SFGate

decoenthusiaste Can't see much except in pic #1 and #4. I feel this arrangement is blocking flow through your room. My original suggestion was this same configuration of the sofas, coffee and end table, but with the large one centered on the long wall with the large picture 5" above the back of it. You can pull it away from the wall enought to insert the sofa table behind it. If you use this arrangement, you'll have room for two accent chairs with their backs to the windows with your end table between them. I still think I'd use the current chair and the bookcase you had earlier in another area of the house to make a reading corner. Would like to see drapes floor to ceiling but only one pair at either end. You might use a band of the same color as the pattern and fabric from the second pair to lengthen them for the new height. Then I'd hang a piece of art between the windows to vary the interest level of the two big squares. Alternately, it might also be a spot for a grandfather clock, as you could use a wood piece with height to break the low line all the furniture is visually "drawing" around the room. Here are a couple of chairs that would pick up on your drapery color and be a pretty accent.

tstone215 I think I'd paint an accent wall and put a fun, colorful rug under the coffee table.

Jean Voss You could just change the curtains and throw pillows; maybe some new lamps and art work.

prissy13 decoenthusiast....so i removed the center drapes just to see how it looks and it definitely opens up the light and the size of the windows. i will look at maybe some 96 inch drapes. would you put two short drape rods instead of the two long ones? Also, here is my dilemma with moving the couches. I included two pictures. You can see that once I position the large sofa along the wall with the table behind it, the loveseat completely blocks off the entry path to the room. So what to do? That's why I had angled them. I don't really like how the loveseat looks in front of the windows either.

dlapollo get every out of entry way
too cluttered and..leave it open and empty
also, take 8 little things out of living room
streamline..streamline
furniture is very beautiful
use Benjamin moore Stone or Benjamin Moore Iron Mountain as an accent wall on the
longest wall...and use BM decorators white on 3 other walls including kitchen and ceiling
and trim...it will be great..again love the furniture

prissy13 I don't have access to Ben Moor paints, unless i order them through the mail. What about Valspar colors from lowes? Any close matches?

dlapollo Yes Valspar is good too
ask at your paint store to match Benjamin Moore paint colors to a Valspar Paint
My husband is a contractor, and I am pretty sure you can ask paint store to match the colors
I painted my bedroom floor Iron Mountain color with Decorator white walls...it is gorgeous
and I painted my dining room the Stone color for an accent wall with Decorator white for other three walls..
it is the latest of colors and your friends will think you are a very savvy homeowner...
btw in all the decorator magazines list paint colors in the very few last pages if you see a color you like
i actually got those colors from either Elle Decor or House Beautiful...
and paint is so cheap and delivers a wollop!
the room will look fabulous if you continue to take away table arrangements ..let the beautiful furniture do its job and make the room.
plus easier to clean and dust...

decoratingour Less is more. Take out the sofa table and push back the sofa to the wall. Get rid of those pillows! Unclutter the coffee table and layer a large semi-shag rug under it all. Keep is simple.

ollynn I agree about the streamlining, there is too much going on here. The lamp in front of the picture isn't working for me and smaller cushions on the sofas if you must, perhaps one focal point picture over the sofa?

cypress I think your nice furniture would look better if you changed out the 2 side panels of curtains to a warmer color. Add pillows that are more colorful and less of them. Larger lamps would also improve the look since your ceilings are high. An area rug would pull it all together.

decoenthusiaste I'm thinking your love seat is always causing the problem, no matter how you move things around. Do you think you'd be better off with more flexible pieces, like two matched accent chairs as I suggested earlier? What would you think about putting the sofa table in front of the windows? It is very slender and, except for those flared legs and feet, shouldn't block the walkway. I see there is no room for hanging anything between them. I do like the longer curtain idea. Since they will be stationary, you could just use short rods for each end. I have actually used bathroom hand towel rods for such an application. If it were my room, I'd switch the love and chair for a pair of accent chairs with their backs to the windows. This would be less of a traffic blocking arrangement, and if you get the armless style the scale will be better than the bulk of your loveseat. Once you center the large art over the sofa or put together your grouping arrangement, you'll start to see some flow and balance.

