This post has been fun to read, and you have been great! I just wanted to say that I absolutely love the furniture you chose...so warm and inviting =)

such a cozy room, well done. may I suggest you get matching frames for the family pics and hang them together over the piano. Then get several plants to soften and green up the room. cheers.

i think with all the light furniture a darker wall colour would make it very warm and cozy. not as dark as this but a midtone tan. i like the red drapes. and everything else! keep the french doors, they add to the charm.

Different lamps or at least lampshades with more color, turn your coffee table 90% and put it lengthwise in front of other sofa. Strip the coffee table and make it more of a lighter Carmel Brown stain color. On top put leather books with dark brown covers or something in a darker brown shade to pull the color of the end tables down to it (all of the tables are way to matchy matchy when they are all the same color). Also maybe a gorgeous bowl filled with yummy apples or something to bring the red color to top of table. Now take ottoman and put it opposite the couch on other side of coffee table. A painting or gorgeous architectural piece over couch, valance off curtains and some gorgeous new pillows in different patterns.

Just an update, today I am off to get some paint samples for the walls. I've ordered the coffee table. Also I'll pick up a palm for the corner. Thanks everyone for getting me moving again! I will keep you posted!!

http://advice4home.com/living-room-with-sofa-design-and-ceiling-design/dark-coffee-wall-paint-and-cream-sofa-and-stylish-light-in-living-room/

ooops forgot this. i meant not as dark as this.

Create a savings account and a year from now, put the lighting you need in the ceiling. I love the idea of putting a warm yellow on the walls to coordinate with your beautiful rug. Again and again you've gotten suggestions on adding lighting here and there. Unfortunately, the lack of lighting in the ceiling won't be solved by all this. Go to a store that has a lighting planner and come up with a plan. There are interior designers available with a special lighting certification if you want a good plan. I love the way all these contributors identified the big issue. We women keep on coping, don't we ?

Curtains and rug are not matching ur elegant, rather modern style furniture. One or 2 taller floor lamps replacing the table lamps would b good.

Hi jkhershey! I love your sofas and this room has a great structure, nice french doors! I agree with everything above (espicially the curtain Idea), I just think you need to change the furniture layout a bit. I don't know the dimensions of everything, but I did a quick sketch of your room and I hope the furniture fits this way. The first sketch is what your current layout is and the other two are the proposed furniture layout. This creates an even better conversation area. Not sure if you have room for the ottoman in either plan and if you have room to do the second plan. Try it out and let me know! :-D

Here if a computer rendering incorporating some of the ideas that you have received such as having only side panels but I added a valance on the panel, an ottoman and wall art in place of the mirror. Hope this visual aid helps.

Hi what a pretty bright, happy room. Maybe I would move to the window the table that is behind the couch and that same couch in front of it. What I mean the couch on the right (in the above picture) to were the 2 chairs are and the 2 chairs were the couch is. You might have to move the couch on the wall closer to the window. Mybe will give you more space to walk by. Put some nice flowers on the table, not only will give you more privacy but will look colourful. Good luck.

Sorry one more thing. Just read about the pictures on top of piano. I agree putting them on frames and hang them on the right wall when you're facing the piano and also agree put a lamp on the top of the piano.

great room and ideas! I would remove the rocking chair - too much furniture. the piano seems 'shoved in a corner'. Not a fan of family pics in LR. On a hall wall to the bedroom is a great place for them. You said you put mrror in entry all - did you hang it 'landscape' as the first pic show or did you turn it around and hang it as a 'portrait'? Try both ways.

suggest if you leave piano on that wall, that you center the big rug in the room and just remove the rug from the piano area - i think it draws too much attention from the rest of the room and it actually balances the book case (with doors) - balances that end of the room.

...the piano balances that end of the room with the book case. perhaps you could use it at the bottom of the stairs (can't see that area but perhaps it would fit)

... oh gheeze - use the RUG at the bottom of the stairs! (cant edit or delete comment...)

Oh, come on, Linda. I think the piano or the bookcase would look good at the bottom of the stairs!! :))

How about switching the couch in front of the French doors and the two chairs to give the room a more open feel?

Hello again Houzzers! just wanted to update you on my progress. Since I last posted, I have edited out a lot of things, purchased new lamps, a back ordered coffee table and a palm plant. I also painted, however I am not thrilled with my paint color. My paint store professional helped me pick a Porter paint called Sudan Sand. I was going for a tan color to compliment the couches and provide enough contrast to the white trim. The test sample looked good, but after the second coat when I uncovered the furniture it turns greenish to me! AHHHH! I've come too far to let paint stop me so I need some more help with that! You guys have been great!

