For paint, try a sample of Sherwin Williams "fortune cookie". It is a very muted peach color.

I was going to offer some free professional advice, but Katsesler covered all my bases and then some! Great advice! I would suggest taking a sofa pillow with you to a Benjamin Moore paint store and asking for help selecting colors.

Katsesler mentioned using the niche as a bookcase. I would second that. Do you have a TV/entertainment center in the room? I'm guessing not, but if you did you could make that your focal point, and I'd put it on the same wall as the niche. You don't need one of those huge wall covering media centers, just a few low bookcases + some pictures on the wall around it. Don't worry about having the back of the couch to the entry, it helps create a second 'room' in the living room.

I also like the idea of having an open bookcase perpendicular to the wall to create a 'screen' at the entry. Be sure to secure it to the ceiling/floor/wall for stability.

I like the idea of choosing a paint color from the sofa and ottomans in another color. The ottomans would provide extra seating and side tables. I think that shelves in the cut out would house a nice collection. The painting above the couch feels out of scale.

HI -- I would get rid of the niche , it's in an odd spot and looks out of place and has no purpose . Putting things in it does'nt do anything special enough to make it worth keeping.I think you need to find a piece of furniture to make a feeling of a foyer. I think it may be worth it to have a small wall built there about two or three feet wide to the full height just enough for a seperation. As for a paint color try Ben Moore " Revere Pewter "HC -172 or "Florentine Plaster " CC 520.

All good advice, with some great suggestions. I don't know the size of the niche, but it has so many possibilities. As already suggested, you could add shelves, I'm thinking glass to keep it open looking, with some beautiful Italian or mid-century glass decorative pieces displayed on the shelves with a small plant, could bring in colors of your scheme and would reflect the light from the window. I like the idea of having an entertainment piece (stereo if you don't want a tv in the room) under the niche to ground it, and also painting or papering the niche to highlight it, you could even mirror the back of it. Conversely, you could paint or paper that wall as an accent and leave the niche in a plain color to set it off.
The idea of an open bookshelf as an entry wall is great, and it looks like you have room for it. I second Malarkey's advice to secure it for safety.
Some nice bamboo shades added to the window and the drapes pulled to the side would be an inexpensive and texture-adding idea, and is versatile in controlling light and privacy. Maybe new drapes in a sophisticated pattern?
Plants add life and color to any room and you have the light.
You do have a good framework to add to, so have fun with it!

Personalized lighting in each "area" that you are trying to create will certainly do wonders and clearly define the spaces that you are trying to create (i.e. small chandelier or recessed light directly above entry door with book case perpendicular to wall on side that opens up to room) a few more grouped in the living space...

Also, an alternative idea to the open book case: I have often seen built in seating near front doors and the organization of it brings more storage space and opportunity for punches of color. You could go with a natural wood or glazed wood version of this.

Actually, dear Fergie, I think you've done a nice job already with the ship in that nook. I'd go with what you've started and center it up on a slightly larger stack of books, preferably about the sea and sailing. Hopefully there's a copy of Moby Dick handy. Then I'd look for a modern mount of an antique print of the ocean behind it -- maybe something printed on frameless acrylic for a fresh feeling play on an old nautical look.

While I'm a fan of a solid fabric on a couch, you've gone the opposite way, but in a good way. It's bold, and I like it. Since your nook is the yellow tone from your couch, I'd pull out one of the lighter blue-greens for the walls.

Next look for a newer approach to your curtains. I think that grommet panels would work nicely, as high as you can go.

I'm unable to see enough of your space to comment on furniture placement; would love to see more photos. Right now the couch wants to be either under the nook or the fish...

Bon voyage! PS -- Your bottle lamp needs a message in it.

Congratulations on your new abode! Not sure if this advice will help since I can't see the wall opposite the window, but I'm going to assume that it's a solid wall and that there is no furniture there right now.

I would move the sofa (and coffee table) to the wall opposite the window. Move the chair to the wall where the sofa was and close enough to the couch to create comfortable conversation. (As it is right now, the chair and sofa are too far apart for good conversation as one will feel that one must shout across the room.)

Center the fish picture on the wall above the sofa in its new location. Look for some brass wall candle holders / sconces to place on either side of the fish picture to balance it more with the size of the couch and fill the wall. The brass will go nicely with your nautical theme.

Place the lovely round side table with the lamp in the corner between the couch and the chair (with some coasters for tea).

As for the niche, treat it as a place to diplay a piece of art/sculpture. The sailing ship will work well. It just needs to be raised and centered (side to side and top to bottom) in the niche. (You can find small shelves designed for holding pictures at tjmaxx, marshalls, places like that. Find a shelf that will accommodate the width of the base of the boat.)

