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decoenthusiaste It can be done. This reminded me of your dry sink, but it is in a totally contemporary setting. Maybe your designer friend will pre-screen what you're considering before you purchase.

janny3 What do you think about the ceiling light? Mistake?

carole i like the lamp and think it is a good start,just on its own it might not have such in impact,but then you would have to start somewhere,what other modern items do you have in mind?

decoenthusiaste I don't think it is for your space or things. Will post if I see one that is. You might want to consider just devoting one room to the collection of memorabilia and sentimental items - maybe a TV room or small den, office or man cave!

claudiann I think you can add modern touches through color. Old pieces painted in non traditional colors make them look more modern. Since you like copper how about orange? Then I would trade your artwork on the sofa wall for more colorful and modern. Larger pieces. A different rug in a color, and patterned pillows to pull it together.

rmartinez89 you have a a lot of different styles going on. Change your wall color to a pumpkin spice beautiful rich color. then add in furniture that is the style you want. art work always last and curtains and then add in all the small stuff :) of also maybe try for a ceiling fan great selling feature if you ever want to sell

carole if you are thinking of painting the walls,why not paint the top half a lighter bleu and perhaps you can buy a bigger rug??and change the pictures for modern decorations??

Ann I'm trying to add more modern things too so I understand. I'd change the paint color to a calm light neutral (with maybe a slightly darker shade on the bottom half). While I like the art over the green piece, the art on the sofa wall looks small and outdated. I think larger canvases are more sleek and modern than small framed art.

carolins Do you like the ceiling light? Because that seems the most important thing to me. Your designer friend doesn't live in your house (I assume), nor do we, so if you like the lamp you should keep it. I do love the green dry sink with the painting.
I'm not too sure about the wall colour and the small rug, but again... if you like it...

You can mix different styles. This might be a fun read for you:

janny3 I so appreciate all these comments. I know Martinez89 is right that I have a lot of styles going on. It is a problem in my entire house. To put the memorablilia in one room would mean a SERIOUS purge.... We lived in Russia for four years, thus the Russian art you see (and don't see!). Plus I am an artist so I have some of my own paintings or quilts or both in nearly every room (not this one). Then there is the furniture my husband made, a couple of really old family heirloom items and a number of antiques we got in Europe. The list goes on. To tie these things together I use color mostly, also grouping like items or repeating shapes. I am afraid to paint furniture until I am sure of what I am doing, but that could help tie some of the styles together. But I also know I need to get rid of things - just not certain which ones.
The little footstool you see was a temporary item because my husband wouldn't sit in the leather chair unless he sould put his feet up, but I couldn't find a matching leather one. And now he doesn't sit in it anyway, so that I can easily part with! :)
I had been thinking of painting the walls a light shade of maple brown or pale pumpkin and get rid of the blue. We have maple floors in the kitchen that adjoins this room - another space in need of help! I love both of the rooms you sent, Carole.
All of your comments - getting a different rug, more pillows - I will work on these things. Thanks so much for your help!!

kristheot I like your ceiling fixture, for the same reasons you like it.
Have you considered moving that group of four artworks to the right, over the sofa? I mean combine them with the large sofa painting into one arrangement. Right now those four smaller pieces just seem to be floating, and the sofa painting seems a little undersized, so I think they might look better all together.
I love blue, but I think pumpkin walls would be really pretty with your furniture & artwork.

Kelly I think your light fixture is fine....you like it that is all that matters. Maybe consider getting a matching floor lamp to tie it all together.

janny3 carolins - I looked at the ideabook you suggested and realized that, as I thought, my style is eclectic. I like seeing how people put those things together and I think it will help that I am an artist with an eye for color, shape and texture. What you see in these photos doesn't really illustrate that ability very well but that is because this is a difficult process and I have been both afraid to proceed and unsure of what and where to buy. At the same time I need to guess what is worthy of keeping, what must go and then WHERE it should go!!

The blue on the walls is the wallpaper that came with the house. I didn't change it yet because I wanted some blue in the room but it doesn't need that much blue! Maybe if I just get rid of the blue things will begin to fall into place. But designers always say paint last so I hesitated....

janny3 Thank you, Kelly. So maybe my friend was right that it is prairie, though I like the Arts and Crafts lamp best.

janny3 Thank you, Kris. It is always helpful to have a fresh eye. I have gotten used to seeing the paintings grouped this way!

Kelly They really are so close in style- you can see there isn't much difference. It is about clean lines and the amber or cream glass.

janny3 Ann, I agree about non-framed art but could I mix them in a room with framed? My frames are for the most part very traditional and chosen as much as possible to complement the subject. I think unframed works best with abstract flows of color, line and pattern that you see in a lot of modern rooms and I intend to try painting one myself eventually!

carolins Oh you know... just be confident. Be bold! As an artist you can probably visualize things pretty well, so just trust your feeling and your ideas :-)

carolins If you browse through the houzz ideabooks section, or the rooms section (for instance under 'eclectic') you'll get so many ideas. You can type in the search box what you'd like to search for. Have fun! You'll like this I think:

http://www.houzz.com/art-walls

janny3 True, Kelly. And that is what I was focusing on when I bought the ceiling light - not the specific style. But then I thought I should at least figure out what my style IS. My friend told me that people say eclectic when they can't figure out what style they like and I guess that is true for me. So right now the floor lamp I have in that room has a bell shade and a twisted pole. I was going to replace first the lamp on the drysink with the 1980s cut lampshade. Could I keep a lamp that has a bell shade, as I still love it, or are they really out of style? I would get an Arts and Crafts table lamp. Or do all three have to match?

janny3 Thanks, carolins - needed that! Will check it out!

Kelly I don't think everything has to match....it just needs to be something you love. Do try to carry one theme through a room- whether it is a common color, smooth lines, etc. Your common thread is the copper color. You have it in the pillows, furniture and artwork. To me your home feelings kind of cottage country. You can tell the things in the room are loved and have a purpose. The little lamp to me is more of a nightlight rather than something that is a source of lighting so it works. Maybe you could stacks some beautiful hard cover books under the lamp to raise it up so you can see it. I think your room is lovely and feels very welcoming.

mitchpotts If you're asking me if I like the light, I'd answer that I did very much. But I don't think it works here. It's too high, and/or too small.

janny3 mitch, what would you choose for a small family room ceiling fixture that is modern but works with traditional?