I would move the couch facing the fireplace. Center the rug to the room...have the couch overlap the rug more and place the chair on the rug.

Hey nezamina :)! I love the big windows and paint colour used here! :) I also agree with the above comment that I think it would look nice if you put the red sofa in front of the fireplace. Then I would put the armchair where the red sofa was. If your budget would allow, I would also put another one of the exact same armchair right beside it and overlapping with the rug, as Jennifer also mentioned. I think this would make the room look fuller/more wholesome.

I know you did not ask about paint colour advice, but I noticed the paint colour on the wall of your fireplace is different from the rest of the walls (I apologize if I'm mistaken and they are the same -- it could be the lighting that making me see different things lol). I was going to suggest painting the fireplace wall to match the rest of the room. The reason I say this is b/c the colour of the fireplace wall is more yellowish and gives off a much more traditional vibe, whereas the rest of the room looks more transitional, and so I think they give off different vibes/styles in the room.

As for pillows, I have attached a photo (from Ethan Allen) of pillows that are also on a red sofa and that I believe look very elegant and polished -- something just to give you an idea of what could go well with a red sofa (as I guess it could be harder to look for pillows on a red sofa vs. a neutral one) -- also, you could use the same/similar pillows on the armchairs.

For wall art, I noticed your windows are in the centre of the wall and allow for artwork on the vertical ends/sides of the walls. For this reason, I could see you maybe having picture frames stacked on top of each other on both sides of the windows, in a symmetrical manner, and I have shown a photo below (from Jane Lockhart's work) showing something like this -- however I would use much bigger wall art (but I just wanted to show you what I meant when I said symmetrical art stacked on top of each other).

Goodluck, your room looks beautiful and I love that there is so much light in there!:)

Move couch across from fireplace. Add another chair. Curtains lamps accessories! I offer affordable e-decorating services all done electronically. :)

Thank you for those suggestions on moving the couch across the fireplace. By the way the couch is a burnt orange color (not red). I found it hard to depict the color justly with my phone and the lighting. It is interesting to look at the fireplace wall after the comment on color (it does look so yellow!) but it's actually a recessed can light shinning down...and in fact was painted the same color as the rest of the room. Crazy how lighting has such an effect on colors. Also I am catching on to the double identical chair arrangement that has been suggested. It seems to be a common/safe decorating technique. Thank you!

Oh wow that is crazy, ha! I was seeing both the wall colour and sofa colour inaccurately, lol! Would love to how it come out in the end!:)

Check out my artwork for ideas on your walls. Many colors and sizes available: https://www.etsy.com/shop/ShoaGallery

I also think changing out the lamp will be good.

And if you can get another one of the cream/white armchairs, the set will look great with the side table between them, and a nice lamp where the table is.

Well, good, i shall be that lone dissenter then. I am happy with all of it, well, except for the poor rug, but i am sure you don't care about that.

My only thing is everyone gets heavy into everything on the wall. why not put the couch or the chair so they face the window. you can see the outside. if you are getting 2 chairs, why not put them by the fireplace so you can have tea by the fire? Everyone always says form follows function. I see the function of chairs as sitting while you do or enjoy something? same with couches. You have two centers here the fireplace and 2 picture windows, why not enjoy your good fortune.

i like the art ideas, just please do original, there are tons of places to get it, actually kshoa seems to offer good value for pretty pieces, she takes the stems a little further than most more original. But there many others on etsy too.

Did you want to expand on the color palette or stick with the cayenne and creamy white?

i do have a couple lamps you might like. lots of pillows too! but i figure you finish the other stuff then you can tell me how wide you want the palette.

off to bed soon, see you tomorrow!

I think the biggest transformation will happen with:
1. Drapery panels. Id do a subtle print. Hang high and long
2. Change seating as everyone has recommended and pull it in so front legs are on rug
3. If you cant get another chair consider a pouf style ottoman or upholstered bencg in front of fireplace
4. Renove arc lamp and get 2 table lamps

Beautiful room. Really like all that natural light.

The sofa likely would be a better fit facing the fireplace, leaving the rug turned as is -- long rug length along with longest seating but moving the rug a bit farther away from the fireplace, thus enabling you to put your sofa nearer the wall and use wall outlets for lamps on end tables. By moving the rug back a bit, you leave the walking path to the far side of the room directly in front of the fireplace rather than behind the sofa or through the middle of the seating area (and you would then be able to place a fireplace/hearth rated rug directly in front of your fireplace in case of sparks and your furnishings will be less likely to be damaged by heat from the fireplace).

You could still use your floor lamp, perhaps in the corner to the left just as you enter the room (photographer's left) with a table/desk.

The white chair could then be placed on the side of the room nearest to where the photographer was standing.

