You're off to a great start and have done awesome so far! I'm not a professional designer, I can only give my opinion!

I would suggest painting the book case behind the couch to match the color of the legs on the two chairs. It seems like a darkish cream color? A rustic paint job would bring a little more of that old look and look fantastic.

I would definitely get a rug with some color in it. That way you can pick a color theme and run with it. For example maroon, like the flowers on the table. Picking a certain color to go off of can really help when adding additions to your home. Pillows, lamps, paintings, curtains. Everything can tie together with colors you've chosen to work with.

I would possibly move the tv at least a photo higher up the wall. At the moment it makes your wall look empty with so much space. I've enjoyed seeing people make a collage spaced out on their wall. Using different sized photos, letters of your first or last name, mirrors, sayings, clocks ect. I think that'd look great on the TV wall in your living room. I have attached a photo of what I'm talking about for an idea!

I hope some of my ideas help. Good Luck!

A few rug ideas

i would re orient the room towards that gorgeous fireplace, add a big shag or other deep rug, get a larger version of that book case from Ikea for the wall that currently holds the TV. it is a stunning room with great bones.

you might consider also painting that wall above fireplace black for drama. if you mount the TV there, it will fade away from being the focal point when turned off.

Rugs will add color and texture.
The rug under the table and chairs is much too small. When a person wants to sit at the table the chair legs will be scraping on the floor. To avoid that, the rug should be four feet wider and four feet longer than the table measurements.. The living room needs a rug too....big enough that all the seating pieces' front legs are on the rug, or even larger than that.
Because your room is open plan, the rugs should probably match each other.

You are off to a good start. Right now the sofa, shelves, and fireplace are all on the same side of the room, with the lighter chairs and window on the other side, so the room looks unbalanced. I would move the sofa to float in the room and face the TV. Remove the too small rug from your dining table, and instead get a large rug to use in your living area. It will pull the space together and make it more cozy. Replace your floor lamp with a lamp that is taller and has more presence. Also replace the lamps on the shelves with lamps that are taller and more modern. The new lighting will add personality, ambiance, and blend better with your great table light fixture.

Bigger rug under dining room table. Large rug in sitting area , only you know what you like. Then work with those colors. Console under tv, it's too low. Poofs or small chairs in front of fire place. Art and texture.

Jack,

I really like a lot of your choices so far - and what a great room! I'm curious about your layout choices. I like how approachable the seating area is; however, it makes watching TV or enjoying the fireplace rather inconvenient. Do you use either often? If you put the TV above the shelves, you could bring both focal points closer together and arrange the seating to best view both.

A rug would really set the seating area apart - in a good way. It should be a few feet larger than the outside dimensions of the seating in order to look proportional to the space. Same goes with the rug at the dining area. The current rug is a bit too small.

Lastly, I would change out the smaller lights you have for something much taller and dramatic. Your ceilings look to be pretty high, and a taller fixture would highlight that. Something like this would be interesting:

https://www.allmodern.com/Wade-Logan-Clair-Mel-Adjustable-72-Arched-Floor-Lamp-WADL5106-WADL5106.html

Best of luck!

Of course, your coffee table would sit in front of the sofa.

If the bookcases are "stacked", you might be able to use one length under the TV and two levels behind the sofa to act like a sofa table. That would be really nice.

Dear all, thank you so much for great advices. There is bits & peaces from everyone to get inspired & all ideas are great.

I am puzzled about the arrangement. I have tried placing sofa in front of TV, but somehow it was not too inviting as the entrance to the room comes from the hall/fireplace side (I add extra pic.)

& I agree it is unbalanced at the moment ;/ - hm. It is tricky as O want to keep the TV area inviting and have freedom to move chairs for the window view when sun comes out.

Also great suggestion with the painting of the Cupboard (I know I need some change there. It is Wallnut & rest of furniture is solid oak - it is a quality peace - perhaps I could replace it with natural oak as well).

I love the Terracota rug ! Do you think I should have identical rugs for dining & eating area?

