How many people would you normally entertain in this space? Generally two will sit on the sofa and leave an empty space between them, or seat a child there. That leaves 3 other chairs so you can seat about five. I like the plaid chair because it adds some pattern and a bit more color. The barn picks up on that blue, so you could do that if you like it there. How does it look leaned on the buffet so we can see the scale?

It actually may look pretty good there. Have to work on some of paint finishes on tables and buffet to pull it all together. Is this too much? Did you have a different look in mind? I wouldn't hurt my feelings to hand it back where it was:)

What if you put it behind the sofa, took two of the sofa pic and stacked them above the stair landing, and hung the other four of them over the buffet with the green lamp on it?

We don't use this room too much but do have xmas gathering and usually short on seating then. Kids just sat on floor or ottoman....

Room is mainly to look at when you go through to main part of house. Daughter like to read in this room. Basement is basically where all hang out day to day. The smaller cream chair actually fits the space pretty well and since I took 2 club chairs from other living room, the larger plaid chair went in their spot and looks pretty good there.

Stairs make for good kid's seats. You might flank the FP with the club chairs when the tree is up. Play with the arrangements, do some painting and trying art in new configurations. I think its coming together. With the neutral seating, go for a colorful, patterned rug.

Love the idea of 2 fern pics on wall at landing and the other 4 above buffet. Not super excited of how barn pick looks over sofa. Not sure if it's wide enough and maybe a bit too tall? Ceramic lamp is bluish. If I moved it over on buffet, would you use a lamp in its place on round table?

I think the picture is the right size - no more than 75% of the sofa's width is ideal. Hang it 5" above the sofa back. As long as the top frame doesn't arrive above the window frame it will be OK. Same "rule" would apply at the buffet - keep things below the upper window or door frames unless hanging floor to ceiling drapes. Then you can get away with it being a little higher because the drapes pull the eye higher on the wall. We'll have to see if the 4 pieces at the buffet can break the rule or not. The one place it won't apply will be at the landing. Center point between the two pieces should be 5' above the landing floor. Try the pieces with just one frame's width between them. They'll look more unified, IMO.

I always come in late so I apologize if this is a repeat. I don't want to read everyones comments.....:-) What about white washing the brick. Leave the armoire. It's awesome and an eclectic piece in the room. I'm not a fan of the gray door. Looks dirty next to the brown wood. I would paint it white. You need a light colored rug with large patterns. Paint all paneling white. You won't believe how much it will change your room. Leave stairs brown and stair railing brown. Actually a crisp Benjamin Moore Simply White on walls and trim would be freakin awesome. I would get rid of the ottoman. Find a fun piece to use as a coffee table. Be creative. You don't need to spend money. Put some books and flowers on it. Can you put the couch facing the fireplace with a club chairs facing each other on each side of couch. Remove all of the stuff on the stair landing. Remove that dress by stairway. It's too crowded in this room. Put a little round table with a dining room chair size chair. Some plants on pots would be nice on floor (each side of fireplace). Can the big armoire go on the wall by the Christmas tree. It's a bit overwhelming in that space but I can't see whats on the other side of the room. Good Luck!

I found some coffee tables of different types that might give you some ideas. Some are from Pinterest and some from Houzz. The oval glass would not take up a lot of space visually. An ottoman used as"coffee table" can be moved around easily if you need extra seating (that is what I use in my living room). I agree with Decoenthusiast that fern prints will look nice at stair landing. Black frames look really good. Your room is really coming along

This picture didn't attach in my last post. You said you liked bringing in some rustic, so I thought this might fit that bill.

Go with a beachy theme. I love the painting you just posted. I would bring in the whites and greens in that painting for pillows. Get cheap pillows at TJMAX or HOME GOODS. The whole room could revolve around that painting. Put a white sweater type throw on one of the chairs or the couch instead of the one that is there. I would remove that corner cabinet. Too busy. Love the chest posted by Donna. Go to salvage places and second hand stores. If you brighten up the things I've suggested your furniture will not look tired anymore. It looks a bit tired with the colors in there. Can that round table and a small dining room type chair go by the stairs.

Here are current pics.

Suggestions on paint color for 2 round tables in room or leave as is?

Considering painting buffet same color as print frames..black bean- or leave as is or other paint color suggestions?

Now that all art is in room, final suggestions on rug?

Still working on brick...bristle brushed a couple of times with tsp & then vinegar but left a cloudy film on hearth. Will keep working on it.

Should I forget about coffee table ? If not..suggestions? I have a natural wood long narrow bench type thing I've used in front of the sofa or have an iron framed with glass on top rectangular about 3' x 5' I think...

