Add sheer curtains on the window and sheer door curtains on the door. Then keep the blinds open in each during the daytime. The room really needs additional floor lamps or table lamps. Painting it gray will make a dark room gloomy. If you must have gray, try a very large, room size light colored rug with a little gray in it.

If budget is limited now, just add some inexpensive lights. You can buy four $20 uplights, one to set in each corner, with LED bulbs. They will dispel midwinter darkness.

Hmmm, "dark, dreary " north facing living room & you want to paint it gray ?!?! You might want to consider checking out the hundreds of other colors in the paint fan deck.

Can you include a picture from the stairs to capture the entire room, and also give measurements of room and couch?
I would remove the blinds totally and add sheers to add filtered light. Is the couch black? Thank you.

Can the corner piece fit between the Chaise and the rest of the sofa? Can you remove one 'chair' piece of the sofa?

I think it might be more cozy if the sofa turns at that stair corner and creates a seating L.

You can definitely do a gray, but because of the North exposure and little natural light, make sure you pick a gray with a lavender undertone.

If the walls are in good shape, do a pearl finish as the light will bounce back into the room.

Add lots of white accents with a sharp green as a third color. This is B.M pebble beach.

Dark and dreary means that you need more lighting. Provide at least three sources of light in addition to the ceiling light--either floor lamps or lamps on tables. 100 watt or equivalent in power. The shades should be light color, not dark. The tiny one in the corner is much too small.

Then add light touches such as pillows for the soft and a throw to cozy up the space. Also art work that incorporates a light color.

Don't paint the walls grey, rather choose something that matches or blends with the tile in the fireplace and the green in the rug.

Thank you all so much! My fiancé and I have such different tastes, I am trying to keep it neutral for the most part. He does not want to buy a new couch now, but I would like to get a new rug, coffee table, etc. The couch is a dark brown but cannot be rearranged to face any other way. I have thought about adding some recessed lighting to the ceiling, but we are on a budget being young homeowners. I thought grey would be complimentary to the couch, but I am open to other suggestions. I thought about re-painting a gregie/beige color but I want something totally different in this space to make it feel like ours, since it is already beige now.

No more ceiling lighting. Go to Target or Ikea instead!

Would this creamy yellow go with your rug?

What is your style and husband's style? What colors do you like for accent?

Apple, my kitchen is yellow and can be seen from the Living Room. I was hoping to get a new rug because I feel like this one is too big maybe?

1945shawdow - my fiancé is from the South and he likes the country look, I think I prefer something more modern but mostly classic/traditional. I really like navy as an accent with the brown couch possibly!

Any suggestions for a beige/greige paint color for this dark room? What undertone would be good? I hate the pink undertone now.

I used SW gracious greige, it's a nice color.

Your couch looks squashed in that space. How would you use it if you have guests? Everyone sits in a row facing the same direction?

I can see from the photo that it is in sections. Try something like this. It will look better and function better.

I wonder whether it could be better placed in the room. Is there a TV in the room? I think there are better options than the one that you have, both for conversation and TV viewing. The modular nature of your sofa is a bonus here. If you can give us a few more photos, and measurements of the wall sections and the furniture sections, we can help. Often on this board people have said there are no other options, and better ones have been found. No harm in trying. For any arrangement, the sofa will look better pulled a few inches away from the wall, not sitting against it.

As far as painting the room, and replacing the rug, I think they look good and also complement each other and the sofa. The rug is not too small. I would focus on room arrangement, and once that is done you need better lighting as a priority.

Leah,
I have scored major finds of beautiful furniture in estate sales, Ebay, & Craigslist! To lighten your room, think bright colors...navy, while beautiful and classic, is a dark (and dreary) addition to your room. If you like light and creamy yellow, as already suggested, that goes beautifully with brown couch. Other colors that you can bring in to decorate are light blue, turquoise, even shell pink but think bright...I am not a decorator, and do not like greige...I like color and prefer cozy, bright spaces...good luck...your house will look beautiful and special when you are done!

Room arrangement first. Are you sure the sectional can't be reassembled and fit in the space somehow? Could we see the other side of the room, please?

I agree that the current color might be perfect if it is seen in natural light ( remove the shades) and do not use ceiling lights! Use lamps only. Ceiling lights create a harsh glare. You have a beautiful home to enjoy decorating. I know that you will get some great advice from these talented folks.

Glad to see groveraxle on the thread - always some good results!

Rug and art ideas that take the focus off the big brown sofa, brown floors, and coffee table:

A gold, gray, brown rug with gray touches around the room, with pale gold walls might give you the lighter, modern feeling you want without painting the walls gray right now:

Also a modern painting over the sofa against very pale yellow walls:

We have tried rearranging the sectional but the one end piece has the arm piece so it won't connect. I really wish we could fit it that way. We want to get new furniture but we are on a budget so we would like to keep the couch and TV for now. Everything else can go!!! The couch measures almost 10' across the way it is. I am at work but can take more measurements when I get home.