Also in response to those of you who thought I should move the furniture arrangement. The piano doesn't really fit anywhere else in the room because of the hot water baseboard heat. The other thing is I can not give up the swivel chairs in front of the bay window. It is the only window in the room and my husband and I sit there regularly swivel around and take in the view! I don't want to put a couch in front of it. If you were here to have coffee with me Im sure you would agree. :)

You guys have been fantastic, More suggestions are welcome!

more pics

jkhershey, I did not comment but one time but read this thread with enthusiasm for all your hard work and all the great suggestions from everyone.

What wonderful changes you have done and no wonder you wanted to keep those chairs by window. What a spectacular view! So perfectly pleasant for enjoying.

One quick comment on the darling glass-fronted cabinet by French door, I would slide the wreath over to the right and add just one more slightly smaller item between, framed pic or knick-knack. Always good idea to work in odd numbers.

Too bad coffee table is on back order, it will look lovely. Forgot to check your wall color. Will comment if necessary. :)

As far as paint color goes, I am not seeing green in pics but it is super close to matching all your furniture. I am not that good with paint advice so not sure about that choice, but it does look nice. One more quick thing I would change, lamp between two chairs is a bit high for that table and you don't want to block view so much. Hopefully someone can help you with that or perhaps you have something smaller to put there. :)

Sorry about so many comments, I keep forgetting things! I do love, love, love all the editing you have done to the room. So refreshing to remove extra stuff, right? If only I could take my own advice. Oh well.

the room is looking lovely, you have a great space to work with, nice furniture, and a pleasant view.

I am truly impressed! Have you looked at these pics to truly see what we are seeing with your room? Your home??!! Everything is truly amazing! I look and think....I love that....and then I look some more! That palm plant is striking!

Can't remember what you are doing for art??? That will cozy up the area a bunch. One small thing.....I do not like the lamp on the chest by the door way. A lamp needs to be by seating to be functional, and even though this one gives off light, it just does not look right????

jkhershey.....what an inspiration! I would love to walk right in and visit in that room. It looks lovely and welcoming. Keep the chairs by the window for the exact reason you said! I do agree with either a lower lamp or no lamp on table between chairs. Also agree that simply moving the wreath a little more to the right will add a feeling of "just right." On my screen the wall color does not appear to clash in anyway....on the other hand it really doesn't DO anything and that is fine if you want understatement. Personally, I think the wall color is a chance to make it "wow" so I would choose a darker color. Like someone said earlier, you can never make those beautiful doors stand out too much. Some of us would love to have them. That's just me, however, and you know better what you and your family are suited to. I would want to remove the rug from under the piano. Any particular reason you feel you need it there? This is a great job and if you stop here, you have a beautiful new room.

Looks great. I have a paint that changes color, depending on the lighting in the room. Tan one time and greenish another and love it! You can add more color with your pictures, but the ‘sameness’ of the paint and furniture gives it a warm glow and flow. Believe you have enough woodwork color for balance.

Just a couple more suggestions as God is in the details! The couch, on the wall, should be pulled away from the wall so the front legs of the couch are on the carpet. (a basic decorating rule) and now they are saying to pull the couch away from the wall a few inches so that should take care of that ‘new’ rule. That same carpet should be at least one foot away from the main wall...

Am still not fond of the carpet under the piano – looks too jammed against the wall and too close the larger area carpet. Can you turn the larger area rug to lay it the
‘long’ way? I think the front legs of all your furn can still be on the carpet, and you can then remove the rug under the piano.

If you must have a carpet under the piano, please make it a smaller, plain carpet, not jammed against the wall and the other area rug. Follow the carpet rule here: 1 ft away from each of the two walls, and from the main carpet – front feet of piano on carpet but bench can also have the front two legs on the carpet when it’s pulled out as if someone is sitting on the bench ready to play the piano. Hopefully, when you turn the carpet around, you will be happy to get rid of the piano carpet and it will not look out of place, and will match the bare floor where the ‘china’ cupboard sits.

The lamp on top of the china appears too tall if the light shines in your eyes when you walk by or look in that direction. Also, make sure the bulbs in your lamps are low wattage, for softer lighting in the room. Flattering light – GE soft pink bulbs
The lamp between the chairs could be a three way for when reading and/or not reading purposes. IF your reading lamp, when on, shines in your eyes while sitting in those chairs, it too tall. It is a beautiful lamp, but from the pic I can see it is too tall for the that table.

If you put taller things on the china and piano, it will balance the taller windows on the other side of the room. Don’t be afraid to use

You might get the same "sound effect" from the piano if you tacked a carpet remnant on the wall behind it. Out of site but still providing a "muffler" for the sound board. If that isn't enough, try draping a shawl over the piano - very popular among the Victorians. You could even tuck some foam sheets behind and out of view under the shawl. I too dislike the piano rug!

