I understand her thought process-she was going for a "pop" of color but it fails because there is no other yellow in the room(except for the rug). So if you like the yellow, I would use your navy pillows and just add a small hit of the yellow like pic 1. Or to go more subdued, a burlap pillow that has a golden hue like pic 2. Also, is there a reason the sofa can't face fireplace? If possible, I would turn it to face fireplace. If it can't, then I would turn your area rug around an put the front legs of any furniture on it.

Sofa will look more grounded if the rug slips under the front 1/3 of it and extends past the ends by a foot or more. The coffee table needs to sit parallel to the sofa and be centered on the firebox of your fireplace. It should be no further than 18" from the sofa to be useful.I think the navy and red striped pillows are the best look. More than four pillows will be too crowded, IMO.

I like the yellow pillows (really brightens the space) and would add a few more yellow items to the room to bring it all together.

Oh golly, you won't like this, but I think the pillows are too large for the sofa. Can you find the ones you like in a smaller size?

I would turn the area rug and the table so they are perpendicular to the couch.

I like the yellow pillows but would opt for a more golden tone like the color found in the rug. Otherwise there is a teal color in your rug, that, if you could pull that color to the pillows and couch area would really tie the rug and couch together so they shake hands better.

I like the yellow pillows too. If you are going to use 4 pillows, I'd keep the large yellow for the ends and get 2 smaller for each side. The dark blue disappears with your dark sofa, so go lighter and brighter. Or keep the 2 large red ones for the ends and get smaller yellow ones for each side. You could really go with 4 smaller pillows too. I love your rug! Looks like red is the accent color so far and you could pull any additional lighter, brighter color from the rug. You could change it up for the season.

I feel like the pillows are being forced onto the sofa...I think pillows a little smaller and maybe closer to drapery color wouldn't look so forced...add color around the room if you feel it is necessary....remember just because those colors are in your rug they don't have to be pulled into the room..I think the rug is a beautiful accent on its own.

Hi all! Thanks for all the great feedback. Although I may be more confused now. Here's some more detail. The living, dining, kitchen is all one big room. It's great but trying to fit existing items into it as I have bigger fish to fry and don't want to buy all new stuff ( except maybe pillows) right now.
The rug is long and can't move or it will hit the island chairs. I did move the furniture a little and changed around some pillow options. The stripped pillows are fabric I found in Guatemala so I love it. There is some yellow in the painting above the mantel, just hard to see.

Couple more photos..... I changed the pillows again :) and showed the room in a different angle

I like the pillows in the first photo of your last post!

I think taking the yellow pillows off really helps..I think you have done a wonderful job...keep the two stripe pillows....it sounds like they are important to you...that's what decorating is all about! Enjoy your room..

Those pillows look much less forced than the previous ones...the question is are you happy?

Thanks everyone! First time I used houzz like this! Moving furniture helped and realizing using the pillows I already have works just fine. I'll be posting here again for sure!

Pillows look much more comfortable and welcoming; not so contrived as the others. I would still either move the sofa to face the FP or turn the rug so it isn't skimpy at the ends of the sofa. See how the sofa feet look to be falling off of the rug. Its possible that your rug is a bit small, since the end the sofa is on may not be wider than the fireplace. Do you have a reason for the rocker to be isolated in the corner?

Decoenthusiaste- the rug is too long so can't move it like you suggested. Otherwise I totally would. The space is alittle unique and the photos don't capture that. Either sofa wrong size or rug. I don't think I'd put a sofa with its back towards the island; unless I am misunderstanding you?

I'll try moving the rug tonight. I just measured it. Such great feedback.....love this tool!

Fun. I'll try it. But won't that corner where the rocker being moved from be a huge open space of nothing? It's a pretty open space. Maybe that doesn't matter?

Yes the table on the right is the misfit here, so remove it. Do you have a TV in that armoire and could you move it between the windows? Sofa with its back to the bar chair/footstool and rocker in front of the windows flanking the FP or moved right and left of the windows. Move the longer of the two remaining tables in front of the double window and put the smaller one in the right corner. Can you take a pic from the double window looking back toward the armoire cabinet?

