Why does the dark trim need to stay? If it were painted white you'd bring the room to life instantly. Then you could paint the room a nice color of your choice. Also painting the bookcases would brighten the room. Then again I'm a fan of white woodwork. The blinds are way too dark and I'm sorry, but they need to go also. Now that I've made recommendations you didn't want to hear, I'll say so long and hope others can give you better feed back. LOL

Being a career artist, I think a lot better with pictures in front of me, and I communicate better with pictures, as some folks around here can tell you. First, I'd like to post your own pictures here for you:

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This makes it easier for everyone to see your pics and to talk with you, and we have some great folks here (and Bru, above, is being humble as she has awesome taste).

I think you have, from what I can see, a wonderful, charming house. I think that with a few adjustments that space could be really pretty. And I agree with you, it definitely needs a more feminine touch.

It appears you own a Craftsman home? Lucky you! I can see why you would be nervous about messing with the woodwork if it's original to the house.

Still, I have to say that if it's going to be wood colored, I'd be a lot more inclined to save it if it were very pretty like these...

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Now all I'm seeing is some little pictures on the computer, so I don't know if the colors and tones are accurate in your space -- between your camera, and my monitor.

You asked us to show you how to lighten your room up, then you told us that all the dark elements in your room "have to" stay, if I understood you right.

Bru is correct, those old homes look *stunning* with white woodwork and colored walls...

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They even look very pretty with pastel colored woodwork...

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Anyway, you already have white walls and it doesn't get any brighter than white walls. It can get warmer, with a warmer white or yellow/gold, but for light, you're there already.

You have a light-sucking colored carpet (on my monitor). Can it go?

You have a strip of carpet in front of the sofa that is heavy and dark. Can it go?

You have very dark, heavy masculine furniture. Can it go?

You have very heavy window treatments with those blinds. They would be the first thing I'd get rid of. They're killing your light factor and they don't even begin to go with the style of your house. If you must retain that dark woodwork I'd opt for lace curtains.

You have very heavy dark wood trim everywhere. Can it go?

Your fireplace brick is very dark. Can it go? Or be covered up somehow? Or be lightened a little with a wash? Or be painted? Or be tiled over? Or put marble over at least part of it?

You have a humungus television set that would be better in a basement if that's possible, or sell it on Craigslist and get yourself something smaller in a pretty cabinet. Can it go?

You're going to have to break a few eggs to make an omlette, if you know what I mean. You need to decide if you want it light. If you do, something's got to give... and the more of those things that give, the lighter the area can get.

I also truly understand and respect your desire to retain the original finishes in the house, if that's what is on your mind. But maybe in this case it's not a good idea.

Oh, and I think your room really cries out for a large potted plant, perhaps a palm. Several smaller real plants in there would help soften it up too.

I also think I'd group all the child pictures together on one wall in a vertical and horizontal grouping, rather than spreading them evenly thoughout the room.

One more thought, if you're a visual person like me you might enjoy looking in our Gallery. Three threads there come to mind for you... the Living Rooms thread, the Dining Rooms thread, and the Cottage Decor thread. They have hundreds of gorgeous pictures in them for your enjoyment. You can find your favorite pics, save them to your hard drive, and then use them as guidelines to decorate your own house.

We're here for you and we're on your side. We want you to have rooms that you love, that make you smile and feel good. Well, this is what's in my head right this minute. What do you think? Did this help? I hope so!

I think others will have some good suggestions too. Please, just tell us some of the heaviness can go.

Here is a link that might be useful: Our Gallery

Here's a suggestion that might seem counter-intuitive, but here goes...

I see your major problem not as "lack of cheeriness" but as too much contrast.

Your major elements -- sofa, woodwork, blinds, fireplace -- are rich, dark colors. They are placed against bright white walls. Rather than make the space brighter, the white walls are causing a great deal of harsh contrast.

What if you painted the walls a warm green? I know you think this will make the room darker, but in reality it will warm up your space and pull your pieces together.

