Just my two cents -

1. Love the bold stripes on the walls!

2. The drum shade pendant over the round corner table is too small and just a bit too high. I love drum shades, just think you need something larger, in this case, closer to the diameter of the table below. The color of the shade might be a good place to add a pop of color that could be repeated as a small centerpiece on the dining room table and/or again as a decorative item(s) on the mantle.

3. Floor to ceiling drapes, or at least drapery panels installed at the top of wall on either side of the patio doors. Drapes and drapery fabric don't always have to be heavy and/or opaque. Sometimes a generous gathering of "sheers" in an unexpected color can provide the lush look you want without the heavy look of traditional drapery fabric.

4. Since it looks like the fireplace with mirror and pretty mantle are on the same wall with the TV, I wouldn't add anything next to the TV - looks too fussy.

I agree with karen paul interiors above. You need some color, and an area rug might help with that.

Hi Nona, I love your egret art. I would also suggest a window treatment to add softness to the room. Hunter Douglas Luminette privacy sheers are perfect for large sliders and lanais. I have them in my own condo. They are fabric wrapped verticals that have the appearance of beautiful sheer draperies with the function of blinds for privacy and light control. I agree with kpi that introducing some green to the TV wall will help to balance and complete the room.

One more shot...

Wow!! Thanks for the advice to get me started. I was stumped!!!

You don't have any visual "weight" on the TV wall to counter balance the huge painting's volume on the opposite side. Also, the dark bookcase in the kitchen area is "tilting" visual weight that direction.
Your wrought iron and glass pieces aren't visually weighty enough to carry the other pieces in this arrangement and appear to be more suitable for a patio or sunroom. I see another eating space in the kitchen, so I'm questioning if both are used. If you can move the FP (doesn't look built-in) and can connect the TV on the sofa side of the room, I would reverse that part of your arrangement. Here is my solution: Buffet to FP location with the FP mirror and lamps on it - a completed looking dining room. FP with TV above, either at the present TV location or,optimally, on the opposite side. Big bookcase opposite TV/FP location. 3-seater sofa in front of bookcase with 24" walkspace between its back and the case. Loveseat in an "L" facing the view (this will be optimal if you can relocate the TV to the present sofa wall and get the loveseat away from the chandy/dining area.) Notice that the corner on the left of the windows is wider too, so this will make the new arrangement feel more grounded. I'm sure you also see that this plan eliminates the huge picture. If you can't part with it, I would dispense with the FP, replacing the bookcase with an entertainment center to balance the weight on the opposite wall.

Guess I should have given one more important detail...double doors to master separate tv and fireplace, book shelf is down the hall (storage!!!) FP wall is exact size of FP. Thx so much for all suggestions!!

One more

What an absolutely lovely room. You have made a good start, but it is the finishing touches that make the difference.

The color from the kitchen needs to be present in the living room as well as the living room color(green) needs to be present in the kitchen. It is in this way that the two rooms plus the dining area will come together. Small touches, flowers, candles, plants and books will make a big impact. Adding a few of these items to the top of your book shelf will help bridge the gap.

A large rectangular rug in the living room area will help to define your seating area while bringing in more color.

Hang drapes the as seen in the attached illustration. Something similar to these would be lovely: http://www.potterybarn.com/products/dupioni-silk-pole-pocket-drape-select-items/?pkey=cwindow-coverings-by-style

If you do not want to give up your glass table cover it with a table cloth. The chair seats can easily be recovered to add a little spark to the dining area. Fabric similar to your throw pillows would work beautifully, but don't recover the bar stools in the same fabric.

And though it is a little thing a vase of cut flowers on the table will make a huge difference and will take the focus off the chairs.

Hope you will be post updates as you go along!

Hi Nona...I just noticed the large plant in the dining room corner. You may want to try it to the left of the television. :-)

Thx doing that right now!!!! :)))

See your point, does help to define room. But this particular one is probably to big? I think my room is much smaller than it looks in pics.:) plant now blocking master doorway. Sending pic FYI tv console is centered on other side of wall knockout.

Lovely! Especially I love the pairing of the stripey beige walls with green sofas and the contemporary fixture, and I love the Gold Frame of the Painting and the painting itself. I would not hesitate bringing more of it in the room. Perhaps Gold curtains, gold pillows, maybe switch out the coffee table to something really heavy and grounded, and dark, and paint the kitchen walls a very dark black. brown, as well as paint the bar wall the same dark color. Put a black brown area rug under the dining table (or maybe a cowhide) and a new chandelier, can be a shiny drum pendant.

Here are some suggestions:

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Looking at the photo showing all your chairs. Hmmm. By my count there are about 12? The chairs in the kitchen appear to have a casual (country?) look, and they may have (rush?) seats. Wondering if it would be worthwhile to change out the sets of chairs and try a cushion on the seats? Also, what type of table along with those chairs do you have in the kitchen. It may well be you can switch out both sets? I just can't quite tell what you have from the single photo.

Also, how often do you use the bar chairs? If you are not married to them, another idea is to sell them and get a different type of bar chair to add some heft to the area. I guess the solutions are in your feelings about eliminating something of the dining room set or the bar chairs.

Agree with the assessment of the pendant lamp needing to be larger and it also should hang a little lower. I also very much love the egret. I now can see your blue/green mix in pillows. The suggestions of draperies or sheers in a neutral tone would certainly help with color distribution and balance, making the neutrals the dominate factor in the room, then your green second in line and your aqua/blue the third.