You need to either snug it all closer around the FP or spread it out and fill more of the space. Is there a wall behind the armoire where the sofa could go?

Rug is way too long, so can't move. Armoire only fits there. Did more the leather chair and snug things in a bit. We had the sofa moved back at one point but seemed weird back so far from FP. Just a unique space.

Oh- tried moving sofa to face FP. Not enough space.

Painting is oil.

This may sound strange but what if you centered the rug on the fireplace as far away from the fireplace as you can and still leave a normal walkway from the island and put the sofa at an angle across the corner of the rug. That way you may be able to get another chair or the rocker into the left corner by the fireplace and turn the black chair more into the conversation area. You could use the chair ottoman as a side table with a tray on top. Hard to explain, but the only way to know for sure is to try it.

You have beautiful furnishings and have gotten great advice. Forgive me for getting off topic....when I look at your room and try to focus on your pillow question I get distracted by those white window shades. At first I thought that I was seeing a movie screen. Could you either open them or soften them with sheers?

That is something different. I angled the coffee table to match the sofa. No room to add another chair.

The shades are top down/bottom up and we use for privacy at night (photos taken then). So sometimes only half down so less harsh. Otherwise, they are open and bring in lots of natural light. Thanks for asking on that.

Thanks for trying it. I think two sofas would work. Saw these this morning and thought of you.

That's better, but I still wish the armoire could be moved so that it helps counter balance the FP rather than weighing down one side of the room with two big features. Is there a spot for it at the end of the dining table that we can't see?

Yeah, the armoire is big. It's our media center for dance night:) and there is a window in the area you can't see.

Thanks for the inspirational photos suzyq, very helpful! I'll ponder the space more and make some adjustments.

Thank you to everyone!!! The feedback was great!

I would suggest you move end table by armoire to end of sofa -closest to fireplace. Move chair and ottoman into that space facing into room. Move rocker over where brown leather chair and ottoman were. Move desk table under widow where rocker was. I like the beginning changes that you made .. Sofa and coffee table parallel.

Since you cannot move the rug, I would suggest you move the sofa so that it faces the fireplace with the front legs of the sofa are resting on the rug. This change probably will require you to move the recliner away from the fireplace just a bit and to move the coffee table an adequate distance from the sofa. For variety, you might pull the end tables from the far wall and have them flank the ends of the sofa. You then could place the coffee table under the window that is to the left of the fireplace and set pots of green, leafy plants on the coffee table. I like the yellow pillows, and I suggest you add other yellow accessories to the room.

Well, I got time to move things a bit more. Looks pretty good. I will probably get a standing lamp for the leather chair and ottoman and move the cocktail table on the other side of leather chair. Added a plant wit yellow pot into the room with pillows again :) just need some color. Thoughts?

Could you try moving the sofa back a foot or so? You have a lot of space behind the couch and your chairs. It looks a little scrunched together.

Love your curtains and rods, can you tell me where you got them from and the exact kind. Thanks!!!

I liked the unexpected yellow pillows - with the blue.

Good call. Much better.

Ted- you are so right! With all the feedback, I had to process it all. But redid it. The room looks 100x better. The photos don't do it justice. Plus added new items. I love your ideas too! All started with asking about pillows :) so glad I did !!!! Learned so much and been sharing this story at work and now people want to come over and see it as a holiday gathering!

Curtains and rods from Ethan Allen. I had them at my old house. But when I wanted them in this house, they said they don't sell them anymore. Some how, with luck, they found enough to do this house.

Ted - LOL!
Can you give me more details on this plant stand, please. I'm liking this idea. Like how tall? What kind of style? How many plants should really be on it? Where do I even get a stand that would work in this room?

I'm back. Actually not a fan of craftsman style, for this long term house plan anyway. The rocker is from my grandparents and the other end table I bought in grad. school. I can get rid of table (against wall with square art) and put something better there. Maybe give rocker to family, not sure how I feel yet. And put something else there.

Maybe some wallpaper on fireplace area above the mantel?