Thank you so much everyone again for your help!!!

I have found this gorgeous rug & lamps for bookcase. would this patterned rug work? Im afraid it can get too messy with patterns from curtains.

Can you take the rug on approval and return it you don't like? I think it will work, but it should be at least 2 feet longer than your sofa and wide enough to slip under the front 1/3 of it while the leggy chairs sit entirely on it. True, you have all your bulky pieces on the same side of the room. The FP is crying for art, while the bookcase just seems to overpower everything. Is it one single unit? I'd like to see it vertical in the dining area as a counter balance to the FP where the art would go. If you're keeping the black dining chairs, you need some more black sprinkled around. You could paint the bookcase black and go daring by painting the TV wall black.

I think you are off to a great start. I like the combination of your living room furniture. I think your space could be a bit more edgy by going bold and eclectic. I don't care for the set of lamps you just posted they are look like they are more for a bedroom. I would replace your floor lamp with something more modern and more sculptural. Here are some suggestions;

https://www.allmodern.com/Nuevo-Lucille-Floor-Lamp-HGRA14-NVO2181.html

http://www.cb2.com/sphera-floor-lamp/s146171

https://www.2modern.com/products/ic-lights-f-floor-lamp?variant=1331164296&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cse&utm_term=1331164296&gclid=CPOH5pzMrdACFUxMDQodu-sP1A

For the rug I would go modern geometric.

http://www.cb2.com/shatter-rug/f10935

http://www.cb2.com/changes-rug/f11931

http://www.rugs-direct.com/Details/Surya-Alfresco-ALF9639/111911/178548

Good design has elements of surprise.Your rugs do not have to match but that could compliment each other especially with an open floor plan.

http://torrone.co/floor-rug-eclectic-living-room-ideas/jennie-pritzker-eclectic-living-room-beautyjpgrendhgtvcom1280853/

An idea on how to style the top of your bookcase. I would lean black and white images in black frames.

http://jmar.co/living-room-area-rug-flor/195x200cm-fashion-stripes-rugs-and-carpets-for-home-living-room-brief-geometric-modern-design-area-rugs/

Hi both,
Thanks for the tips. I tried placing bookcase out in the room and by the dining table wall. The issue with that - the entrance to balcony (next to dining table), gets blocked by dining table. If you move dining table more to the room - it gets too close to Coach area & blocks the fireplace.
If bookcase is in the middle of the room facing tv, coach moved in front TV as well- bookcase blocks part of the fireplace & makes Coach area very blocked... ;/ Also the rectangle area becomes very long by TV & space by wall is not used ..


The black chairs I plan to change to something from light oak (Wagner or the like) ..

How about placing the sofa on the wall where the TV currently lives. That would give you a view outside and the fireplace. Maybe mount the TV on the bookcase wall on a swing-out arm. Just a thought.

This is what it looks with coach moved to the mid of the room. I think it makes the room very blocked as you enter the room from a hallway with coach back (I can place some bookcase, but I need something by the wall where current bookcase stands - else it will be too much imbalance from that side ?)
I will try to make Bette pictures tomorrow -

Scandinavian Modern style, very nice.

We have a vintage Swedish Kilim Rollakan by Margareta Lundahl.
https://www.esmailirugs.com/rug-collections/swedish/vintage-kilim-5-x-7-oriental-rug-74983/

Wall hanging: https://madeit.com.au/Main/Item?itemId=1099139

Retro Scandinavian Fabric for curtains: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/scandinavian-fabric-vtg-retro-DIY-cushion-curtains-50s-60s-Marimekko-Heals-era-/400525123765?pt=UK_Crafts_Fabric&var=&hash=item5d412860b5

Pillow on the couch is on etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/56965151/daisy-bird-cushion-in-teal-on-white?ref=sr_list_1&ga_search_query=scandinavian&ga_search_type=category&category=housewares&ga_page=&order=&includes%5B0%5D=tags&includes%5B1%5D=title&filter%5B0%5D=handmade&filter%5B1%5D=housewares

I like the new arrangement. How about a modern console/media table for the TV, and a sofa table for (duh) behind the sofa?