Thanks so much for all of your suggestions:)

ps..white corner cabinet is hiding 2 water pipes in corner & please ignore dark blanket box behind club chairs..it will be going to garage:)

Here is the "bench" coffee table. I like it in the space and it would be pretty functional. Paint color suggestions for it as well please:)

Looking good. Leave the bench coffee table as is but get a light colored rug. Where did the large armoire go? I'm not a huge fan of angled furniture but have done it a few times in my life. What about taking out that tiny cabinet in the corner and angle the tall wooden armore there. I like the coffee table bench. If you leave it as is, it will compliment the wooden armoire. Can the two chairs face each other right and left side of the couch? Then put a smaller "dining type chair" at base of stairs. I like the round end table there. If you paint your paneling white on the wall and stairs, you won't even recognize this space as the old space.

Hi lg, & happy new year! Large armoire is in a hall for now. Not enough room for it in corner as radiator runs most of length of that wall under window. The two club chairs can't go to both sides of couch facing each other as it would block path to rest of house on the stair side. I'm usually a fan of painting things to lighten up, but stained paneling was original to house, one of the few things we were able to keep and I think with the white chair there, it works being darker now. Taking time to find a rug that's affordable but will def. stick with light, especially with the dark floors and paneling. I'll keep bench coffee table as you suggest~ it's really useful. What do you think about painting buffet a different color or either round table?

I think its looking wonderful! Do you have a few hardback books you could put under the lamp to raise it by the pictures just a tad? The "coffee table" isn't necessary, but it could be handy for spare seating when you have a crowd over. How about making a cushion for it and setting it in front of the rad?Or you could just use it as a coffee table and stash the cushion until you need the extra seating. In summer, it could sit in front of or on the hearth when you need a couple of extra seats. As for paint colors on furniture, since you're handy at that, I would paint the white pedestal in your accent green/blue (can't be sure on my monitor.) Of course, the Black Bean is always a great addition to a room. What do you think about a runner rug up the stairs, and just the bare floors in the living space? You don't have room for a very large area rug if you leave the standard 12-15" in front of the hearth. Sisal would add nice texture and a light color. You can have them bound in any color you like. For an area rug, use painter's tape and tape it out on the floor. Stay at least 12" away from the hearth. I like a rug to slip under the front 1/3 of the sofa and extend past the ends by a foot or so. See if that will work for you here.

I think it looks so much better....

Do you need the three chairs? I think the two on the door side are perfect, but the one by the stairs looks a little crowded....do you have a semi-circle table for that spot maybe?

And how about doing away with the white cabinet and moving the one chair closer to the fireplace???

Have you tried your glass top coffee table? It would be nice to see that there as you don't have much floor space and glass might open it up.

Also I really loved your antique copper washtub(?) that was in the fireplace....can that stay in the room somewhere?

(It really is a charming room...how fortunate you are!)

Thank you all again! To answer questions pennyd:) I have to keep the club chairs a certain distance away from fireplace so the path to front door is not blocked. I think the white cabinet is just the right size for that area space wise and doesn't block anything plus lends a spot to put more interesting art/items in the room in an otherwise dead corner. I also store seasonal items in base so it's useful. I don't have to have the white chair in front of stair wall but the room looks unbalanced without something there and the chair stands out against the dark paneling and is a soft silhouette to that end of room. It's a vintage chair so it's smaller and sits a bit lower. The little round table I already had is the right height for it when sitting and does not protrude out any further than the chair itself. I took copper washtub out of fireplace as it was probably too big of scale for it and fireplace looks airy without it. I could bring it back in the room and put a few pillows in it but trying to keep less "clutter". I intend on getting a few logs of white birch to bring lightness inside the box. We never burn in it....probably wouldn't be safe and the stink/mess would be awful. Thanks so much for asking about all!

To deco, would a sisal rug be sufficient for room rather than light color & pattern like previous you suggested? I need something as club chairs want to slide a bit on wood floor~I feel this room will now be used a lot more with the inviting arrangement of furniture, artwork and nice light that comes in during the day. I would probably wait on runner for stairs, would rather have area rug.

I like idea of sisal as I need something durable & affordable. The other rugs are beautiful but costly and wonder if I would tire of look after time. I purchased a rug for another room few years ago at a home improvement store...looks like sisal but much softer and very affordable. Would sisal as area rug in this space look too blah?

And back to furniture...

Should buffet be painted black bean or just a softer white?

The larger round table.. paint a bluish? I kind of like that the top of it matches the bench but I really like your taste & obvious eye:) What about the little round table on stair wall by white chair? It currently blends in with wood wall. Should I leave color as is (actually need refinished) or paint dark or light?

