglethorpe's greek houses look the same. They are small split levels, when you walk in there is a small foyer with stairs directly in front of you and a hallway leading to the four bed and bathrooms on the right. down the stairs is the living/dining/chapter room with the kitchen in a little space in the corner of that room (there's an archway leading into the kitchen, but not a door). Re doing the kitchen will be easy, it's just that damn green carpeted all purpose space that is the trouble. Thanks for all the input, please keep the ideas coming!!!

33girl · #6 07-28-2003, 09:45 PM

AOII Alum has some great ideas...if you could put like a big beige area rug on top of the green that would look great and make the room look bigger as well. Peach looks nice w/ dark green as well, but if you want purple accents the peach is out.

I wish we could do a special episode of Trading Spaces and all go down and decorate your house!!

LeslieAGD · #7 07-28-2003, 11:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by 33girl
I wish we could do a special episode of Trading Spaces and all go down and decorate your house!!

Off topic, but Trading Spaces is doing a three hour college edition on August 9th. This may includes the specials they did for Greek houses. Ashley, if you watch these shows, you may get some cool ideas.

PhiMuTwink · #8 07-28-2003, 11:47 PM

Another idea that you might want to consider is sponge painting. If the right colors are chosen then it can really look nice and it gives it a unique look. The colors you choose would all depend on the furniture colors and design schemes that you have going in your room. Hope this helps some.

GPhiBLtColonel · #9 07-29-2003, 12:39 AM

A nice Oriental rug on top of the green carpet might be a nice touch esp if there is green in the Oriental rug...also a sisal room - size rug could work as well -- esp if you need to lighten it up...

Good luck!

honeychile · #10 07-29-2003, 08:45 AM

In all seriousness, if y'all have a Housing Corporation, invest in a one hour decorating visit. It usually costs about $50, and will give you a good plan of attack, and help you come up with a Wish List. Good luck!

Little E · #11 07-29-2003, 10:42 AM

Be very careful with peach! (see below) Some brainiac decided to paint, over the bueatiful wood trim!!!!!, in peach and it is....a little overwhelming! you kinda walk in and are like...ya...peach...ew.... not so good.
btw: what is a good color to paint cuboards? ours are a tacky blue right now and we are trying to decide also.
(sidenote: all of the furniture is college issued..aka found)
www.beloit.edu/~ast/house.htm

we are getting ready to redo our house (we just got it permanently!!) we just need to find the $$...

Good luck!!!!!!

i love trading spaces!!!!!!!

GeekyPenguin · #12 07-29-2003, 11:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Little E
Be very careful with peach! (see below) Some brainiac decided to paint, over the bueatiful wood trim!!!!!, in peach and it is....a little overwhelming! you kinda walk in and are like...ya...peach...ew.... not so good.
btw: what is a good color to paint cuboards? ours are a tacky blue right now and we are trying to decide also.
(sidenote: all of the furniture is college issued..aka found)
www.beloit.edu/~ast/house.htm

We have the same table in our chapter room that you do!

And eeew on the peach.

I think the cabinets might be nice in white if you got some fun accents - or another very pale subdued color.

Little E · #13 07-29-2003, 12:03 PM

Our concern with white cabinets is that they get so gross looking after a short time where the handles are. We can get the school to paint them and everything, but they wont be painted again for years. We want something that looks less...'ecletic' could be the word...??? but something with nice lines/colors that looks put together yet very homey, (we're not flowery/frilly people....). i dunno, the cabinets are a big question, i think we are gonna get the peach painted dk. green. (some cream or something for the walls to make it warmer. but the lighting is bad so that makes it hard to do that to...i wish they'd just strip all the paint off and let us have the natural wood. but that is my preference

(never gonna happen)

the borders are gonna go in the kitchen and the floor is funky, but we're just gonna ingore it...it is neutrally colors. who knows, we don't have housing corp who have control over the $$ situation so we are pretty free, just the college to contend w/and they will be the only pain.

LeslieAGD · #14 07-29-2003, 12:05 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Little E
btw: what is a good color to paint cuboards? ours are a tacky blue right now and we are trying to decide also.

Taupe is always an easy fix color.

trisigmaAtl · #15 07-29-2003, 01:54 PM

thanks so much for all the ideas. It is really heart warming to have a problem and get so many responses so quickly. yay for GC, and all you fabulous ladies! I hadn't thought about having a decorator walk through hmmm. The rug ideas are really good ones. I'll keep everyone posted on what we do, and try to post before and after pictures (if Rush doesn't sweep me away first!!!)

SO much love,
Ashley