I would start by moving the sofa so it's in front of the TV instead of the chairs. It just looks like a more natural arrangement.

I'd then suggest you start by finding a rug you like. That will help pull the room together and bring in some color and contrast. The artwork also needs to go, all of the pieces are too small for the wall space.

I think you'd see a big change if you brought in some lighter pillows with varied patterns in them, instead of your dark ones. I'd also use lighter drapes, also with some pattern, and put a large picture/art on the window wall left side rather than the three 'grassy' looking things. Are your lamps black with black shades? I can't tell from the pic. They could be lightened also.

A comfy marshmallow sofa doesn't need more pillows. Substitute a couple throws but find some with both light and dark in the pattern to tie in to the pale furniture. If you need pillows for comfort consider cutting down a few you have for DIY lumbar or neck pillows.

Before buying a larger piece of art cut out paper in the sizes of the pieces you already have [raid the rest of your place for more] and see if you can make a gallery wall of them to place over the furniture on the wall where the chairs are now. The lowest edge needs to be closer to the top of the furniture they are over. Nothing on the window wall. Less is more. Not sure the sticks in the corner are adding a thing to the room. Try removing them and see what you think. In fact take out all the little things and put them back one at a time as needed, not just to use them. You may or may not need them.

I wish both chairs will fit on the window wall so sofa can go in front of TV but they might not. Either way pull furniture out into the room a bit. Even though the window panels are decorative you should be able to pull them closed without interference from the chairs or sofa. Pull the side tables out a bit as well so they are closer to the seating than the walls.

The lamps and seating aren't playing nice. Lamps larger in scale would work better with your seating. Maybe see if a straight drum shade in a light color would help. Again, mock it up or take the lamp to the store to choose just the right one. If you go to a lighting store they'll help as often a new harp is necessary to fit the shade that works. Then again new lamps could be cheaper than new shades, shop carefully!

Excellent advice here! All you need is pattern and color.

Pattern and color will help greatly. I would take everything off the window wall, and add patterned, colored curtains (not sheer) - double the # of panels and extend well past the window opening on each side. Switch the sofa and chairs - angle the chairs toward each other a bit in front of the window. Place an end table/lamp on each side of the sofa. Turn the coffee table, too. Then add large colorful artwork over sofa - pull the colors from the curtains. Do you have a small table somewhere else that could be used between the chairs?

A new coffee table in a more contemporary style would help. The one you have now is a little rustic for the sofa and chairs IMO. Some great ideas above.

Change the throw pillows to incorporate the difference in the wall color and the leather tone.

Just very simple, a couple of velvet pillows in grey, to tie in the grey in your space, changed out lamp shades, a larger tray in black and/or dark wood (or dark grey, etc.),plus art. Art is a very personal thing, use any kind of art you like, you could also get a large white canvas and create your own.

Pillows and tray.

If you can switch the sofa and 2 chairs it would be good, but if not, still works, as is.

You've done a great job with what you have. The curtain panels seem a bit skimpy. More substantial curtains in a lighter color will freshen up the room.

I would consider gel stain or paint for the coffee table to give it some more oomph. Right now the wood grain seems a little casual compared to the rest of your pieces and the wood tones don't work well with the sofa tones.

IMO puffy furniture needs some throw pillows to break up their impact. Large furniture often overpowers a room.

Area rugs are inexpensive way to liven things up. Esale rugs has many choices and many people here use them. If you decided on a rug, make sure you get one large enough for your space. Returning online rugs can be a pain so order the smallest size available to see if you like it. If it looks good, order the big version and send the small version back.

I like this esale rug for rooms with different undertones because it can tie all the undertones together and it has some fun accent colors.

Lighten pillows and line new lighter drapes. Arrange the seating in a "U" around the coffee table with the sofa on the long wall and the two chairs at opposite ends of the coffee table.Seating should be 18" or less from the coffee table so everyone will have access to the coffee table, so sell your end tables and lamps on Craig's List and get a great pair of modern floor lamps for each end of the sofa. Don't forget to hang art 5" above the sofa (keep it within 75% of the sofa's width.)

I like Grover's mock up paired with the rug d_gw posted. It will be good to bridge the tones together.

Just trying to analyze grover's - both walls have black [curtains / black-white art]. The soft teal or green are pretty with the sofa color.

It's sort of neutral that way, is it -- woof.

I wonder what an oval or round table would look like.

I like the heft of the coffee table. It can stand up to the sofa and chairs which are quite bulky.

Or:

Perhaps try adding some other lighter colors into the mix, like light red and light blue. You could even try red and teal.

I too would move the sofa to the non window wall and the 2 chairs with a table in between. I would move the other table to the end of the sofa where the remotes are now. I am not sure what they are sitting on.

Wow, thank you to everyone...you all had great suggestions. To answer a few of the questions...the remotes are on a tv tray...so it is something we usually put away when people are coming over. :) The sticks...are they really out of style now? Or just the style within this room? Ok, I will use them as kindling. I will remove everything off the window walls. The lamp shades are black (my3dogs asked that question). I like the idea of the area rug but have tried one before and it tends to buckle because of the carpet underneath. Any suggestion on how to prevent that would be welcomed. I love the idea of the various pillow colors given (esp sage and/or the two toned pillows). I am going to Ikea tomorrow to get a large picture for the main wall. I would like the couch on the other wall and the two chairs under the window...great idea...it's just difficult to sit on a couch all the time and lean in one direction. That isn't a problem in an arm chair. Great suggestion though. I will give it some thought. I also like the ideas around lamps...change of shade or large lamps. Anyone have lamp pictures they can suggest? Also, love the idea of changing the curtains. Anyone have any pictures of curtains (4 is the number if they are small?). I will have the curtain rod extended as suggested. Again, thank you for the suggestions!

decoenthusiaste...can you suggest any particular curtains for this space?

oh, and I feel very torn between all the pillow color suggestions. Grey pillows and lamps and change curtains to patterned grey? Or patterned sage curtains with combo colored pillows of the beige/grey/sage? Would I also change the lampshades? Or change to tall lamps in silver? I love the photo suggestions. Not sure how you do that...so please feel free to post pics of these ideas. Thanks!

