Hi we have the same color schemes of furniture. What I did to offset the dark furniture is to paint the walls a grayish blue color. However I used a darker shade of gray on the wall that has the windows so because I didn't want the color to fade away from all the light that is coming into the house. I used a shade lighter on the other walls......for example on your wall with windows/fireplace I would use Benjamin Moore "steel wool 2121-20", but on the wall with the large wood console and its oposite opened wall leading to the dining room I would use Benjamin Moore "gentle gray 1626". (colors just given to you so you see what I'm referring to regarding the different shades of gray) I also noticed you have a lot of trim in the room, and because I can't tell if its white color I am going to suggest you use pure white color with a nice gloss shine to it....this pops the trim as well as give you a great contrast for the painted walls. To tie the colors of the walls to the rest of the room you would only need to change your rug to a nice light gray toned one. I would do the same color scheme in your dining room and the hallway where your wrought iron stairs are....the gray and black wrought iron just love each other and look very classy together. Oh.....one more thing....if you can replace the ceiling fan with a nice black wrought iron chandelier...that way you tie the family room to the hallway since they are adjacent to each other.

I think a pretty pale green would be pretty...I Love your space especially the fireplace stone!

I would move the sofa to face the fireplace, ottoman in front of sofa, put the 2 matching chairs to the right and leather chair about where it is now. Replace the side table with 2 unique tables and eliminate the floor lamp. The room lacks color so I would purchase a new area rug with more color and pattern. You can take you color inspiration form the rug choosing a neutral, creamier color for the walls and do an accent wall in the dining area. Choose an accent color based on a coordinating fabric for pillows and use that color for accessory accents. If you can live without the fan replace it with a chandelier and get a coordinating one for over the dining table. Add a new mirror over the fireplace. Finishe the windows with panels on either side of the windows in a coordinating fabric. Here are some ideas for rugs and pillow:
Ranchointeriordesign.com Give us a call if you would like us to prepare a virtual design for you.

I think a warm orange on some of the walls would look great...

Question on the paint --I love the idea of a softer gold like Whole Wheat as well as the idea of completely changing to a gray or gray-green, but wouldn't switching to a gray color in the family room fight with my BM Brunswick Beige? I also have SW Creamy trim to consider. I'm really loving all of these suggestions, I've already turned the ottoman, cleared the Sligh TV unit shelves for a re-do and can't wait to start my search for the two tables and possibly a chandelier to tie in with the foyer stair balusters. The advice on here is priceless!

If you are responding to me, the rug is actually taupe. I can give you the resource or you can buy through us.

Rosetag --The sofa, chair and ottoman are made by Bradington-Young. We have the wonderful advantage here of being only a little more than an hour away from High Point, NC and ordered them through one of the companies in that area.

I really love this whole space. The arrangement is perfect. And I love the furniture! I think with the right rug, window treatments, and art over the fireplace, you may love the yellow. But if I had to choose something new. Paint: SW 6191 Contented. Rug: Surya KEN-1004 Window treatment: golden toned sheers with a subtle pattern in addition to what you have now.

Absolutely love it. Nice work!

The picture of the color did not show up. Here we go.

Here's some drapes from JCpenney.

Lori, on the paint -- I would think, if you decide to go with a gray in your family room, just be sure it complements your walls in your adjacent rooms. Grays tend to go warm or cool and have green, purple, blue and tan undertones. Sherwin Williams will give you 9x11 samples of their colors --order 4 of the same color , multiple colors and play with them. I would try as hard as I could to work with your existing trim paint so that you do not have to repaint that (no fun).
But before you do decide on your paint , think about how you want your room to feel when you are done. Make a mood board, Go shopping for area rugs. I wouldn't get anything with too dominate of a pattern though as it will fight with your fireplace wall. Pick some fabrics for drapery panels as they will have a big impact also.
Kim Herning,CID

Lori,
I've used Sesame by Valspar as the paint in similarly-colored spaces. It has warm undertones that shouldn't compete with your dining color. Valspar paints don't often get talked about, but I've had quite a bit of success with their greens in particular, which can be very tricky. Sesame will look completely grey on your computer screen, but up on the wall it is grey with a very, very subtle warm green-yellow undertone. Definitely try a sample first, though, because it's hard to know what kind of light you're getting in the room.

