is the fireplace painted? if so, maybe it wants a better looking color. pumpkin or plum.

@sophie wheeler, I know exactly what you mean.... I'm not sure how I could introduce faux beams though, because the high ceiling is actually flat (well mostly) and to the right (not shown) is a mezzanine. Ugh!!! I really appreciate your sense of scale Sophie!! Are you in the Los Angeles area by any chance?

Here is the mezzanine...

@vandychick, I'm grateful for your input! I'm moving the pomegranate painting NOW. Also, the little white rug is my dog's :D

Why am I feeling a100 times worse about my house than I did before I posted photos on Houzz? I guess that's what you get when you show your dirty laundry to the entire world eh?

Agree about evening out the built ins on either side but I would do it by adding two open-front boxes on either side of the window on the left. Leave the opening for window but the height of the cabinets could match those on the right.

I'm not sure the tall shaft above the fireplace is helping here. I would paint that the same color as the wall to minimize it.

For the fireplace, I would put a stone veneer on the front and as much of the sides that still show. This may mean having to beef up your mantle some. Or maybe just add a bigger piece of trim on the front and sides to bring it out a bit and make it look like a thicker piece of wood. If you do this, you could also consider taking the stone veneer up a little higher to make the fireplace look bigger. Then re- mount the mantle or build a new one.

Finally, add a major piece above the fireplace like a clock or mirror but with big proportions.

@carolina Try some small things before you get discouraged and overwhelmed. I think your mantel and your room in general could benefit from fewer small items. It's free, so why not start there?
Remove some things and see how it feels. Swap your artwork around and get an idea of what sizes/colors look best. Shop your house and play with different ideas.

Thank you @vandychick! I'm doing what you suggested as I write this and it already is feeling better. You're so right about the small things everywhere, they're completely out of scale! Of course! How did I not see that before? :)

I really love this unusual room! Agree with vandychick that a contrast of blue over the mantel would make the fireplace more interesting. My first choice would be the still life with the pitcher because it blends so nicely, but the large blue art to the left of the niche near the mezzanine stairs could work, too. It's hard to make furniture suggestions without seeing the whole room, but you might consider moving things back from the fireplace a bit and spacing them out just a little more. Not so much as to make conversation difficult, but even a foot or two of horizontal spread might help balance the height of the ceiling. I'd also add a rug with some color, as there is too much neutral for my taste, but I realize that some people prefer that. The fireplace has nice clean lines, and I wouldn't change it. I think some experimentation with the things you already own could get the room where you want it without doing anything major.

I think that is a gorgeous room. I hope you try the larger picture on the mantle, because it picks up both of the colors in your fireplace. If you repeat the blues and green from that picture with accessories (pillow, a throw, some pottery) throughout the room it could look really pretty.

Carolina there is nothing wrong with your room. Even your stuff is OK. My eyes go directly to the various woods in the room and that's what I would change. Simply paint your window trim, and shelving units to match the walls then paint your mantle to match your fire place and voila! I can't tell what material the fireplace is made from but if it can be painted, painting it to match the walls may be an improvement then perhaps your largest art piece should sit on the mantle? Either way, changing your window and shelving colour will have a dramatic effect.

i think the fire place is fine i would add color to the walls maybe earth tones to make the fireplace pop and the room be more cozier. if thats a word. but the fireplace is fine to me.

Ok, so now it's night time and I've moved the blueberry painting over the fireplace....now for the question of faux beams...where would you add them on the wood ceiling if you wanted them? Ideas? Parallel to fireplace wall or perpendicular? THANK YOU ALL for your encouraging comments, I so appreciate your input!

Sorry, here are the new pictures...

Blue painting DOES look better! You are all so right.

Why not try the larger painting just to see what it looks like while you are at it and what about a large, interesting floor lamp instead of faux beams?

Where would you put the floor lamp @blooming planter? I will try the other painting too...btw these are all mine :)

It would really depend on the style of lamp you choose but the first thing that comes to mind is a fishing lamp placed behind one of your chairs as pictured below. If you don't paint out the wood trims, a tall lamp with a large wooden base would also work.

Nice art by the way...

I'm not sure I understand the floor lamp idea. It would be interesting to see. Here are a few other ideas: Raise the blue picture six to eight inches so that it is slightly higher than the window on the left and the other pictures on the right. It's hard to tell from your pictures, but I think the carpet should be rotated 90 degrees to add more width to the scene and to break the line from the couch to the fireplace. Also, I would eliminate the cane chair and replace it with an ottoman of similar weight to the overstuffed chair, and I'd add a pillow to the overstuffed chair that picks up the dark blue in the picture you now have over the fireplace. Personally, I'd embrace the high ceiling. It's a great feature.

@kylegillis, I love your recommendations! I know what you mean about moving the blue painting higher than the adjacent window and other painting. That way it won't look like it's trying to match the other heights and make a bigger statement. I'm not sure about the rug being rotated because to the right of the couch (I know it's hard to see) there is sort of an 'invisible corridor' or pass-through that eventually leads to the dining room. If I rotate it, the rug will be crossing that invisible hallway....does that make any sense? Anyway I've always struggled with furnishing this room because although the fireplace is centered on the wall, the couch needs to be a bit off center....it drives me crazy and goes against my OCD nature!!!

You're right about the cane chair too.... I need to replace it!

