So you are taking this picture from the kitchen and to the left looks like you have a dining area.
I'm not sure how is the space there, but a sofa table or a buffet behind the sofa might help.
For me personally I'd like to know how does the rest of the place look.
A coffee table also will pull the rest of the furniture together, and a rug will look nice.

It look a bit brown and drab to me. what other color would you like to add? what about some indoor plants?

If you remove the carpet and make a bold choice with the new one it would certainly perk things up

This is the view from inside the living room. You can see both couches, our eating area, and the kitchen. We have a lot of brown, but being a craftsman-style bungalow home, we like that look and just want to know how to bring in pops of color as well as get some ideas for accessories, and furniture placement. I'm also open to ideas for our eating area...we are considering adding a banquette, but wonder how a stone wall where the mirror now hangs would look. Thanks for ideas - please keep sharing!

I would move the couch in so it was closer to the TV and add a console table behind it. I would maybe break up that set s bit and put two fun chairs angled toward the fireplace and add a low coffee table.

You profile pic you look young and modern but the room seems old and stuffy! I would get some modern fun prints and get some color in there!!!

Thanks for the comments. We are trying to keep the room in character with the rest of the house, and we do like that craftsman look (it's just our style). I know we can do better, though! Please keep sharing ideas! We know what we currently have is not ideal, but we don't know what else to do.

I like the room very much and think a floor rug under the couches and over the top of the carpet and more colorful throw pillows would help. Also, some colorful items on the shelves and mantle would balance the look.

Is the carpet angled or are the corners squared?

Furniture can't really make a statement if it is a matched set of pieces. If one of those pieces is a loveseat, sell it and get a pair of print armchairs to inject color and pattern that can jump start other color additions to the room. Add an exciting coffee table, side tables (not a matched set though,) some lamps and throws. Large decorative items, rather than photos, will add personality to the entertainment cabinet. You could insert luan covered with wallpaper or simply paint the backs of the cabinets for more interest. Lighting those cubbies to feature a special collection of items will add a lot too. Anchor the seating with a large area rug to also bring in more pattern and color.

Coffee table most urgent, followed by possible area rug. Also, you might want an end table with a lamp somewhere, perhaps between couch and armchair. Use all of these as places to introduce some color other than brown to leaven the darkness.

Curious about the piece hanging over the fireplace -- it almost looks like another TV screen. Does it have colors that you could pull from for the rest of the room? Alternatively, could you replace it with something stronger, preferable with both white and some color(s)?

Third, am not sure about the darker paint above the mantel. In the absence of the built-in, I'd say that it was great, but right now you have two fairly dark zones competing to be the center of attention. If you paint that angled wall to match the other walls, it lets the fireplace be a little more visible while making it compete less with the shelving unit and TV.

These are close-ups of the art above our fireplace (it's new and something we purchased from a store specializing in craftsman furniture and decor...we really like it) and our entertainment center. The wall behind the entertainment center us a deep burgundy and matches several other rather large deep burgundy accent walls in our home, all of which you see when standing in the living room. I love the idea of painting the inside cubbies of the entertainment center, but hubby would freak out. This was a custom-made piece and not inexpensive. It does, however, have lights inside that we can turn on when we want to illuminate the little knick knacks and photos inside. I guess what I want to convey is that we are pretty happy with our overall look - the leather, the wood, the general colors - and are looking for accent pieces to pull everything together. We do plan on replacing these old leather couches soon, and I am leaning toward getting another leather sofa in perhaps a warm orange color and a couple of matching chairs with a print to go where our loves seat is now. Love the idea of a coffee table and sofa table and area rug pulling it all together. Please keep sharing ideas for colors (I do love rusty orange with my dark leather) and accessories. We do like an uncluttered look, but I'm craving cohesiveness and something to pull all this together so it looks intentional.

These are my pillow colors - there's some burgundy to tie into my accent wall. Some of the rusty orange I like, and even a little sage green and gold. These are all colors I like that coordinate with the other stuff that you see going on in our house (all of which is visible from this living room because the kitchen and living room is open concept and flows together).

@er612 - thank you for the room plan! Excellent! You'd asked about our carpet. It's angled between the sofa and love seat to transition from the hardwood that's in the kitchen just behind. I'll take a photo and include it here in just a sec. Also. We just got rid of some old tan/cream throw pillows because of my craving for color. I do like what I have currently and just want to know how to tie everything together. :-)

@er612 - here's the angle of the carpet and the natural entrance into the living area.

Great! I think the layout I posted will work. Your second pic was pretty dark so I couldn't really see your pillows. I think an upholstered ottoman would work best as a coffee table, just to break up the leather and wood. Here are some from Overstock:

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Renate-Coffee-Table-Ottoman/6382354/product.html

http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Creston-Beige-Linen-Tufted-Ottoman/9041805/product.html

I like the size of the first one best because of its size and shape. I didn't look very hard so you may be able to find others. I would look for a rectangular one.

@er612 - thank you so much for sharing your expertise with me! Love the idea of a patterned ottoman and will look at your links right away! :-) The only concern I have with the arrangement you proposed is the end table between the two couches. Since that's the natural entrance into the room, would it look odd to leave that corner open and place an end table at the opposite end of the love seat instead?

Do the sofa and loveseat recline? Wouldn't a sofa table or coffee table get in the way of that? I think an end table between the couch and loveseat would be more useful. Maybe some lamps? Are there any window treatments on the window?

Yes, both recline which is why we don't already have a sofa table. :-) We are looking to replace both pieces as they are worn and ready to move to a new home. The entrance into the room needs to stay where it is currently, I think, and that's why there's no end table there. Thinking about adding one to the opposite end of the love seat. We have nice views out our windows and only simple white sheer shades as our window treatment. I'll send a photo next of this whole wall so you can see how it looks--

I know this is dark - sorry about that, but with it being daylight, it's the best I can do. I have two big banks of windows with sheer white shades.

