Crown moulding would be an easy and beautiful accent.

Another view

I like the table, what bothers your husband about it? It's hard to tell from your picture but is it a little cramped in that spot?

This Elle Decor article has some great tips and most of them are inexpensive.

Elle Decor

I think adding greenery would help. Maybe a fiddle leaf fig in the corner near the media cabinet. The sectional can handle more throw pillows and I'd add an accent color to create more depth. Maybe a muted blue or even a yellow. See below for some inspiration images. Good luck!

I like the desk used as a sofa table, but I'd remove all but one of the lanterns. You have 3 glass lights over the island, so I think they are too similar, and too much of a repeat.

This is hard to tell from photos, but I might try scootching the whole sectional and rug over, so it's a bit away from the window wall. That will put the rug more in the center of the room and bring everything away from the edges, hopefully making it feel a bit more cozy.

And if it were my room (but this isn't a look for everyone) but I'd be experimenting with angling the sectional - maybe so the V opens more toward the fireplace and tv and the whole thing moved over toward the picture wall. Hard to describe and might take a lot of tweaking to get it balanced just right.

You do not need to add any carpentry: no crown molding, no wainscoting. Just some color, and lower those pictures. Lots of good ideas above. Looks like a great house, off to a good start!

Maybe the lanterns from the desk could go on the mantel, with something colorful inside?

We would like a leather chair in the room-either in the corner or next to the couch angled towards tv. Would that look okay?

I love the fiddle leaf fig tree idea! Any ideas where is would look good? I get so nervous of cluttering the room but clearly need something!

yes, I agree on the tree, fake or real it makes a huge difference. plants in general bring "life" to the room. water your plants one a week on the same day.

this is something that may take some time. building a gallery wall around the TV character but is time consuming. be patient if you want character.

Keep it neutral with no clutter, but you want "character". Hmmm.... Beyond my pay grade!

I would pull the sofa away from the window about 1 or 2'. It looks a little squished against the wall. I would also try rotating the sectional so that the back of the sofa is facing the kitchen and the room opening (so that the sofa is facing the tv wall and the window wall). That may help it feel a bit more like a cozy room.

Instead of moving the pictures down, I would add a table with some accessories below them. I like the table behind the sofa.

I am open to a pop of color or pattern but mostly want a clean feeling

All rooms lack charachter when it's just a sofa, chair , table etc. After you have the basics you add your personality through art and accessories. Sometimes a room can be so clean that a visiter can't get a feel of the soul of you. All you have to do now is be brave enough to show us without fear of making a decorating mistake. Pretend this is the job interview of your life and the interviewer wants to know what you're really passionate about...who you are.

If you think in terms of a magazine cover you'll just be hurting your room. Those covers are always pretty but lack in soul.

My ultimate goal is built in bookcases along the TV wall but that's a ways off. Would like to hire someone as the ceiling is pretty tall and unsure how high to put them

So, you are a bookcase? Hmmm, who knew? On your profile page it shows earth, texture and color. A smiling face, an artistic b&w artsy photo. Natural, nature, color of nature. Strength, beauty and calm. I got all that from a few seconds on your profile page but zip looking at your room.

YES to lamps as was mentioned. I would turn off the overhead lighting, get a colorful patterned rug, and add curtains. Those things will provide instant warmth. You can then have fun with art and accessories.

nice room

i hate clutter too but sometimes you need an end table or two!

Happy to provide some art options for above fireplace if you can share dimensions and a budget

Nice suggestions so far. Here for a different angle. How about putting wall paper on the TV wall. Wallpaper with something pale orange in it, since you already have that in a photo. Nothing too ostentatious. And apart from brown, (teal) blue would be a lovely color to match it. For colors in a rug, throw pillows, blanket.

On the other hand, you could go for truly bold on that one wall and paint it. You'd be amazed what something like that does for a house in adding character.

I read somewhere, that you'd like build-in bookcases on that wall someday. Don't really see how that can be done without clashing with the fireplace and it's 'mantle', since it is not leaving enough depth for them.

Your husband's concern about the side table I fully understand. The table is a different wood color and somehow doesn't fit with the rest, for it is nowhere repeated. Either repeat it, or paint it. You'll probably go for black. I'd go for teal along with the rest of the color, I'd bring in here.

