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Jane Antonacci Interior Design I would paint the brick white to match the bookcase. It will add a sense of more space. Choose a colorful rug and a graphic print fabric (stripe/lattice work, etc.) for some floor to ceiling side panel curtains. Above the sofa, place a single large painting or a pair of vertical prints. Just make sure they are good size. Or 2-3 stacks of coordinated prints or black and white photos is white frames.A mirror over the fireplace will help a lot.Put the short sofa on the wall with a nice end table with a table lamp on it. Large sofa facing the fireplace. This will make it look less crowded and use the space better. Then another chair next to the fireplace, or a pair on either side of fireplace, just not in the walkway of the stairs. A bench and coffee table would finish it off. Let me know how it works out if you decide to do any of these things! all the best to you!

emimat Wow thank you!!

What colors do you think work with this mocha color on walls?

I hadn't thought of painting fireplace!

So maybe you wouldn't recommend cream or neutral rug? I am lost at sea! Thank you!!!

Any particular rug suggestions? Looking for 5x8.

Jane Antonacci Interior Design So many great rugs to choose from out there. It depends on your style choice and your budget. Flowers? Graphic pattern? Traditional Persian? Contemporary with silk? Go online and send a few to me in your price range and I will comment.

MarshMaven Images, Ltd. I agree with the suggestion of a couple of large pieces of artwork on your big wall. I am a travel and landscape photographer, and I believe I have several pieces you might like. Please feel free to peruse my page for some ideas. If you click through on any image, it will take you to fineartamerica.com, home to over 100,000 thousand artists and hundreds of thousands of works to browse, where you can choose the piece(s) you like and order them in the size and framing options best suited to your decor. They'll be delivered right to your door ready to hang. Have fun!

Manon Floreat I think the Gabrielle rug you're considering is an excellent choice! I would make sure it's large enough to at least accommodate the front legs of your sofas. Larger would be better. As mentioned, art above the sofa would be a good way to bring in some of the color you want. A natural ottoman for a coffee table would provide some texture and be child friendly. You might consider a small occasional chair near the fireplace as well. Below is a collage of the rug you're considering with a few other items that might give you some ideas.

You have a nice space. Enjoy!

emimat Thanks!
I had read rugs should be 6-12 inches from furniture .... Can you clarify? Does it look better under legs of sofa? Thanks!!

Jayme Hobbs You could very easily bring blues into your room

Manon Floreat For a room of your size and the rug you're considering, having the rug large enough to fit the front legs will connect the seating best. Here's a good ideabook with more pointers on rug positioning that you may find useful.

emimat What do you think of this rug in this space?

emimat Or
gabrielle-rug-blue/moreimages.html

emimat Should I leave walkway to stairs clear or include rug there?

emimat Could one of you wonderful experts do a collage with the serafina rug to see what pillow/lighting/decor accessories might work? You are all so helpful!

Jayme Hobbs I don't think an area rug should completely cover your walkway to the stair area, but should be larger than the one you have now.

Manon Floreat Hi, emimat. I made another collage with the Serafina rug you're considering. It's very similar to the Gabrielle in design, but the colors appear to be more saturated. I think either will allow for an easy incorporation of the teal coffee table ottoman. You could try them both if the stores have reasonable return policies. Since you have children, I also included a fluffy bean bag and floor cushion. Children really like them for hanging out - adults do, too - though we may be reluctant to admit it!

I was thinking about your question regarding the wall behind the sofa. I think you can easily adapt the below gallery concept to your space. It's a neat and clean look. You'll just have to find the pieces that appeal to you and work together to form a unit. If you want original pieces, check out your local arts school or Etsy for reasonable prices. Mass produced pieces can be easily found at Home Goods, TJ Maxx and the like.




It looks like there may be room behind the sofa for a sofa table of sorts (assuming you place the sofa opposite the fireplace). If you put one there, you may find that it comes in handy for storing books, games and toys. The below photo shows the how a credenza was used to fill this role.

Hopefully these ideas help you along your way to making your home more to your liking. Best wishes to you!

Manon Floreat Thought I'd share the Gabrielle for comparison . . .

Darzy Do what Manon Floreat suggested. Beautiful! And, leave the FP as is.

emimat Manon, thank you! This is great.

Where is that beautiful teal coffee table from?