I absolutely agree with mclarke about the white walls being a big part of the problem. Take a look at the SW Arts & Crafts palette. You'll find some richer colors that, when combined with the woodwork, soften the entire look and tie it together. We have almost the same color trim as yours and we have all wood framed furniture. Our living room color is SW Hubbard Squash - it's a wonderful color.

I absolutely would not paint the trim - it will most likely lower your home's value to the community that values original craftsman/bungalow homes. I think your furniture is great in your room. Please please please do NOT consider painting your fireplace (I'm going to start stripping the paint off our brick today and I will be refraining myself from cursing the previous owner who did this!)

I would, however, change or remove entirely the wood blinds. As you sew, if you go with an ivory colored muslin or linen cafe style curtain only, you'll be able to open up your living room to natural light but still have privacy. The photo showing your fireplace with the 2 windows (no curtains) looks so much brighter than the other photos with the blinds. Try cafe curtains - you can stencil them, too, for some added color and to tie your colors together.

Last of all, I would remove the carpet. I think if your natural wood floors are allowed to shine, they also will brighten your room. I just took some pix of our living room, but I can't find the cord to hook to the computer (DH put it away somewhere). I'll post our pix when the cord surfaces.

Just for fun, check at your local library or bookstore for bungalow books. You'll see lots of pictures with decorating ideas.

As mclarke and others have said, I would change out the white walls for a color that gives less contrast. It needs to be a color that goes well with the trim - maybe a creamy yellow (buttercream)?

But before you do that, I would spend some time editing the furniture and rearranging. I would try to come up with a plan to get the TV away from the fireplace. Yes, your husband is going to huff and puff over having to reroute the cable, but really, it isn't such a big deal. And what about side tables for the sofa and loveseat? I see a sofa table by itself taking up valuable wall space and a square table serving no purpose off in a corner, but nothing on either side of the two seating pieces.

I will state the obvious because no one else has said it yet: if you want more light in a room, put more lamps in the room. I see a torchiere, a table lamp, and an overhead. Disregarding the overhead because the light tends to be harsh, that takes you down to two lamps. That is not nearly enough. I have five lamps in my living room. Your torchiere should be larger with two or three bulbs to throw light up on the ceiling. You could have uplights tucked in plants and turned on with timers, spotlights on a photo array - all that in addition to table lamps next to the sofa and loveseat, which is where you need them.

And just one other idea to throw at you: have you thought about flipping around your living room and dining room? The dining room might offer you a better arrangement of your furniture - sofa under the windows, loveseat against the short wall, TV opposite the sofa. Add a couple side tables, add some lamps, and you are on your way.

I agree that the TV should move to the longer wall. Right now it dwarfs the fireplace. Can it be moved?

You might also consider grouping your artwork closer together.

Right now the four pieces are so far apart, the space between them lessens the impact of the group.

Can you mount the four pieces in a square?

In this configuration:

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The house was built in 1928 and is a bungalow style home.Here is the skinny on why certain things need to stay. If it just up too me so many thing would be changed in a blink of an eye. Okay, that humango TV has too stay (a purchase that my husband did not consulant me about)but I would love to move it away from the fireplace. Unfortunately , this is our family/living room. I had already suggested painting the trim but was shot down by dear hubby. He says it is a lot of work and his concern was the inner trim where the windows are. He is afraid of sloppy work, getting paint on windows, windows getting stuck from paint(which has happened in the past). The sofas need to stay due to my 4 lovely children who seem to suck the newness out of thing immediately. Naw, I am just going to wait for another 2 years till my youngest turns 4 to replace those things. Now for the blinds. I really don't care for them either but at the time I was really having a hard time trying to come up with ideas for style and privacy. I didn't want every one see the big man TV from outside. LOL! Guess I went the wrong way on that but they were expensive so I really need to sell it to my husband in order to get rid of them. Or maybe I can sell him. Just kidding. I would love to get rid of the carpet!! I don't know what I was thinking at the time we had the rest of the floors refinished. My daughter, 7 now, was just born and instead of thinking of all the dirt that darn thing would collect even after vacuuming I thought that it would be more comfortable for her to crawl on. Like I said I was not thinking at the time. I really don't know about painting the fireplace, that one scares me, but I know that brass has to go. I hope I don't sound like I don't want to change anything but I really do. Your suggestions are very valuable to me especially seeing the talent around here.

