Jan, posting three times isn’t a good idea. Remove the other two posts.

Are you willing to start from scratch? What must you keep?

Thanks Judy....I'm new to this, but will ensure the other posts come down. I need to keep the furniture. with the exception of the dining table and chairs. The art work would also need to stay

Please post a pic of the artwork and that can be your inspiration for colors.

Jan, when you add pictures, add them to this thread. Do not start a new thread, please. You can add them by clicking the "Add a photo" button just below the comment field. It will appear after you click in the field.

Another view from the other thread:

It's hard to give advice with so many restrictions about everything having to stay the same. I'm gonna try:

Dining room:

--Remove your vase and dried grasses arrangement and the items on the sideboard.

--Replace the art over the sideboard with a large, beautiful horizontal mirror to reflect the rest of the room. Add two buffet lamps to the sideboard and a big ceramic bowl or beautiful tray in an accent color--rose or gold.

--Move the chair out of the dining corner to another room.

--Get tailored, patterned, and brightly colored chair cushions that coordinate with your sofa pillows..

Living room:

--Get a glass coffee table to balance out the heaviness of your oversized chairs, which are really too big for that area.

Thanks....great ideas and I will do it. I'm trying to remove the other post, however can't seem to find how to do that.

The color is terrible. Needs more consistency, better art. Probably you should have an artsy friend over for advice.

I know its not great for sure.......lol....that's why I need help

I am new to this too, Jan. I LOVE your plantation shutters and would take down the curtain rods and panels. Could you afford a couple of inexpensive bright rugs? I would buy those if possible and put a great mix of really bright pillow on your great brown sofa and chairs. Maybe a really colorful painted dining table and/or chairs. Sometimes it is so cute to paint them different colors or replace two with garage sale chairs in a different shape. Bring in great color and go to allposters.com for some colorful prints for the frames you have. Make a HAPPY room! Just some thoughts....but,like I say, I am new to this. :- )

The color swatches you have next to the wall look too dark to me. How about a brighter rug under the table, one that picks up the gold in the sofa pillows? You could use a bit larger one anyway.

wow - makes a big difference. I was wondering about using one of the swatches as an accent wall? Thanks to both onabudget and groveraxle for your great advice

Oh yeah, I, too, would remove the vases with froufrou in them. ;-)

Your room already looks warm and cozy, but your dining room rug is really blah. I would replace it. I would also use the interesting vase, but without the stuff in it. The vase can stand on its own.

Put the vase on the sideboard.

I like that groveraxle - That makes a huge difference, provides interest and color and really works. I'm surprised that vases and rugs can be switched around on here. Its great ! Thanks again

I'm glad to get another view of the living room upthread, not to mention Groveraxles' views. So further thoughts:

--Lower the light over the dining room table about 4" or so for intimacy and low light.

--I'm more convinced with the additional photo that a large horizontal mirror over the sideboard, plus a couple tall buffet lamps are the way to go. The mirror would reflect the chandelier, new buffet lamps, plus the window at the other end of the room and add a lot of light to that end of the room.

--I love plantation shutters anywhere. So, yes, remove the drapes in the living room. Do you have shutters in the dining area? If so, then remove those drapes too. If not, then coordinate drapes with a new rug.

--Are those paint samples in one of your photos? If so, I like the brick red, but go many hues lighter on the color strip. Red can be overpowering. I hope some of the Houzz color people will weigh in on this. What's that pinkish stained glass window in the living room to the left in an earlier photo? That has to be taken into consideration if it's fixed.

Lowering the light fixture makes sense ....the stained glass window is fixed and unfortunately was here when we moved in, however it really isn't seen from the living room. Thanks so much for your advice...I sure am happy to have it