Helpful to see both rugs.... Both are beautiful.

Where could I find that bean bag?thanks so much!
Love the art ideas too.

Erica

emimat I might have to get both and return one.

I switched the love seat/sofa tonight and it's really a lot nicer that way!

emimat Thanks for the console table idea. There's room and that will help anchor the space.

Manon Floreat Oh, good! I'm glad they were helpful. Thanks, Darzy for your kind words and for your generous ways - and I totally agree to leave the fireplace as is. Nice and warm.

The teal ottoman can be found at Schneiderman's:

http://www.schneidermans.com/products/Buy-the-Inch-Ottoman-5937.php#.UTGfVVejTQI

And the bean bag is at Restoration hardware:

http://www.restorationhardware.com/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1692114

Be sure to do comparison shopping. You may be able to find comparable items at better prices. If you're at all handy, bean bags are nothing more than giant pillows. Here's a DIY tutorial if you're interested:

http://www.soyouthinkyourecrafty.com/1999/01/rollie-pollie_28/

I hope you keep us posted of your progress. Take care.

emimat Wonderful! Thanks for your time and ideas.

onthefence Another vote for leaving the beautiful FP unpainted and for Manon's beautiful collages!

Manon Floreat Ahhh . . . I can feel the Love. It's been a rough day and I needed that - thank you!

mckstacy Manon, what great ideas!

Susan Mills Design Manon, your ideas are always inspirational, and so is your presence here on Houzz. Hope your day is better today.:)

emimat Long story short: samples of Gabrielle rug and the Sarafina rug are "no-go's". Too green among other flaws.

Now leaning towards this:

http://www.potterybarn.com/m/products/eva-rug/moreimages.html

Love the warm colors but strong blues in there which has been harder to find. Seems to go nicely with the mocha walls and would enable fun pops of color, reds, blues. Could someone suggest pillows? Art? Accents? Hoping this rug can pull the room together.

Many thanks!!!
Erica

emimat That should have linked to the pottery barn Eva Persian style rug.

emimat My swatch

Manon Floreat Oh! That one's nice, too. I like that the brick color is more pronounced - nice reference to your fireplace. I might consider a cognac ottoman for this rug rather than the teal. See below for color.

emimat Manon, great, thanks!!

It's a Beautiful World! Some blue art ideas to consider or use for inspiration. Enjoy!... Raisa

rexypoo i would paint the brick white too. Then sand it to give it that "rough" look.

mjmil Love the newest rug selection. I think it will add some drama to the room. Manon you always have the most wonderful suggestions. They are always perfect and you are so generous with you time. I check out every
dilema when I know you have responded.

emimat Better pic with wall color

emimat Thanks for the ideas!

Manon Floreat You're welcome, emimat! And mjmil, thank you very much for your generous words. You are very kind and I'm happy that you see merit in my ideas. Sometimes it takes a village to make a room! I love the free exchange of ideas we find through these dilemmas.

Ann Brauer Quilt Studio What a lovely space. I realize I am coming a bit late to the discussion but I do feel that a lovely wall quilt might be just the thing for the space. Not only do quilts have a wonderful memory of comfort and home which can be important to the family room, but mine also offer a feeling of space. Each block is different and some fabrics are used only once which provides the opportunity for new discoveries. I am adding one picture but you can also check out my web site for more ideas.

Manon Floreat That is a beautiful piece, Ann Brauer. Sometimes people mount such pieces on walls which is fitting since they are certainly objets d'art.

Ann Brauer Quilt Studio Thanks Manon. I agree. Indeed I make most of my quilts as wall hangings to add a feeling of warmth and texture to the room.

mckstacy How do you mount the quilts on the wall?

Ann Brauer Quilt Studio That's easy. Usually I sew a strip of Velcro on the back of the quilt. Then give the owner a strip of wood which is attached to the wall (a couple of screws usually works). The hook side of the Velcro is just attached to the wood and the quilt is pressed in place. This gives a very neat and flat appearance that makes the quilt seem to float against the wall. Hope that answers your question. If you decide to change the location of the quilt then you only have a couple of screw holes in the wall. The quilts themselves are not heavy.

emimat There it is!

mjmil The new rug looks great and looks like your baby is enjoying it also.

emimat It's great! Now on to pillows, ottoman, maybe a sectional. Thanks!!