SFGate

meatpie Have you thought of painting out the wood paneling or at least just the mantel?? On the mantel I would use a tall, slim vase and either have two, one on each side, or just place items on one side. As for color scheme that rug looks gray and the couches a tan...what about a fun orange and bright blue? Or a bright red or even yellow. Costplus has great pillows that will add some punch to the space. Here is a fun pillow with yellow, orange and blue ... http://www.worldmarket.com/product/white+flower+suzani+embroidered+lumbar+throw+pillow.do?&from=Search

A larger coffee table would also help the space. Look for something square or round. Etsy has great fabric ottomans that would also work. I love the one I attached although I am not sure if it would clash against the rug. Sometimes two bold patterns balance each other out. I think you could also use larger table lamps, a floor lamp and a side table next to the white couch.

Is there enough space to pull the middle couch away from the wall a tad so all three couches line up evenly on the carpet? I love the carpet. Think it is great. A couple painted tables, a large ottoman, larger lamps and some artwork (etsy again is a great place to go) and you are there. Target also has some great orange/coral accessories right now (lamps, trays, lamp shades, frames, etc.)

Good luck!!

cguigan Hi, Love the rug. Your furniture should be placed on the rug not sitting around the out side of it as the rug should define the seating zone. Your current wall colour isn't bad just a bit bland. Drag for rug more towards the fire place, pull the sofa off the wall so you can put a buffet against it for storage (DVDs compuet gmes etc) and have a walk way between that and the sofa so the seating area is more central to the room. I would also suggest investing in a much larger coffee table:)

ellie0149 Is that a window to the right of the couch. Are you keeping the furniture. It would be a help if you posted pictures facing cream couch and the love seat. Not sure what is behind them. The one end seems to be overcrowded with furniture.

Aja Mazin I like the wood paneling.

mcaminata Awesome! Thank you! The rug is a light blue (spa blue). I want to do something about the paneling, but my husband seems to think it is great :). I agree with the bigger coffee table and maybe add some smaller ottomens. I have not straightened out the couches yet because I was thinking about moving the lighter one in between the two tan ones to seperate them. I the walls are classic Taupe whch we had in our other other house. Loved it more in the smaller house than I do in the new place.

Aja Mazin Love the rug.

mcaminata Yes it is a window. Behind the small couch is the front door and dining room. The house was build in the 70s and orginal :) Quality and really wood, but 70s. I inherited the drapes with the house so those will stay for how bc that will be big $$ to replace.

TanCalGal I'm wondering if the white sofa should be moved where the 3 seat sofa is and the 2 tan sofas would be better across from one another. Using the orange pillow as the accent color, paint the white "remote-tray" orange. Modern art over the white sofa that has some blue and tan. Repeat the orange again in the room (maybe candlesticks on the mantel)?

home4bams Great rug! I can't tell what colors they are but try to coordinate your pillows with the rug. I like Behr paints @ Home Depot. They have a tool that coordinates colors for you so definitely check that out and use your carpet color as one of the dominant colors. The mantle is nice but the first thing I noticed was the TV being off center, Is there a way it can be shifted a tad to the left? Decorate around the TV with tall vases and decorate in groups of 3's. I would also put some items on the floor in front of fireplace. Maybe some pillows that coordinate with the ones you'll get on the couch? Good luck! It's a great space.

Alexei Rebrov Art Speaking of art, I may suggest these prints:

1) http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/metal-prints/products/abstract_print_on_aluminum_-6451
2) http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/metal-prints/products/abstract_print_on_aluminum_-5538
3) this one will really brighten up your space: http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/orange/products/abstract_print_on_aluminum_-5235

mcaminata Thanks again! yes the TV is off centered bc of the studs :( we are looking to get another mount that will allow us to move it to the center. I was also wondering if it would be a good idea to switch the two couches to seperate the tan ones, so sounds like I will try that! Love the orange hurricanes!

Aja Mazin I think you might try the white sofa between the other two.

For color . I would choose the lovely duck egg blue in the rug.

anthip I can't tell the distance between your fireplace and seating? Would it work to turn the rug around (long side to FP/TV) so you can pull your seating in closer to the FP/TV and then have a sofa table behind the white sofa (which you would place in between the two tan ones)?

mcaminata the might work turning the rug. It about 18ft distance from the wall to the FP. I agree that it might be a good idea to pull the furniture closer to the TV FP. Thanks!

anthip Definitely worth a go. I just feel like it looks a bit like a runway at the moment. Sorry - it just stretches out so far.

mcaminata I know, it such a big room which is great, but having trouble managing it.

Aja Mazin I did not realize it was so large.