Can you take more pictures of the room, so we can see all 4 walls. I think the arrangement of furniture needs to change to replace the tv (since it has to stay). Can you reuse the wood blinds, at least the bigger ones, upstairs in a bedroom? Warming up the walls will definately warm up the woodwork, there is just too much contrast. Did you ever consider striping the woodwork. I know (because i did it 18 years ago) its an ugly job, but I did it because my home was 90 years old and the detailed woodwork was gorgeous underneath the layers of varnish and paint. In the end it was well worth it.

While I am very much a "gold" person, have Blonde myself, I am going to concur with mclarke on this one.

I think green would look very nice with your wood and will warm up your room rather than fight it. Then plants like oceanna said. Do what they suggest when planning a garden. Have different shades and tones to the greenery, cool and warm. It will create some depth to the room.

You already have suggestions for things to change. If you will be leaving most things as they are, just keep the blinds tilted upwards but open a bit. It will provide light but still give you privacy.

Hi momee23....First, let me say that you have a beautiful home. I read all the responses and think that if you were able to change alot, the suggestions sound wonderful. However, if you are like me, and can only change some things, I would start with painting the brick a creamy color on the fireplace. Get rid of the brass fireplace door and add a nice screen. Also, I don't think the mirror above the fireplace really goes. Look for a nice picture with light tones and maybe a splash of color. If you have to keep the woodwork dark, and your sofa's are brown, why not gear your color towards the brown, cream and white category? You can refinish the floors (and get inexpensive throw rugs for the kids to play on), add some white pottery to the shelves, cover some books with white paper and stack some on the shelves, take down the curtains and open up the blinds (like on either side of your fireplace), group the kids pictures together on one wall and definitely move that TV to the bigger wall.
Sorry for rambling because I know nothing about decorating, but when I see pictures, I always think about what I would do to decorate if I had that space! Good luck!

You have a ton of great suggestions above, but if you have to leave the furniture as is, I would at least move the loveseat up to meet the couch. Right now your front door opens right into the loveseat. You are forced to walk through the couches. If you move up the loveseat, I would put the sofa table under the window and you can have a little foyer area. Then you walk around the couch.
Then put that little table in the corner between the two couches. Also, you can put some sheers straight across the blinds so they're not so dark or I would at least hang some panels on the sides. Possibly off-white linen if you paint the walls green. You also need bigger art. Group your kids pictures together to make a set. Add a few lamps on the tables. Get a bigger mirror for the top of the fireplace in silver and spray paint the fp doors in silver also. You can also add a colorful rug (bigger 5x7).

The only green color I thought of using was Tobacco Road but never really considered green. Thats a thought. Of course, I need to start all over looking at paint colors again but thats fun. I want to replace the mirror over the fireplace with art, what would you suggest as far as shape? You have all been so helpful.

Everything I was going to suggest, Oceanna already has . . . and more. Her suggestions are wonderful IMHO. Hope you can use some of them, if not all. You've definitely got a wonderful home to start with. I'll be anxious to see it when it's finished.

Most likely your home has a basement, right? If so, it would be very easy to re-route the wiring for the TV to the other side of the room. The blinds can stay, but OPEN them for more light. I see a pretty gold in your room with draperies from the plaid that you chose and pillows with the floral. As for the FP, you can quickly brighten that up. I did mine for less than $1! I used VERY diluted acrylic craft paint from Michaels and brushed it on. It doesn't look like it's been painted at all, but really brightens up the dark brick.

Here is my pathetic attempt of a markup of the room. Maybe that can help with ideas for rearrangement.

I don't suppose you can convince :) your husband to sell that tv and trade it for a flat panel for above your fp?

Another chime in for "nooooooooo, don't paint that woodwork" :) (I'm an old house person and would LOVE to live in a bungalow with original woodwork. So your hubby's laziness concerns about painting are A-OK!)

