My ideabook has some photos of design that I like - if that helps. I can also attach photos of adjoining rooms if that is helpful.

Have a carpenter turn the computer cubby into shelving for more books. Changing the color of the paint will do wonders. I would paint it a creamy yellow. Or even a cheeful light colored contemporary wallpaper could be great.

A soft neutral BM Simply White or Ballet White. I know you don't want to cover the Windows but white matchstick shades are pretty see thru and would soften. Then flank the Windows with curtain panels - to cover the trim only widening the window. Absolutely have a good trim carpenter convert that center section to more shelving and paint it all the same as your trim and ceiling. Get a sea grass area rug - they are pretty indestructible - to ground the room.

So much potential here! Where do the double doors take you? Is the single door your normal access to the room?

Gorgeous little room. The blue is a downer of a color.....dont know if you like wallpaper but a busy one in there could be fun. Do you have any view from the windows? It needs fabrics in it to cozy it up a bit too....rug?

how about painting it all one color? i've always liked that look when i see it on the story side.

Thanks for the ideas! And yes to the carpenter to transform the desk. I think that's my only option.

Vicky: The double doors open to the entry way. The front door is on the right and the stairs to the left. Those doors are the normal access to that room. The other glass door goes into the living room, and that door is usually closed.

Julie: The view out the windows is to my front yard - and I'm a gardener so there is a view :) A rug is a good idea. It needs to be resilient. Dog + gardener = dirty floors.

beseaside: Those are pretty whites! My house is in cool colors - light silver grey in living room and kitchen, and soon in dining room. I have a natural sisal rug in the attic. I can pull it down, spread it out and take a pic if that you'd like so see how it looks.

smiley + julie - I'm usually a paint person but wallpaper isn't out of the question. Ideas?

nnigrt - gorgeous room! Painting the walls and shelves one color would certainly streamline the room and lighten up the traditional feel.

Sounds great. If you don't use the single door, have you considered moving the piano to the wall next to the double doors? Then move the loveseat to where the sofa is now with chairs across from the loveseat and a soft ottoman between.

Two ideas: Leave couch in front of the bookcase, place a floor lamp next to it and add a ton of pillows. Paint the room and the bookcases the same white (BM Simply White) and I would remove the chair rail so the walls aren't visually broken up. Will the piano fit on the wall to the right as you walk in and add a large mirror above to reflect light. Remove the middle doors of the bookcase, remove the inside shelves and add a lovely sculpture in the space and a stick-on light on the bottom of the shelf for a nice effect. Add art between the windows and place a ghost chair facing into room and a glass table in front (room would feel like pic #1 but with a table/chair on left). Add a hemp or sisal rug and a really great chandlier. Other idea: see second picture (use a shorter table) and fill the empty space with large wicker basket(s) and place your chair in the opposite direction so you can see outside. Place couch on wall with windows or to the right as you walk it.

Thought/ideas on lighting are welcome, too. Husband doesn't like overhead lights - but I do. The more light the better for me.

The overhead fixture is burnished bronze/black, just like the rest of the fixtures downstairs. I'm open to moving it from this room though (it can replace the horrid tiny brass fixture w/ fake candle light bulbs at the top of the stairs).

I've got a couple of silver lamps and a blue and white one, too.

Rudy4dawgs, because you feel that this room stifles or depresses you, I'm thinking you could paint it a soft, warm, butter yellow and use a soft blue that you love as an accent color. If that wall is the only/logical place for the piano, start by finding a large, horizontal art piece that you LOVE to put above the piano. Something light and airy, colorful, works with soft, butter yellow and a soft blue --that captures your heart the minute you see it. Use it as your jumping off place for everything else in the room. Think soft and welcoming. Cheery. Homey. If you truly desire to work in this space, perhaps you could have a nice, "open" desk between the two windows with a cheery piece of art above it -- or a beautiful, light (as opposed to "heavy") mirror to capture the happy, buttery yellow walls and the print you love. A fairly compact reading chair (or two, if there's room) needs to be soft, very comfortable, perhaps with a single ottoman for the chairs to share.

I don't know if these thoughts suit your taste, but I'm hopeful it will help you see this beautiful room from fresh eyes and inspire you to see it anew.

Can't wait to see others' suggestions -- and what you do with it! :)

Do you have a favorite room in the house that you could show us, adding some comments about why you like it? Also, a photo showing the garden view from the windows?