How fortunate!

anthip Just looked again and there looks to be a really big gap between rug and FP. Definitely turn the rug and cosy up the seating and repost photos so we can see the proportions of the spaces left. A lovely sofa table with some ottomans under it for extra seating round the back of the sofa would be lovely together with a couple of lamps to provide mood lighting. Then perhaps a really big piece of art on that back wall or a gallery of pictures or a triptych. I like the coving/art combo in the office photo - makes a change from standard galleries.

[houzz=Euro Flair]

[houzz=Pueblo St Master Bedroom]

[houzz=1512 Dolphin Terrace]

[houzz=Piedmont]

kwistina Sounds like you need two seating areas. .

Christine Chiomento An 18 ft. long room?--with a fireplace at one end?--I had trouble making a large room like that work once--maybe making two seating areas, one more formal might work--I've seen two sofas placed back-to-back to help divide a long space, but it sort of reminded me of a library sitting area, so not sure about that idea!--but, the one sofa looks more formal, so though maybe it could serve to anchor the farthest end of the room--add a side chair or two, side tables with larger lamps[taller, at least]--then, the two more casual sofas down near the fireplace--cozy that area up for casual lounging and conversation--divide and conquer that long room?!--good luck with finding a solution--we should all have the trouble of too much space!:)

Aja Mazin mcaminata,

"Dividing" in to 2 separate areas is an excellent idea and you have the furniture to do it ~
A matching sofa and loveseat in cream and a sofa in white!

The room could have a casual area for TV viewing and a more formal conversational area!

Seating would then be closer to the TV for better viewing.

Perhaps, an additional rug to define the areas.

The Zinc Door has great price on this one - .$138.with free shipping.

Please don't telL me you are going to need 18' of draperies!

Heather Stevens Wow, there have been lots of great ideas thown your way! I too love the idea of dividing your room, a reading area in the back sounds luxurious!!! Most of us dont have the that kind of space. But one thing that would really help update your fireplace allowing the wood to stay is to paint your brick white. Instant update!!
Would to love to see pics when u update!

mcaminata Aja, you do not love my drapes!? Unfortunately they are staying for now. That whole wall is one big sliding glass door. One day I would like to put shutters. I will post updates! Be patient it will take me some time to start implementing everything.

Aja Mazin mcaminata,

NO! NO! NO!

You had previously commented:

" I inherited the drapes with the house so those will stay for how bc that will be big $$ to replace."

And now I see why!!!!

kwistina Any way you can post a picture of the wall with the sliding doors? You may still be able to do a series of curtains that would blow gently in the wind when the sliding doors are all open-give a romantic, open tuscan feel.

Aja Mazin Before I was married I had a small 1500 sq ft townhouse with 18' of sliders that open on to a lanai that provided shade.

I live in Florida and my electrical bill averaged $400 a month..
I had verticals.

aprahm where did you get your rug?

mcaminata RugsUSA.com

mcaminata aja i miss read your comment :) lol

DeHaven I have read it all and still am not sure I can see the whole floor plan... but... the two separate seating areas seems to make the most sense. Could one be centered in front of your large sliding doors (and curtains)? Using the matching sofas face to face and perpendicular to the doors, put your table between the two. Keep them close so they feel intimate like a conversation area not a whole room. Is there room in front of the FP for the other sofa? Whatever, keep each space cozy. Don't spread everything out trying to fill the space, it will just feel cold and like a warehouse.

You have so many different "neutrals" that really don't go together, so you need to find something to unify it all. Or find a way to eliminate at least one of those colours. The best way might be to repaint the walls since you said you weren't as crazy about it as you had been. I know it is a pain but it probably the simplest and cheapest first trick. Since you love the rug, find something close to that (not exact), it will not only unify a little, I think it will also make the room a bit more upbeat. Right now it is a bit of a downer. You have one little speck of colour in that orange pillow. Did you let a little of your hidden self come out in that pillow? If so, stay on that track and maybe one day your sofas or walls will be that colour... or the curtains.

Christine Chiomento This solution I came up with, out of desperation and a very small budget, when I faced an entire wall of glass with two huge sliding glass doors might sound way too avant garde, but finding curtains to cover it all was so expensive I had to improvise--I used some wall paint[that would match the exterior would be perfect], and painted the interior of the glass half-way up on each section--once dry, I took wall paper and covered the painted area with it--when I did this, border paper was still in vogue, so I used the same border paper I'd used in the rest of the room, and placed it at the dividing line between the wall papered glass area and the clear glass area--it worked so well some people actually thought I'd replaced that glass wall, and the glass doors, with a half wall--

--it cost me next to nothing compared to the big bucks draperies would have, plus it gave me an extra wall area--we didn't use those glass doors, though, which is another reason why it worked out--but, the key here might be not just creativity due to necessity, but also convention--the house I refurbished was not located in a lux neighborhood, and our neighbors loved everything I managed to do to transform that house--but, what I did might not go over big in another neighborhood--however, sometimes, creativity can be nothing short of a life-saver--just use your best judgment.:)