apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I think that it is more of a question of whether these two patterns can coexist. If it were my room I would cover the futon in a solid that went better with the rug.

perhaps add pillows.. and check http://www.mackenzie-childs.com/ for varying patterns all over the place!

I think the colors could be great together. Try to add more jewel tones to the mix. Maybe look to Indian or Moroccan rooms for more inspiration.

My first instinct was to suggest recovering the futon, also, in a warm colour pulled from the rug ... something that's more effective with the wood frame and the floor. The carpet and woods are all warm colours, and the blue looks cold by comparison. The wall colour is also pretty bland - I'd definitely try a richer, stronger wall colour that makes the woods look even richer.

They can totally mesh. I would add chairs in light green and other eclectic items to the mix. Think movies from 1960.

I just saw a bed of pansies today that had these colors mixed together (or very similar). My first time seeing this type of blue pansies (not mixed or purple). I would find a way to bring the colors from the rug up onto the futon, like with throw pillows, making the blue a little more scarce and precious.

Go to some of those paint sites and approximately match the red and blue as two paint swatches as see what color combos they give you. Behr does this...

I think you're going to have to go jewel-toned to pull it off. A deep gold/ochre might be a good and unusual color...

i think the blue and the red are already very strong colors. i would mix in some bright whites to balance them. maybe in a coffee table and/or throw pillows. red, white and blue can look so fresh and graphic when done well.

Something in the yellow family (deep, almost a turmeric or topaz) for the walls. Pull the colour into other areas of the room by using parchment lamp shades, amber glass vases, maybe burnished brass candle sticks. I'm seeing a south Asian flavour with lots of layering of textures, fabrics, and colours.

It look awesome... there's only a few buts.

1. The beautiful rug and sofa colors aren't the problem, it's the stark white walls and the wood that chop those 2 textiles apart. A lot of the other comments are totally right, since those bright colors look awesome with other bright colors... if you like bright colors. Yellow and bright green, or some orange cushions with a bright green plant would balance things out in a really fun funky way.

2. HOWEVER if you add a LOT of color, you won't end up with something serene and maybe too girly... so it's always a trade-off.

So can they coexist? YES! the question is... is that what you're going for.

Yes! Love them both! I vote yes also on ochre or a dark brown on at least the wall the futon's on. Go bold! You can do it!

I'm so excited by all the comments so far. I really hadn't considered mixing in even more colors, but I can definitely see how that could be really fun. The room has a large bay window where I could hand some fun curtains in some of the colors you've suggested. I LOVE bold colors, but am a little intimidated about how to get the right mix. The wall color in the photo is a bit misleading -- the actual color is really muddy. Think DARK tan, way too saturated for it ever to be pretty.

Keep the ideas coming - I'll keep checking. And thanks very much!!!

I would've done something a little bit higher quality, but the pic was too small anyway. Added bright colors in the walls, art, cushions, shortened the bookshelf, added lighting, and a small futon for magazines. Oh and a plant. Hope you like it.

http://www.deliciousrepublic.com/5.29room.jpg

yikes! don't forget about the importance of balance... i think the weight of the saturated colors is too great. while the colors are fine together i think that the dosage of the blue is pretty strong and in the wrong place. with a rug that powerful i would tone down the futon. maybe get a new cover (something neutral) and make pillows out of the blue. then do a simple curtain with a little blue in it. too much of a good thing is just too much. pops of color should be small bursts in accessories so that you don't get tired of the room 6 months after you finish it. i seem to be the only one with this opinion so far but i think it is too much.

Your little picture experiment is a good start. Add more big plants since you have such an abundance of natural light. They will help to soften the hard edges (you've got a lot of straight lines going) and also contribute to the jewel tones you seem to be leaning towards now.

"too much of a good thing is just too much." Tell that to Indian and Moroccan design. lol I think color is AWESOME and even if it's in just one room, one should always try to push the envelope. The main activity here is tv, right? so nobody's going there to stare at the rug, hence there's a lot of leeway as far as "getting tired of it" goes. (now if it was the living room, COMPLETELY different story). PLUS, it's just cushions and paint for giggly-puff's sake! Hate it or grow weary of anything, just paint it boring beige again.

I agree with a yellow/ gold...

If you go with a red on the walls that matches the rug, they will "blend" and make the blue stand out. If you go with a blue that matches the futon then the rug will stand out.

Decide which one you want to be the stand out and match the other with wall paint.

They look fine together, the room just isn't "finished" Large plants will always look good if there is room for them.

Thanks for all these great observations and WOW djluckyonline, thanks for the cool simulation of my room. Really helps me think outside the box!

What about painting the futon frame in addition to pillows and wall color? You could go really Moroccan and paint the frame a matching or deeper blue, they seem to paint wood funky colors there... or you could paint it a black or something. To me, the wood frame is what's standing out and not connecting the two color schemes. But I'd say go all-out and make it a crazy bright colored room.