I'm also going to join in to the chorus of "Paint Those Walls A Darker Color"! Most major paint manufacturers have an "Arts and Crafts" line or something similar, and you'll see the types of colors that work well with the woodwork. Brown leather and the like fit right in to the "modern bungalow" look. That fireplace/window setup is absolutely classic.

Someone suggested Hubbard Squash as a paint, which is gaining cult-like popularity among bungalow owners - for good reason. For example:

(That is NOT my house. Oh, I wish it were :) It's from here. Actually, the whole House in Progress blog might have some good inspiration ideas.)

Move the TV to the wall where the sofa table is.

This is easy. Run the cable (using wire staples) up around the molding over the door opening to the dining room.

You can convince your DH to do this if you point out that the big, long sofa will then be facing the TV and he can stretch out and watch TV, LOL.

Also, you need a coffee table. Tell your DH that he will need someplace to put his feet up. Get a nice sturdy oak mission table, it will fit right in.

Put the "random table" next to the long sofa and move the table lamp to it.

Remove the sofa table altogether, it serves no purpose.

Your DH is right about not painting the woodwork. Original 1920's oak woodwork is a plus when selling a house.

Unless it's chestnut, which is even better. Do you know what kind of wood it is?

Wow.. so many suggestions. I feel silly offering mine but I feel pretty strongly about some of them.

I think your room is charming and has a warm family room/livingroom feel. Being that it IS a family room, it definitely has to meet all family member's needs. As much as that huge man tv sucks up space, I recognize that it has to stay (or be traded for a flat screen-- but I really don't think it belongs over the fp.. but if that doesn't bother you, it would solve some space/organizational problems)

I don't think the room is as dark as it is claustrophobic. You do have a lot of space but things seem to be really crowded around the fireplace. The TV is a big part of that.. revealing the open shelves behind the tv and around the entrance would open up the space.

I am with those who suggest not painting the trim-- or the fireplace. You could use some craft store acrylics to bright up the brick if you are inclined but I think the red brick is part of the charm of the room.

I am not a big fan of the carpet but I think a bigger issue is the runner in front of the sofa. A throw rug in a larger size would give the room more boundary. I know others will disagree with me but I wouldn't go with a light color throw rug. I know you are trying to lighten the room but I think a red tone would bring everything together. I would choose a red that is cheery and a design that has some gayiety to it (if that makes sense). Removing the carpet and refinishing the wood would be a GREAT plus-- if you can't do that now, definitely keep it as an option for the future!

I also agree with the contrast being an issue-- I'd suggest a gold or green to work with both the rich, dark wood and to brighten up the room a bit. I am probably going way too far out on a limb with this suggestion, but as much as I very often lean to a silver green or brown green, I'd tend towards a yellow green for your room. I'd love to see a limey green but that's probably way too bold for your traditional style. Maybe more of a light pear?

(sorry, I have to be quick now-- I just got a work page and need to close this quickly)

I don't love the dark blinds-- but I understand the position you are in. I think a softer fabric treatment on the windows would help.. I'd do floor length light drapey material. I'd stick with something with a linen type look to go with the organics of the room.. silk would be nice and would reflect light but I just don't get a silk feel from the room. I'd stick with a neutral organic color too-- but select the curtains after the wall color and rug. I'd think a natural or light taupe would be great but it will definitely depend on the other colors.

I also agree that in addition to a furniture move, you should cluster the children's pictures-- and maybe add another piece of artwork with some color and brightness. Go for FUN.. whatever fun is for you-- ocean, bright flowers, children, dogs..whatever strikes your fancy! I'd choose something with browns and/or reds but with a happy emotion to it.

Hope this helps-- and sorry to be quick. Work has pulled me away from my own decorating-- so not a surprise that it pulls me away from yours as well.

Your house is cool! I know light and bright is the current trend, but seeing as to how much of the dark elements need to stay, you need to do a Warren-Buffet and go the other direction of what is currently popular.

Forget light and bright and go with dark and rich and dramatic (or cozy). Next time you are at your local bookstore, look at decor books that show bungalows, or Craftsman houses, and you will find much support and inspiration in those pictures.

