A more contemporary piece of art (larger) above sofa would be better. New lamps, side/cocktail tables and new window treatments, perhaps a woven casement on wood or nickel hardware.

I have to agree its a bit stiff because everything is matched. Can you use any of the tables in a different room? I usually do not buy furniture in a set. This way you as you see things you like you can layer your room over time. I dont think you need to get everything at once. This way it will keep it interesting. I do like your sofa and the red accent wall.

Things I like about your room: wall color, height of picture, sofa color, mixture of pillows. If you want to follow advise of changing some furniture items, instead of spending a bundle, see if something from another room in your house will work. If not, resale shops are often a good souce for the unexpected decor item.

This is my first time using Houzz for advice. I just tried to upload a couple more pictures. I appreciate all the advice so far.

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Sofa is nice but art above sofa and matchy matchy furniture and window treatment are making the room a bit dated.

I like your fireplace! Can you move the sofa away from the wall. I am not sure the white cabinet goes well in that room. Keep trying I am still moving stuff around in my house and it has been 25 years!

Yes, that white etagere looks out of place in your room as well as that little framed picture that does nothing for the wall. Regarding the windows, vertical blinds should be replaced when you can afford it. I assume you need light control on those windows. Traditional wood venetian blinds would look much better or Roman shades.

Your space is very welcoming and is fine as is, but if you want to update all the way, then replacing the verticals with drapery panels or roman shades would be great. Here's probably more suggestion than you were bargaining for: replace the étagère with more contemporary shelving that can display the collection of favorites and include all of the family portraits (from the tv wall). Move the print from the fireplace to above the tv, place the orb objects from the hearth to mix in with the candles on the mantel and and remove everything else.

lfenza, you are nice to thank us for comments. Remember, we're only looking a photos of your space and your sense of it in person is much better. I imagine your cornices are very nice in person. Thank you for letting us in on your update!

I appreciate all the help, you have no idea. I feel rather clueless. I admire people with an eye for design. I am trying to read and look at many photos. I know what looks right to me when I see it but I cannot visualize it first. Thanks

thanks for sharing your room with us, You are off to a good start

Get rid of accent walls. An accent wall should be the solid wall (one without windows or doors or fireplaces) otherwise it is just chopped up color. Declutter, too many small things around for an updated look. Try the 2 sofas facing each other. I apologize for this comment but I hate when furniture stores talk customers into suites of furniture. A love seat is usually worthless as they are too small for 2 people to sit on comfortable. Two chairs are so much better.

It is difficult to arrange furniture when you have a TV in the room. What is the solution? Thanks

You have made the best of what you have with the tv. All of us face the same issue! It's possible you could place your tv on the wall where your sofa is now. Of course, that opens up the glare from your beautiful windows.

Get rid of everything!!!

Tv is in a good spot. You did fairly well, try the other ideas after the coffee table switch.

thanks

I greatly appreciate all the feedback.

I really like this room, particularly the red accent wall with the fireplace. I agree that the furniture suite is too matchy-matchy, and you need either an arrangement of more pictures or a larger picture. I love the cornices. They are rather unique and add character to the room. You are doing a good job. Just tinker with things. A room should evolve.

Your room has a mixture of formal and informal items. To update it, I'd remove or replace some of the more formal items.

The informal items e.g. leather furniture (I love the color), bright accent wall, fireplace, tables with grey metal accents - are the things that I personally like about your room. To continue this look, you need to remove small decorative items and leave some surfaces bare. It's more modern and more pleasing to the eye to move from one large thing to the next, and not get "stuck" on small things. For that reason I'd completely clear off your end tables (except for lamps and phone), coffee table should be completely bare, fireplace mantle bare except for picture and nothing on the hearth or on the floor beside the white cabinet. Take down the photo beside the white cabinet, and remove the 3 pictures by the fireplace on the light wall. Remove the basket in front of the window (too small to make an impact.) That should already look better!

I like the floral pillow but not the 2 paler blue ones. Not punchy enough. Do I see some more colorful pillows in the basket that was in front of the window? They might look better on the couch instead. The size of your existing pillows is perfect, though. Nothing smaller, please. Maybe you just need more colorful covers. They look nice and squishy/comfortable too.

