Teal? Just a thought sometimes I think it's smart to match or atleast go with the curtains you'd see in the window

There is nothing worse than ceiling-mounted lights--harsh shadows, flat lighting. They are strictly for utility. I would put a large-ish, shallow cylindrical shade on them and put nothing more than a 15-watt bulb in them. Use them strictly for lighting your way as you walk through the room. I agree with Vincent; the chair in the corner doesn't fit at all, nor does the one under the A/C unit (put that one with its mate behind the love seat). And the curtains look smooshed. I think the problem with the bookcases is that they are uninteresting. Did you buy books-by-the-yard? What are all those identical books? They are visually uninteresting. I'd get rid of some of them and get some colorful ceramics/glass/photos. The room is absolutely overwhelmed with furniture. It needs one less love seat. Do you really need all of them? Pushing them against the walls/curtains so tightly just visually emphasizes the fact that there is too much furniture. I don't think a mirror above the fireplace will work. When people are sitting down (which is most of the time), all they will see is a reflection of the ceiling--the plain, white ceiling. Get some real art in there with some color.

We are in the process of painting every room (3 floors total - UGH). We spent $250 at Lowe's and bought a Graco 0.375-HP Stationary Airless Paint sprayer (model 257025). Worth EVERY stinking penny we paid. Prior to this, we had a Graco HVLP hand-held sprayer that wasn't worth the proverbial "plug nickel". I bought the extension "wand" for our Airless sprayer (we have 9 foot ceilings - otherwise I do NOT recommend it). Bought a smaller tip that sprays 6" wide.... it is MUCH easier for me to control the smaller spray pattern. Maybe by the time I hit floor #3 in painting I'll be using the wider tip that comes with the unit! lol Oh, I use the wide tip NOW when I'm applying the primer - NOT the main colors. Have you every used a paint sprayer? If not, do some research! Most everyone "pro" advises "back-rolling" as you spray (YouTube videos about this too). Blessings to you! Amy

I agree that you should take down the trellis but be aware that you'll probably need to extend your decking rail along that side in order to enclose the deck for building code purposes. If that's more of an expense than you're willing to incur right now, consider at least taking it down to the same height as the rest of your deck and putting a top railing across it. You could then put in some foundation plantings that would climb up and cover the fact that it runs in a different direction than the front of your deck. If I'm looking at it correctly, your gate gives you access to your front door from your drive way. Am I right? In that case, I think your gate should stay where it is. I agree with flair lighting that a new light is in order over your entry. If you like the idea of a motion light, they make decorative outdoor fixtures with motion lights built in. Your fence would definitely look nice painted a lighter color. Right now, as flair said, it's a bit unwelcoming. If you're painting your metal roof, take your house and trim colors from there to coordinate. You could definitely paint your scalloped trim a different color than the house. Matching it to whatever trim color you choose would look great. Do you use the steps from your deck to access your yard? If not, I would consider removing them and closing in that portion of the deck as well. If you do use them, I would add a hand rail for safety purposes. Congratulations on your new house and good luck with your project!