Come on Houzz people, help a color blind person out

The black pieces don't really help matters. Maybe it's time to change up the furnishings next? Invest in better lighting? Or open the blinds.

I recommend a Solartube.

Need more photos please

Don't worry about the carpet. I think you did ok and is workable. Definitely would suggest swapping out the secondary furniture. Needs more variety in both form and style. Everything is very similar and matchy-matchy.

Take a look at this living room for inspiration

. Note the various textures and sizes, they play off each other as a collage rather than a game of match-this-to-that.

I would work with what you have. One thing about lighting, though, you need to have no ceiling lighting here. Start with a large wall sconce or table lamp in each corner at chest height. Ceiling lights in a living room or bedroom doesn't do anyone any favors. Good lighting is often an afterthought although it really needs to get the attention it deserves. It gives the room ambiance and personality. You may want to put some wall art about the tv or piano. Your walls and couch appears to be sand, your rug gray. Pick up these colors in accessories or wall art.

The picture really doesn't show the height of your ceiling, it kind of looks cut off at the wall by at least a foot or two, which makes it hard for me personally to say you should avoid having ceiling lighting.

This is the way it was with my old furniture that I thought clashed. I still have it though, should I put it back to help?

The ceilling is very very tall, but the only lights are a ceiling fan and natural light. Ceiling is approx 24 feet tall.

My biggest challenges are that I'm a visualist and I am colorblind red/green and a few other deviations of those. I don't know what works well until I see a photo that matches well or a very descriptive plan to make things work. Another challenge is the wall is massive. To put it in perspective, that clock on the wall is 4 feet in diameter.

The old furniture seemed to fill up the room more. How it is now looks a little sparse. Everything looks very modern/contemporary. I think you need more lighting and add plants!!!

I'm pretty used to working with/around someone who has the red/green colorblindness - my brother. He can wind up in some interesting outfits if left to his own devices, my SIL finally figured out that shopping for their family's clothing is best done by her.

What colors do you feel drawn to, and are you working with a budget that will allow for new furniture or is this something you're hoping to do relatively inexpensively?

The carpet is fine. The piano is great. But your furnishings could use a rather large overhaul depending on budget. If you like a clean contemporary look that could work nicely here. The black and the glass is a good start. More modern sofas would really have a dramatic effect.

I can change the furnishings and the budget allows for about anything, so let me know what you think. If I do couches what color should they be? If I do coffee tables and end tables what examples would you have? Feel free to attach some internet photos you find. I am a visualist. I don't really feel drawn to any certain colors in terms of living areas. I just want a home feel with something that doesn't necessarily have to be magazine worthy just appealing to the eye of visitors and I.

Oh, and can you give us a photo of the wall (and presumably the windows/slider providing the natural light) the piano backs up to?

Carpet is fine. I would suggest incorporating the ceiling height and large wall into the design. A larger media cabinet, art work with the clock, a floor lamp between the piano and wall would add height and light. Eliminate the end able close to the wall that makes area look tight, replace it was a slim table if needed. Replace coffee table with covered ottoman to add color, and soften the corners of the room. Add drapery panels to bring colors together

Ok, I did some looking at photos selecting for the brown carpet you chose, keep in mind that this is just to show you how simply playing with a monochromatic scheme with light, medium, and dark variations can look...

Second photo has aqua-green throw pillows and live plants on coffee table and background of room
Third image has hunter green and red throw pillows on sofa
Last photo has orange-red pouf-things on right side and some green throw pillows on sofa

Here is the pic requested of the windows, I need to get that changed out to a stone fireplace. It's already on my to do list.

Now say you're looking for a color that isn't a variation of brown - there's various shades of blue, you'd need to keep it light though...

The only problem I see with that is that I have little ones. Light blue couches or fabric couches at all would be a huge issue. And light blue leather looks cheap and tacky from what I've seen.

Two words. Washable slipcovers. Or of course you could wallpaper your couch. That's a secret not well known outside of Houzz.

You sure got plenty of ideas :)

Mine is to get an area rug over the carpet with a bit of colour , the wall behind the tv could use a bit of colour ,if you can also get a larger cabinet for your TV etc..

If you are allowed ... paint one wall just like this one

I also have oak trim everywhere...ugh so much to do. I should change that to white but every hard when it's connected through the entire house.

Your windows face East? At least that's what it looks like? By mid-afternoon most of the colors in the room will take on a definite cool tone - the coffee table and the fireplace mantle aren't likely to get anywhere beyond neutral though.

And you could have mentioned the kids earlier. ;)

Sorry about that. The windows face east, that is correct. Good guess! This room needs a lot of work overall. I think the oak has to go, but very difficult with it being tied into the kitchen where I want the oak to remain with two oak trimmed entries. I've got the ability to paint, I own the home. Blinds might need to go, tile definitely needs to go, and then I've got the furniture. This carpet change may have spurred over $10k in other changes. It's annoying

Here are some beige leather options, because you probably don't want to end up with a pink toned beige (due to the lighting) a neutral beige bordering on yellow beige slightly vanilla, with the carpet taking a somewhat grey tone post-morning sunlight (honestly even with my blinds tightly closed that Eastern exposure adds a slight bluish-lavender tone, good thing that's what I wanted in my own house or I'd be screwed! I went light grey on the walls with white ceiling and baseboards, light grey carpet because my living room furniture is dark wood tones and dark grey microfiber; upstairs same walls/baseboards/ceiling/carpet and dark wood furniture with a navy blue duvet set on the bed. To keep things from being overwhelmingly dark, I had to add the lightness on the walls and floors.)

Then you can bring in a couple of different blue tones with your throw pillows, get all the colors in the room - brown, blue, beige - in a patterned pillow, and a mix of the blues with texture. I deal with the biggest items that are going to be in a room first, hence my focus on the furniture, and go from there. Functional, good structure/construction, and attractive = ideal furniture to invest your money in. The kids won't be making 'mud pies' and tracking in the dirt from the yard or sticky/grubby handed prone to spilling things like grape juice or chocolate milk in every place that will nearly give you a heart attack just thinking about it for too long. Just sayin'....;)

Jennifer, I'm getting a clearer picture now. Thank you. Still not sure what to do about the coffee table and end tables. Suggestions? I see one person is suggesting reclaimed wood items. Not sure how that would go or not go. Or do I keep my old light colored wood coffee table and end tables?

If you go light with the sofa/sectional/chair and the carpet is dark...your end tables/coffee table (though you may find it better to substitute an ottoman for the coffee table) should be in the middle on the scale of light to dark. If you want to do a rug too consider one in the mid-scale as well, just don't put the end tables on it. :P

Some examples:

I like mixing shapes when it comes to the accent tables - you could do round end tables and a rectangular console/sofa table for example.