I plan on keeping the mini blinds. Uninstalling the top of the blinds looks like a real pain and I like the privacy. The Peace Lily is beautiful! Unfortunately lilies are poisonous to cats so I need something feline-friendly :( Any other ideas for plants?

I don't believe a Peace Lily is an actual lily. I think they're just called that because the flowers resemble lilies. You could look it up.

How about a single pot of orchid? I love the serenity and clean cut beauty of the orchid.




If you plan to put a plant on the console, you may need to remove one of the lamps or remove them altogether and plan a new composition:


If you wish to keep the 2 lamps, a lower ornament, photo frames or plant between them looks better.


Less is more!

Sorry Christine... didn't know you had kitties! Most definitely do not want any plants that could make them sick.. Had lots of cats myself over the years but none ever wanted to chew on plants ... better be safe than sorry!
I agree with bellesum. an orchid would be great on the console table & if there is too much sun in that spot the mini blinds in he area of the plant could be flipped upwards (just a portion of the lower part) during the day to minimize the intensity of the sun. There are lots of colors to choose from & safe for cats. There are many plants that like indirect sun & this exposure can be obtained by using the "flip the blind trick"
Regarding the Peace Lily .. not good for cats! But an artificial one would serve the purpose. There are many artificial ones that look so real. Sometimes florists do carry artificial ones.

I like the idea of a fake plant. Easy to take care of :) I would like to keep my lamps but I could always move one somewhere else like my entryway. There's nothing there right now!

I would keep the lamp by the chair and move the other to the entry. Nice you need one there and I think it is nice to have those that match, especially if the entry and this room can be seen at the same time.

Christina .. fake plants are "safe". A" fake" orchid looks very real because a "real" orchid looks so perfect that it looks fake!

Okie dokie..moved curtain rod up, got new linen-looking curtains, and got sun mirror :) Will replacing one of the lamps with a fake orchid be enough?

Yes, Yes to your questions. The room looks great!

Are you able to shut drapes if wanted to?

LOVE LOVE LOVE what I see!!!

Hmmm........an orchid will be tall and skinny and the lamp is tall and skinny. It just seems like it MIGHT look odd to have two tall skinny things on each end of the table. It will look like the two lamps, only the lamps have more heft to them. If a lamp goes, and I know it can go to your foyer, which I love, I would rather something medium when there instead and with more balk. What? I have no idea!!!

Books with great book ends at each end? Or a great pile of books? A plate propped up with an easel?

How about a bold colored pelmet above the drapes with swags on both sides. A pair of roman blinds with pastel shades will do wonders.

Like the table by the window but don't know if the lamps are working there. They seem to be in line with the upright sections that divide the 2 windows. Could you remove the lamp on the left... then push the lamp that is by the chair a bit to the left but not so much that it will be in line with the 2 legs that are under the table in the middle ... wow.. too many lines.

Take a pic of that so we can see the look.. The orchid may be too much the same height as the lamp.... might look better on the coffee table.. or can the upper shelf in the alcove be removed & an orchid placed on the lower shelf. I think that maybe having only one shelf would allow for placing larger decorative items & making a bigger impact.

Mirror is nice but thinking it should be quite a bit larger considering the size of the fireplace.

LIKE the idea of the orchid on the coffee table!!! And yes, the lamps lined up with the uprights might be awkward. Would love to see those moved, too.

abbyjean .. our posts just crossed with .."the 2 tall & skinny items"

Does the bottom of the console have a shelf or just the frame?

Hey, Leona! Think the shelf has just a frame across the bottom.

Looking good! How about keeping the yellow lamps, add something low in between and add fake orchid to coffee table instead? I think if the shelves above TV could be spaced out a bit (i.e. move second shelf lower and even out extra space between 2 shelves), you could add slightly taller accessories above the TV that might make a bigger visual impact.

Oops my comments overlapped with Leona's that I didn't see earlier on the phone. Sorry.

I think books piled on the left side replacing the lamp would look nice- maybe with a small bowl or decorative piece on top to provide more height.

Looks like our brains are on the same "wave" tonight .. abbyjean & bellesum!

Maybe we could do something a bit more interesting than the fake plant or orchid?
http://www.pier1.com/Capiz-Shell-Peacock/2650537,default,pd.html
http://www.worldmarket.com/product/antique-green-globe-with-brass-stand.do?&refType=4

Like the peacock or something like it that would have the same size & "thinness".