I suggest a quick start by priming the walls in white. Then pick out some new art in a big size (at least 24 by 36 inches) that you really love. The room needs two or three art pieces- one to replace the diploma and two over the piano. Prints of an "old masters" still life like the one you have framed can be dramatic if "larger than life" or framed with a simple modern black wood. Then find a rug that you love. Rugs help with acoustics in piano rooms. After you have the art and the rug, you can choose a paint color from them or match the trim color.

Here's a room with a large painting that demonstrates the impact of "larger than life"

A mini-chandelier would be really cute and cheeful in your space too, as seen in some of the photos others have posted above.

@rudy4dawgs- Agree with the changing the hutch/cabinet area to bookshelves and removing the loveseat. The room will appear larger and will have more room for books with shallower bookshelves. Also consider bookshelves over the piano area to make it more into a library. After 15 years of hating our dark, low-ceiling living room, we did rip out our roof. http://smortegav.blogspot.com/2012/07/living-room-to-musiclibrary-room.html

Lovely space but I agree about that shade of blue which is cold. Would you be amenable to fabric/textured shades that are placed above the windows? Your puppy needs a space (NOT the sofa) how about converting the space underneath the cabinet into a nice doggie cubby with coordinating bedding? A warm rug, lamps, personal photos will make this space a gathering spot. Good luck

Paint the entire room white, add black, white and grey furniture pieces and some bright cobalt blue accents.

Favorite rooms: I chose to work at the kitchen table (1st pic.)

I love my dining room...mostly. I hate the paint color. Though it could use a rug, too - the house flooded a few years back and rug replacement hasn't happened. (2nd pic)

Living room - in sections

apple pie - here's the view

What a BEAUTIFUL home you have -- inside and out! Those living room colors are EXACTLY what I was thinking for your office/reading room! Light, bright, cheerful, almost whimsical (is that okay to say?). Make it what YOU love! :)

I probably got a little carried away with art ideas, but you have wonderful taste and you know what you love when you see it! Yep, I'll stop "peppering" you with ideas, but you're gonna "rock" this room! Can't wait to see it! :)

Beautiful garden. The kitchen table area and the living room are lovely, too. How about borrowing the big living room pillow, one or two prints, and the living room rug for a day or two to see how the bright colors look as inspiration in the library?

What a lovely room and incredible view! I, too, was going to suggest adding more shelves in place of the computer cubby. Since you have silvery grey on your other walls, would you consider a silvery sage to bring in some of the color from outdoors? Possibly BM Guilford Green or Landscape?

Hey Jan, from way up the thread,

I don't hate the idea of going with a dark, strong color. There is nothing wrong with a nice UGA-red painted room. :) And, I know that someday that loveseat will have to go - even if it means buying a more up to date size/shape loveseat - or 2 chairs. Right now, it's a sentimental thing for me; my 17 yo cocker, my 4 legged soul friend, the real Rudy, passed away on July 1 and for many years that loveseat was his bed. Losing him has been b r u t a l. I'm just not ready to part with his things just yet. So for now, I have to make do.

Vicki - thanks! I do love my house. I don't want to sound ungrateful... it is a great house.

Thanks for all the art options! I love the color! I like "Painted Petals". I painted the blue one over the mantel (if you couldn't already tell) so maybe I'll give it a shot painting something inspired by that one. I love whimsical! It's a great antidote to feeling stifled by too many traditional elements.

Apple-pie - I'll drag the polka dot rug and pillow in there and see how it looks. Good idea!

Oh my gosh! So many great ideas!

Maureen - I love those rooms! I wonder if my bookshelves could ever look like the top photo.

Paint the doors shelves and trim Bm white dove, the walls Bm hail navy

Hale navy

@rudy

So sorry for the loss of such a beloved pet! Kick the "tradition" in the fanny with a great leopard....paint that sucker a fab color plucked from art you love. Or...You like "painted petals" above? Live dangerously!! Find a Zebra!! black and white rug, paint those walls in that eggy yellow/glossy from the picture. BANG! : ) Your home and its gardens are just absolutely lovely; I think what is holding you back is the loss on July 1. Take some time and then give yourself a "permission slip" to hit the room with some pure joy. Maybe there is room for the loveseat in another spot in your home at that point ? Good luck!

Morning...how are you guys doing...I do understand your frustration as I am currently renovating myself. My main problem is that my budget does not cater to my vivid imagination.