You mention that you are going for a mixture of old and new. I'm assuming you mean "traditional" and "modern". You've got a good start there with some great pieces (love the couch!!). The key to mixing styles is to go for more of an 80/20 split rather than half and half. Your lovely home looks to have many elements of mid-century modern design - especially the fire place. You will probably be most successful with your mixture if you go 80 percent modern/20 percent traditional.

Have you tried moving the TV to the alcove area beside the fireplace? You could easily have a modern console underneath it there or, if those book cases are modular, arrange them under/around the TV there. This would allow the two focal points in the room to be side by side and would address the balance issue of having all the heavy elements on one side of the room as they are now. If the TV needs to stay where it is, it DEFINITELY needs something underneath it to anchor it. It is floating in the middle of nowhere and is drawing way too much attention to itself. It also looks like none of the seating is arranged for the comfort of someone trying to watch the TV.

I do think the TV would look best next to the fireplace. But if you don't move it, the new arrangement is better than it was. Pull the sofa further away from the TV though, about 2 feet, which still gives you room in the walkway behind the sofa, and then add a narrow low console under the TV.

No - O would not like for TV to get light from the window. It is better when daylight comes from the side.
I am posting fotos for the new arrangement based on all your great comments. Have hidden the black speaker from the side for now. The arrangement looks more symmetric & balanced, but it does feel a bit "heavy" from entrance side to "meet" the back of the sofa when coming to a room & Im contemplating if I add some back table - it would take space , perhaps some light room divider curtain or artificial light row of threes..?

Forgot to ask - with the new arrangement is it important that all chair legs are under carpet? Or is it enough that carpet is wider then sofa, goes under all sofa legs & front feet of Sessels are on the rug/carpet?

This is looking much better. How does it feel? Yes, carpet under front legs of sofa best. Helps if chair front legs are on rug too so they don't slide backward when someone sits or gets up. I'm not crazy about the floor lamp in that spot. Could it go between the two chairs? Just wondering?

Looks terrific with your great furniture! Consider a sleek, slim sofa table to soften the back of the sofa and create a bridge to the dining area. Love the space!

That new arrangement looks great!! I like where you're going with your unique style.

I think a large brown and white cow hide rug (faux) would look amazing under your dining table, like this:

Then, I would replace the book shelf with an ornate traditional piece like this:

And two (of the same) ultra modern lamps for the top, similar to one of these:

(black would tie in the color of your dining room chairs)

(the shape would tie in your dining room pendant and the white from your living space)

Also, I think the rug you found would look great in your space! I do agree that it competes with the curtains. However, the curtains don't feel like they flow with the rest of your style --they seem too safe or too much of a "transitional" style. I would get the rug and replace the curtains with a gorgeous taupe linen (free of pattern).

Love your fun and adventurous style!

Dear Flo, thank you for joining the Dilemma & sharing your thoughts ! ;) I'm not sure I follow your suggestion on placing the lamp in between chairs (there is TV... & on the other sides entrances to the area)
The reshuffling looks better in isolation, feels good to watch TV from the sofa, but not too good for conversation with guests - feels too wide to look from one chair to the other (or maybe I just got used to seeing people in front of the sofa ;).
Getting up to continue the hunt for new chairs & carpets.

Also, to add softness to the back of the couch you could add a console table:

(ornate in white)

OR

(slab wood modern)

OR

(modern acrylic console)

.....with a plant and some favorite books staked on top.

The floor lamp can sit between the two French Chairs is what I meant. Slightly to the back, so the light is roughly half way up the sides of the chairs and could serve to light either chair. Alternatively, it could go on the window side at the end of the sofa. In the "after" photo you have it to the right of the TV with the guitar hanging from it I guess? That is what doesn't work to my eye. Might be better in person?

Try grouping your guitars together by the bookcase, where the tall speaker is in the first photo you posted. They will have more impact if the are closer together and away from the tv a bit.