Also...you can upload your pictures that you have of your rooms to sherwin williams onto their color visualizer and play with all the different shades of colors there are......its a great tool.

Would you consider painting the inside back of your big wall unit a white or off white? Then it wouldn't seem like more brown. Just an idea.

Hi Lori,
You have a beautiful, warm home! I love the awesome trim and your impressive fireplace too. You originally wondered about furniture placement, and wall color. Several observations/thoughts:
1. Move your couch. It appears as if the room is too heavy with couch/console/end table to right of fireplace; also seems to block traffic flow and obstruct view from kitchen. I think your couch might balance the weight of the stone fireplace and create a nice entry from front stairs if you moved your couch facing the fireplace with console behind and position ottoman as you had it/ parallel to couch. This should allow someone to lay down to watch tv too! This also creates the focal point of the room as the fireplace, as opposed to the tv unit.
2. Place linen chairs facing the tv unit where the couch sits now; try the end table between/ or purchase new/possibly circular center table or square game table?... I would not add any more wood stained pieces... maybe look for a fun black/dark grey finish (or rusty red w/gold/black highlights) and then a small round metal table w/antiqued mirror surface/top by the leather chair (ballard design has a great one).
3. Replace the lamps; easy way to change the feel of a room and current seem small scaled/too traditional; restoration hw has some fun modern and trad options). Add a pharmacy style floor lamp for reading etc.
4. TV Unit: I think part of the problem is too many shelves allowing for need for too much display. Can you remove some of the shelves? I like the previous idea of painting the inside back... but, better yet, upholster in fabric! Fabric would add so much personality to this piece/room. A fun large paisley; or a glen plaid chocolate on linen background would lighter the wood feel. You may have lighting in this cabinet already....if not add some puck lights..lighting makes a huge difference in the mood/feel of any room.
5. I would consider chocolate brown or a grey/brown wall tone. You have enough windows and openings to handle this and the stone will pop. Use a neutral, lighter toned rug... I feel like a dark rug on the dark floors with dark leather is too weighted on the floor....esp w/light ceiling and all the sunshine you have.
6. Focal point on the fireplace stone wall would draw your eye in.... how about a large scale open clock.....i.e. metal outline/face/hands.
7. Add panel drapes to windows.... all the way to ceiling/crown molding. If you go with darker walls, keep it light/linen with banded interesting trim (maybe greek key) and then some fun pillows to coordinate on your couch and linen chairs and a fur throw on your leather chair.
Have Fun and let us see what you change/decide.

hsmith13I --I must be doing something wrong, I just registered on the SW website and tried the color visualizer but the colors are changing when I drag them to my room, they completely change any color to different shades of blue, weird.

Saltcitybabe --I'm not sure, there certainly is no going back once it's done! Do you know of any pictures showing something similar?

Unfortunately I've tried the couch where the chairs are currently located and can't seem to make it work. In theory it makes more sense and more balanced, but when I had it there it didn't give enough space to get into the room from the foyer. The room is 14 x 18'5 with another 2' lost to the hearth. Opposite the hearth is a large opening toward the foyer, so the couch appeared to plug up the opening. It's seems as though this room lacks the few extra feet to pull off that configuration. It also took away from the view of the family room from the foyer. The family room is in direct view from the front door, so when walking into the house the immediate view was the back of a big brown leather sofa. I'll attach a picture of the layout, but please note that the fireplace hearth was enlarged in both directions when we had the stone installed. It's bigger than what is written on the picture.

Turning the room layout horizontal, the vertical is cutting off the top and bottom on my viewer

Carolyn's recommendations are spot on concerning furniture arrangement, rug and occasional furniture. The pop of orange would invigorate the room and the moroccan side table give the room a more eclectic look. i recommend that you deepen the wall color to a richer gold or mocha brown and all the trim to a caramel color which will compliment and stand up better to the fireplace, dark leather furniture and black dining room furniture. The trim color would be more unexpected but striking never the less.

a console table behind the couch with some or one tall lamp, would add additional height to that area.