prissy13 thanks everyone. Great ideas for me to work with. I do want to warm up the window treatments, but what would you suggest? I'm probably looking at Target, Pier 1 imports or Cost Plus World Market. I am always afraid to buy online where I cant seem and feel them. Also, what about deep purple velvet pillows for the sofa? I love my owl linen pillows so looking for an accent color to go with them and I am really feeling purples and lavenders right now. I am trying to get away from blue. I like the loo of browns, creams and purples. I am kind stuck with the two couches i have right now.

dlapollo bring curtain rod as close to ceiling as possible
which mean you will probably have to buy 92 to 95 inch panels
more expensive than 84 inch..but well worth the look...again, all mags show drape from ceiling to floor
brings the eye up...looks classy and more expensive
I personally love white sheers from wall to wall...ceiling to floor..JC Penneys has 95 inch beauties...and these you can order on line..
white sheers on white wall or even if you do paint a dark color is so rich looking for relatively less money than drapes...
also, put a couch table behind the couch, so its doesn't sit on the wall...now with that table you can put another lamp...a few books...but don't overload...
couch table is something you can find at thrift store, or even order on line..they are all the same size
shallow and does what its suppose to do, which is get that couch off the wall and bring it into the room.

dlapollo i have never had any luck with "pop of color" just spent alot of money on blues, oranges, green all over the map..
Now I stick with a light color (white, beige) up against dark (iron mountain, stone)...in any nook using light against dark or dark against light...you never go wrong with black and white...or brownish grey and white or cream...just so soothing to the eye...
hope this helps....keep looking at magazines and see what professionals do...

blindsdirectcanada Absolutely LOVE the drapes!!! GOOD JOB!

decoenthusiaste Purple is in the Neutral category of this year's Pantone color selections. They are the fashion trend setters and direction takers for all things commercial. It is one of my favorites, looks good with linen and might make for a great accent chair!

prissy13 Would you do neutral color pillows then and purple just for chairs?i feel like my drapes and pillows set the whole tone for the scheme of the room

Jean Tuck I think so eggplant colored throw cushions would be great, with my kids when they were little it would be a busy area for family these 3 rooms open to each other to have light colored rugs or even rugs, I always liked area rugs as can change out if we wanted.Easier and cleaning rugs by professional is not required. Just my thoughts.

mainstreetschool It looks like the window wall is long enough to put the sofa on it with the table and lamp behind it. Put the love seat on the solid wall and the chair back to the entry with end table between them. This opens up the flow of the room. I like the drapes, but if you want to change, go with light sheers as suggested, hung as high as you can, at sides of windows. Then you can use purple for accents in pillows and an area rug to pull it all together. Find artwork with the purple also.

mainstreetschool Also, can you use the trunk for a coffee table, and lose the bulky dark one? With the open counter and casual dining table, you have enough flat space for kids to work on and free up some flow area.

mainstreetschool What is behind the candles on the floor behind the love seat in pic #3? Is that a fireplace? And why are you not facing it with e seating?

decoenthusiaste Splash purple around the room in the chairs, pillows, rug, art, drapes - wherever you like. Make a statement and don't be shy about it. Go to homedecorators.com and shop for rugs by color - purple. I've found their colors to be true on my monitor and have had happy clients who bought them.

prissy13 Yes that is a fireplace but the location is way off from the center of the room to have seating facing it. If you look at my initial photos i have my furniture all angled toward that wall, which houses the fireplace and tv side by side. The angle of the room is totally weird so its hard to place furniture.

prissy13 What about a grey area rug? I am always afraud to go too bold since i tend to change color schemes.

Manon Floreat I really don't think a bold area rug is something you want. Remember the black one you had and how it chopped up the room? What you've done so far has done loads to lighten up your space (which was what you wanted) and you've done a really good job. A bold area rug is going to undo some of that work.