A pair of matching or similar chairs (perhaps wing backs) with a table between them could then be placed on the far side of the room.

With all that natural light, don't forget to add some plants. Snake plants, a/k/a mother-in-laws-tongue, are low maintenance, they don't shed and they look great year round. Use a pot with drainage and tray -- the deeper the pot, the taller the plant will grow; the wider (larger diameter) the pot, the more the plant will multiply to fill the pot (surprisingly quickly, too). When they have sunshine, they even occasionally have a small blooms on a tall stem that faintly resembles honeysuckle blooms.

https://www.google.com/?gws_rd=ssl#q=snake+plant+images

I think the room layout is just fine..I feel it is much more comfortable to enjoy the fireplace sitting in a comfy chair. Love all your choices this far.

If you move the sofa in front of FP, you should get a console for the back. Here is some art that might work

I also think you should get a console for the back if you get a sofa and I think that will take care of the extra space you have in the back of the room :)

I love the lamp. Definitely keep it!

Love the artwork Susan suggested and agree with the second matching chair idea.

And love your lamp.

Yes, pull all furniture up onto the rug.

Add a console table behind the sofa.

Remember, that coffee table has to be pulled close enough over to the furniture that a seated person can easily set her drink down, or effortlessly take an appetizer from your stylin' serving plate.

I would definitely switch the sofa and chair, and pull the rug away from the hearth a bit and under the sofa. The room will balance better that way.

I'd replace the mirror over the mantel with art. With your aim to bridge MCM and transitional, look at art.com for Marc Rothko, Robert Motherwell, Fritz Kline. If you're daring, try Jean Michel Basquiat.

What a great start! (I'd be sorry to see this drift too much to a transitional direction; it's looking so fab now.) In addition to making all the great changes suggested, please please choose interesting, bold art that you really love! It will take this beautiful space to the next level.

havingfun - thank you for the lamp suggestions. the Pier 1 lamp and the Genie lamp are really cool

maggys111 - I agree on the drapery panels and think a print makes sense since we've got a solids going on (except for rug)

suezbell - excellent points on distance from fireplace...this is also in agreement with others recommendations to center the rug, but this is gives a good technical/safety reason too. Regarding wingbacks which are so classy, is there a rule for how many chairs one should have in a room? Per your suggestion we'd then have 3 (the current one near entrance to room) and then 2 at back wall where orange couch currently is. We've been thinking about snake plants...interesting you mention it. Overall great technical info

weathy - yes I agree on the coffee table being close enough for people set drink down. It's so weird, standing in the room the rug does not look as big as it does nor does the coffee table look as small as it does in the picture. The photos I took do not give the best feel for the room...one of them was a pano so that might explain some of the distortion

susan2494 & houseaddiction - We like the idea of a console table...and that helps us with a void space we were concerned with. Would the console table be best for artifacts or lamps or what would be best?

groveraxle - idea of art on mantel is nice...I think mirror radiating energy from windows outward is not feng shui

The room definitely needs add'l lighting so up to you whether you get a lamp for the end table or add 2 to the console. You really need to decide on the furniture placement and the chairs before adding your lamps and accessories.

Hi all here are some photos after rearranging as per the majority of recommendations. We think the cream chair is probably too big to put 2. We may repurpose it as a single sitting chair in a bedroom which leaves us with looking for more chairs for the living room. This route is fine because our bedrooms are bare
anyway. Any suggestions for chairs now for the living room?

I have to say I'm very confused how you ended up with all this lovely furniture but want a traditional/transitional look! Do you just want more coziness as associated with those styles or really include items that are very different in style?

I love this arrangement so much better. The couch and chair look better in relation to the fireplace. Can't quite tell if there is the right amount of space but would a matching chair fit opposite the existing one? Then you could use the table to the right of the chair on the other side of the couch.

Tems - you are not the only one confused, so are we!

Whoops...not sure what happened with my last post....what I meant to say was:

Tems - you are not the only one confused, so are we!
That's why we came on this board and posted our dilemma. Seriously though, we bought these pieces
because we like them but are inexperienced in home decorating. We don't feel
like we understand basics (like putting long couch along longer side of rug)
although we are taking notes. We also
feel like we're missing how to pull everything together and bring it across the
finish line. Yes we want it to feel cozy, we don't want it to look like a
college dorm room. We used to like ultra contemporary style. Imagine white low
profile natuzzi leather couch, arco lamp, coffee table and rug in a room and
nothing else, very bare and simplistic - I don't know what this style is called
(modern Italian maybe??). This is how we had our previous home (high rise
condo) decorated. Now we are in a very traditional house - 8 doric columns,
antebellum style home. Our profile pic
gives a glimpse. If we can find some pics of interiors that depict the style we
are looking for we'll post them.