For your South South-East exposure your best colors are either silver or coral. Since you have the browns in place, the off-white chairs and the cherry finishes, I would recommend the coral. Hard to imagine for some so I have pasted a photo to look at. As for the green suggestions, that would work best with a South-West exposure. As for the gray suggestions, a red undertone is best. Since your room is more traditional, I would recommend grounding the coral paint with an Oriental rug. They come in so many designs and can be had at a variety of price points. I would stay neutral (light...off-white similar to chairs) for your windows. As for tables, I would recommend a mix of materials, one of which could certainly be in a warm metal with glass top, perhaps between the chairs. As for something next to your leather chair, there are many small round and hexagonal pieces such as garden stool varieties. Add pillows, mixing up colors, using your rug as your guide and whatever art you may have. A pillow in the red, blue, yellow, white combo. a nice table lamp for next to your sofa. Like the glimmer of the metal base A floor lamp for next to your leather chair

I would recommend baby blue for the walls.

First of all you have a beautiful home most people would die for! I would move the sofa to face the fireplace but I don't know if people would get the best view of the TV. I would place the sofa table behind the sofa. I would place the 2 chairs where the sofa was. In the pictures the paint color doesn't look bad at all but if it's to yellow try a wheat gold or just a very light color using the lightest color in the fireplace. De-clutter the wall unit & add a few pops of one color. And maybe a few throw pillows. As for the hallway, the paint color is very blah. How about a textured wall paper ? And the dining room needs so color, fresh flowers on the table, an area rug with a few of your favorite colors ....

Hi again Lori,
Sorry the dimensions of the room won't accommodate furniture rearrangements... no worry, every room has it's limitations and your room is beautiful as is! As is, get rid of the end table/lamp at the end of the couch, it is distracting and adds weight to that side of the room. Add two metal buffet lamps with metal shades on the console (see restoration hw). Place a rectangular table (or set of three) in the metal/ rattan texture/or something cool that is painted, between the white chairs; add the ballard designs round antique mirror top table by the leather chair with a new large floor lamp to left of the chair. Do consider a darker color for your walls, as others have suggested (browns etc); this will draw you into your room from foyer and kitchen and really make it special from the rest of your lovely home. Look for a bigger rug, oriental idea might be great; check out henredon, they carried a bookcase with an upholstered inside back that might be good visual.... this will make that wall pop.

Which particular lamps would you recommend for this room? My style is more traditional and I am self admittedly completely out of touch with current styles!

Lori, if I can just propose waiting on pickin gout lamps until you finalize the color of your walls. If you go with the gray color scheme you can pick a black base with a light color lamp shade.....if I could suggest looking at www.jossandmain.com website. Every day they have new lamps on sale of different styles and they even sometimes will coordinate them with a decor style. Just wait until the style pops up that you like......
As for the Sherwyn Williams color visualizer....if it doesn't work for you don't worry about it....maybe you can use one of their preprogrammed rooms and play with the colors to see if you like them.....

http://christiechase.blogspot.com/2010/09/238leslies-dining-room.html
This is a link to a blog of someone who redid their dining room from white to gray.....its similar to yours and attach so that you can visualize the gray with the wood dining room table/chairs

Good advice, I am so grateful for this site. I think I'll go on a scouting mission to the stores today and see if any of the rugs jump out at me. I'm really torn between the paint colors and think going in either direction would look great once it is all pulled together, maybe rugs will throw me one way or the other --is that a bad way to go about it? Keep the advice coming, I am so thrilled to gather all of this decorating wisdom and knowledge!

Hi Lori,
Sorry it's been so long since my original question.

Now that I know you have South-East exposure, I can help you choose a colour that won't be "blindingly" bright at certain times of the day.

I suggest a colour like Ashley gray HC 87 for your walls. It's a warm gray-beige.
You will still get that warm feeling that you love, but without the glare!

I also heard you express concern about things being too dull if you painted in a neutral.
Therefore, I included some colourful options for your accessories that will keep your room vibrant and happy!!! (including your beloved yellow!) :)

Your room is beautiful! Have fun decorating, and please keep us updated with your progress!!!