Good luck on getting the room comfortable for you. It's hard to tell from the photos, but it might be good to tuck the carpet a bit under the couch so that there is more separation between the rug and the base of the fireplace. Having taken another look at your photos, I understand what you mean about wanting to center the couch in front of the fireplace. Hopefully, you can overcome this issue by arranging the other elements in the room so that they feel balanced. Another trick for overcoming the OCD-perfect-symmetry inclination, would be to angle the couch so that your eye isn't trying to line it up with the fireplace. Or, could you spin the whole arrangement clockwise 90 degrees so that the couch isn't facing the fireplace? The classic couch-facing-fireplace arrangement often feels the most natural, but other arrangements can work well if traffic flows permit.

Carolina, Maybe you could put a color on the walls that the contrast between the Cieling and the walls also with fireplace.

Color of Fireplace Wedding White

Walls Pure White

What a great room! You may want to consider adding some round or oval shapes in your room to balance all the corners and angles -- and maybe a little more light near the fireplace. Round/oval mirror, coffee table or lamps might work nicely. The blue in the painting is fabulous. You might want to pick it up in another spot or offset it with a bright splash of another color.

@kylegillis, I've actually had the couch up against the two large windows on the left, it looks good but slightly awkward....I should probably include pictures of the entire room so you know what I mean... The problem is that I know I will be opening up another can of worms because there are other "issues" this room has. It's endless!!!

I hope the three exclamation points are a sign of enthusiasm for the project rather than exasperation. Without changes, it looks like a comfortable space that has the benefit of actually being lived in. It would be fun to see more pictures, but do trust your own ability to fix what you can fix, and don't hesitate to relax and call it good.

@kylegillis, Enthusiasm is a "strong" word, I would say the exclamation marks are more like "just start already!" I'm eager to change a few things I this room...maybe tomorrow morning I'll be brave enough to add photos of the entire room, but I suspect I will get lots of comments and suggestions that I'd rather not see (maybe because down deep inside I will know they are right!)

I wonder what you think of removing the horizontal wood piece on the fireplace and just leaving that alone? Just so you know, the fireplace is finished with exterior grade smooth stucco... I was thinking of redoing the finish with a lighter creamy color and redoing the hearth, with a simple sealed concrete...

I've jumped threads, haha! Plain concrete render and no wooden ledge would modernise the fire. But on another note, the painting on the right is lovely, and a focal point for me, I also like where it is. I wonder whether any other painting above the fire is just competing for attention. I'd be inclined to choose something else. A pencil or charcoal drawing/study, maybe?

I love very single one of your suggestions! Just as an aside, behind the painting to the right of fireplace is a flat screen tv (it's like a mission impossible secret!). I chose to hide while not in use because I've always hated the idea of making a tv the central focus of a living room. Btw, that's my painting :)

I guess I need to start that charcoal study...haha

Ha ha, sneaky!

There is a lot you can do to modernize your space. However, it depends on the magnitude of change you would like to accomplish, which also depends a great deal on your budget. Here are some easy fixes that will not break the bank.

To create more symmetry, you can try the very good suggestion made previously of rebuilding the right built-in shelf. But another option is to purchase a mirror that is very similar in size/scale (primarily the width) as the window on the left side (just not as tall as the window). Hang the mirror on the right to create the illusion of symmetry, by ensuring that you copy the same height of the window on the left. It should be decorative to complement the space as well.

Paint the entire room (except for the fireplace) in Repose Gray paint color SW 7015 by Sherwin-Williams (or a similar color from a supplier of your choice). The idea is to achieve a modern look by using a sleek color that is inviting but subtle. Personally, I like white for the trim (window casings, baseboards, etc.). However, you may not want to paint over your wood.

Your best choice for such a grand fire place (in my opinion would be an accent color that marries your wonderful wood tones together in perfect harmony. You don’t seem afraid of color (based on the bold paintings in the room… Therefore I recommend that you pick either the green/sage color or the orange/terracotta hue in the painting on the right of the fireplace (and match it to paint your entire fireplace from floor to ceiling). Either one will complement the existing wood tones as well as the Repose Gray paint color in the rest of the space. The fireplace will standout as the focal point of your space. Be sure to upload your “after” photos with whatever you decide to do in that room. It’s a wonderful space!

Hmmmm... I just read the part about the impossible secret! Perhaps that bumps the "mirror" suggestion on the right? Great art work by the way!!!

So, if you go with the painting on the right (concealing the TV)... consider a large round mirror or clock over the fireplace (placed a little higher than the painting).

The rug is too small. By putting furniture on it, everything is too close together. Don't put chair in front of fireplace.

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Again, this is the look I'm going for:

No birdies...but thanks.

Just love the above picture and the size ..but not the fireplace ...
You have some nice artwork ..maybe place a few pieces
Above the fireplace ......
Why stop at just one

Painting the walls on each side of the fireplace and the cabinets in the same color will help to balance the wall. I think that would have an immediate affect and you could build up the left side bookcase later if you decide to. As suggested above, paint the fireplace itself in another color. Here are a couple of ideas for over your fireplace.



You have a great room. Don't get discouraged. It's funny that we don't see things in our own room until someone points them out. I find I notice things if I take a picture that I did not even see in "real life".

Another thought. This may be radical but when you paint each of the "side walls" paint the window trim to match. You can then hang shelves that stretch the width of each wall. Lately I've seen shelves that are hung across windows. It looks surprisingly nice. Also, paint the shelves the same color as the walls. This will also help to balance both sides of the fireplace.

Wow, I've never seen shelves across windows before...they actually look really neat! Thanks!

The look you are going for is great Carolina! You will get there easily with a bit of paint.
Elite's colour suggestions were great. If you don't want to spend a lot of money then keep your wall colour as is and paint the trims to match. The wood is beautiful but clearly not part of the look you are going after. Painting your fireplace and mantle( or remove mantle) in another colour from the same family will really quiet down and modernize your beautiful room.

Progress?

So elegant!

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