Yes, please try the couch facing the tv and the two chairs in front of the window. I love chairs in front of a window and feel it will open this space a bunch. Bring your favorite accent colors in with pillows and patterns as most of the large items are a solid dark color. You have some on the couch....share with the chairs now, too.

As your are finding out, gallery walls are tough, especially with a tv involved, too.

I understand the concern about the rug and dogs or pets, but broke down and bought an indoor/outdoor rug and it seems to be working out well. If needed I can actually hose it off and it is easy to vacuum. Good luck!

This is a room where you could use a large square coffee table and definitely an area rug to soften things up. -add some black or darker colors for pillows to sofa and wingback and lighter tones to black chairs.the wall behind your tv is great!!

Maybe, Thanks for the support about dogs. She doesn't shed, but she did pee on the last rug...we had it 2 years and the dog is 6. Don't know why she did it, she has a doggy door!! Guess I could get a less expensive rug next time...

There are some really nice things about this room, but too many conflicting styles make it schizophrenic. Let's start with the TV wall: nice photos for a gallery wall, but the wall is just too busy. Try moving the TV and console a bit to the right, then edit the photos and confine the gallery to the left side of the TV. Move the wing chair toward the two dark chairs and angle it to face the TV.

I do like abbyjean's suggestion to flip the sofa and the dark chairs. (Watch out for her though; she'll have you moving furniture all day and night!)

I'll check back in the morning with more ideas.

The sofa looks a lot smaller than the chairs. You might try changing the legs if you can and get some a tad bit higher. If the legs work but look odd, get a sofa cover that allows or comes made with a skirted bottom to hide the legs and still have your height. If you can't change legs, then get risers and hide with skirted bottom. I think they make them for more than just beds. I agree with changing places of sofa and the two chairs. You could then separate chairs a little more and use a more compatible size table between them, or one on each side of chairs with lighting ( doesn't have to be the same, just compliment one another). Then do away with the chrome floor lamp. Pillows with a design that mimics the coffee table style( if you keep it) can help tie in the styles of matching chairs and sofa. Move wing back chair closer to sofa once moved and use a side table with an appropriate size lamp to make it cozy. A chair cover that compliments the sofa would help. I agree that removing photos around TV is a must. Move TV over to the right. Narrow it down to your 5 favorite family photos, group them on one side (I'd say left ) of TV, then hang the two artwork pieces together on right side. Better yet take three pieces,make or buy the same size and hang uniformly along/above TV. Put the clock in different room. If you need one in the room buy a small and cute one you can place on a side table. Paint the white cabinet. Do it in two tone colors, insets on doors and drawers a color lighter than the cabinet color, or just do it on the drawer fronts. You could even change the hardware. A rug, even with a dog in the house, is worth having. It makes all the difference. Just make changes to furniture first so you know what size works best. You know either the furniture sits all the way on the rug, or rug lays just up to the front of furniture. At least that's what Ive been told. One last thing, take the basket off the top of the black bookcase, and pottery off top of white cabinet. Hope I helped and not hurt you with my suggestions. : )

Sounds good to me, I wish I had pictures of how it looked before my husband decided he wanted to add his input...I had a light sectional which went well with the floor lamps and the coffee table. I had a large rug with wavey multi color stripes! Well everyone who came over loved the look...now I hate it. I do love lots of family pictures, but it seems from all the feedback it's not for everyone...lol. I Have a friend who is a professional artist who likes my grouping. Thank you for the advice, it's given me a lot to consider.

One more thing, the black chairs recline so placement is hard as the room isn't very large.

This is how it was before

Oops! Pics did not attach and I would love to see them.

Looking at your last photo, I see a blank hallway wall. You could move your photos from around the tv area over to there.

Can a new home be found for the tall dark bookcase next to the window? It creates a dark spot and crowds the drapes.

emily, as a nonprofessional artist, I also like your grouping, you've done a great job of choosing photos and frames, but it's just too busy on that wall. I would like to see the photos in a grouping of their own without the TV as part of the mix.

Think Auntqueenie is right, we need to make the sofa taller. There are good slipcovers out there.