Found this"Room of the Day" photos that had similar colors to what you have. What do you think? https://www.houzz.com/magazine/room-of-the-day-newlyweds-embrace-a-colorful-new-look-stsetivw-vs~29546749

That is a fun room! The lamp has been moved :) I like this larger mirror - would it be better for my FP? http://www.pier1.com/Imagine-Mosaic-Mirror/2820427,default,pd.html?cgid=mirrors

Simple thing like moving the lamp over just inches and voila......perfect! YIKES....where is the throw for the chair!!! Guessing the kitty messed it up and you are putting it back soon......lol.

Now about the fireplace......sorry, but I still just REALLY LIKE the art there. It is the blue that gives the blue in the room meaning....the rug and the throw and just all that. I think they work together. I know there are rectangles there, but your coffee table is not. Items on the shelves are breaking that up. A mirror is just not special the same way that art is.

That mirror is very nice.. has some of the colors in your rug....but wondering if it has dark enough to go with the black fireplace. Says it is almost 36 " in diameter.. how big is the one you have now?

Hey abbyjean.. we were posting at the same time. I forgot about the art! That was a nice piece but the only problem I had with it was the fact that the adjacent shelves (being black ) were taking focus away from the art. Too bad the art wasn't larger .. it could go over the sofa to cover the window.

I got cold :-/ That would have been awesome if the art was bigger. The mirror I have there now is 25" in diameter.

So the new mirror would be about 11' wider.. should be a good fit. Do you prefer the mirror over a piece of art? Got to find a theme for this room, some items that tell a story! Do you have any pieces that you have collected or treasures from relatives?

Hmmm........could you whitewash some wood that does fit over the window and hang the art on that wood? It could act as the frame for the art, too.

A guesstimate at the size of the Pier 1 mirror; I like it.

It does look nice there. And does it have some blue in it? I went and looked at it again. Think you also need one of the tea light holders pictured on that page, too.

This room has come along way, but I still feel that it needs some color.

I still think a pop of color or pretty wallpaper in the alcove will bring life to this room.

Think the mirror would be a good choice (thanks grover) & the gold goes well with your lamp. The pic was nice also but just did not mix with those shelves. What color did you chose for an accent color?

Color and I haven't read all... seeing the largest expanse of wall in dining area brainstorming that 1 or 2 walls painted a complementing color [down the stairs problem] or stencil something so there's interest....might waste time as you're posting more photos

I have no idea what color to use as an accent color..thoughts?

are you aiming for serene as your earliest rugs/posts seemed? How about that blueish [robin's egg?] tone I recall? searched under 'murals' and wonder if a bottom part with mural on top?



dark, but nature

You really really need this peacock from Pier 1 on your console table. You don't need an accent color in this serene, monochromatic space. Just stick with the blues and greens and a bit of gold.

There you go....without even knowing it, you have the right colors that work together. Just keep using them.

Yes I like serene:) I love the beach. The peacock is pretty but my table is 7" deep and the peacock is 14" deep so isn't that too big? The thing that makes my newbie-self hesitant to paint is the drywall pattern on all of my walls ..I have no smooth surfaces to play with!

You do not need to paint. Really.

The peacock is interesting and striking but overwhelms a smallish room with a serene and neutral colour scheme.

If groveraxle put it there, it is good!

Thanks, happyleg, but sometimes I screw up. Like this time. I checked the height of the peacock, but not the depth. Yes, Christine, it's too big. Back to the drawing board...

Painting the inside wall (only) of the alcove is such a small area, that it shouldn't be intimidating at all. I posted a link of a room that had some similar colors of accessories you had already chosen. It also showed an alcove painted. Was it too bold for you? https://www.houzz.com/magazine/room-of-the-day-newlyweds-embrace-a-colorful-new-look-stsetivw-vs~29546749

I don't think I would do a navy wall. I actually miss my painting :) The mirror is being relocated, not sure where yet!

For bold light, without taking up space, have you considered an Arco Floor Lamp? We stock Castiglioni - Arch Lamps like the one in my photo to provide a flexible lighting solution which will look sleek and contempoary against your well polished features. Combined with a shabby-chic white bench with some nice cushions you could create a nice little reading nook, perfect for entertaining oneself on these colder days with a spot of coco :)