SFGate

Ironwood Builders Right, so I'm going to speak up..rarely do in these situations but I already bit a hole in my tongue earlier today..just can't keep doing it. first, get rid of the red feature wall, it is a buzz maker...no peace there. Then slide the bookcases and the desk down so the books are visible through the door....make use of that corner. Get an off white shag rug and warm up the floor. Move the chairs to flank the window with a small legged table between them, all front feet on the rug. Get a file drawer stack to sit beside the fireplace on the right as you face it...old oak is preferable...but I don't know what is available in Sydney. Hang the artwork on the chimney breast (did I get that right?) higher by about 10 cm. Get rid of the gorpy lamp and use a sleek Italian articulating arm halogen for reading on the table between the chairs. Get some Kuba raffia cloth pillows for the chairs and I'm done. [houzz=Ethnic African Kuba Cloth Lumbar Pillow][houzz=Holtkötter Low-Voltage Halogen Table Lamp No. 6238/1][houzz=Core Shag Rug]

Ironwood Builders Lamp and rug at Ikea(?). Kuba raffia pillows $90 each US on eBay, fill additional, paint..$50 US and sweat equity. Total cost...less than $500 US. Maybe tone down the artwork to some more calming colors too? Add a foot stool to stretch those legs out?

Darzy One thing to do. (may two things)... Paint all of the walls one of the light blueish/green color from the art that you like. Paint the desk chair the darkest shade of blue from the art (or darker paint chip from the wall color selection). Get a couple toss pillows with the blue/red in it for your leather chairs. If after that you're still feeling inspired, a small area rug with the colors of the wall and art in it.

1. Paint the walls and desk chair. If you still feel unfinished...
2. Get new pillows for the chairs with colors from the art/wall colors.
3. If you still feel it's unfinished, get an area rug too.

You can even toss in a small dose of yellow accesories from the small art piece. It's a pretty room and won't take much to be your favorite room in the house. :)

Darzy BTW...I know we always say "edit" the bookcases, but in your cozy "libaray, den" situation, being surrounded by books and photos is just right here. So, don't worry about editing, just add the color and style to the space.

kgarrison1 I have a tricky front room also, so I get it... If that is a fireplace behind the chairs, flip the chairs around to face it. A rug for the colder seasons would be nice, as well as some pillows with texture and color and a throw in a color or cream to lighten up the chairs. I love the chest, and wonder if that would work against the now red wall, after it is painted out!

memphis2sydney Ironwood, Darzy and KG, thanks for your suggestions. Ironwood, can't move those bookcases down as that is a door way there going into the next room. Garby, I like the idea of cooler colours, maybe a grey? I don't think I want to paint the chair as it goes with our dining table, so maybe a new one and just store this one for additional seating. KG, love the idea of the chest on the red wall, but can't go there. The front door is there and a doorway into the next room - no room for the chest there or you'd step right into it when you walked in. Hmmmm.... what to do, what to do....

olldbobbi I would move the chest out altogether. An area rug, and the two chairs facing each other in the middle of the room with the table between them will create a conversation area and also allow for viewing the fireplace.

Kelly What a great room...I love it. I think paint will be your best friend here. The red wall doesn't bother me, but if you are tired of it wondering if you just need to deepen the color. Something closer to what is in your art work over the FP. You say you are tired of the space, but you don't say why. Is it the way it functions or just the over all feel? I personally think it doesn't look like a place i would want to spend time. It doesn't function or flow. Is the desk a built-in or a separate piece? Would you consider moving it? I would turn it so that it is perpendicular to the bookshelf, you back to the wall just to the left of the windows. This gives you a prettier view more room for your chair. Place the chest where the white file cabinet is. And tuck the file cabinet over by the windows near the desk. An area rug, I do like the one above, but maybe not so white. A window treatment would soften the light in the room- pick the exact color fo the walls. You say you watch movies in here- on the computer? If you do then my idea may not work...lol. But I wanted you to turn the chair on the left so it faces the other chair kind of tucked in the desk alcove. This would create a more intimate talking space. Get rid of the glass table all together. Paint the FP white to match the bookshelves. For the wall color gray just seems so predictable. What about a two-tone effect? Paint everything above the bookshelves and the windows white and the lower have a cool blue from the artwork? Benjamin Moore Skyscraper or Tear Drop Blue. Then add pops of yellow. Could you paint your lamp base yellow? Hope these give you some inspiration- it's a great room.

decoenthusiaste Clear out the chest and all the stuff on that end of the space. Move the chairs there. For a more relaxing space I'd paint the walls the green from your painting and the backs of the bookcase in the blue.

studio10001 Well, if kklinton's thought for the desk doesn't work...and supposing that YOU and not everyone watches movies in here, then the end of your room is your focal point, and where the leather chairs should go. Put one diagonally as close to the bookcase as you must, and if your current table won't fit between, get another. Whatever artwork you place there should even that tableau out, taking the window into consideration. A fireplace candlabra(its a specific thing, goes in the mouth) will keep the fireplace from looking like a gaping whole. A largish area rug in front of the fireplace W a few floor cushions nearby for balance. Now your eye is drawn to the place of rest at the end, not a traffic jam in the middle.. The chest goes to another room. If your filing cabinet must be near, it should look like furniture(look for a piece that opens from the top) not the bookcase. The red makes a perfectly fine accent color;a glaze would warm it a bit on the hallway wall.

memphis2sydney Okay, so what do you think? I've incorporated your ideas with moving the furniture, getting a soft rug, etc. So here are my questions?

What do you think of the artwork on the wall - too busy or okay? They are some photography and pencil artwork that I had and all relate to Memphis (where I'm from). I can't decide if one larger piece would be better.

The rug - too dark? I know it's just beige but it fit the budget, feels great, etc. Also, we banked it up against the fireplace so that there was room in front of the desk to easily slide out the chair and the kids wanted it up close to the fireplace so they could lean their pillows against it. We don't use the fireplace by the way. Does it look odd since it is not in balance with the chairs?

I just brought some pillows in from the connecting room, and I think they work. They definitely lighten up the dark chairs. What do you think? If you don't like them, what would you suggest?

I don't mind the red anymore, now that I have calmed things down a bit. Now it feels more like touches of red rather than red everywhere.

I'm working on a plan for the fireplace and once Pottery Barn arrives in Australia in May I'm sure they will have a file cabinet that is more like furniture - all I can find here is Officeworks type stuff.

Thanks for your suggestions - keep them coming, more to do to get this room right.

It's a Beautiful World! Your Memphis art display looks fine. If you need more art, please check out our Houzz page. Best of luck redecorating your study!... Raisa

blrussell Much better. I like your artwork.