Just measured, I don't think they make 6 x 10 rugs, but that would probably be the right size;/ There's probably something they make, like felt pads to keep chairs from sliding. Thanks so much for all suggestions!

or did you mean black bean as another option for round table between chairs or buffet? Just reread and saw comment about boosting lamp up with books...done:)

You might try some rubbery pads on the legs of the club chairs. I'm happy that you feel the room will be used more in this arrangement. 7 X 9 is probably the closest you will find. One good thing about starting with sisal is that if you tire of it you can change it out with something heavier feeling in the winter, and back to sisal in the summer for a lighter, warm weather feeling. Don't forget to look at indoor outdoor rugs and braided rugs. Both could be less expensive solutions if you find the right color. Search by size can help you narrow it down. You might like homedecorators.com. I've always been happy with their rugs. Personally, I prefer the Black Bean over white. Your walls are white and a lot of your furniture is white. I'd like to see one or two pieces in your bluish color - maybe the white pedestal of the round table and the display cabinet. You can leave the top of the table in the natural finish, and continue with paint later if you decide you'd like that. Have you made chalk paint with your regular latex? Very easy to DIY, and you have options for the final look. Check out Valspar's chalk paint - I love the colors and they offer 3 options for the finish. But you can make your own too from paint you already have. I'm working on a table in Valspar's Urban Plus with a wax finish. I'll send pix but it isn't waxed yet because its too cold to paint with oil based poly outside right now.

Your chair next to the stairs is completely in the walkway, and looks awkward and alone there. If you need to have three chairs in the room, scoot the other chairs and sofa down further to the other end of the room, so you can put that chair floating on the end of the sofa, facing into the seating arrangement. The sofa doesn't have to be centered between the windows. That will keep your walkway to the stairs open, and create a nicer conversation area. Your other changes have been great.

As a reading nook, I don't think the chair is a problem where it is. A little separation is a good thing in this case, and there certainly isn't room for it snugged closer to the sofa, which I do think you want opposite the fireplace. It isn't too far from the sofa for conversation in such a small room. Breaking up "runways" through your home adds interest, as long as you don't find it inconvenient. I'm glad we've added more space for guest seating than you had before. You'll have to see how it "lives" with your family and do what works for them.

Just say NO to painting old brick or antiques. Breaks my heart to watch people destroy beautiful furniture with chalk paint.

I would pull out the two matching chairs from tho sofa a little. Maybe form a right angle wth them and the couch. They look as though three are trying to hide. I like your turquoise chest. Leave it. Chairs with exposed legs will look nice.

I measured the rug area again. I think a 5 x 8 would actually work. I will not get the 2 chairs on it, but I think if I tried to get a longer one to get the front of chairs on, it would look out of balance with sofa and room. A 5 x 8 would get 1/3 of sofa and leave about 16" from hearth. Basically will get sofa, coffee table and part of footstool on it.

I like balance. if I move the sofa any further down, it will crowd out room for 2 club chairs. Also, it is not centered with fireplace now and moving It down would make fireplace look odd, like it is a problem in the room instead of focal point. Small vintage chair feels right there & is not as protruding as the larger chairs~ still gives room to stairs. There's about 2 1/2 feet in between corner of chair and corner of sofa. It is not in way of main walkway to door and looks nice from view into that room from other part of house.

@ Donna, the turquoise chest?

@ deco- I've not tried chalk or Valspar. Several friends do and love working with it. I usually go to SW for furniture paint. The black bean was leftover from my outside doors and I used the last drop to paint bottom of footstool. I will be venturing out at some point to get more and look for rug. Thinking simple bound carpet in the right shade will do the trick. Possibly a creamy or light beige. I would love to see your table project when you have time!

I think I'll leave corner cabinet white for now as it has collection of snow babies in it. When you say blue paint for pedestal, do you mean like color of door which is sedate gray or something else? Would it look odd to have corner cabinet and fireplace white, buffet black bean, larger pedestal bluish base and leave smaller pedestal and bench natural?

I'm only thinking of painting pieces you've already painted; just changing the color. The white pedestal part of the table and the display in your accent color and the buffet in Black Bean. I would leave the top of the table, the bench and the table by the stairs chair in their natural state. The color I'd do would be something from the painting over the sofa. It has nice colors that you could soften some, both blues and greens. Maybe a robin's or duck egg blue would work. That painting sets the color way for the room, and accent colors from it should be sprinkled around the room a bit, IMO. You can also consider the green in your other prints (and their mats.) I'm not referencing the gray of the door as an accent color, although I might consider changing the gray later on. I think it is a bit bland and the door might integrate into the room better if the color is changed. That's a project for next spring. Once the room is sorted out, you'll know what the door needs, if anything. For example, if you use a blue on the furniture pieces, then maybe a pale green on the door. I also think the Snow Babies will show up better when surrounded by color. Do you display them year round or only in winter?