I like the purple idea and see that you have a bit of it in your throw pillows. Now that your furniture arrangement is settled, I think it's time to tackle that gallery wall. It will be a wonderful way to incorporate some purple . . .

prissy13 Thanks Manon, that's what i was thinking too. But I do need an area rug underneath that area because of the kids. Even though we don't wear shoes in the house, things get spilled in that area and really shows on the light carpet. We cant really afford right now to replace the carpet. Going to work on the gallery wall. Thoughts on how many pics and what shapes?

mainstreetschool I still think the area toward the fireplace needs to be open. The chair should be on this side. The sofa or loves eat block the flow.

Manon Floreat You're welcome - don'tt want to see you back track. For the area rug look for an easy to clean material. I'm thinking an indoor/outdoor material that mimics natural sisal or sea grass would work well. The color won't add a lot of contrast so you won't have to worry about chopping up the space, but it will provide some protection. I'd like to see it a shade between the sofa and the carpet.

I'm not sure what style you have in mind for a gallery wall. But the mock-up below is more of an eclectic style using your current pieces with some collected ones for variation. The lamp in the center of the wall will need to be considered as part of the composition since it vertically inserts itself into the gallery space.

We've got to get that fireplace/entertainment center together next. With all of the changes you've made, it's looking like the forgotten step child of the room!

Rosemarie I actually love the furniture where it is! Too many people slam everthing against the wall. Your room looks open to walk around and does face the tv wall, because the truth is lots of people really do watch the tv ! The tables have a oriental feeling, very cool. The accessorie choices are such a personal thing--it just depends on what u personally like. Clutter to some is accessorie to others ! If u like the more natural look like I see in the linen lamp shades. then add some more natural stuff, like thick woven baskets and trays, visit Pier One. Check out the grasses in large vases. Maybe a 4ft vase with dried grasses sitting in front of the window center. Or put an areca palm plant in the center of the window, How bout go for linen, heavy weave texture draperies-same color as the wall. Make a big statement on that square table, Use a heavy texture woven tray , in it arrange,stacked books with your large shells and a orchid plant, maybe a big candle (to light after kids are in bed) Maybe a sisal large rug or some soft light tone on tone pattern that is close in color to your other carpet. If you like the pillows go with large purple u mentioned--perhaps a big one or two for sitting on the floor as well. A large rectangular canvass painting ( u could buy the materials and splash your paint on). maybe bamboo sconces on each side or your other paintings arranged in a straight line. You have very good taste, go for it and enjoy!

Manon Floreat Oh! I just noticed you swapped the loveseat and chair since your last post. I'm curious about the reasoning about that . . .

prissy13 Manon, i have moved it so many times based on peoples suggestions. But i feel like I really like it angled, how it is in your mockup. I feel like it makes the most sense and doesn't really block the flow coming into the room I know in pictures it looks that way. Plus it totally opens up the windows which are my favorite part of the room. I think I will move it back that way. It actually makes it feel cozier in the space, which is what I like. And there is tons of room for the kids to play. I agree on that TV area, but slow to come due to $$.

Manon Floreat I know you have. I admire your persistence and I really do think you're doing very well. I like it angled, also. The bottom line is that your space has to feel right for you - and it sound like it does. I'm happy for you!

I understand about the money. Do consider my initial suggestion some time ago of going to the lumber yard and getting a shelf for the fireplace wall. I'm positive it's a budget friendly option.

Manon Floreat One other thing - I think your wall color is good. Light and breezy.

Manon Floreat Okay, last one - at least for tonight. I wanted to show you how the natural sisal/sea grass would look in your room. They're durable and economical. I think it's a sound option for your needs and decor.

Rosemarie manon we are on the same wave link lol !

prissy13 love the rug. Will have to look around for one like that. gonna check some pillows i saw online at Cost Plus in that dark purple color.