first off great house!!plenty of room for the kids to run mad!!!!mixing the wood can work very well,with the dark floor and i guess your choice would be dark furniture too,just keep the walls and all other furniture lightcolored

Definitely replace with hardwoods. I would never have wall-to-wall carpet, and not especially with children. Hardwood-- light or dark-- flooring looks good with anything (my estimation). I guess it's nice to have wood tones match, but I think various woods should be appreciated on their own. I wouldn't see a problem using a dark floor with that existing lighter wood.. And then you can place area rugs on top of the dark flooring, if you like.

Go with the light tan leather (something different from what you had before), and it will look good when you ultimately replace that carpet with dark hardwood flooring.

I don't know what kind of wood you have on that fireplace, but I'd probably paint that wall a different color, too, so that wood stands out a bit more. It seems to me that wall color is too close to the wood tone?

Hi airj -- I love the floor that carole is showing you -- here's how it might look in your space with the dark couch, and this rug and curtain panels (in copper) that you can pick up online at Target:
http://www.target.com/p/mohawk-home-traditional-lucca-bella-area-rug/-/A-14362559#prodSlot=large_1_12
http://www.target.com/p/threshold-banded-faux-silk-window-panel/-/A-12835400?ref=tgt_adv_XSC10001&AFID=shopping_df&LNM=|14256890&CPNG=Home+Decor&ci_src=13736960&ci_sku=14256890&
These should wear well with all of your little ones.
(Cursor over photo to see full image.)

Thanks for the comments. Using http://shawfloors.com/TryOnAFloor.aspx I was able to check out several hardwood floors.

Even if you install wood floors as you describe for color, I would do dark brown furniture. Then offset it on a large lighter colored area rug that suits your needs with young kiddos, and incorporates the other colors in the room.

Light colored wood floors will not show scratches as much as dark or dark stained wood floors. With 4 children, you might want to keep that in mind. Look for brushed or matte textures for the same reason and also to cut glare in your wonderfully light flooded space.

Love the top right cognac toned floor option with this look -

I vote for neither as neither tan nore chocolate will advance you having a great looking room. Tan will clash with the straw toned walls, and chocolate doesn't advance the color story. I second the advice above to avoid sofa and loveseat pair. They are hard to layout well, where a pair of chairs with a sofa gives you a lot more flexibility. Let's chat about your whole space - color palette/inspiration, needs and layout, and long term comfort with your large brood.

Looking at the graphic over the fireplace, that suggests your color inspiration might be in the tones of cinnamon, olive, and honey/straw. This is a classic and warm combination that is easy to outfit from what is generally available in the stores. You can add touches of barn red in accents and your room will feel like it was decorated by a pro.

I suggest you repaint the fireplace wall since the pumpkin shade you have doesn't show off your beautiful fireplace very well - tone fights with the wood finish - just paint it the same warm straw as the rest of the room for a more classic look. It will look great with the fireplace. I agree that a darker floor would be fine with the existing light wood - but I would look for a cognac tone that will read as two shades darker than the oak you have rather than a deep brown - it will show less dirt being closer to the color of dirt, and advance your color palette (reading cinnamon). (I have dark wood and it is not easy to keep clean)

In a room this size, with a family this size, I recommend one large L shaped sectionals and one really great leather chair and ottoman for dad. You will save money to buy that sectional with a washable slipcover (See PB Comfort - honey twill or I prefer the seagrass (kind of a deep stone olive brown). The darker would be great to hide dirt well and also be more masculine for the big pit where everyone piles in. Bonded leather is inexpensive but won't outlast your family and will look bad soon. A saddle leather tone would be gorgeous in the leather chair, distress well and work wonderfully with this color family. Then you have a throne that you can invite them into. These are the things to spend money on because if they are well made you will have and enjoy them forever, and new slipcovers are cheaper than new furniture. The rest of your furnishings and accessories can come on more slowly from the discount options at home goods, cost plus world market and pier one and ikea and still look great.

Think about family function - I'd set up an area where homework can happen (or you restrict kid eating) while you watch the news. Add a large wood desk table behind the sectional like a sofa table, but add a pair of nice lamps and a pair of straight wood chairs (even a garage sale might yield a pair that you can spray paint cinnamon or barn red to keep this color layering going).

