OK, I've done a few looks for you with different rugs and with shades instead of curtains. I suspected the view wasn't great, but you can get shades that admit light and screen the view. (The sheers are a bit too froufrou for a rustic/industrial look, I think.

And gray...

Dark gray sofa would be perfect. Even putting some walls gray, would work. Not liking the lights you show. Go on line with Lamps a Plus, they have some interesting looks. Keep it more industrial. Use reclaimed wood on TV wall would give you a look you are going for. A sofa table in same wood would also work. If bad view bamboo is way to those curtains Are dated. Bamboo hides view & lets some light in. You don't want a lot of light, during the day. Might make a glare on TV.

Grover you have done it again. The gray is perfect. As well as roman shades, on windows. Can u show her light gray walls with teal accent walls. Can u do reclaimed wood on TV wall? You are awesome.

I love the second to the last grey idea. That rug is fab and I think the white/cream helps lighten up the teal.

You might try a stainless hanging light big 30" kind U see in old warehouses.

What city are u in. If in Arizona or California. Living Spaces has great things and not expensive. Also can get delivered in one day. They and other furn stores have interest free for 1-2 years. So better than paying on a credit card. As long as you play off in that time.

On stairs. Take out poles going dn. replace with horizontal Cable. In stainless. Then paint the staircase and wall going up in the gray.

I am in California

Grover is right about area rug. Should be bold print. The ones she posted are nice. But, you need to decide on other stuff first. You are in Calif. You should check out stores, to get ideas. ZGalleries another good place. Then my stand by for accessories is TJMax Home Stores. ikea is also not to be over looked. Just winDow shop. Take pictures of things you like. Show pics to your husband to get him on board.

I'm in So Cal. OC area. If R too. Would be happy to meet with you to start you on your way.

I'm in So Cal. OC area. If you are too. I would be happy to meet with you to get you on the way.

I think your room has such great architectural details: the coved ceilings, the interesting beam feature in the middle of the ceiling. I think you should use the teal you are considering, and paint it the same as the red is painted. This application is what is highlighting the architectural features you want to keep.

I understand why you would like to go with a dark leather sofa because of your young son. I think charcoal, brown, or even black would work. I also like the placement you are using, however you could go with a longer one. Mounting the TV on the wall with a low enclosed accessory cabinet will work. A matching or different coordinating color round tufted ottoman will work best.

You could use midcentury modern chairs in the room. The only suggestion on the drapery would be beige linen type fully closing drapes hung from galvanized piping & fittings. You could also incorporate that material along the stairway instead of the white. Use them closer together than the ones you have for your son's safety. Add a galvanized over sized light fixture hanging from the ceiling. These things will bring in the masculine features you wanted to add to the room.

Add a very large black & white photo of a spectacular archictectural iconic building some where in the room where there is no other focal point. I want to see it!

I agree with teal, but paint room as it is now (keep the white parts). Love reading the suggestions! Nice room.

Do crisp top down bottom up shades in a cream or white and keep them halfway up from the bottom up to allow light in while blocking the view.

example attached

I like Pottery Barn room photos for ideas and their mix of rustic, bit industrial, practical items.

@groveraxle do you mind if I ask how you changed the wall color? Did you use photoshop? I have a hard time making mine look nice and yours looks so good. Any tips? Great job by the way - I am sure that is very handy for clients :)

Yes, One Love, it's Photoshop. I cut most of my pieces by hand with the polygonal selection tool, and I'm pretty meticulous because I want it to look like a real room. There aren't really any shortcuts. Most people are visual--a picture is worth 1000 words--and know immediately how they feel when they see the room. BTW, my only clients are the folks I help on houzz.

Came across this:

Here's some more photos:

And mire:

And more - one without any blue has rustic beams on ceiling - wondered if yours could be gray. Scenery photo - I love the combo of colors...

Wow those are all so beautiful!!! I love the glamour! If it was my choice only I would probably go with (or attempt should i say) something like the photos you show. Once I thought about it more, I don't love the teal with the rustic elements my husband would like.

How about more in this style;

http://houzz.com/photos/17673180

http://houzz.com/photos/7422043

http://houzz.com/photos/5483541

This last photo I think I could incorporate several of these elements. The home is a Craftsman like mine and the colors are soft. My husband actually liked the teal in Grover's pics but I am getting cold feet thinkin of mixing with rustic and teal.

Cold feet, eh?

Hi Grover, I just searched for you under "discussions" and see there is quite a demand for you! A poster (Toby) would love your design ideas and photoshop skills on the exterior of his home. Many thanks...
https://www.houzz.com/discussions/need-advice-modernizing-ranch-house-dsvw-vd~1201075

Love the second one Grover! Is that beige?

Oh please stay with the teal. It does really highlight your architecture in the room

blovebug, I have no idea what specific color it is. I think it's a bit darker than what's on the non-red walls now.

Grover...your ideas are fantastic!!

Thanks for your comments, and I agree, Grover is super awesome! Sandradclark, maybe you are missing the drama of the teal? What about these photos:



I was thinking this sofa (the logan not the beverly but similar to this picture in Charcoal)



Inspiration:



Another inspiration. I would love to incorporate some brass/ amber colors. Maybe some apothecary glass vessels in amber would be so cool.

blovebug, that funky living room above is one of my favorites ever on houzz, BUT it is very hard to recreate. Trust me; I've tried. Everything in that room works together seamlessly, the colors and patterns are just so, and changing one little thing--a pillow, for instance--changes the whole effect.