If your husband doesn't like where it is placed, then remove it to the wall with the photos and place it right under there. In that case the photos will not longer give the idea, they are hung up too high. Otherwise you could place some low book cases over there.

Where's the bed for the dog? Could be placed next to the book cases (or moved side table).

Have you tried placing the couch on the opposite wall? Would it fit there? I'm not a fan of putting furniture up against Windows plus the couch will be closer to the tv.

I am very much appreciative to these ideas. Someone mentioned that built ins may not work on the TV wall...what about putting ship lap against the back wall-white (I I know it's neutral or a light gray?) to add a statement wall. I'm open to wall paper too!

Something like this? And I'll talk to my husband about a budget for artwork. Thanks!!

Since you don't want a lot of color, you may need to add a bit of texture with a different rug and pillows. The console definitely needs to be longer and the art can come down a bit. In lieu of the ottoman, I would probably do a glass table (round). The room is nice and probably wouldn't take much to bring it up a notch.

I just did a quick search on eBay. FILTERS: med to large, original, signed. Surface: Canvas. Subject: Landscape, Maritime, Peace & Seasons. Price: $45 to $425. Area: United States.

This filter search brought up almost 3,000 paintings. I went through them fast by only picking those I liked without a lot of color. If you search go through quick and put in "watching". When done revisit your watching section and start taking things out for elimination. Once you get your list down to a few check the sellers ratings. Remove those with bad ratings. Easy Peasy, now you have your art.

You don't need a big budget.

I love some of Caulfield Russell's paintings.

I like the room but it needs texture. Woven basket, hammered metal, pillow, throw, greenery. Could you add some long view pictures from the kitchen and the right side hall so we can see how much space there is to work with.

If you don't want to move the pictures, you could add another row under the ones that are there.

No ship lap, etc. The wood trim on the fireplace wall is nice.

You have a very lovely start. You might need to add some more of you to the space though. Here are some suggestions from our designs to help you get started. You could try a rug with a pattern in it, switching out the ottoman for a metal coffee table, then adding accessories on top of it, adding an arc lamp, adding a woven side table, then other various metal decor, adding artwork, some colored or textured pillows, and some greenery.

I like the console behind the couch. I would put a taller decorative item on the table and also a piece of decor with texture.

I like the drapes featured in the post by Courtney Thomas Designs. Even if you do not need drapes to pull across and cover the entire window, the stationary curtains on the ends of the windows soften the room and help to absorb sound. I have Hunter Douglas Silhouettes with a small gathering of curtains on each end of the windows just to soften things.

justerrilynn - I love all of the pictures you found. I would have never thought to look on ebay for pictures. To start out with, did you select art paintings or art prints?

Quick Tips :

• Add plants to the corner of the walls.
• The walls can use more colors If the art on the wall can be interchanged with more colorful watercolors, it will uplift the entire room.
• the fireplace is gorgeous, a few decor accents are all that is missing.
  

A monochromatic room can be very pretty but I agree that you need some texture. Consider adding more pillows with texture to the sectional, along with a throw. Your artwork definitely needs to be lowered and your mantel needs a few simple statement pieces. A few metallic pieces like a metallic tray on the ottoman and possibly a sculpted piece on the mantel will add a little depth. These are all from Target.

Something like this would brighten up your ottoman.Also from Target.

"neutral/minimalist" is usually not compatible with "cozy," which tends to mean warmth, color, and personality. you have to decide which matters to you more and go from there...

I took a screen shot of things I've saved and the look I would love to have in my home. These photos to me show neutral, clean and also cozy! I appreciate all of your suggestions

Msrose, I love looking at art on eBay due to all the filters you can use.

In eBay's search put in "art". You will then get choices. Click art-paintings.

Once on art-paintings you will see all the filters. Click "Original"

Next, click "Signed" under the features tab

Look for the painting surface tab and click "Canvas"

Next click "size". Do you want small, med , large etc.

If you have no idea what subject or medium or style you want stop at the above on filters. Or, cut it down a bit by putting a dollar amount on the most you want to spend in the "prices" filter. It will take you a good part of a day off and on going through a list that will be in the thousands. In this initial stage don't over think it. If you like it stick it in your "Add To Watch List" section. Later go back and start eliminating due to Sellers bad ratings or stupid high shipping or you aren't sure you love it.