Put down a wood floor and cover the main area with a big highly patterned (hides dirt) mainly dark cinnamon toned area rug from Home Goods or CostPlus - make sure it is soft to the touch. For now, skip a coffee table or big ottoman for keeping the center of the floor open for tumbling and the like. When your youngest hits 10 or so, then you can get something functional, but stick to end tables and sofa / desk tables that you don't mind being beat up for now. Move the glider to a bedroom, and maybe add some big floor pillows or individual leather ottomans (pier one has some now) in your color family for right in front of the fire. Add a few big straw baskets - one for wood and kindling / newspaper, one for extra pillows and throws.

Don't buy anything that goes in this room that isn't in the color family of natural wood, saddle leather, cinnamon, olive, honey or barn red and pretty soon, you will have an amazing look.

Put the long side of the sectional under the front window and the short side with its back to the desk that you'll see straight aheaad when you walk in the room from the front door. To the left, at the foot of the stairs, put a narrow console table, with baskets underneath for each kids extra belongings - this is a place where you can lay down the mail, your keys, and gather their shoes and extra flotsam and jetsam so when it is time for them to go, they can find what they need.

Your chair will go against the back windows angled towards the fireplace so there is nothing between you and the tv. Add a side table, a floor lamp, some kilim pillows for the sectional and throw blankets for your kids to curl up under. Voila! Instant room, warmth and style.

Wow what a room. center rug out and away from fireplace, position sofa and chairs in "L" position facing TV and fireplace if possible.Sofa table behid sofa, large end table between 2 chairs, if you see a window from the seating area a sofa table at window for some lor plants. just my opinion.All rugs in this area should be the same or at least grades of one color.

Apparently I'm unable to stop myself from doing a quick visual. I really recommend hiring a professional interior designer to help you define your aesthetic and to execute something. The space really needs it and in the end you'll be glad you did.

Definitely hire an interior designer. Ethan Allen designs your space at no charge if you plan to purchase from them. Good luck.

Sorry for the delay in responding. This has been my week with the kids and we've been pretty busy.

Thanks for all the ideas and information! I'm not quite sure what I'll end up doing. I may see if I can find a local interior designer to give me some help. I don't have a lot of money to spend right now though, so that may hold me back a little. I'm in Springfield, IL if you know anyone in the area.

The same carpet goes up the steps and through all the bedrooms upstairs. I'd prefer to leave carpet on the steps in case one of the kids falls down them (softer landing). Does that make a difference in the floor replacement choices?

HI --Try any interior design schools for a designer to help , if you have any close to you. A design student would be cheaper and they need projects for their porfolios . Just getting a cosultation should not cost that much , it is usually an hourly rate .And if your buying furniture some furniture stores have an in-house designer for guidence.- usually for free .

the carpet up th stairs and upstairs wont make a difference to the rest of your choices!just been rereading "libradesigneye" that description of the room sounds perfect!!most importantly you and the kids are at home in your house,and i hope you will update when you have made changes,good luck!!!

Light leather on the sofa and a medium tone on the floor. As said above, not sofa and loveseat, It makes it too hard to find a coffee table that works for both.
So, two sofas, sofa and two chairs, or with your young family using that room a lot, have you considered a sectional with a round ottoman as in this picture?
https://www.houzz.com/photos/2011-showcase-hillside-retreat-rustic-living-room-new-york-phvw-vp~375609

my vote is for libradesigneye's ideas - ALWAYS great!! Hiring a Design Student is a good one, too.

libradesigneye did a great job! I'd follow those suggestions.

Tfhe best idea so far is to hire a professional. You probably don't even have a style of your own yet, and the designer can help you develop that. Most decent furniture stores provide design service with people that are fairly talented at no cost. Mistakes are costly, and if you buy things you dislike, you'll be unhappy. Go with someone who does this all day every day.

someone mentioned Ethan Allen - good choice if there's one in your tow. Every town over 10,000 has a good furniture store - use it. They have many styles, the furniture is good quality, and their designers are generally pretty good.

Again - no matching sets - bad, bad idea.

And the sofas are the easy part - it's once you have those that you need to get things that look good together, add to the style of the house, have some personality and make you happy, and all that is not as easy as it sounds.

My preference for wood floors is to paint the trim white. I know some folks hate to cover the natural wood grain, but when it's that oak color you'll either have to re-stain or paint. Paint the windowsills to match the bannister, and paint or stain the hearth a complementary color to the walls and hearth tiles.

Wow! What a neat space!
For a starter, pull your furniture closer together in a conersation/TV viewing group near the fireplace.
See if you like that. Enjoy all that space.