What do you like the most about this room? What needs to stay and what might you be willing to part with?
What is your style? Have you seen something you like to incorporate, or a favourite colour?
You want the room to still correlate to the rest of your home...

Two inspiration shots...?

Inspiration shot...?

Room looks great!! The only thing i would change is the sofas...the purple is stealing the show http://www.homeportfolio.com/listing/early_american-sofas.html

Update the lighting and a new coat of paint especially on the ceiling, maybe a warmer color. I would also re accessorize the shelves and fireplace with more contemporary pieces. Depending on your budget consider replacing or re upholstering the furniture and a new area rug. Love the inspiration shots that mveasey posted. Here is another one.


Hope this helps!

I think my flash made the sofa look purple however they are more dark burgundy and so comfy! I've been called "old world" in my décor. The room feels dark and our entire house has stained wood it would be a huge project to paint the woodwork.

What is the room used for?

I think the wood in this room is gorgeous, and I would not paint it. The shelves are not overdone with an amount of things, but the things are a bit dated looking. Some more contemporary accessories would help. I would lose the brass mirror, brass fan, and other accessories on the mantel and just leave the urns. Biggest change would be an awesome contemporary rug and some coordinating pillows. I agree more pics would be helpful

We mostly use the room for TV. I will show other sides of the room it opens to a formal living space and on bay window side it opens to a bar area and sun porch.

This is the only inspiration photo I found for the den in your ideabook. You haven't said if you want to retain the old world vibe or jump to this one? What is it you like about this photo?

This photo was used for the shades only and it was for my kitchen. I would like to keep the old world décor in the den.

It's a beautiful space, but I'm afraid it has so much furnishings that the woodwork is lost and not appreciated. If you want to update it while keeping the old world look, My suggestion would be to remove many of the accessories, then judiciously put only a few favorites back. On the TV wall I would remove the 2 pieces of art and the thing above the TV. On the hall wall I would choose between the bombe chest and the tall secretary. Personally i would remove the secretary as its not quite an 'old world' style. I think a lighter glass coffee table would lighten that area up, or at least put lighter accessories on it. I would wallpaper behind your shelving with a light tone on tone stripe in a cream color, and remove all the brass accessories, except the fire screen. If you don't want to wallpaper the wood, just use foam core boards and stick them in. I might be tempted to whitewash the brick around your fireplace to blend with the lighter shelving backs. Just a few suggestions.

Also, I would remove the little Windsor chair by the bookshelves. I can't quite make out the bar area but it appears to be sticking out into the hallway? Is there another possible space for that? There's a lot going on on the wall behind it as well, that might need some editing. And the 2 gold chairs hiding behind the couch... Do they ever get used where they are? If not I think I would move them for extras in the dining room maybe? Is that a blind on a large window behind them? I think keeping that open would expand the space. You have beautiful things, there's just so much to take in, and the couches, rug and woodwork are kind of dark... I think they just need some breathing room, and you're dealing with dueling focal points on opposite walls which is tough, no direct view of either TV or fireplace without craning your neck.

cut back on the amount of "stuff" on the shelves and walls

I find this room warm. comfortable and welcoming. I echo what others have said: too many decorative items. Try taking them *all* to the dining room table. Pick half of them for summer-into-fall, put the rest away for next spring. Rotate every six months.

If you have a scanner, you can scan old photos. The images make great screen savers that prompt questions about who those people are from younger members of the family. No need to put the photos away forever, but sometimes it is nice to move them around.

Also I would switch out the mirror over the fireplace for one of your pieces of art removed from another wall. It appears to only be reflecting the opposite TV wall and its doubling all the mantle accessories, which also could use a little editing when you do your bookshelves.

There is no place for the eye to rest in your space. The stuff is becoming "clutter" not "decor." A great weekend project would be to clear the mantel and shelves, putting items in labelled boxes with the titles, Photos, Books, Warm Season Decor, Cool Season Decor. Then put back some of the items you determined would look best in the warm season we're in. Add a trio of photos on each side, but no more than that. They should be layered, as I described yesterday. The secretary and chest sharing that wall are from a different style period and I'd remove them. Would the art above the chest fit above the mantel? It is too wide to be above the chest so might be too large for the mantel. Your mantel mirror might do well hung vertically above the chest in another room. The television and surrounding cabinetry are creating a "black hole" in the room. Is there a closet behind it where gear could be tucked so as to eliminate the storage piece under it and open the wall visually? I don't think anything you have hanging on that wall now is necessary or enhancing anything. The bar might be interesting but we can't really judge from the photos. I think some lighting upgrades are needed. Can we see better pix of the bar?