Hi everybody and Merry Christmas! I updating a few pictures and would like some feedback. Since I last posted I have added some moldings, and decorated for Christmas. I'm still waiting on my oval glass coffee table (back ordered till the end of January!) Also, Im still considering removing the rug under the piano as some of you suggested.

I want to make sure I posted the correct pictures so my comments will follow :)

additional pictures

you have a wreath hanging on a picture? Why not wrap the pic, like a present, and then hang the wreath - would complete the decoration's look...

your tree is beautiful - am sure the ribbon is hard to get 'just right'.
j

what is that over the piano?

working on another post, but I keep losing it! more explanation to come. The wreath is actually on a distressed divided window frame

Idea: 1. Take your large couch, face it toward the window. 2. Take your other furniture, (chairs) and have them face the couch. 3. In place of the mirror (picture), purchase one of those stand alone fireplaces then work on the lighting and tastefully decorate the fireplace mantel.

http://st.houzz.com/fimgs/dbc1b09f02429f74_7912-w178-h178-b1-p0--traditional-coffee-tables.jpg

I'd like feedback on some specific things related to the photos I posted.

Drapery, the finial and bracket shown is a rod set that I bought for the bedroom but didn't end up using. Would that be okay? that would make the gold elements in the room the rod the lamp trim and the coffee table. Also what color drapes should I use? I was thinking silk.

The brown paper over the piano is a mock up of a frame that I was thinking of ordering to hold my three daughter's senior portraits. The frame comes in black, expresso, and other painted colors. Comments?

Finally, after Christmas I will need to purchase art for over the couch. I'm not sure what I should choose. Because of the window glass gets a huge reflection. Would a art canvas be the right choice? any suggestions?

Everyone has been so very helpful, in this process, Thanks again!

Buying everything that matches is never good. You have some nice pieces, but too much furn in this room. Hard to tell color on computer, what is color of it beige? If we could see another shot of rest of room. . We will see if you could rearrange to make better use of your room. Is there a TV? Yes a smaller coffee table, glass would work. You need color. Accessories are needed. Where do,you live? By ocean, water? Could get a beach theme going, using sea shells, and a big art with color over sofa instead of mirror. Add some plants n corners, for texture. The rug is nice but dark.

On windows. Remove dark drapes. And no valance. After you decide on wall color, then decide on windows. Paint first.

Sorry commented before seeing other post. Art over sofa go oil, no glass because of reflections. I'm thinking of putting sofas across from each other one by window. Your black chest by doors try that on wall where sofa was. Put chairs together with back to doors. Get a small round mirrored coffee table to match chest. Put big palm in corner by wall and window. Put taller items on chest with color. Take the gold color from rug, for walls. But, go a Carmel. Get samples on put n your walls, to see color. Then drapes on ends only in a cooper satin very full. So accent colors will be rust, Carmel, cream tones. Pillows and accessories should stay in those tones also.

Merry Christmas to you! My thoughts.........YES! Use the rods you already have and they are going to tie right in. Love that!

Congrats on a senior! I would rather see that pic over the piece on the other side of the door. Choose a frame that would go with the wood on that piece.

And yes, no mirror behind the couch. A canvas could work, too.

Oh, and bummer on the table taking forever! You are patient!

I would like to see you go one shade darker on the paint. Right now your furniture blends into the wall and "disappears." A faux silk drapery panel on either side of the window, but have one curtain rod to go across wall, giving the appearance that the drapes can close. I am personally not a fan of the little short side rods.

For a really dramatic look, faux silk striped draperies in black and beige, with red accents:

Nothing to add to all the good posts, except this is such a warm and inviting room.

My thoughts....very warm, inviting room lovely the way it is. But if you want more wow, I agree with full side drapes (really like the stripe idea) using rod you have. Statement art canvas over sofa (wide brush strokes or simple design, not too detailed, but large and color. Deeper wall color will add richness...maybe find drape fabric and then select richer paint from that. Definitely remove rug from underneath piano. I'm a piano teacher and have never noticed a problem minus a rug underneath mine. I have both a grand and a spinet, no problem, but admit every situation different.

Oh....beautiful tree. Merry Christmas.

love your couches may I ask where I can get similar? thanks

I can't really determine the exact color of the fabrics you have used. From what I can see...I suggest painted the walls the reddish/orange tone I see in the pillows.

This will make a huge impact on the space..

I offer design packages for a flat fee.. that means no mark up on the furniture. If I pay $2000 for a sofa that your price. If you have questions feel fee to email me timothyriversinteriors@gmail.com

I also have tons of free advice on my blog timothyriversinteriors.com/blog

Old post.

I guess it is old, but it was a fun post, wasn't it!!!