Hello and Good Day. Since the coffee table is floating in the middle of the room centered in the area rug I would consider a square ottoman that will tie together the different sitting groups in the room.

if so, what color should the ottoman be? should i go with navy blue? or brown?

It should be a rich and color. No brown anything you have enough. The navy color could look great sitting on the area rug. Just do a square ottoman.....30"X30" or so.

thanks that was helpful i'll go for it. i'm considering changing the rug for a simpler one with less patterns too.

I'd also pull the seating in off the wall a bit.

Regarding an ottoman - I agree with Oellien that navy would look great. I think something in a solid white would look nice as well (I'm thinking the white that appears to boarder the flowers in the rug).

The only thing I noticed was the pattern of the rug and the upholstery seem to work together. I hadn't thought about a different rug,,,,but you do a different rug it should be larger so that the rug can be placed underneath the front edges of the upholstered items and then ground all the pieces together.

Your furniture and curtains are quite 'heavy'. An large square ottoman will add to that 'heavy' feeling. I think that a large glass top table will be better. This one is too small. And I would pull the rug under the two sofas, so that their fronts are on the rug, and then pull the chairs forward to create a more intimate seating area.

Your room does have a "heavy" feel to it and seems to be a "railroaded" as well with everything up against the walls. Can you take a pic from the window so we can see if there are better options for arranging things?

this is the other side of the room. a small dining table and a rocking chair facing it.

Hi Lina
Weren't you going to make other changes such as swapping out the striped chairs for a solid cream and also change the carpet?

If that is the case, I definitely would go for an ottoman and even in navy blue - then it would be a great focal point.

what color should i go for if i want to change the drapes? i realize the room seems heavy with all these colors and the curtain is taking up too much space

images:

i think i'll have to start saving for a bigger budget. i'm not pleased at all with the boldness of the room. i had it 10 years ago in time i knew nothing but similar matching colors instead of coordinating colors. i blame my ignorance for such a result. :(

i really like the first pic. a lot. what style would you consider my salon to be? i really have no clue as my native language is Arabic and not English

I lived in the Middle East and have many friends whom I have done work for. So I do understand that the culture, what is available locally and local trends play an important part as well.. Don't worry. You need to find your own taste - so proceed slowly but surely! ;-)

thanks for the encouragement though

One step at a time. You have to a vision as to where you want the room to go. It sounds like the ottoman is the first item to be replaced and then the area rug. We all live within budgets and have to slowly worked towards the finished look but the key to remember where you want to go with the room.

Whatever you table you choose it should be lower ,so that people can put their drinks down on it. I agree that something dark would add to the heaviness. How about a couple of brass tray/or glass tables .and forget having a centerpiece table .They would add some sparkle to the room and it would be easier to move back and forth.
You might try to replace the two chairs beneath the tv with less bulky chairs. Look on Craiglist - you'd be surprised how cheap things can be when people are trying to move. -

the first thing i want is to have my salon look not so oriental anymore. i want it to be stylish but not so stylish, cozy and comfortable. i want to have my personal touch in it and brag about it. first things first: yes for the ottoman, no for the rug, no for the dark drapes, yes for wallpaper, no for upholstery . and certainly a big yes for all your opinions

I just want to add that for your first effort at decorating you did a fine job. (I especially love the navy blue drapes). You seem sure of where you want to go now. I should not say this but perhaps you should try not to turn to houzz every time you get stuck. Try to work your way out of problems by using the life's knowledge you've gained over the past ten years. Of course, houzzers would want you to know that we're here for you whenever you feel the need. Best of luck and have fun!