Thanks for your help, Carolyn! These photos were taken from the listing since we haven't moved in yet. I like your suggestions, however, I would really like to keep the dark cabinets. Do you have any other suggestions?

Here's a few more pics of the great room. Sorry for the sideways pics, not sure why it rotated

I would add under cab lighting (tea lights under the upper cabinets and change the counter tops and backlash..to light grey or white counter top (quarts) or granite.

My alternate suggestion would be to paint just the island white. If that's too radical, then paint it gray or turquoise.

I'd definitely add under counter LED strip lights and some porcelain jars/decorations. They can be any color - white to keep it crisp and clean or a bold color - yellow? Turquoise? I would get rid of that red wall. Get a nice area rug in your feature kitchen color. Add some (same color) curtains and pillows on your couches.

Paint wall either darker or lighter than carpet.

Thanks for your suggestions Barbara and happylegs! Yes the red wall is definitely gonna go. I was thinking of painting all the walls an off-white or a gray to offset all the browns and beiges that the previous have put into the great room. Would light gray work or should I just play it safe with a white or a warm greige? I really love the accent color accessories idea for the kitchen as well as a rug for our great room.

Remove the red wall (I think you said that is already in your plan). The kitchen is beautiful, however I think it would benefit by painting it an off-white, not white white. Buy some sample cans of paint in some shades of white. Paint a sample on poster board to try with your kitchen. Unfortunately I think you may need to take the kitchen color (if you paint) all the way through your other rooms unless you choose a different more subdued accent wall color to paint over the red. Try a sample can of the very lightest shade of teal to try for the kitchen. You do need to add accents of different colors to your counters & island to tone down the dark. I can't tell if you have under counter lighting in the kitchen. If not add LED lights for under counters, Add a colorful pendant above the sink & maybe 2 pendants over your island. These can all be LED. Check Ikea for info on them. They use less energy, last 20,000 hrs and don't add heat. I am getting a sort of glow from your ceiling. I don't know if that's because you took the photos up high or if they have been painted a semi gloss. Anyway if when you paint, you plan to paint the ceilings make sure the ceiling paint is for ceilings & add a little of the color to that paint from the paint you use elsewhere. It makes a huge difference. Have fun & enjoy the new house.

The gray lighter than couch should work & with fp.

Not sure we're clear that this is your furniture or from the MLS listing. Why don't you move your stuff in and we can determine a direction.

Sandra, thanks so much for the paint suggestions. I plan on painting all the walls the same color from the kitchen all the way into my great room and probably into the entryway as they're all connected. There's no gloss to the ceiling, I think the listing agent just did a poor job with these photos. I will definitely check out ikea for some led lights. Thanks for the recommendation!

Deco, all the furniture seen are from the listing. Sorry I wasn't clear. We actually don't have any furniture since this is our very first house. So we'll be buying everything on our own! So exciting and scary at the same time. If you have any recommendations on furniture as well I would appreciate it!

Regarding your great room furniture, life will be made easier for you if you start with a sofa and 2 chairs. You may eventually need two pairs of chairs. A sofa and loveseat is a BAD combination that does not allow you the flexibility of a sofa and two chairs.

It's best to make a scale drawing of the room and plan a furniture layout on so that you don't end up with items that will not fit in the space. When you look at furniture in the store, be sure to measure it before buying. Some sofas are 36" deep and others can be 42" deep. It appears that you have plenty of space, but a plan will be helpful to assure that you get what you need.

@Carolyn Albert-Kincl, ASID thank you so much for your help! I've been eyeballing everything. I couldn't decide between one sofa and two chairs or two sofas but I think I'm gonna go with the one sofa and two chairs per your recommendation and it seems more versatile as well.

Two sofas will also work. Or two sofas and 2 chairs. With the TV over the fireplace, the two chairs would face the fireplace.

It will look much different with the right color and your own furniture.

Here are my thoughts:

The great room area is too dark with that red wall. An off-white or light warm gray would look nice throughout the open space. Kitchen, dining and great room would look less choppy if it was one neutral color.

The style of kitchen and great room are so different it doesn't look like they are in the same house. When you move in, you'll have a blank canvass and go from there.

So a lighter, neutral paint color and a less traditional great room would make a big difference. And if budget allows, you could update the stone around the fireplace to something like the kitchen backsplash.

Looking at your pics again, you definitely need a paint color with less gold tone.

@Anne yes I agree. I hated the paint color the minute I walked in. But love that the space is so big and the kitchen has such rich colors. Thank you for your input. I'm thinking of going for a light gray throughout as well, I think that will help it a ton. I was also thinking of changing the splash on the fireplace eventually.