Caroline :)

P.S. I chose a lamp with a linen shade to repeat the texture of your chairs.

Start with the rug and that will give you color inspiration!

A lot of today's lamps have fatter bases than your lamps have. And while your lamps have ski slope shades, many newer lamps have straight sided shades. You will still see lamps like yours, but an updated lamp might be shaped more like the ones below.

I see navy blue and deep rust for great "pop" colors on the walls.

I feel the lounge & the 2 chairs need to swap places. Please consider some grey tones over beige on the walls...

Jodi - she should swap them out to see how it looks. I ALWAYS love chairs like that flanking the FP. The end table then could move to the other end of the couch and could be utilized by the lounge chair as well.

Paint question --What color is BM Camouflage? Looks pretty in some of the pictures, not sure if it would suit my other colors. I'm obviously fond of the golds and like the idea of SW Whole Wheat, but I've had them for many years now. I know--rug first, but it's fun to ponder the walls when I'm not out searching.

bm camouflage 2143-40 is a olive/tan color. what is the name color of your dining room and the room that is adjoining the den? also, the color that is on the walls by the staircase in the photo? because the rooms all flow together, you have to coordinate.

You can put the linen chairs on both sides of the fire place and the sofa infront of the fire place and check sams club for area rugs they do have good quality ones and cheaper than the others

the link to Benjamin Moore Camouflage:
http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/camouflage

Hi Lori,
I encourage you to go for something new on your walls! Take a risk, buy several paint samples with depth, perhaps in the darker golden browns (a variation on the golden tones you like, the above camouflage seems very washed out to me); hang them up to compare in your homes lighting and time of day etc. Then just do it; take care of the wall color that you are wanting a change from. You will not have a problem finding a rug or fabrics to add to the mix.... there are thousands and thousands of options. The color of your walls can be the perfect starting point, just pick something you love and go from there.

I love the room. But changes I would make would be 1. change the rug to a more formal style the one you have is nice but its too light and too modern for the furnature, 2. paint the painted surfaces of the wall with the stone a brown something like Saddle brown and change the rest to a darker cream color. And add lighting to the wall unit. Its just too dark on the wall. I personally would add can lights directed at it.

Hi, maybe these colors will help you...

Thanks for explaining why a cream rug doesn't work, I've seen so many of the Houzz pictures with similar rugs and didn't make the wrong style connection. I had been trying out different PB & West Elm area rugs to test colors and the one in the picture went back to the store yesterday. The wall unit does have built-in lights, I just didn't have them on since it wasn't a focus at the time. I'm so grateful to everyone here since I didn't even know that piece needed help as well!

How tall should a chairside table be compared to chair arms?

My chair arms are 24" high but every chairside table I like seems to be 26"H.

@Lori, that is fine, what you don't want is a table shorter than the arms as it makes it very difficult to set a drink down on the chair-side table. There are many different heights to chair/sofa arms, just remember to have a table higher, NOT lower than the arms. 2 inches is fine... in my opinion.

Large sunburst mirror over fireplace. Move the 2 chairs to face sofa. Move sofa in about 2 feet. Put leather chair where other chairs were. Put table beside it no higher than arm of chair. Invest in very large coffee table, take bench out and use at the end of a bed. Walls could be painted a soft gray called mink from lowes.

I also like your shades but lower them more. Table is good by sofa you can leave flor lamp where it is. Put the chairs right together no table. Remove vase on fireplace replace with a small plant and candlesticks . Don't clutter. Where is TV?

Run your area rug the area rug long ways. You might want to get bigger one with more color.

Table behind sofa is good. Replace candles with plants, and books. Always a cheap and nice way to fill space.

If you have a TV on wall in front of sofa. My plan won't work. Unless you want to put TV over fireplace.

Sorry I just saw yr wall unit. Paint walls soft gray. Paint TV cab white. Put white panels on each side of windows. You can leave shades. If TV pops up. Leave it up. Replace things on TV with plants and books. Go with bigger area rug in brighter color. Still need mirror over firepl. And huge coffee table 8x10 area rug would warm the whole pl up.