Here is an example of a style that we want to have

Funny that, Nezamina, most people on Houzz seem to move the other way around, style wise. You might like to know that you do not necessarily have to adjust your furniture to the style of your house. But if you really like this style, I suggest you start saving, because your current furniture will not give you this feeling. Good luck! :)

If you can move the chair to your bedroom and find another home for the eye in the sky lamp, I think you can furnish your space with a style more in line with your inspirational photo you just posted. Your sofa and rug and coffee table are a little more contemporary, but you can make them work. Let me put some things together for you. Mixing a few different styles will add interest to you room.

Can you snap a pic with the chair on the opposite side to see how two matching chairs across each other would look? Move arc lamp to the corner between sofa and chair. Move the side table to other side of sofa.

I think a smaller round side table might work better.

You can have sofa facing FP and the chairs on the right or you can put each chair next to FP facing sofa or a chair on each end of sofa. A more sleek wingback chair would work with sofa. A console for behind sofa, use your end tables with some nice lamps. Maybe a big clock over FP and some art between windows. Once you get your furniture in place :>) we can help you choose some appropriate accessories.

Not sure what furniture outlets you have available locally, but I think the chairs I used are from Pier 1. Do any of my suggestions appeal to you?

This is the Blake chair from Crate and Barrel. It's a transitional chair that would go well with the Peggy and your coffee table. The side table between the chairs is also from C&B as are most of the pillows.

Art is a framed Motherwell print from art.com.

C&B's Garbo leather wingback would give you a bit more formal look. I tried to stay with earth colors in curtains and accessories to go along with your rug. Art by Paul Klee.

West Elm's Victor wingback is way less pricey than the Garbo and comes in a bunch of upholstery fabrics. Art by Franz Kline; bowl is Chulucanas pottery from Peru.

Oops. Totally forgot the lamp.

susan2494 - love the clock! yes plenty of outlets in the room

groveraxle - brilliant! ...scratching my head how you were able to remove the pieces that were there :^O

I love your room. I think you need another red sofa with one where it is and one where the chair is. Then place the chair on a corner of the fireplace facing the two red sofas. The white chair looks huge compared to the red sofa so I would add another sofa.

Woven Roman shades at the windows and a tone on tone curtain panel in colors that match rug for long simple panels on bronze rods at the windows. Add a red/coral decorative tape on the leading edge of the curtains.

Pillows in suede, fur, wool for texture.

Wood mid tone end tables or rustic cerused oak for end tables. Gold metal end table by easy chair.

These pieces in your design taste!

Here a few designs from our portfolio. Take note of the artwork.

Link for the clock

http://www.pier1.com/Antiqued-Wall-Clock---Ivory/2548560,default,pd.html?cgid=wall_clocks#nav=top&start=1

http://www.pier1.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-pier1_us-Site/default/Product-Variation?pid=PV890-1&dwvar_PV890-1_variationColor=grayTrellis&Quantity=1#nav=top&start=1&sz=147&showAll=147

neza you just have to accept that people like grover are magical/mythical beasts and can do whatever they want when it comes to furniture in rooms. I am thinking you want more modern and warm. Your pic is cool, sophisticated, traditional. The chairs are place where i think yours should be though. one on either side of the fireplace. they can sorta block the book case, but not totally. Off to look at pics.

This is an assortment that i garnished off houzz, so you have more of an idea and lead us more to what you want. I started with cayenne couch, they did have a few, most were not couches. Then i looked through 10 pages of burnt orange. I know it is a little bright, but a lot of the colors etc, will be the same. whites, grays, blacks, beige, blues, teals/aquas, and lime green.

rug is much like yours, odd, these are the same room?

last two, anything striking you?

You have a nice room. Just needs character. Add some original art. You might find something here: https://www.etsy.com/shop/PamQArts?ref=hdr_shop_menu

Hi all, thank you for all the recommendations and guidance. What we've concluded is we will need to focus on selecting a couple major items/pieces in the room and then move into an "accessorizing" phase. Those items being draperies for the windows and then probably 2 appropriately sized sitting chairs. Unfortunately the current cream chair we have is too big to have 2 side-by-side and if we put another opposite facing the current location it really would be blocking the entry into the room. We'll just use the cream chair as a nice reading/sitting chair in a bedroom where we need to furnish as well. We're thinking about a console behind the burnt orange couch. Once we have these big ticket items in place, we'll start working on the pillows, artwork on walls/above FP and lamps on end tables. Hopefully we'll find something striking to put on the coffee table. Not sure when

Good Luck with finding your pieces, we are here to help with any questions before buying, just post.

remember have fun!