I would move the TV to the mantel, then have couch facing fireplace, occasional chairs to either side, leave the red rug, then behind the couch you aould arrange the childrens play area with their rug and furntiure. Beautiful fireplace!!! Good Luck!!!

I would fatten up your moulding profile, paint your brick and spray your fireplace face with a rust-oleum oil rubbed bronze for starters. You also have rich browns and reds that are all the same value. If you squint and look around it is all one blob of the same color. You need either a lighter sofa or rug. Start with the basics: Sofa, Rug, Drapes and coffee table then build from there...lamps?

Thank you for your comments.. The reason we didn't put the TV on the mantle is because it's too high. You'd be watching and it will strain your neck.

Allison, paint the brick with what color? I will attempt to spray the fireplace.. i actually don't like the gold tone. I think i can work with a lighter color rug to make the space brighter. I have a bay window opposite the TV. What do you suggest as covering? drapes? blinds?

I would choose white curtains or plantation shutters if in your budget. I would put the TV in one of the corners if it would fit by the fireplace so you don't lose all that wall space under the bay and then maybe store all the kids toys on the other side, pulling them out to let the kids play on the main rug and remove the kids rug. Why hide that lovely floor ( I bet the kids don't stay contained on the corner kids rug anyway) The furniture (bookcase?) could maybe then be put under the bay or next to it as a piece rather then hidden in the corner instead of the plastic fantastic! You could then put the kids wall art on the plain wall by the bay too where the kids stuff is now it would be more noticeable. Or even put the art on your fireplace.

(by bay i'm assuming thats the window behind the TV)

Hi,
I actually had a client with the same problem and we removed the outside stone, removed the mantel and step, and lowered the fireplace box so that we could place television at normal height (depending on your sofa seat height.) We then covered the front with an inexpensive marble tile, although you could drywall it and paint a color or use any material you like that is heat resistent.
Here is before and after .

kklinton, The back of the sofa is a sofa table and is only a few feet away from the dining room so no luck putting the kids toys over there as a separate area. Okay, i will look at roman shades.. what about the bay window facing the TV, what can i use for that? We get glare if i keep that window open. :(

nicholabell, i have another window opposite the TV. We don't really have a big blank wall it's windows on both sides.

You can still do the roman shades.

Oh wow, that picture is helpful. I never thought it would work in bay windows. Thanks kklinton.

Could tv be set up where toy vanity is now? Perhaps stored away in a furniture piece where it could be slid out and rotated? Then I would float sofa and angle it, with part of back to fireplace, and more open to the whole room. Angle rug also. Kids' play area could be hidden behind sofa into corner to left of fireplace.

To get a more adult look I would start by taking everything off walls and mantel. Lower clock. Add back accessories sparingly.

Hi 4isablessing,
I agree with kklinton, Roman Shades would look great here. They not only provide privacy without sacrificing the natural in flow of sunlight but they really polish off the look of any room.

Check out 3 Day Blinds Roman Shades and many other window treatment options!
http://www.3dayblinds.com/window-treatments/shades/roman

If you have any questions or would like to schedule a free in home appointment with a 3 Day Blinds Design Consultant feel free to reach out to me! :)

Happy Decorating!

3 Day Blinds

I had a similar issue. I purchased a mount for the TV that pulls out to a full 90 degrees (nearly). I would mount the TV to the left of the window it is currently in front of, pull it out when you use it, put it back when you don't. I second the lighter color roman shades. IF windows still have a glare on the TV get blackout roller shades and hang them behind the romans. Pull them when you need to. Or get totally opaque shades.

I agree on painting the screen on the fireplace then lime-washing the brick to lighten it up. You can work it to be as light or as subtle as you like and leave the mantle and the hearth their natural color and they will have a little contrast. And you could hang your kids plaques on the fireplace and they would be a huge focal point as the inspiration and pop out more.
http://www.houzz.com/photos/modern/Lime-wash-brick-

I don't have kids but do they need to have several tables and chairs and things in the living room? If you could minimize that to something they could share and get a storage solution that has bins for each kid that they can keep their things in and once it's full, stuff goes to the bedroom, it would be good on a lot of levels. A lot of friends with kids have implemented this solution so they can keep their living area looking neat, gets their kids involved in maintaining the house and helps them feel a little less immersed in kiddie land at all times. They say it's good for their mental health! If they need a place to draw, color, etc why not go modular so it can grow with them? A few cube shelves from Ikea (naughty word?) with box inserts and a few floating shelves to set on top as desk top at different levels and you are golden. And you can change the heights!! Mount a mirror on the wall and you have your dressing table. Built in storage for 5 little ones, looks like you may have 4?

I am in full house mode today. Sorry for the long-winded-ness.

I think someone else said it as well. Anything you can do to lighten a few things to add some contrast would be great. Remember that dark curtains don't necessarily mean opaque so look for ones that are specifically room darkening or blackout (the latter sometimes need to air out for a while, fair warning) and get a color that is a little more airy.

The room has great bones! When it's time I would paint the ceiling timbers a slightly different color than the ceiling as well. Slightly darker than the walls. With a lighter fireplace it would lighten the room overall and help things feel a little less oppressive! That fireplace is crazy!! In a good way.

Mike, do i need to hire a pro to do the lime washing of the brick fireplace. I really love all your suggestions.. how do you hide the wiring of your TV? where do you put the cable box? :) sorry i had to ask. I will try to clean the clutter and take a new picture.

Glad to help! There are tutorials online about lime washing for sure. I have done it but only outside and it was pretty easy. You can do it with latex paint watered down as well I would just suggest doing the sides of the hearth first to get your technique down. Not nearly as bad if they are not just right since you can't really see them.

As for the cable box and power for the TV. I cut holes in my wall with a hole saw behind the TV and behind a cabinet underneath it but it is an interior wall. If you want to get a smaller cabinet that tucks into the corner you could run the wires through the wall and then in some conduit along the baseboard pretty unobtrusively. If you are not down with cutting into the wall you can get a piece of conduit, run the cords through that. Not ideal but far less work and damage to the wall (especially since there would be insulation in that wall making things a little more difficult). I am a pretty crazy stickler for no cords / wires showing anywhere! Then it just looks like magic :)

Also, if you have your components, cable, stereo, etc in a cabinet get an IR blaster to transmit your remote signal, put the sensor on the TV and control everything without ever opening the cabinet. Then you can put the cabinet wherever you like and not worry about hitting the box or anything with the signal.

Two pics attached first showing where the wires end up in the wall, the other showing kinda where they run (and my cute dogs). Sadly the door to the components is open but I have an RF remote that works through the wood (as would an IR blaster) so we never see any of that stuff.

Mike thank you for all your help. I will consider this idea and see if i can move that tv away from the middle window into the side. Lots of great stuff you wrote.. thanks so much!!! Cute dogs!

Glad to help, and thanks :) They are super sweet...

Allison, what color rug do I use given what I already have?

I agree, don't put the TV above fireplace. I think updating curtains would be very nice.

Just a Few Ideas... Kid Friendly Living Room

Nice New Curtains or Blinds .. Natural in Color than add color in the form of cushions and rugs

To start new drapes, light color, or 2 inch blinds or roman shades. Something light! The room looks so dark. Can you move the tv somewhere else? Remove some of the clutter off the mantel. Paint fp if you can a light color.