I'm guessing that you want to keep the grad pictures - many people do. Put those on the light wall where you took down the other 3. Arrange them with the large picture to the left and the 2 small pictures right beside it, to make an imaginary bigger square. (Not sure I explained that well.)

How do you enter the room? On either side of the love seat? I ask because I'd like you to try pulling the couch away from the wall about a foot, to make a tight L with the love seat. It will make the room look more spacious when the furniture is not flat against the wall. And it looks more snuggly and conversational, closer to the fireplace. I wonder whether it would look good to switch the couch and love seat - hard to tell from the photo.

Try rotating the coffee table to be in front of the love seat. All your tables seem to be on one one side of the room.

Your floor plant seem a little low and small. Do you have a plant stand for it? That corner might look better without the plant.

As other posters have said, the display case is too formal for the room, because of its mirrored back and the white color. Enjoy it it another, more formal room.

Do you need the vertical blinds on all 3 windows for light control? If not, remove the ones that you don't use. Your windows are nice wood ones and don't really need embellishment to look good.

So far you haven't spent a cent. When you're ready, I'd suggest new lamps, or new drum shades for your existing lamps and spray paint the existing lamp a pewter color similar to the tables, or a nice punchy red like your accent walls. (Be sure to take the lamps with you when you buy new shades.) It would make them much less formal.

Next, I'd replace the picture over the couch, and the blinds.

You have a beautiful bright space, gorgeous windows and lots of nice things already. Enjoy the process of doing the finishing touches!

Thank you very much for all your advice. I have to soak it all in.

Hi there. What a great start! I love the accent wall but agree the room is busy with "other things" that don't make the connection to your dramatic red. It needs balancing into the room. This will create a better rhythm for your eye to flow through rather than what I like to call "window shop". What about richer red lamp shades or pillows with a red background. It also feels that the texture of your fireplace needs a connection. Maybe with a textured area rug or "loop" style pillows. Thoughts?

Hi lovely room, if it were me, I would change the shades on the lamps for something more up to date, and remove the large picture over the fire for maybe an arrangement of three or for photos on the shelf. I would bring the colour in from the accent wall and use that on your cushion covers, with pattern or stripes Either keep the central coffee table but add large vase full of fresh flowers again in the colour from the accent wall. On the wall over the tv replace the smaller pictures with one larger one. I would take the white cabinet out too and find a funky floor standing lamp to go in its place or a large plant/fern. Could put a large rug in the middle of the room to bring in more colour again using the colours in the room, terracotta, greens etc. Fabulously large window with soo much light.

Hi! Art is such a powerful tool in design. May we suggest some artwork that may update your look...

The problem is modern tables but traditional shades and cushions and art ,try all modern!

Somewhere there is a needy, tableless, lampless person just waiting to snatch yours up on craigslist. A little editing, bigger brighter art in a stretched canvas, a round carved coffee table, roman shades will make this room look great. You're halfway there with the red wall and the great color of your furniture. Take the extra step.

Very cool how you did this. Thanks....this is good for me since I have a hard time visualizing things.

I love all of the design pros and interested members with an " eye" for design who give wonderful hints and tips to those of us who sometimes struggle to get it just right. We post pictures of our home and let you in our private lives. But I have to take issue with some responses! Most of the comments have been good and instructional. For those who make comments like"get rid of everything." I tell you hold your spiteful tongue! Didn't your mother ever teach you, "if you can't say something nice, say nothing at all." Apparently, if she did, you did not listen!
I think the living room is coming along just fine.

Thank you very much

Would you be open to switching out the pillows to compliment the accent wall? Gold colors or a weaving of gold and the orange color on the wall would work well and compliment the art piece better. Also, pick one piece to go one on the coffee table that could be centrally placed. I feel like it's too busy as is.

I will do this, thanks to all who have taken the time to help me.

Pics when done.

We don't know what specific things you've done to update the room, but it appears you're still incorporating furnishings and window treatments that were in style in the 1980's. The display cabinet and diamond plaques on the wall, as well as the vertical blinds must go to move into the current decade. You may get a nice price for your coffee and end tables on Craig's List. A quick improvement would be to put stand-up backs on small wall hung family photos so they could sit on table tops. Larger ones should hang in a more private place like the hallway, master bedroom or the room occupied by the person in the photo.