Here's some pictures I took last night of the entry way hallway to the LV room.

I would like to keep the paint color neutral so in the future when we can get a new couch, it will work!

Thanks for the extra photo. Sorry to see another dark piece of furniture, plus the big dark TV screen. All the brown pieces and wall color are bringing the room down. A long, low white media shelf system would help a lot instead of your small one. Ikea is good for this.

Love the modern look of that! Right now I have an 8x10 rug, which I feel is too big. What size would look good?

So you can't put it back as a regular sectional, with the arm piece on one end and the lounge-side arm on the other end, with the corner piece in the middle? That is what I would try to do, maybe with one of the non-arm pieces taken out if necessary. Then pull it away from the walls, and put the TV closer to the window or maybe even in the corner.

Your rug is not too large and does work colorwise. A smaller one would expose . . . more brown--the floor! If the current rug is returnable, then go for something more modern like the ones I posted upthread, which add contrast, pattern, and lightness. Then if you "go gray" later on, the rug and paintings will still work. You can get modern touches in a room with more modern lamps, something like the Ikea piece, a great piece of modern art. These things don't cost that much and will take the focus off the huge couch, which does look comfy.

THe most popular greige at the moment is Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter. If you prime the walls in white, you'll be able to get a good base for whatever new color you choose. Be sure to test any new color on a big foamcore board, and after you add whatever new lighting you want with new warm white LED bulbs in the ceiling fan fixture, too.

Revere Pewter would be way too dark, if the room doesn't get much natural light. Try BM's Ballet White.

Or BM's Edgecomb Gray (which is a much lighter and very versatile color.)

Hey Leah. First of all, beautiful home. What I used to brighten up my living room was an avocado tree, although you could try really any tropical tree. Maybe instead of that couch insert you could try something like a lemon or an orange tree. Lighting can be tricky though. I use the Aspect grow light because it blends well with my decor and uses a warm white light. Together the plant and the light might add a little life color and brightness to your beautiful home. Good luck!

Hi Leah,

To brighten up your space, I definitely agree with painting a lighter, more airy color. (I love the idea of going gray. Or maybe even something like a gray-ish lavender or gray-ish blue. I'd also recommend adding a mirror or two (depending on the size) so light is able to reflect off of them and bounce around the space.
These would be my two biggest and most important suggestions. Depending on your budget, you could also try...
Have you considered reupholstering the sofa? Something a little lighter could help brighten your space. Or consider replacing your other dark features (the rug, TV stand) with lighter ones.

Will this fit?...Put the sectional where the TV currently is and put the TV where the sectional is. Put the triangle piece in the corner between the TV and stairs. See if this will work and then move the cable line.

I have never found that mirrors make a dark room brighter. There needs to be light to bounce around, and with a north facing window, it isn't there. I think that light or bright colored art work is more effective in lightening up a space.

Furniture placement should come first in your plan. I have a sectional that is separate pieces and yours looks like you may have some ability to rearrange it a bit. My suggestions would be to center the rug on the fireplace, move the corner piece of sectional in corner of stairway wall with other sectional pieces arranged to fit that wall and adjacent wall. The front legs of the sectional can rest on the rug in this configuration??? This will create a conversation area. Agree with others to keep the walls in a lighter version of a greige you like that will not drink up the little light that the room gets.

Since you have a 10' sofa, put it on the longest wall. That will put the chaise near the FP for comfy reading spot once you add an arc floor lamp. Hang your tall piece of art about 4-6" above the chair rail centered behind the sofa. Get a new rug large enough to center with the firebox and slip under the front 1/3 of the sofa and all of the chaise, extending past the ends by a foot. Keep it light, maybe with a light pattern. Use the corner piece in an extra bedroom room for now, and sell it with the rest of the sofa on Craig's List when you're able to replace it. Then get a 3-seat sofa and two armchairs for your seating. Bite the bullet until you can get new seating, and leave the wall color as is. Paint the kitchen instead to neutralize instead of trying to incorporate the yellow. Use sheers at the window and doors. Get a round glass and brass coffee table to add some brightening, see-through bling. Put a dimmer on the ceiling fan. Use the two end tables by the TV for now at the ends of the sofa is there's room on that long wall. Get a pair of lamps for them. Table lamp and table together should measure 58-64" above the floor.

See if the sofa will fit this way. If too big, try it without the corner piece and butt the two ends of the sectional up so they meet at the corners of the seats. You can stick a low end table in the corner that's formed.

Deco, she has the sofa on the longest wall now. It puts the chaise in the corner. It just does not work that way. I believe this sofa can be reconfigured. It still won't fit, but it will be better than it is now.

I think the sofa will fit on the TV wall nicely, and will not be as squashed in. A reconfigure is possible too, but if not I'd switch the TV and sofa.