I have always believed in making a living space uniquely yours. I do have a few suggestions as I look at your room and I see a unique space filled with possibilities. A place to have fun with.

(1) The space under the cupboards looks like it can hold a small fireplace which would add some light to the room. (2) A change of colour would definitely light up the room. (3) The doors are glass but I am not seeing any light on the outside the door, perhaps this would help. (4) You can have areas that do double duty, sections that can be pulled out and hidden so that you can have several uses e.g. pull out tables that you can used for your laptop that are invisible when not in use. (5) Doors can be turned into bookshelves. (5) Paintings and pictures would add interest, colour and can spark conversation. (6) A main light piece such a chandelier would add light and interest while recess lighting around the sides of the room more light without the look of multiple fixtures.

Do enjoy your renovation and I hope that I was able to help in any small way.

Light comes into a room in layers, in my opinion. I love others' suggestions of painting either a buttery yellow or pale sage green. That will make a world of difference. Also add shelving to the existing built-in, as has been suggested previously. However, you need to tackle the lighting issue as well. I would add a series of small recessed lights around the perimeter of the room to wash down the walls highlighting your art work and giving and overall warmth to the space. A fun chandelier in the center of the room is an option. I would also make sure to have table lamps or floor lamps next to your armchairs to ensure sufficient light for reading or writing. Consider hanging mirrors on the walls to reflect light or to reflect that beautiful garden view. Also bring some greenery into the room with light, leafy plants. That will also help to make the room feel lighter. Good luck to you!

Your bookcase could easily be made fairly similar. If you removed the doors, painted the backs a beautiful blue and was careful how you accessorized - ie: large and miminal items...you too could have this look - lol. It would be a lovely focal point of the whole room (other than the view!).

Wow! I'm so encouraged! Thanks everyone for all the great suggestions.

I've got request for proposals out to some good mill workers to renovate the cabinet. When that is done I'll take a photo and post it and we can move forward from there.

R - if the room has limited natural light, I don't think you will be happy with all white. All white works best in a roof with lots of light. This is a good room for a dramatic deep tone if you find one that helps express you, but you may be ready for this room to flow with your other public spaces - bringing the soft cornflower color I saw in here will work and give you the most latitude to exchange elements between rooms.

Good luck -see you when you come back.

Lots of great suggestions here re. how to reconfigure the space, it seems like what you are stuck on is what kind of a space you want. You mentioned that you loved gardening. Without getting too Disney, could you think of a garden themed room? I am thinking botanical prints, English country garden morning room, ferns, lady of the manor memoir writing bolt hole kind of space ....

UPDATE!

Well this happened faster than I was prepared to move. The painter showed up today and I wasn't expecting him till NEXT week so I had to make a snap decision on color and went with the silver color used in my kitchen and LR next to the library. This is one coat of the paint w/o primer. So it will be less blue once another coat or two go up.

I'm loving the new, smaller, silver knobs - there's only one set installed in the pic.

Here is how it stands as of right now:

Nice color...keep us up to date as the room progresses.

Update: It already looks better. We've had some finishing issues and we're looking for a cabinet making/refacing pro to do the finish work and fix some of the problems. The cabinet is also going to be painted white like the trim. And lighting, we're still working on lighting.

Too much better! It is going to be lovely. An area rug will tie things together.

Consider adding mirrors or reflective wallpaper to the back of the bookcases. As you show them now, enough light will be reflected from the back. I'd add under shelf lighting as well, and exchange some of the wooden shelves for glass. Most built ins, no matter how nice, are black pits in the evening, so and thing you can do to light them up, I'd do. If you're going to make it a reading area, you'll need good task lighting, so that means a console table or shelf, end tables to hold lamps, or floor lamps. Once you decide on a paint color, address the lighting, I believe that will help you love this room.

Lots here I know, but one more thing. I know you don't like a dark room, but consider going dark with your walls, bright glossy white with trim and built ins, a semigloss or flat for the ceiling. You really don't have a lot of wall space, with the piano and built ins, so if you go dark on the walls, white on the trim and built ins and light up the built ins, you won't feel that it's too dark, but rather that it's elegant and rich.

And by dark, I mean navy, charcoal, chocolate.

just bought this rug and two of these chairs

Hi there, I realize that this is an old thread but I am redoing my small library and I LOVE your rug in the above picture! Would you be kind enough to share where you purchased it? Thanks!