Is there any way you can put windows on the south side of the room? That will bring in plenty of natural light.

Hi, one clue in your statement is to lighten up the dark and that all décor is open to change. So bright and light can be achieved with many design styles, so your next task is to decide what style you want to achieve, mid-century modern, cottage/beach, traditional, all white and so on...

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I did a houzz search for 'bright living' in photos and came up with the above. Once you have your style you can choose furniture pieces from there and colour schemes.

You could begin with either a rug, sofa or dramatic piece of artwork that you love as your colour base. The feature wall in the first pic is also a way to bring in one bright colour.

The south side is the dining room and the east has a sunroom. North is the front window and west the front entry.

Looks like you prefer neutrals. I would use all the colors from your dining room rug if you want a seamless look between the rooms Consider window treatments (curtain panels) you can put on either side of the window frame rather than the shade you have that block some glass and light even when they are fully open. If you would like to repeat your current seating arrangement of two chairs and a sofa, consider getting two matching chairs and a sofa in an alternate color/tone. Would a sofa work along the wall where your chairs currently reside? Relaxing on the couch beneath a window might make you feel like your room is lighter. Your current furniture is pretty dark. Most of us have dark furniture because life happens, but consider lighter upholstery or maybe slip covers that can be washed. If you feel you must keep your upholstery dark, add light colored toss pillows and keep your lamps, tables and accessories lighter. Do not go light with everything in the room. You need some dark pieces to anchor the space and show off the 'lightness' of your other pieces. It's about balance. Make sure your room has a range of tones. If you want to update the painted walls, I would consider a shade of grey lighter than the beige you currently have. Grey is very trendy right now, but I think over time might go from fresh to dreary. Make sure you love it and consider how long you want to go between paint jobs before you choose this color. Use mirrors adjacent to and across from windows to bounce light around the space. Be conscious of the image being reflected in the mirror. Make sure it's interesting (not just the white ceiling) and appealing since the mirror effectively doubles whatever it is reflecting. Plants can also add a sense of lightness and bring a neutral pallet to life, literally. Make sure you maintain and refresh them. Just because a plant is still 'alive' doesn't mean it's enhancing your environment. I think of plants as disposable like fresh cut flowers. Once they look tired, I replace them with something new They can be an inexpensive way to keep things changing in your room.

tedbixby : I believe the colours you see in the photo are quite true, that is a deep blue/grey colour with soft green and some rust tones in the carpet. Our room measures 14 x 20 but the photos do make it look a bit narrower. I have started looking for a sofa and find myself drawn to the lighter colours but am a bit apprehensive as we use this room a lot.

Sandy: Thank you for your comments. Yes the sofa is dark which is one reason for the change. We are also considering moving the TV to the mantel to allow room for an extra chair, would you have that chair the same colour as the sofa? In this old house our windows are not even heights so I was considering doing window treatments as in the attached photo, Thoughts?

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What if you put the TV on the wall opposite the fireplace and place the sofa in front of the window? Then place a chair where the TV currently sits (or on either side of the opening to the dining room).

We have our tv mounted above the fireplace and I was surprised how much I like it there. We are a sports watching family, so the tv is almost always on and hiding it doesn't really make much sense. I think it is a good solution for you because that end of the room is so symmetrical. Be sure you think about a clean looking way to keep your dvd player, cable boxes wires etc. Instead of a chair maybe consider built in book shelves below the windows with window seats? I like the idea of the box valences, and yes in an old house you have to install them so they appear level to each other rather than equal distant from the ceiling. I also think using a pattern on the valances is better than large patterns on upholstered furniture. It's cheaper to replace when you are tired of it. On the other hand, one way to hide dirt on a lighter sofa is to go with an all over texture or pattern. If you decide to go with another chair by the fireplace, it really doesn't have to match perfectly with the other pieces. This may also be a good place to play with pattern. Because of the symmetrical windows, I would balance it with something on the other side like a plant or a large box/basket of wood for the fireplace. Even if you don't intend to burn it, a container fully of white bark birch wood always looks beautiful.