IMO, the plain white with dark heavy trim only really works if A) it's a rental and you are stuck with it, or B) you are going for a spanish colonial hacienda look. Dark heavy trim BEGS for rich color. It doesn't have to be dark color...just rich :-)

Good luck, and I know what you mean about the "man TV". I had to hold my ground and refuse to buy our flat screen bigger than 42 inches. I wanted smaller, he wanted as-big-as-they-can-come. And he's got better than 20/20 vision! Then again, maybe he was trying to recreate some special move-theater time in his life. And I squashed his dreams.

I'm like that.

Joanna

SW Arts and Crafts palette has a color called Ruskin Room Green (SW 0042). It looks to be a warmer green. I put the small sample next to a few pieces of dark wood that I have and it looks very nice.

Okay, so now hubby calls me and asks if I want to paint the ceiling? I didn't really think about that but if I paint it to match the wall color it would make the room smaller right? Also, it has the popcorn ceilings. Something he did a few year ago to hide imperfections. Would you remove that? Maybe knock down texture? Also what about crown moulding? Do you think we should remove it and add some on the top instead? Sorry guys, I am full of questions. Thank you so much for that blog! It led me to find another forum "American Bungalow".
Here are some pictures I took removing the blinds and adding the pilllows with the fabrics and colors I would like to use.

Sorry about the blow out with the windows

Another vote to switch the TV down to the other end of the space! What a HUGE difference that move will make to the whole room!

I vote for Sherwin Williams' "Eminent Bronze" #6412) for the walls.

When you visualize your room, picture it with just what is necessary. The sofa, loveseat, the TV. Picture it with absolutely everything else removed...all the kids pictures, the rug-runner, the lamp(s), the odd tables, etc. Now....don't think I'm nuts here, but tho the fireplace is a focal point, do you ever actually use it? Only asking since your DH doesn't want to reroute cables (tho as suggested above, up and over the doorway would work) - okay, here goes.....what about putting that honkin' huge TV smack dab in front of the fireplace opening? Once you've finished giggling, think about the possibilities!! Now, would the sofa fit on the where the sofa table is, the loveseat right-angled to it, with the random table in it's corner, with an appropriate sized lamp. Add a coffee table. Now you have room in front of the bigger windows for 'whatever'.

I love the fabrics you pictured. Those surely would add some brightness. I'd do the plaid in the front room, and the floral in the dining room - maybe put the same plaid on the dining room chairs? You KNOW those dreadfull window scarves need to go and I see just simple side panels for the windows, leaving the fireplace windows free. Put a fun, sizeable piece of poster art above the fireplace, put all the hanging photos to the right of the door (as you enter) and take all the snapshot photo frames in another favorite spot. Dress up the bookshelves with fun colored pottery, covered books, etc. in the colors from the fabrics. Tilt the blinds so more light comes in, ditch the torchier lamp, does the sofa table have some value? Could it be cut down to coffee table height until you find what fits? Finally, the walls would be a soft to medium gold from the fabrics, or second choice, green. The mirrors serve no purpose - could they be used somewhere else? If the sofa table has some value, could that go in front of the bigger windows, with a lamp, a plant, and maybe a few of the framed photos.

You're right - it needs brightness....and it can be! Paint, fabric, re-arranging, and thoughtful accessories would get you going in the right direction. Have fun with it.

It might be chestnut. Hard to tell.

Many craftsmen bungalows used chestnut trim in the 1910s. At the time it was cheaper than oak. It was often called "the poor man's oak."

Then all the chestnut trees died in the great chestnut blight, and suddenly chestnut woodwork is worth a fortune!

No crown molding. The molding you have, which unfortunately has been painted white, is called "picture molding." It was used to hang pictures from, with special hooks and wires.

I'm off to find a photo of picture molding in use...

BRB....

Still looking. In the meantime, here's the green I meant, and a book you might want to buy

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oh, I like that pear green idea of Funky's with those fabrics!

I agree with moving the TV. You can always pull your blinds up during the day, and still have a cafe curtain on the bottom half of the windows during the day. at night, when man tv is on, you can pull the blinds down. no one has to know they go all the way down...