Okay, sorry for asking on paint again but I want to be sure;) I forgot I had this rug in br that was pretty much stuck under bed. I think it works...6 x 9. It brightens the space up a bit. Yes, snow babies are year around~not something I collect but mom got me some years ago:) The other areas in my home are not so cottagey, but this room always kind of called for it with it's architectural features. This used to be a barn/carriage house so when I got used to the brighter colors of the barn art, it really felt right. I have to say... what a change! I'm just amazed that I had all of it around the house.

I think its looking fabulous! My favorite kind of makeover is a simple re-design with items the homeowner already has. Borrowing things from other rooms can make a crazy amount of difference! Glad you're happy with it. Rug works well. I assume the abundance of throws is because the room is a bit chilly. If not, maybe a couple of the white ones could go in the buffet until needed. Do you have another room we can tackle? I think this one is done except for the bits of paint we've discussed.

Me too! Just can't believe I had it all around the house. Room stays warm, I edited white throws:)

You actually did help me on my other living room a couple of years ago with the long cream sectional and odd living room walls. I took the two club chairs from that room and put the one larger cream blue , tan one in there so may work on rearranging a bit and with all the redo, need to clean and clear some clutter now. Thank you SO much for following this one to completion as well!! You def. have the designer eye! Please send pics of table when finished... I love to see other peoples projects & get tips. Happy New Year!

Not to throw a wrench in things because everything does look so good, but did you ever try flanking the fireplace with a chair on each side. I love that look.

Thanks lg:) That is a nice look , but with my small room, space and clear walkway to door won't allow me to. The room feels very cozy, bright and warm now. May be my new favorite in the house:) Just a bit of painting left to do. Yay!

I really enjoyed helping you with it. Please post pix when the painting it done. I keep a file of before and after rooms I've worked with. Do you mind if I add your pix to it?

good job!!!!

Go to Barnes and Noble and buy some coffee table books to stack on the bench. They always sell them for a very reasonable price.

Thanks again lg.

@ deco, I would be delighted if you did add & will def. send pix when painting complete. Buffet will be 1st to be painted, then curio, table base & door later to come. I'm glad you enjoyed helping and are very fun to work with. Your design eye is amazing & appreciate the support and your patience:) Can your before and afters files be viewed on Houzz? I'd love to check them out!

Glad you didn't paint the paneling...I don't know why people are so in love with the no wood look. Particularly in a carriage house, which should retain it's character. You've done a great job! I liked the armoire, but if you have another place for it, fine.

If you want to stay with the old fashioned feel, a small bronze animal statue would look nice somewhere, once you have some spare change. And please don't get a cast resin one; might look the same from 20' but isn't.

Your room looks sooooo good! Just look at the picture you posted first compared to the last one you posted! Amazing difference.

I agree it's so much better.

It's amazing what we can learn from a forum....

Okay group, I just started a new dilemma. Not sure how you find it on here, but in borrowing to fill this room, it left my other lr a bit awkward looking. Your suggestions are always appreciated:)

Wow great job! It looks fantastic!!

@ decoenthusiate, I have another smaller project posted under design dilemma. Could you take a look? Since pulling 2 club chairs from other living room, it's looking a bit awkward since I put the large chair in there to replace them. I would like to keep the sectional where I moved. TY! I think it's called "need help on one side of room".... I just posted yesterday evening.

I love the natural wood armoire and the original brick fireplace. Don't paint either, please! A slipcover for the chair and a new area rug, maybe a few new throw pillows. Pick a color scheme that appeals to you, vary the textures and hues of those colors.

What a wonderful transformation! But it does appear from the pictures that maybe the entryway is a bit tight. Do you need all three chairs in the room?

I would paint the wood walls above and below the steps. I wold also remove ceiling fan and replace with a nice surface mount fixture and slipcovers.

I'm very happy with the way the room turned out. Thank you all for your interest and suggestions:)

The buffet painted dark...still need to wax it.

Just what it needed!

What a transformation. I love the black frames and the dark chest beside the fireplace! Isn't it great to get good advice!

Yes, it's been an amazing and fun transformation. So glad I reached out for advice. It's easy to get brain blocked on the way we arrange things in a room and then settle. I knew it could be so much better but needed the fresh eye and encouragement of the pro's on this site to gain a better prospective. Thanks again to all!