With a north exposure, you will have to rely upon floor and table lamps plus mirrors for illumination. Hopefully, you will not have privacy issues when you have the shades open. Gray walls will not help. I'd try the lighting first and use a pale silvery gray if you MUST have gray.

PS, the gray walls would clash with the fireplace surround.

I would like to keep the paint color neutral so in the future when we can get a new couch, it will work!

Then focus on choosing a color that harmonizes with the floor and fireplace tile.

Any suggestions for a beige/greige paint color for this dark room? What undertone would be good? I hate the pink undertone now.

Don't think in terms of undertones because that's not how color and professional color systems work. Instead, they are organized by hue family.

You know you don't want a 'greige/beige' from the red hue family because you don't like the pinkness that comes with it. I'd eliminate colors from the red-purple hue family too. So, don't choose chips that look like the red and red-purple child color circles above.

All the other hue families in between are possibilities. Even 'greiges/beiges' from the orange (yellow-red) hue family. Get chips and see what they do in the space.

Let the light you have to work with, the floor, and fireplace tiles guide you to the right paint color.

This is a good range of colors to start with:

Sherwin-Williams SW9165 Gossamer Veil

Behr N320-2 Toasty Gray

BenM 972 Alaskan Skies BenM

BenM OC-15 Baby Fawn

BenM HC-84 Elmira White

BenM 1521 Nature's Essentials

Don't overthink the north light thing, focus on finding a color that you think looks pretty in the space. Also, I'd paint the walls and ceiling the same color and get rid of chair rails.

Grover, I thought the wall opposite the stairs was longer. It certainly appears that way in the photos.

Can you move the sofa out and float in middle of room facing fireplace. Looks like everything is lined up around walls

IME, when you take a dreary, dark room and paint it white, without adequate in-room lighting, it doesn't cheer or lighten the place, just changes the colors of the gloom to a slightly paler shade. I recommend a Solatube (actually, probably 2 or more) to add actual light. The difference it will create to the feel of the room is dramatic....you'll get the mood-lifting and energizing feel of natural light.

Solatubes are very easy to retrofit into construction as the entire assembly fits between joists spaced at 16". If you can't do that, then I'd hire a lighting designer to design in efficient (LED) lighting into your ceiling. And add high-luminance lamps as well.

How do those Solatubes work on the first floor of 2-story house, qam999? Curious.

Deco. I have solatubes in my one story house and was wondering the same as you.

Well, they won't work in every situation, but Solatubes "...can go almost anywhere. The compact and flexible
design of TDDs (Tubular Daylighting Device) allow them to be installed in just about any interior,
including small spaces or locations on lower floors where daylighting
would usually not be an option.....

"Spectralight® Infinity Extension Tube

Extension tubes can be added in increments of 16 in. (400 mm) or 24
in. (600 mm) for long runs without sacrificing performance. The secret
is the unrivaled reflectivity of Spectralight® Infinity tubing, making it possible to create up to 90 degree angles and long tube runs up to 30 ft. (9 m)."

http://www.solatube.com/residential/daylighting#accessories

The ideal case would be running extension tubes through a disused laundry shaft or dumbwaiter shaft, but I realize few of us have such things, these days.

Try some new lighting and lamps. Here are some suggestions:

I have lived with this problem for the past three years. I tried a pale greyish green thinking it would coordinate with garden greens the red/pink color brick on the outside and fireplace between the two windows. NOPE. After probably a dozen wall paint samples I settled on Ben Moore 1095 Oakwood Manor and used translucent candlelight color window/door shades. I painted the frames of the woodwork and sills the same color. I feel much better walking into the room. I have one wall that is all mirror and it reflects nothing but the brick from outside. Short of $1000 removal cost, I moved a large breakfront to cover most of it. Mirrors are not always the solution if the reflection is gross. I also discovered that the windows have a slight green tint to the glass and influences the light entering the room. Samples can get costly but you cannot judge any color by the swatches due to the color of the light that is present in your room. I would encourage you to explore the navy in small doses perhaps in a print fabric or artwork. To bring harmony to the living room and kitchen, use each room color in decorating the other room. Also, don't forget to add a little of the room color to the ceiling paint unless the ceiling is being painted the same color. I agree lighting is important but make sure your bulb and or shade choice provides a little warmth.

A floor plan would help. How is the massive sofa divided? More art will help, as will lamps.

For my taste, I really don't like that rug, it looks fussy and doesn't suit the room, also the chair rail is in the wrong place. The fan light isn't so great either, but maybe you need it for function? You need better lighting, what about a really big floor lamp? Or if you had a big piece of art, you could use an art lamp/spot light on it. I think a different type of coffee table would be nice too, I guess I veer towards vintage so I'd pick a white/light coloured coffee table, and maybe more square, it seems dinky with the enormous couch. You've got lots of height, you can have a lot of fun with that. What about a slim bookcase behind the couch? I'd get rid of that weird corner seat, send it down to a rec room or something.