I've seen those blinds on a lot of older craftsman bungalows here, and they work well with the updated craftsman look. dark trim, brown colors with rich accents. EK's Cognac might be nice in there, too, with your trim color.

I agree with moving the pics into a nice grouping and putting a nice piece of art above the fp.

The room has great elements and you've gotten great advice as far as the challenge being the contrast and not the light ness factor of the room. Stark white is very hard to work with unless it is an adobe or design that calls for it.

Pick battles with DH carefully and if you can get rid of popcorn, yes, but I'd pull for the TV move first:-)

Irish-sc, the fireplace does not work, so that does give us some options. Don't worry those window scarves are not staying! The sofa table isn't valuable so I could consider working with it. Here are some paint colors that I worked with in photoshop, although I am sure they don't even look that way in real life its fun to play with.

Here is Hubbard Squash SW

Found it! Picture molding is highly desirable in a bungalow, since so much of it has been removed because people didn't know what it was for.

At some point you might want to consider taking it down, stripping the paint off, refinishing it and putting it back up. It's historical!

As you can see, there are two ways to hang a picture -- one hook or two, although I think getting the picture straight would be a PITA if you used two hooks.

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You can get the hooks at many restoration hardware sites:

This one is from the Victorian House of Hardware:

Mclarke, thank you so much for the interesting info. Hubby will get an earful of info when he gets home. I will make moving that TV a priority though. Is there a pear color that anyone would recommend I take a look at?

Definitely keep the picture molding - even if you're not ambitious enough to strip the paint from it.

You see some really neat effects painting above/below picture molding. Painting the "lower" walls darker and the "upper" walls a lighter shade (like 2-3 steps "up" the paint strip) can visually raise the ceiling. Or even paint above the picture molding to match the ceiling, if you choose to paint the ceiling.

The house really is great, and the pieces you already have can/will work (even the blinds, as decorpas stated) within the philosophy of a bungalow house. This is just the fun part: shuffling it around until it all clicks!

Picture moulding will stay. It is in every room except the kitchen and bathroom. I would never have know what it was for. I am going to head out to the book store for info and inspiration.

"Mclarke, thank you so much for the interesting info."

You're so welcome! I had an arts & crafts home until about a year ago. It's nice to be able to pass on some of my hard-won learning, LOL!

Has your bathroom been restored/renovated? or are the tiles and fixtures original?

I'll repeat my suggestion to flip the living room and dining room, but if that is a no-go, then a false front to cover the fireplace and putting that honkin' TV in front of it would be my choice. I did it in an "impossible to decorate" room once and it worked out really well.

Momee23 - you're poor husband....what a wealth of info awaiting his arrival!!

No - don't let this "brightness" idea involve the ceiling! Leave sleeping dogs lie.

I'm loving the way you're playing with the paint tools. Here's my 2-cents: Hubbard=too light!!, Eminent Bronze=getting there, but maybe a bit too muddy?, Blond=NO, Pear - very nice. Can you continue to play with some more colors? Try these SW: Greens = "Artichoke", "Melange Green", "Parakeet" - and golds: Try "Alchemy", "Bose Pear" and "Honeycomb".

Only you can tell how they go with your fabrics and either how dull or contrasting they harmonize with your existing carpet (I know, I know, "someday" it will be torn out. But, until then....we don't need this snowballing completly out of control.....right now). Also, think ahead when chosing the paint color as to possible accessories - bright gold pottery, bright orange, bright green - a fluffy throw, lamps, etc.

Keep us posted....this is fun!

graywings,

Perhaps you didn't notice the front door leads into that room. I doubt seriously she wants to greet people in the dining room.

I'm lucky, in my house I was able to flip them and it works great!

I agree with not painting the trim or fireplace. I also agree to moving that LS so that your guests aren't running into it when they walk in.

The biggest problem in this room is the windows and the fact that it is a place to watch TV. Even with all those wood blinds, I'm betting there is a nasty glare on that TV, and would be anywhere else you place it. Any chance of having the windows tinted so you could lose the blinds to shears or something softer?