You may start seeing a pattern to your art preference as well.

*Note: it's very expensive to ship heavy framed paintings.

***FILTERS used for Lindsay's search above... Size-med to large, original, signed. Surface: Canvas. Subject: Landscape, Maritime, Peace, Seasons. Price: $45 to $425. Area: United States.

justerrilyn - Thank you so much for the tutorial!

Ok, I'm a little nervous about saying this so please know right off the bat that I'm am not trying to be judgemental and in fact I'm trying hard not to sound judge-y.

My MIL once commented about a house, "the only way you'd know they have kids is the pictures on the walls." She did not mean it as a compliment.

Now, I know you have a baby because I see his/her picture, but I see no evidence the s/he or anyone else *lives* here. So my advice is, relax into your space and enjoy it. Leave evidence of your existence here. It doesn't have to be sloppy or messy but if it is sooooo tidy it will always feel sterile.

Again, please don't feel judged!!

Also lots of good ideas above :-)

Also, I like the desk. Maybe your husband will come around if he can use it for his glass of preferred beverage while you watch your favourite movie together!

I need a daytime pic. Right now I can’t get past the harsh overhead lighting and uncovered, black windows. I can’t tell you how much changing those two features would change the feeling in your pretty house— for the better.

One of these comments made me smile and laugh a bit! We have two very active kids-a playroom is to the right of this photo and toys are often in this space as shown below I'll try to get some daylight pictures too!

What fun to see the happy kid version of your room, all decorated for Christmas! That sort of solves your warm-it-up problem for now!

But after the holidays, then you are back to the room that needs something. For my two cents worth, I have been bothered by that huge white panel over the fireplace. I do wonder why the builders didn't just cover that area in the plain drywall painted like the walls in the rest of the room, as shown in some of the photos others have included for corner fireplaces.

If you like the texture of the white paneled look, and I think you might since you included pictures with lots of white cabinetry that has similarlyshaped trim, and that's in your kitchen, then I say go with it. Since the paneled area is so BIG, it seems like it needs something to balance it on the right side, like the window woodwork does on the left. I would go with a large wall unit with bookshelves, TV space, etc -- that is made with that same clean white detailed woodwork, similar to your kitchen cabinets and the trim look above the fireplace. Make it tall to balance the fireplace wall and the tall windows.

Ikea has one which I include largely to show a price point. Ikea TV wall unit

But you can google 'entertainment center white' and find bunches of pictures of other styles you may like better. For continuity, cabinetry sympathetic to that used in the kitchen would be best.

Frankly, I would be tempted to try a low budget DIY interim solution using your current entertainment base which has a really nice drawer arrangement. I would paint that unit white and flank it with two white base cabinets from the same vendor as your kitchen cabinets, topping the top the whole thing with an appropriate "countertop" surface -- dark wood or white, depending on your taste. Then I would add purchased white bookshelves at each end, probably the same width as the cabinets below. If you like the "pillar" look then you could stop there, securing it all together on the backside, of course. But I would probably add a white painted panel across the back between the shelves, so the space between the bookshelves provides a white backdrop for the TV. And I would probably add some crown molding to the top, similar to that used in the kitchen, if the bookshelves didn't already include that.

Ooops, the Ikea link didn't work above. Let's try again.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S39046064/

I don't think anyone has mentioned this but we would like to get a corner chair, possibly with ottoman, near where the Christmas tree is. We would like more seating and to fill the space. Would this look okay and thoughts on color? Room and board has a couple lighter leather chairs we like! Thanks!

It's still early but here are some photos in the daylight as someone had asked :)

What are your plans for window treatments? Looks as though privacy could be an issue.

We have blinds that are remotely operated. They are just tucked away in this photo. I would like to get panels eventually. Thoughts on this? Hoping it's not too crammed with the couch

As long as you have blinds, I don't know that you need panels. I think the windows look nice as is.

Christmas! Always exciting!!

I like the idea of a chair in the corner. Tan leather is a beautiful look that will always be attractive imo.

(Thanks for not being offended by my post :-) )

Here are some updates with some of the suggestions! Obviously I still need to do more but appreciate everything so far!

We also added a fun accent wall off the kitchen!