squeakerd - it is really hard to get a perspective on the whole area but if this is part of a much larger area then I feel you need to first decide just what you want as the end result. Do you just want your entire area to be one open plan or do you want to break it down into visually defined areas within the open plan. As you have the area now, I don't feel any cohesiveness between your table and the sideboard, I think I would move the sideboard to the end wall, it looks more like it would belong there, even just by the shape of the room. Definitely a larger rug will define the space better - just be careful of any trip hazard with the door nearby - but before you decide on the rug, consider window dressings and whether you want things plain or introduce some bold patterns and what colours look best in the area. Artwork can go where your sideboard is now, but again think colours and impact of design on the whole area. It is all very well to build a room around one piece, but you need to look at the impact that piece will have on other items and what limitations it could cause. I would suggest you set aside some serious time to look through photos on Houzz, especially if you can find areas similar to yours, till you find what appeals to you, put the photos into your ideas book and use that to build your room. I have found this invaluable in the past and it has saved me many an expensive mistake.

hi, I have been working on the same type of project for my teen recently and from my perspective the room need color. like what you could do is add colored pillows like to the white couch add two colored pillows and for the red add colors that go nice with red, and another suggestions would be to add curtains to the room. also you could add colored rugs but the thing about adding color to the room is you have to make sure it looks good together! good luck

Thanks for the replies! My wife suggested we talk to a local real estate agent, so i think that is a good idea... just that Im not sure how helpful they are likely to be if we arent selling yet :) As for saving for our dream house, I dont disagree, however if doing this up nicely over the next ~5 years or so while we live here nets us some extra in the eventual sale, then that of course will help us as well. Interesting thing happened today actually. I got a knock on the door and one of the older neighbours asked if he could take some lemons from the tree. I of course said yes. Anyway he was telling me he had lived in the street for 40 years. I asked him if the house had always looked like this, and he said no that ~30 years ago the old old owner did a massive renovation and pulled off the timber and put up the bricks and gutted the inside of the house. Interesting stuff!

Thank you. My husband and I chose the tile (per recommendation at the tile store) and used a professional tiler (per recommendation at the tile store) for the install. It isn't a flip. This is a family home that we purchased and spent a year renovating—not DIY but with all professional hired help and a contractor to oversee the job. This tile person wasn't hired by him, though, as he was happy to use the person that we were told was very good by the tile store…. My heart is sinking. I absolutely hate the idea of retiling the shower as there is matching tile on all walls, including shower. I'm hoping there is some other idea out there that will help. I do personally think the tiler should have informed us if the tiles we supplied to him weren't suited to be mitered…we discussed it even before tiles were purchased and he didn't mention any specifications. I'm just worried now that if we put it on him to fix it, we'll end up with a bigger mess...