I just can't leave this thread alone, LOL.

Sheers would look nice in the windows. You could mount them right OVER the blinds.

Momee, Your living room and ours are exactly the same except that my living room is flipped - our fireplace is on the end that your door is on. In our pix, please ignore the art, especially the small picture above the fireplace, the horrible paint color of our brick and the coffee table without a top. We're experimenting with the layout of the furniture this week (because we just got furniture this week after not having had any in there for 2 years), I'll be stripping the paint off the brick and the art work will be moving/will be changed. Our fireplace is fake, too.

Our paint color is SW Hubbard Squash. As you can tell, depending on light and shadows, the color looks different on the different walls. But it's a golden color in reality.

http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/kec01/DSC01612.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/kec01/DSC01613.jpg
http://i53.photobucket.com/albums/g58/kec01/DSC01614.jpg

We're going to add the picture molding back and it will be stained to match our trim. You're lucky you still have yours.

Looking at these pix, our fireplace brick is awful...thank goodness for Peel-Away and Soy-Gel. Also, the glare out the windows is the sunlight and a white house next door.

Oh, one other thing...one of our neighbors has a man-tv. They have it on the wall where our right hand blue arm chair is - it's the largest stretch of wall in the room.

I forgot to mention, the Hubbard Squash in your earlier post looks too light orange when compared to it on plaster walls. My pix look light, too. If you end up thinking SW colors, I'd suggest you go to their store and get the 2 different Arts and Crafts palette cards.

I wouldn't remove the popcorn-ing if it's there to cover plaster imperfections. We have our original plaster and it's bumpy as well.

Our ceiling is SW Buckram Binding - kind of beige. It's a common color used in bungalows. In addition to the American Bungalow forums, also check out oldhouseweb.com. Bungalow owners post there, too.

Graywings, I couldn't really flip it around because right next to the dining room is the master bedroom. The door open right into it. My husband is up all hours of the night sometimes and I don't want to hear the man TV all night. False front on the fireplace? I would need to see that. I will google it to try and find some examples. Thanks for your suggestions.
Mclarke, we have done some work to the bathroom. Mostly new cabinets, painting. The bath tub is still the original not a clawfoot but a one piece. We have not replaced the flooring yet but it ugly parque tile, but underneath is 1" hexagonal mosaic tile. I am curious to see its condition.
I need to run but will try and play with more paint later.

Momee, thanks for letting me know. When we moved into our bungalow, the bathroom floor was covered with pink shag carpet. EEEEK! Underneath was 1" hex tiles in perfect condition. Hope yours is too.

Please keep us informed of your progress!

Haven't read all the responses, so don't know what everyone has suggested. I think you should put the tv on the sofa table, and keep it where the sofa table currently is (maybe slide it a smidge to the right). It would be a lot more attractive than the modern stand it is on. I have moved a cable jack and it isn't hard. The table should accommodate your cable box too.

The sofa works where it is, and you could slide the loveseat back, up against the window, so you could still watch tv while sitting on it. Add a nice small scale chair by the fire place and you're in business. A round coffee table might be nice too. I would ditch the carpet if you can, or save the project for a later date. Our golden oak hardwood floors help to brighten our house a lot.

I'm not sure what "style" my house is...It has a few different elements. However, the inside has lots of squared craftsman-like details, like yours. We also have dark woodwork. I painted my living room in Laura Ashley Deep Cowslip 4. It works great with the woodwork and is very cozy and warm. I also have the same blinds you have and have just used simple matelasse panels to frame out the windows. The blinds are open much of the time. Also, the bright artwork I have in my room and the adjoining den also helps lighten the space.

I'm looking forward to seeing your space evolve. Ours has changed dramatically in the almost 8 years we've been here. Please keep us posted!!

Below is a link to my living room.

Here is a link that might be useful: My Home

Because I like to look at pictures without cutting and pasting, here are patser's pics:

And I agree with tradewind. Forget about light and bright and go for warm and cozy. The TV definitely needs to be moved, and rearrange the square prints.