KPI love the suggestions. Did not want to make a mistake once I started replacing, needed a starting place. Not married to bars tools thinking black saddleback that could slide under be completely unseen. Also thought about Padmas tall white slipcover chair, big zipper down the back for DR chairs? Can get a pic later. Kitchen has McKenzie Childs table/rug. Yes I know kitchen light needs to be centered :)) waiting on elec. Thank you everyone for your ideas!! Just found out about this website, it is incredible!!!

Divorced and downsized 4000. Sq ft to 1800 total so trying to make everything work :))

These drum pendant chandeliers (to replace the silver one) look easy to put together and you can decide what color you want and whether you want to use a diffuser or not. I think he "Spa Blue" looks like it might be a lighter version of the sumptuous blue in your kitchen - http://www.shadesoflight.com/colored-drum-shade.html

*edited to add - note that the Spa Blue drum shade pendant has a silver lining that would tie in nicely with the silver (mercury glass?) lamp you have at the other end of the sofa.

Love the egret painting. Perhaps adding simple white sheers as janishill suggested or the Luminette sheers that michigammemom suggested. Use dark bronze-ish or even black rods similar to dark background of painting. Trying to repeat that feathery, airy look of the plumage on the egret.

Love your Mackenzie Childs table! Can't see the rug in the pic. I think I would bring some of the wall color from the kitchen into the dining chair seats and give them a pop of of color. I also would add some pillows to the sofa with some of your black accents in them. I think a rug with some blackin it under the coffee table would also look great. You see a lot of the color of your kitchen walls and black and white in decorating magazines now days. Can't wait to see how the pops of color make dramatic changes without breaking the bank.

Consider? Bring the M C table into the living room and the pendant. Buy four upholstered white dining chairs. Spray paint black the iron base of other table and put into the kitchen with the french chairs. Spray paint the hanging light black and hang that in the kitchen. Put the M C rug under that. Sell the four metal chairs and the bar stools. Bet you get a good price for them.



Back to living room: to highlight that great pix over the sofa, get some black in your throw pillows. I don't know your budget, but I'd prefer to see a solid coffee table. I would not have any pendant in that corner as you already have two other hanging lights in view. I like the black end table. Would there be a coffee table in that grouping?

Love judyg's ideas for swapping placement of the glass tables and light fixtures.

Perhaps consider simple "perch", (no back) bar stools similar to these -



Found another option for bar stools - with simple, cream colored seats would tie in nicely with color of fireplace. http://www.homedecorators.com/P/Backless_Swivel_Bar_Stool/110/

Love the kitchen! Sooo fun. The linky-dinky-wink of the base, the hanging lamp and rug make me smile. Good cup of hot coffee in the AM and the l-d-w, must start theday very well. :)

I don't see the whimsy of the kitchen table for the dining area. The walls are more buttoned down and I don't care for the idea of bringing the black and white check into the area. The chairs around the kitchen table are what I thought they were, and again I feel the country/casual look in the living area is too much a stretch, as your other pieces have a somewhat more formal look to them. That is again a similar problem you are experiencing with the 8 chairs and dining table....too casual and more what you would expect in a kitchen or on a patio.

If you should decide to eliminate those 9 pieces, then I would leave the cocktail table as is. The scroll legs of the table reiterate the double-rolled arms of your sofa and love seat...a good link. You also managed to link the "X" motif of your credenza with the end table, l.s. of the love seat...another good call. Should you decide to do a saddle seat on your bar stools, again that will make a nice link with the end table and upholstery arms (all curvilinear)...again, a good correlation.

This lamp (if it's the correct height) could replace the one you have on the table to the r.s. of your sofa, or another that pulls in some of the family of color from your kitchen (and pillows). Possible replacement for your hanging drum. Like picking up the white in the shade of the lamp, the shape of the base as well, and the linen look to blend in with your stripes.

I would paint the walls in a solid tan color first. Then move the love seat to face the windows for the nice view of it and the tv. This would help define the space apart from the dining area. That side of the room is too heavy with all the furniture there. Move the side table beside the love seat also. You also need a rug with tan, beige and some brown or green in it to warm the space.I would replace the picture with something abstract or a big flower picture to brighten the space also. Add a table runner to the table along with a grouping of candles or a small plant.. You also need lamps for the side tables too.

OK - last suggestion. About the TV .....

Do you know if the TV could be wall mounted? If it could be mounted about 10" to 14" above the console, that would be helpful.

You could go to a picture frame shop and have just a frame made of a wide material that is similar-ish to the Egret. Frame would be an inch or two larger than the square of your tv and the frame would simply be fastened directly to the wall.

You can buy paintable cord covers from any Ace hardware store to cover the dangling cords. Once you paint it the same color as the stripe behind it, the covers become almost invisible.
http://www.acehardware.com/search/index.jsp?kwCatId=&kw=cord%20cover&origkw=cord+cover&f=Taxonomy/ACE/12550829&sr=1

I agree to move bookcase to wall behind sofa (with walking space behind it) and loveseat facing window, with back to dining area. The framed egret would hang in hallway. Need a rug in living area to pull all the colors together,including kitchen color. Throw pillows of accent color/print. I don't think the light wood tone of fireplace fits with heavier wood tones of other pieces.

Yeah, mainstreetschool! You're seeing it my way but I never thought about where the egret should go. I'm wondering if Nona could use the FP in the master. Nona, please post pics of the master. We may as well do the whole place while we're at it.