SFGate

ann don't give up, there are huge pieces of art work out there, can you cover the wall in book shelves for a library look

Natural Stone Veneers International, Inc. Of course, we'd love to see natural thin veneer stone on that wall (see attached), but perhaps consider something like the family tree art project that can be seen at this homepage: http://www.freshpaintartist.com/ It would require some furniture changes (sofa table or similar), but there would be plenty of room for it.

olldbobbi Do you like anything like this? [houzz=Family Room]
[houzz=Transitional Living Room View 2]
Another thing you could do is install a chair rail that runs even with the bottom of the railing, and paint the wall below it a warmer color.