I would go with warm and cozy and hang Sensation Sheers up from JC Penney in their soft white or a soft color after you choose the wall color. You can also hang long curtains and keep them open. I would paint the walls a nice shade of green as suggested. I love your rich woodwork color and the blinds but they are dark. If you have sheers, that are extra full, you can raise the blinds so a lot of light comes in and privacy if you shut the sheers.

I love your home, and love the woodwork. It probably has darkened with age, and could be nicer if stripped and refinished, but with 4 younger kids that is a project for down the road. For now, I am glad that you are not painting it.

You have gotten lots of great suggestions, but many of them seem to be things that at this point you cannot do for a variety of reasons. Since you are suggesting that some of the fixes will be temporary, until your youngest is a bit older, I am thinking in terms of working with what you have, rather than making some changes now that may not work down the line when you are ready to really alter things. Since this is your family room, where all of you gather, imo we need to think in those terms, more than about what looks pretty.

I get the impression that you don't use your front door often, since the loveseat is currently sitting there.

So, despite the fact that I love the fireplace, you said it is non-working, I believe. It seems to me that for now, the place for the TV is in front of the fireplace. Straight on, almost as a replacement. Don't paint the brick, either. The one thing that could be nice is if the TV stand were a bit lower, so that the top line of the tv sat just below the mantel.

With the tv in front of the fireplace, we need to move the viewing angles around a little. I would try the couch all the way back at the end of the room, in front of the double window. Move the torchiere down to replace that little table that is sitting in the corner. It seems like you should have enough space, with the couch against the end wall, to leave the sofa table where it is with the lamp on it.

Take the loveseat and put it on the front window wall where the couch is now. Use the little end table to the left side, right by the entry, and add another table lamp (stolen from somewhere?) on that table. Keep the loveseat and table pushed as far to the left, close to the door, as possible, to give the tv visual 'breathing room'.

Get rid of the runner in front of the couch. Leave the blinds, I think they are fine, but get rid of the window scarves. I would stay away from curtains, but would consider adding a simple valance above the front and end wall windows, hung just below the picture moulding. Nothing gathered, but rather something flat with pleats. Something like this style:

premier stripe inverted pleat valance

I would take down all the things you have hanging on the walls in there and re-group. It appears you have a mirror on the wall behind the door, which seems pretty much unusable. The framed art is marching around in a row, and is spaced too far apart. Consider taking the pix that relate to one another and making a grouping of them above the sofa table.

I would take down the mirror over the fireplace for now - maybe it can find a new home elsewhere in the house. The tv will kind of dwarf anything that is framed up there, so instead try the large candlesticks to one side (but not all the way to the edge), with a richer color for the candles. Add a lower, wider vase or planter with some taller twigs and green grasses, etc in it, to bring some color and softness above the tv.

Think about adding some other items to the pretty shelving besides framed pix - maybe some books, a couple of interesting pieces of pottery, etc. Look for things that pull out some of the colors that are in the fabric you want to use.

As for paint, I would use a warm beige color on the walls, and go two shades lighter above the picture rail, same lighter color on the ceiling and on the entire fireplace area above the mantel only. I love greens, but looking at the wood in the room, especially in the closer shot, it feels like beige/gold would do more to bring out the richer tones in the wood.

Be sure you have the highest wattage you can get in the lamps. Don't use the ceiling fan lights for lighting the space. They only create glare up high and shadows down below, unless you have them on a dimmer and can get a soft light effect that just kind of washes the ceiling.

I think once you add some warm color with the paint, and bring in your pillows and accents, the room will feel warmer and more friendly.

I wish I could photoship colors on the walls for you but maybe Les is right about a warm beige on the walls but now I am thinking a Sheer Antique White Valence may be nice and not so busy and end tables that are on the sides of the sofa with lamps on them in a lighter color with white or cream shades or off-white shades. You need more lighting and a warmer color on the wall. I love the rich woodwood and the rich color of the sofa. It just needs the surroundings to fit the darker color that you plan to keep.

I agree with everything Les said except I think the couch at the end of the room will be too far to watch tv. You'll be about 17ft away.