Seems they sell rug pads to go over wall to wall carpeting / and somehow different than over hard flooring.

Not sure you need an area rug....

Why not choose your art first? before curtains and all that.

Do you want a light cream look that's feminine? or chic with black neutral? [which seems you have].... ?

This would seem nice in your room. At Ikea and other places:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/S59178713/

On Houzz - size idk -

[https://www.houzz.com/products/almond-blossoms-canvas-art-by-vincent-van-gogh-prvw-vr~36177536[(https://www.houzz.com/products/almond-blossoms-canvas-art-by-vincent-van-gogh-prvw-vr~36177536)

Or go into your closet and dresser and find things in those colors and try them on the pillows.

I'd look through art books and favorite museums and try to find a print of something that speaks to you rather then a pretty print with the right colors. While Van Gogh's Almond Blossoms is one I would buy it is not just the colors and I love his work but I have fond memories of the almond tree that we used to have.

For cheap consider a gallery wall of things you already have. It's not modern but retro. This was my process when I threw pretty much everything on the wall back in the 1970s. Very warm and personal if not soothing!

Is there room for the furniture to be in a U-shape? Like put the sofa where the chairs are, then have the chairs on the ends (1 chair where the sofa is now and the other chair on the other side of the sofa).

All great ideas. I'm battling with others who don't want the furniture moved. I like the black accents over the teal but that teal painting is beautiful. At Ikea now so I'll see what I can find. Thanks everyone!

Good 'luck' today!

If your house, your liking is toward black and cream, it's a dream. :)

Patterned curtains in sage - Ikea had green leafy canvas pieces too... if you're parting with red, and with black I suppose.

With your black: this has enough deep blues and charcoal maybe. Pick art that complements the rich cream too.

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/80377598/

Pick one of the colors from this - even if it fits on another spot, needed -

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90377588/

Grover's 2nd photo had this color pillow, seems. It might bring softness into the corner. If art had smidgeon of green, then sage shades:

http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/90366373/#/90366373

I like the texture - is it at least as large as your current shade? is this large enough?

Another thought: the sofa has weight: to me, black color is too 'heavy' for the furniture, if that makes sense....

Nancy, if you buy art at Ikea (or anywhere else) let us see it when you return and then we can use it to help you with curtains and pillows.

Also, if you or the family don't want to move the furniture, it's not essential. I can understand wanting the chairs facing the TV; I like sitting in chairs better than on a sofa, too.

We bought several new items at IKEA. Thank you for your posts! Sorry I didn't see them while I was shopping. Went with some grey shades, curtains, throw and multicoloured pillows that tied it all together. I bought some art work too. I promise to post pictures. Can always return anything that doesn't work. So excited!

Haven't finished (had hand surgery last week so can't do anything on my own yet) but haven't forgotten and will do my best to get people to help me complete this project. I promise to post pictures when I am done.

I'd say we can wait. Hope your hand heals quickly. Looking forward to seeing what you've purchased in place. it sounds great.

PS I would make a deal with the family to try the switched furniture with them moving it for you of course, for two weeks. I don't think anybody can have a clear idea of something like that without at least trying it. jmho.

I, too, would like to see the furniture rearranged so that the sofa and coffee table face the tv and the two chairs are in front of the window. Right now the eye gets confused - it sees where the sofa faces and says, "Hey, what's over there to look at?" and then it sees the tv and says "Hmmm, maybe I'm supposed to look that way." If you post pictures of the new arrangement, would you kindly take pictures without any pillows? Also, would you consider spray painting your coffee table black? If you post some new images, I'll photoshop my thoughts on draperies, pillows and artwork. Happy healing!

Nancy, hope you heal quickly!

We can wait, anxiously, while you heal and can't wait to see pictures!

With regards to a rug: I too had that same dingy beigey/brown carpet in my last home, and since re-carpeting or redoing the flooring was not on the priority list of home improvements, I went the rug route. At first I got a cheap acrylic rug and it buckled and the folds stayed, the plastic of the rug basically took on the folded shape. Then, one day while I was not even shopping for a rug, I found a gorgeous all wool Persian rug on super sale. With that rug, I had less buckling, but still some. I had to hang it a couple times a year to smooth out the folds, and I was constantly straightening it. I still have it doing the same duty in our new place. But it is very pretty and most of the time it is an asset. Weekly rug straightening is part of our routine. I tried a lot of things to keep the rug in place too, a pad and tacks. They didn't stop the buckling. But a wool rug will straighten out and pop back into shape fairly easily.

Your room looks good and that furniture looks comfy. I would just look for bolder more colorful art. Tie in the red/black/cream color scheme or go with some new colors for pillows, lampshades and art, if you are tired of the other scheme.

Thank you to everyone for their comments and ideas! Most of the ideas I was able to follow...the picture behind the two chairs looks larger in real life than the photos. We added another pair of curtains to the rods...will have to get them moved up higher in future but for now thought I would share the photos. I love how it looks and it is amazing how some simple changes made such a big difference in this room. Here is our updated living room!