paint the walls a cool blue like wythe blue from benjamin moore

Add chairs around dining table in a print with color yellow would work. Area rug, with same under table make sure it's big 8x10 add art over buffet again color. Add area rug in living room again large, pick up yellow color add pillows on sofa. A big palm would add texture.

If you can drop lite in living rm about 18". Add new art to fireplace, go on Internet to search .color color.

I would paint a soft gray also.

NICE ROOM, actually. Two things...wrap the fireplace wall with a mantel design, go about 6 inches wider on each side. Then the tall chimney will feel like it is coming out of it and feel better proportionately. Also, consider creating a living room "carpet" out of distressed wood on top of marble....looks great and warms up some of the marble. Then I would move TV to other side of fireplace

Are you sure about the rugs? I think you need something on the floor to "anchor" the furniture. Maybe something sisal? It doesn't look heavy and shouldn't hold onto dust. Are you opposed to painting the walls? You can get great impact without too much expense. If you don't want to do that, start layering in pillows, art (large for those tall walls) and other accessories to bring in color. I have a lot of brown going on in my newly renovated rooms, too...it's not a bad thing. It's a perfect neutral canvas...now find a color (or three!) that makes you feel good and splash it around! The flowers on the table are a good start...

A light grey green would warm up the room and go well with the floors and light browns.Is it possible to shoot for a flat screen tv above the fireplace or on the chest?That corner does look crowded.A tall plant would soften the room and would get enough light

Thanks for these ideas. Yes, I could put down a sisal rug. But the ceiling is soooo high and I really don't want to start painting the walls. Also, this is in Spain where we need white as it is so hot outside. I love the idea of adding colour accents but I don't know where to start. Grout4cake suggest green which I'm happy to try and yes, I'll get rid of the horrible tv and go for a flat screen. I just don't want to put it above the fireplace. As for the fireplace: I'd love to use some sort of stone all around it to break up the room. And Distinctive Mantle Designs, extending the mantel piece is a great idea.

Large scale, colourful artwork and ornaments. A change to the wood and brick used in your fireplace .. whenever you can afford it. Other than that, it's a great space and I don't think it looks 'unwelcoming' at all. I like the floors and don't think you should use rugs at all (sisal holds a ton of dust if you're not on to it constantly, btw) .. In any overly warm location, I'm looking for a floor I only need to sweep off with a broom .... before hitting the beach !

where to start ? start by looking for a big, colourful vase (rounded, not tall and thin) to put your flower arrangements in. Look for a a few big pieces of art that you like (framed poster art, even ) to fill up the white space above the sideboard. the room really needs very little help in order to be just perfect.

A lovely large print or art work above your chest of drawers. Some colourful cushions that will feature the same colours as the artwork.

Can you paint a yellow 'rug' on the floor to add interest ?!

@OnePlan, unlikely ... would also need to paint a vacuum cleaner to keep it clean ! :-) .. Seriously though, this is way too modern a space to do a kitschy thing like a painted rug, surely ? (Not that I've never done one myself, but in much older houses .. and on wood, never on marble tile.)

My parents live in a hot place in the Med and they have two rugs in their lounge. Temps are up to forty something degrees C but they don't notice it. If you don't want a rug then that's fair enough but don't let the temps put you off!

oh dear - didn't want to cause offence, sorry you didnt like it ! it was just a suggestion to add interest and colour on a tight budget, on flooring that is due to be replaced when budget allows ! and easy sweep clean too !
I have seen it before and it's quite effective in hot climates !

:-) ... Well, yes, easy to clean, you have a point there !

@anthip, yes, agreed. I lived on Crete for ten years and I had a big floor rug down for the winters. I took it up in the summer though, when I didn't want to have to constantly clean up sand and dust, blown in by the hot summer winds ... Also, I preferred the feel of cold tile on my feet to carpet. sgander has said why she personally doesn't want them. I mentioned hot climates in reference to not wanting to do extra housework (carpet cleaning) in the heat, rather than meaning one rug would make the place hotter. :-)

Nice suggestion, Brenda. That would look very cool . I also like the color palette in the room right now... and don't see it as "all BROWN", the way the owner does, at all. And I too, like the floors.

I like the room actually. Love the dining table. And I like all the neutral colours too. And adding a sisal rug would be a bit too much I feel with the furniture being rattan too. But I do think that a couple of good sized pieces of art would bring a bit of vavoom! into the space. Look for something you'd love to put above the cabinet and take your colour inspiration from that. Browse your local market and shops. Perhaps you'll find a piece of fabric that you love and can use as a wall hanging. Think outside the box. Large framed posters can be fun. Browse etsy.com for instance.

Lowering the chandelier and adding a couple of other lamps will be good too.

Or an art wall like this above the cabinet/dresser/credenza (whatever you call it, you know which lovely piece of furniture I mean).

Yes .. that would be me, carolins .. I love filling wall space like that !

homedecorators.com is having a big rug sale right now, and the indoor/outdoor ones can be had in large sizes for very little $$$.

Thanks all of you for such lovely positive comments. I'm beginning to like what I have but will certainly add jewel-toned cushion covers and find some cool art for the walls -- which are crying out for a few large gorgeous canvases. As southern Spain gets really hot in the summer, I also like the cool tile underfoot, and the kids and the winds track sand into the house so while I'd love a big Moroccan rug, it just isn't practical in summer.

I'd recommend just a few more affordable touches - a table run with a few more decorations on it, large, colourful artwork above buffet/cabinet or shelves with more colourful decorative pieces! A nice space thou :)