I'm Trying to upload old living room pictures

OK, let's play "move the furniture", (definitely one of my favorite games). Dark bookcase out, sofa swung around and the two chairs in front of the window, as Abbyjean suggested.

One more try...

I like that game, too! grover....are you playing???

abbyjean, I'll have to forgo the game today, but I'll come back later to see who won. I expect it will be YOU!

Alright, we will see you back here tonight for drinks!

emily....do you have a way to move furniture around today? Just to play?

No, not until the weekend. I have no idea where all my uploaded photos of the old living room went...oh well they are somewhere lol

Do you own furniture sliders? My best friend gave me a set years ago so we could play our game!

PS: Think the room would benefit from taking the vase down from the top of the white armoire. Place it on the coffee table next to the turtle.

Good idea about the sliders, I actually have some under the sofa legs right now! Vase shouldn't be up there anyway because I live in California...lol!!!

Is that photo shop? Love that!

I just realized that wing chair is paisley, so the black and white pillow may not work. But I think your best bet to pull this room together is to limit your palette to black, brown, and white. I'd do a plain sisal or jute rug with some texture, and black, brown, and white pillows and accents. Make them bold and graphic. They have to hold their own against those big ol' man chairs.

Photoshop Elements, Photoshop's skinnier (and cheaper) cousin.

Groveraxle,

Can you continue to work your magic and take that dark table away from between those two dark chairs. Having a little more light between them would help, I think.

Add light toned baskets and books to that dark bookcase... I have no idea how much work I am asking of you!

well, if we are asking for Halloween favors, how about we ask grover to move the furniture, too? Can you lug that couch over where the chairs are and drag the chairs to the windows? I have treats for when you are done!!!

Why not?

The rest of us need an online course in photoshop!

pcmom and aj, you know I can't move furniture! Truth is, I already tried and the sofa and chairs are not positioned correctly to be flipped in Photoshop. So we'll just have to wait for Emily to do it, I guess.

Ok, ok I get it... I'm Going to change everything! It would be easier to do on photoshop to see if it fits that way. I knew things were too dark that is why I'm asking for help. Hubby has cancer so I need friends to help me move furniture. I Thank you all for the feedback and will take all to heart and make changes soon. Keep sending advice cause I do appreciate all the help I can get. We don't want to spend what's left of our time together in this mess...
Thank you Happy Halloween

Oh, Emily! HUGE hugs for you and hubby! We are here for you!!!

Thank you Abbyjean, I appreciate that.. I'm trying to move things right now! At least pictures, he hates change, but it needs some...lol!! Again thanks for all support.

Ditto the hugs! And your home is far from a mess as it is now! Of course, there are always tweaks all of us can do.

Emily, I am so sorry. And your house is definitely not a mess. I am guessing those dark chairs are super comfy and he likes them facing the TV. So let's leave them there and just tweak the colors, brighten things up a bit, ok?

Thank you for that, just didn't want to look lazy by not moving things. He wants to brighten things up too!! I used to be good at decorating but you're right he likes the "chemo chairs" as he calls them... We/I still want it brightened up, I just can't think about how... I'll do what is suggested so keep throwing ideas please!!! You all are great wish I had come here sooner...

To brighten things up add a bold pillow to the peach chair, some patterned drapes and a cream colored rug (dogs as they get older need the traction!).

Check out World Market online for drapes and head there and Pier One for pillows. Maybe just a couple more bright things for the coffee table and bookcase.

How do you like the new rug?

You got a rug????? Cannot wait to see it!!! FUN!

Your picture didn't post.

I don't know where they are going??? I upload add comment hit submit but they go away!!!

I even tried posting on before and after, but nope, not there. I want to share but can't...lol

Hi Emily! You are getting advice from some of the nicest talented peeps on Houzz! Thanks you for your grace and courage to share so personally and allow us to understand your needs. Keep your man comfy and content!!

I have had similar trouble with Houzz and photo uploads. It helped to close the app. Even had to reboot my iPad at one point. All was well after that.

Thank you:) I will try again.

Still nothing

Wrong picture, do you like my invisible rug???

I give up for now