I'd lose the railing divider. You could maybe redo the fireplace somehow to make it fit together or you could put the TV above the fireplace instead of having it beside it. The ones I have seen like that just blend together better. That cabinet that the TV is on doesn't blend with the fireplace too much. just some thoughts. good luck.

Good idea not to purchase anything more without a plan. Is there a step down from kitchen to family room? If so, keeping the railing is probably a good idea, besides which removing it may cause flooring issues.

Two other immediate reactions: the art over the fireplace is too wide, and the TV in the corner is not a good look. I'd mount the TV flat on the right wall on an articulating arm so it can be adjusted for optimal viewing, then pushed back when not in use.

I agree as well. A wall-mounted TV frees up a lot of space design-wise.

Could you replace the railing with something more modern, like a detailed iron railing? If you want to keep with your current black and gray theme, the metal would blend nicely while still keeping you safe from a misstep. Your trim could use a little color too - consider warming it up a bit with teak or a chestnut. And yes, you do need a bigger rug. :)

- Logan, PlushRugs.com

'I agree with Grover...put the TV on the wall across from the sofa. Put the chest you have against the railing now, under the TV and make it do for your equipment. If the TV is on an arm, you could turn it toward the kitchen and then if you wanted, you could get an easy chair to put sort of catty-cornered in the corner where the chest/sofa meet. Can you turn your cabinet/desk to face out into the room beside the fireplace or is there not enough room?

well, there really isnt a wall across from the sofa that wont still be in the corner... but...

we ended up buying a white wood tv stand because its the only configuration we could find for what we wanted to do, and it looks great! its not a dust magnet like the black ones are for some reason. so... consider if you do move the tv out of the corner onto that really short bit of wall, to go with a non-black stand.

Yes, I could certainly do an iron railing there, I actually really like that idea! we actually thought about chestnut stain for the fire place and trim, but that oak runs throughout the entire house and its all fairly open. I think it's too much work to do everything. And after living with the oak for a while, I actually don't mind it too much...I like that it doesn't look like every other house. I feel like it has some character, you know? I just need to find a way to spruce up the furnishings and paint so it looks like I wanted it there and not just something I'm stuck with because it came with the house...does that make sense?

I don't think there's enough room for the corner cabinet to face out into the room, but I can try it. I think that cabinet just needs to come out of there, but it looks so bare without anything. The cabinet bothers me because it is one colour, then the fireplace is another and the tv stand is a completely different colour...too many wood finishes for one wall, I think.

Does anyone know how big the rug should be? And what about a coffee table? Any thoughts on what would work?

Better balance. You could use a media cabinet that's at least 25% longer than the TV; one that filled the length of that side wall would work well.

Bring some of the red and blue from the art around the room.

That looks much more balanced, thank you Groveraxle. I wondered about putting two chairs in that area, this helps me visualize much better! Plus the hubby wasn't sure that would work, this gives me something to show him. This looks much cleaner than the way it is now! I noticed that you have a very plain rug in here. We have been looking at rugs with reds and more color...do you think it's better to keep it simple?

Oh wow! I would have never thought of that!! Thank you view16! That's actually brilliant! And my table would be on the other side of the wall, so it wouldn't look strange from the other side at all. Fantastic ideas everyone!

The bookcase idea is a great one. If you can manage it, take the railing out and do a built in bookcase there. That would also give you some display space on top (don't clutter it up, now) and a place to set the salad if you're eating on the other side.

You can do a more vibrant rug. If you keep the art (I'd remove one canvas and center the other two over the fireplace), key your rug and pillows and throws to the paintings.

You've gotten great ideas. I would paint the white vents to match the wall color so they blend in. Love the bookcase idea

Yes, I really do think the bookcase will be a fantastic solution! I can't wait to show this to the hubby!

I will tweak the paintings (or move them somewhere else) and I will definitely take accent colors from the painting. Can anyone give me ideas of how to use accent colors? My hubby thinks throw pillows are annoying and useless. He's also not fond of curtains. He loves the light coming in the windows and we have up down blinds everywhere.

The "vents" on the wall are actually speakers and there are 4 of them. I am not sure why the previous owner chose to leave the light color...it makes me crazy lol! When we choose a paint color I will be sure to paint them the same color.

No pillows and no curtains, guess you'll have to get color in the rug and the art.

I understand pillows can be annoying, but you can always do a throw. And for comfort, a lumbar pillow in each chair never hurts,