For balance you might choose to place a bookshelf or side table under the niche. The bookshelf height should come nearly up to the bottom of the niche. This will help the niche and the bookshelf to feel connected so that they visually "read" as one unit. Thus, you will not have a "floating niche". If you have a lower table, add a lamp. This will help the table to connect to the niche.

If you can handle bold color, pick the dark navy in your sofa and paint the wall behind the sofa (new location) and the niche wall dark navy. But only these two walls. This will help the room have impact. While keeping the other walls connected to the other rooms to facilitate flow. The lighter color on the remaining walls will help keep the existing drapery connected as well as the lighter rug and wing chair. With these lighter elements remaining, the room can handle the dark navy.

If you're not so good with bold color, find the dark navy on a color swatch and then pick the color two shades lighter. If that's still too much color, or you'd rather remain neutral, find a nice, darker tan and paint the two walls.

I agree with earlier suggestions about placing a bookshelf open on both sides perpendicular to the wall near the door. A lamp on the end of the bookshelf next to the wall would be helpful. Fill the bookshelf with conch shells, green glass bottles, some leather bound books or other nautical items/sculpture.

If you're thinking of acquiring more furniture, I'd hunt for an old leather sea chest or travel chest to put under the front window, maybe even a stackable set of vintage suitcases in your burnt orange / british tan color. Another chair (also in leather?) could really be useful.

Don't be afraid to experiment. It's your house now!

You people amaze me! Thank you for such great ideas. I think I am one of those people who knows what they like when they see it, but can't seem to get started! I am better at taking direction (happily) here. Tell me the truth, the fabric on the couches is revolting? I would also prefer neutral. Are they worth working with? I will send a few more room pics. Again, thanks. This is fun!

P.S. Paint the niche the same color as the color you select for the walls.

Hi fergie33, Marie here. Lots of good advice, however be careful - some commenting are professionals, some are not. Colour advice over the internet? Never - too many factors involved. Go with something neutral - to enhance your sofa fabric and your artwork. Not sure about the peach suggestion. Note: I wouldn't put that bold painting above your sofa - they are both very graphic patterns and currently are competing for attention - move them away from each other. Always best to send measurements of your space with sizes of your must keep furnishings so we can attempt to guide you with a proper space plan - otherwise, its all guessing and you could end up with more furniture and nothing feeling like it belongs. Good luck, and enjoy your new home... PS: The niche is an excellent place to add texture or bold hit of colour. Whatever accent colour you want to pull out of your sofa fabric - paint it on the back portion of the niche to make it pop!

Hi, fergie33, you are getting a lot of good suggestions. I agree that the fish painting and the sofa are currently fighting each other. As to the sofa fabric, a solid is more versatile, but I like the fabric on it now, it could be an inspiration for your colors as Marie suggested. I earlier suggested mid-century glass pieces for accents, but then considered that you might have a more traditional taste. You already have the ship, the fish painting which looks oriental, and the sofa fabric which can go either traditional, country or eclectic. You might think about building on what you already have and going with an Asian/New England traditional theme, inspired by the ship which brings to mind the China clippers of the American tea trade with China. Maybe bring in some Oriental blue and white pottery, or the rust and greens and blues in pottery.
I personally wouldn't like navy as an accent wall color, too dark for my taste, but you could pull out one of the lighter blue-grays or the wheat or gold colors from your couch.
I like the cushion colors you have on your couch, they would be great to include in drapery fabrics, along with the blues. Be sure and post some pics of your projects!

P.S. Michelle had a lot of good ideas, and I think her suggestions about the ocean-themed items are great.

An idea to make an entry. All the above suggestions are great.i agree with ocean theme and beach colors. Stick to neutral walls and furniture and layer in prints and a fun pop color.

Thanks all. Love that book shelf. The room is 20x13. The "large" sofa is 72 in the small 58 in. I didn't want go all out nautical. Maybe younger, a little funkier. Start from scratch to you think? Would you reupholster those sofas? More pics.

Younger and funkier? NOW you tell us. Haha.

Almost all the items in the room are traditional not modern (i.e. not younger and funkier). Even if you re-upholster the sofa and loveseat, they are still very traditional. If they are of excellent quality, you could still consider getting them re-upholstered in a simple, textured fabric which could work with your new desired look.

Now that we can see the beautiful open space you have to work with, another option might be a sectional sofa. I created a lookbook called "younger and funkier". Click on that lookbook and see what you think of some of the gray sectional sofas. I selected those photos based on the photos you had in your lookbooks.

Does anything there appeal to you?