updated photo

HI -- Nice room and I think what you want to do is is going to add a lot to the room . Perhaps think about fattening up the trims - crowns and baseboards . And maybe a richer wall color. You will know about the wall color when the media cabinet is done . You just have to be careful that the room does not get to look to bare. Keep going it's looking great !

paint the media cabinet black - google some photos of black furniture. I did it to a whole dining room suite, coffee table base, and kitchen island.....looks great....mine was all 80's oak, and it updated it all so well. I also did a black wall in the living room - Benjamin Moore Black Satin.

ggcomforts, in my previous home painted kitchen cabinets black raisin - looked so sharp. Now I want a bright and lighter room.

Umm... I thought we covered all this last week! Are you still undecided?

undecided about painting the media cabinet with chalk paint, and whether blue-grey or old white. Updated the photo to show progress from last week as promised.

I had a lot of Oxford White too.

yes
paint it paint it paint it
great idea
how about a lighter shade of the wall color?
are you thinking about taking the blue gray color from the upholstered chair?
that would work too
and picking out the detailing in a darker shade would be gorgeous

you didn't ask but...
either nothing or something much larger display on top of the cabinet, a big oblong pot of ferns, faux or real, no one will be able to tell up there

a big round center table with the chairs arranged around it

a bigger ottoman for the gold chair, or none at all

rugs...there are so many possibilities...carved chinese? oriental in mid-tones? i definitely see a statement piece here. do you live in a major metropolitan area? check out the auction houses.

paint it and you will love the dramatic change it brings to the room. I recommend you stick to the old white you were mentioning. whatever color you choose... ensure it is light and fresh... cream or white.

cocinera, the blue grey color I have in mind would be lighter and more matte (chalk paint is what I'm thinking) which is also in the large impressionist painting I have in the room. Ditto on the big oblong pot of greenery. Probably no ottomon for the gold chair. Clueless about a rug, but will paint first, shop rug second. thanks for great comments

sbirdi, I'm getting samples of the blue-grey and the old white. It may be easier to get a delightful rug if I go with the white. Thanks!

This might help you decide on a color choice when you consider different elements in the room ::

definitely leaning to paint the media center "old white" and do a slight bit of edge wiping to allow medium wood tone to be exposed. Think that will tie in with the side tables and muffin feet of sofa as well as the legs of the wing chair. thanks so much for the fun ideas!

I think the wood is beautiful and you would ruin it if you painted it. I think you should consider mounting the tv on the wall and getting a small media center to hide dvd player/stereo, etc.

Do you have tips for painting in the style featured above. I'd like to do this to a desk and book shelf in my third bedroom but don't quite know how.

taheisle, I'm just learning about the technique of "chalk paint" that doesn't require prepping. I stumbled on Annie Sloan Chalk Paint (google) and transitioned from there to other diy sites to determine what I wanted to do. I"ve found some suggesting a way to make chalk paint without the big expense and I'm thinking that's what I will do and after painting, glazing with Ralph Lauren antique glaze. Seems there are a lot of options. Hope this helps.

Hello- I think painting it lighter would be a great choice. Also, have you considered painting the interior a different color, to pop through the doors for a little more interest/personality? I would shy away from putting anything on top of the unit, especially plants, just dust collectors. Maybe hang a set of square pieces od art/mirrors that are stacked on each side of the unit, to add to the bare wall.

Everything looks on the warm side in your room with the exeption of the grey/blue chair. Paint the walls a cooler color before redoing the cherry cabinet... Good Luck! ~Natalie

I agree with Kasilia that mounting the tv on the wall and having a low media unit would update the room but the unit is new so we're too late with that advice!

If you paint your big wall unit black, it will look even more monolithic in the room. Painting it white will bring more attention to your trimwork, so if you want to take it all the way, I second lefty47's recommendation to replace it with much more substantial trim.

Regarding rugs, I would not recommend a carved Chinese rug--too formal and they're not being used much these days. Look for a Persian-style rug incorporating your colours and go for a generously large one so all the furniture will fit on it..Go for darker richer tones to really ground the space.

Cynthia, one of the issues is the family room has a direct sight line to kitchen cabinets that are also cream with a expresso glaze. I'm hoping the old white paint on the media center will make it feel less strong and more relaxed. Sure appreciate your views!

Patricia - anything based on the impressionist painting will work - can't go wrong using those colors as I suggested in a previous post when you uploaded the room the first time. It is only paint, so if you're unhappy, do it again!

the new curtains look great. you could paint the cabinet the color of the curtains.

cocinera, the curtains are very close to the wall color and the cabinet will be old white with a ralph lauren antique glaze that will pick up some of the textured flecks in the curtains. I think I'm getting there.

I have very similar unit that I would like to paint.It is couple of years old so it can not be replaced yet(budget wont cover it).I need more contempoary look.
Is that even possible in this case?
I am planing to replace knobs but main thing is painting it.

Plese let us know if you paint it and how did it go.

sandramartina, will do!

Yes , paint it to tone it down ,alternately can you Exchange/Sell it ?

In addition to toning it down I want the room to have a relaxed, casual living sense. I don't know what accessories to bring in to make that happen.

Another idea I am considering is to put two end parts of unit in my diningroom and middle part separately somewhere else.

Does the top come off?....If so I would not paint it because it matches other wood in the room. If the top doesn't come off, then rather than paint the whole thing, how about doing something to the backs of the shelves...maybe even mirrors..

Madeline and erinsean, my original post was 9/2/2012. I've moved on....here's current tv console and added chairs in newly painted room. No art has been hung in this photo, but does show the console that was made from the BIG entertainment center. Thanks for your interest!

What you did is so cool because consoles look so much better as the support for a television, and your paint job looks just incredibly good with your walls and your chairs. In fact your room looks wonderful and really inviting and only art you love could bring something more to it now! Congrats! patriciarhall!