You don't have to paint the backs of the cabinet to get a change. Simply buy luan at Lowe's and cut it to fit the backs of the shelves. You can paint or paper it, changing it out when you tire of it. I think the issue for me is your phrase "little knick-knacks and photos." They don't have any presence even when lighted. It takes something larger to add the personality you say is lacking. Try a collection of craftsman pottery pieces for example.

Great idea!! I have never heard of luan...I believe a trip to Lowe's is in order! Do you just cut the luan to fit each opening and then prop it up against the back? And yes, I agree, I would love some more craftsman statement pieces in my wall unit. Thank you for mentioning the luan again! I learned something new today!

Your initial dilemma leads us to believe you want to work with the existing furniture. But your subsequent post indicate you will be replacing the furniture soon. In that case my suggestion is a sofa and 2 or 3 chairs, that is much easier to arrange than a sofa and love seat. Craftsman style furniture does not have to be leather. Check out Stickley Furniture for inspiration.

Measure the spaces accurately (each one may be a bit different.) Lowes' may cut the luan for you or diy. It should be a pretty snug fit.

Thanks, jck910. We have looked at Stickley and found their couches beautiful but not comfortable, which is why we're leaning toward replacing what we currently have with something similar (dark leather), but better quality. :-) I am totally open to all ideas for working with what I have in terms of colors and basic style--we tend to like dark leather--but again, I am looking for inspiration here and am willing to entertain something completely different if it would perk up this space!

So respecting that you love your home and craftsmen styling, my recommendation would be plan on removing the carpet in the living room and continue the wood flood through this room, if the budget does not allow this right now, it's an idea for later.

I agree with a previous suggestion to break up the furniture grouping, there are too many pieces, so keep the sofa, sell the rest, same same does not create interest. The room is big but the furniture is so far apart, create a conversation circle with none of the furniture farther apart than 8 ft otherwise the room feels uncomfortable. A large pattern rug, a matching pair of chairs with a table in between them, the maybe a large round chair or chair and a half in a sold but contracting colour. You need a large coffee table, a floor lamp, a console table behind the sofa as well to layer in some interest and texture. I would paint the tv cabinet the wall colour it is competing with the fireplace which should be your focal point, right now it's too dark and distracting. Have fun, hope this helps.

I love grey with brown, it's a way to add a more youthful feel to your craftsman home, this is a big cosy chair and could go in front of the window.

I like two of these leather chairs together with a fun side table between them, brown vintage leather , very chic.

Or two young fun pattern chairs....

Any of these would add texture and interest to your room.

Fun smaller teak stools to mix up the texture

Sometimes using two coffee tables to make one large square in a big space is better than one table. I love reclaimed wood with your fireplace tones.

Here is the console table to place behind your sofa.

A big patterned rug to pull all the seating together would finish the space.

Oh, sailorleigh - I can't see all the links you sent - only 4 came through! I like all your ideas! Are you suggesting we paint the wall behind our entertainment center? It's currently deep burgundy, although not much of it shows through because the entertainment center does have a back the same color as the unit.

I was suggesting painting the entertainment centre the main wall colour so it does not compete as a focal point which should be your fireplace. As it is now, it is confusing where one should focus.

The room is very heavy and a bit stodgy. A light paint color and colorful throws/pillows and if possible use a contrasting area rug under a coffee table or in front of fireplace or entertainment center - barstools seem awfully heave as well. Something light and less wood!

Oops, instead of sticking a family photo on every shelf you might reframe some of them, add large and small and try hanging them as a focal point on a hall wall or near wall for interest and personal touch. Over fireplace wall might look better if the color is same as the rest of the room. Maybe select a cool color from your stone for all all walls.

You just need a few things to warm your room. A sofa table behind couch. Big round coffee table. Color for pillows. Need some color accessories on mantle and maybe pillows on brick of fireplace. Side table with lamp beside chair or couches.
New color on couches when you purchase.

Take some color over to kitchen too.

Cineus:

Thanks so much for the advice! What would you suggest for the kitchen? I don't care much for the burgundy we have above our upper cabinets...it was there when we moved in and ties in with some other big walls currently painted the same color. And what color would you suggest for the couches? We are leaning toward a rusty orange leather for the couch and for the accent chairs, I haven't been able to find what might work yet. Tell me more about kitchen colors you'd suggest, though, and how to incorporate those colors!

A coffee table with some shiny metal perhaps. The area above the wall unit painted a lighter colour and something with colour there. And brighter throws.

yes, put pops of color on these shelves....red, orange, blue,green,

If you want the color over upper cabinets to be different from light wall color, I would wait till you purchase new couches and see what color scheme will be.
If you are not going to do that for awhile, I think it would look good to paint the burgundy above cabinets the same color as the light walls. With dark cabinets and backsplash I think your upper cabinets are lost. I can barely see them in the pic.
If you want to keep the burgundy accent walls just purchase small rug in kitchen, display pretty kitchen towels, centerpiece on island with burgundy.
I think burnt orange couches would look great if you can find.
My living, dining and kitchen are also open together. My wall colors are different but all areas coordinate with rugs, pictures, etc.
I hope I didn't confuse you with my rambling. This should be fun.

The "entrance" to the living room needs to move to the other end of the couch. Put a end table with lamp in the corner of the couch and loveseat. Get an area rug and a coffee table, too bad if your current furniture reclines. Living rooms are not bedrooms. If you want to lie down then go to the bedroom. If it were my house I would box that space in above the TV and above the fireplace with drywall and obviously repaint the TV wall and continue the fireplace stone all the way to the ceiling.