That said, your room has the windows and molding for it, so if you want to try, I'm game to help.

of course it would be! haha! One of the reasons I chose that photo because I figured it would be easy to re-create but that is one of my main issues with most of the inspiration photos is that I know I don't have the skillz to actually execute these styles and it prevents me from even trying (Ok well, I give it a lot of thought but that's about it). But, with that said, I do love that photo and yes, I would like to try and create something just as amazing but there are always challenges. First and foremost, I have champagne taste on a pabst blue ribbon diet. Second, I have a toddler so my decorations have to be higher and hard edged coffee tables are out of the questions, as are light fabrics. Third is that view out of my windows- it's horrible and I won't be able to fully expose the top or the bottom half of the windows. I'll post a pic from my i phone in a minute.

By the way, what do you think of shelves like this on the wall behind my (future) sofa? I wouldn't have any lower shelves but they would start just about where the eye grazes the top of the sofa:

The shelves are nice. are you going to keep them high enough so your youngster can't reach? Have you decided on the wall color yet. Please, please use teal. That was your initial love.

What did you think of using galvanized pipes for drapery rods? I had a ten foot wide & a twelve foot wide window in my living room and eventually I came up with the pipes as a strong and a cheap method of hanging curtains. Industrial for the hubby. Wires are a great look on stairways, but try pricing them!

I just bought a pair of dark gray drapes called 'Merete' at Ikea for $24.99 a pair. Each panel is 57 X 98. Can't beat that price.

I say this to everyone....an area rug is the foundation of the room. Try to purchase it before any other major purchase. I think leather sofa & ottoman resolves you practical needs with your child. Pick accessories after you buy the big pieces. Paint is the cheapest, so it can be changed fairly easily. Please let me know what you think of my ideas. If I am not making it through, I'll stop advising.

blovebug, we're in luck because that paint in the funky and fun room is identified. It's too late for me now, but tomorrow I will return to your room and see what I can source to get that look. BTW, I don't think the view (or lack thereof) is a problem. We will come up with something to screen the view that works in the space...maybe. As I said, that particular room is awesome and difficult. We'll give it a shot. ;-)

Sounds great Grover!

Sandra, I love those shelves and i love the idea of incorporating galvanized pipes in the shelves. Depending on the height of the couch I purchase, I would have the lowest shelf just above the eye level of the couch when you are facing the couch, entering the room from the front door. i worry a bit about the edges of the shelves sticking out too much and clipping someone when they come out of the kitchen but I can try to keep the shelving narrow to allow space to display but still not protrude out into the walkway as much. Hope that makes sense. The couch will be floating in the room, and there would be a walkway between the shelving and the couch. While I would like using pipes for the drapes- I think the drapes would weigh the room down quite a bit but I can play with it. Shades seem like they would allow the light in but screen the view without being too heavy.

As far as the teal goes, I love the teal but what's the saying about trying to fit a round screw in a square hole... or something like that. I love it for that elegant inspiration room but I don't think it's vibe-ing with what my hubby had in mind. The man loves grey by the way. In fact his wardrobe is made up almost entirely of grey t shirts so he's going to blend into a grey room nicely :)

Thanks for reminding me of the order of my purchases. My instinct is to paint first but I know that's not correct. I definitely need a sofa and rug first- and even the ottoman picked out would be great. I am so impatient so it's hard!

Oh yeah- and the wire for the stairs- my hubby REALLY wants to re-do those stairs but I don't want him to have to tear anything out in order to do it. I am really not sure what would be involved in putting in cables. It could tie in nicely to the industrial flaired room but I don't like the idea of doing major renovation. That said, the stairs are not safe and I know I need to do something. Maybe some kind of hooks at the top and bottom to place the cables between the columns as they exist now?

I do like the light fixtures you already have hanging from the ceiling. One thing you do not need to worry about. You would like to wave your hands & have it all done, bit you know it can't work that way.

Try painting the wall behind the TV a charcoal. Look for a dark leather sofa and ottoman. Live with it awhile. Pick an area rug you adore, but please do not try to change the architectural attributes of this room. It is gorgeous!!!!

not 'bit', 'but'

If you use a gray on the walls, why not teal accents for pillows, in the rug, decorative items? I like a gray couch.

Noticed photo of dining room seems to be a light blue. I once read there are more shades of blue than any other color. I wear a lot of blue clothes and often find various shades just don't look well together. I would think it would be easier to have color flow from room to room if this room is gray.

http://houzz.com/photos/17057760

I was drawn instantly to the teal colour you have chosen, and the big attractive space as a whole, however I was also imagining it with perhaps some complimentary seating that is fun and warm, like a papasan chair, this one by Pier would look fun along with some complimentary accessories and cushions, in our showroom we offer this 100w Arco Floor Lamp http://www.manhattanhomedesign.com/arco-lamp.html sure to add some further brightness to the room, with free delivery anywhere in the US and Canada for that added peace of mind, and to save you some extra cash to invest in knicknacks and curios that show off your personal flair. Good luck :) looking forward to seeing how this room develops.

Love the dark teal inspiration! Just make sure to balance the color with lighter/neutral colors to brighten up the space- such as bright white trim and lighter furniture, such as the couch! Then you can experiment and have fun with accent colored decor.

Not sure if photo will appear. Love this room's rug!

Here is how thinks are shaping up. I bought a grey sectional and rug for the family room. I am leaning towards Benjamin Moore Kendall grey to replace the red but wanted to also try Chelsea gray since it's a bit lighter. Also with the dark gray I have concerns about flow from the front room

I forgot to mention that I am not sure what color to paint the currently cream areas. Some of you mentioned you like the visual break the cream provides. Maybe a greige that I could carry through into the front room?

I plan on buying this light at overstock.
http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Old-World-9-light-Chandelier/2064093/product.html