Are any features

I agree with everyone above : ) . I'd remove everything on the windows now, center the mirror on the mantel, replace the coffee table with one with simpler legs, remove the bookcase if possible, do a good decluttering, and paint the walls (not the woodwork).

Then I'd consider a new sofa.

I'm also wondering if rejiggering the furniture might help. Are you able to post a floor plan of the room, with measurements and window/door openings?

I also love your sofa. I love all of your furniture in fact. Also your green lamp. Also your brass floor lamp.

Probably all I would do is take down the curtains and switch to slightly cooler spectrum bulbs.

Thanks for the comments so far. It seems like we're all in agreement about taking down the valances. I like the top 2 inspiration photos that were posted so that could also be a good place to start.

First is to do your research and find out what you want the finished room to look like. Plan, plan and plan some more. Find images on Google of rooms with paneled walls, wainscoting, etc. See what you do and do not like about the rooms.

Then remove every single knick knack, all the pictures, every table, all the window treatments and furniture and everything that is sitting on the floor.

Then decide if you like the wall color or if you think you want to go in a different direction. You don't have to decide the exact color, just an idea of what you want....white, beige, greige, grey, blue, green, etc.

Then take stock of the furniture that you have. The two upholstered chairs you have have a great design but the fabric is tired. You could have them reupholstered. Do you like them? Will they fit in your new plan? Are they comfortable? Keep or not?

Your couch appears to be in good condition. Is it comfortable? Will it fit in your new plan? Then ask your self...keep or not?

Do you need the bookcase? Do you want the bookcase? Ask yourself...keep or not?

Are the chairs by the fireplace comfortable? Do people use them? Keep or not?

You have, like a lot of us, a bunch of stuff sitting around that can quickly become clutter. It becomes draining. Free yourself and give your self permission to get rid of 75% of it.

Sometimes you need to completely empty a room to really see it new again!!

I like the top 2 inspiration photos that were posted so that could also be a good place to start.

Considering that in your first post you wrote, "I know the oak library panel dates the room but I just can't mentally commit to painting it ", you may want to take some time to really think about your room, because the first inspiration pic has painted panelling.

The other thing to consider is that approximating those looks in your room would likely also mean painting all of the wood trim and replacing a good deal of your very nice, very comfortable looking, but also dark and/or "heavy" looking furniture including the seating and various tables. Do you want to do some fine-tuning or a complete overhaul? Because those inspiration pics likely mean the latter.

Also, the two inspiration pictures show rooms with more and larger windows and natural light than you have, whether that's actual or rejiggered with Photoshop, supplemented by can lights in the ceiling. All that light affects how those rooms are perceived as light and airy.

Yes, beckysharp, this is my dilemma because I like aspects of the inspiration photos but probably don't want to do a total overhaul. The room will never look like those rooms because of windows, ceiling etc.

The inspiration rooms have to be about the furniture in them, not the perimeter walls, ceilings and windows. (Almost) none of us have those rooms. My question is: are you really going for a whole lot of beige-ish, restrained monotone, which is what I see in those rooms. Maybe not. I go back to the idea of freshening up the accessories in the room.

I do like color--especially during a Missouri winter

Take down all the art and also the mantle pieces. If you want a mirror over the FP, choose one with no wood. Do you really need all those chairs, or were you just trying to fill in the corners? I would look for more modern tables, possible glass or something else without wood since you already have enough wood in the room.

What about reupholstering the sofa and perhaps some of the other pieces, instead of getting a new sofa? If it has a good quality USA-made frame, it might be better than 90% of what you can buy nowadays.

I am surprised by the responses about my sofa. I felt it was one of the pieces that most dated the room-shape and fabric.

The sofa has a cool shape. The color and fabric isn't so trendy, but green is my favorite color (it's hard to find a green sofa because it's not trendy!). So many sofas have a blah-mass-produced-look, and this one doesn't.

It's hard to tell the colors with the lighting in the pictures. I see a lot of brown and tan furniture and accessories, and I think some brighter and/or lighter colors could help balance the stained woodwork.

Exactly, caligirl! I also love the camel back shape of the sofa and the antique green colour. I have a reproduction french sofa that I'm trying to work up the courage to paint almost that exact shade of green! It will coordinate perfectly with my celedon green antique Dutch sofa and chairs. But OP your sofa would look even better in my room, if only I lived near enough I would try to buy it off you!

Camelback yes? so what if the shape is traditional. Green is great with wood, in person yes? A rich green could be livened with yellowpeppergold chairs...

Uh oh trim is painted white....I think the ceiling is the wall color, whitened some.... nice.

Once you remove/ move around furniture, and see with new eyes what's there --- you might want lively pattern with contrast on the floor. If not, where - wallpaper?

Is new rug a possibility?

Not quite the green... matters? That blue could be fresh with?

[https://www.houzz.com/products/ribbon-embroidered-faux-fur-throw-light-blue-prvw-vr~47174735[(https://www.houzz.com/products/ribbon-embroidered-faux-fur-throw-light-blue-prvw-vr~47174735)

I would try a new layout and make it very snug and cozy. Pull the sofa and sofa table right up to the fire, just at the edge of the door. Place an armchair in each corner, right into the corners not in front of the hearth. Put a floor lamp behind each one. Take out the coffee table and side table. Add a floor runner with greens, blues, and reds.

Now create a second seating area behind the sofa. Use your wingback and the small white armchair. Don't use the ottoman.

If possible remove or replace the hutch. If that's not possible center it between the railing and the edge of the sofa table. Use the smaller chair on that side.

Layer the greens and your room will suddenly look updated and traditional all at the same time. A beautiful woodsy green wall colour, a green velvet pillow on the white chair, the green lamp on the sofa table behind the white chair.

Add more touches of brass.

I really do love this room and your furniture!

You've got many great suggestions above. Just to add that I also love your sofa..and while I'm sceptical about all color trend thing ( I love colors too much for that) I do read a lot on design, decor etc..green is becoming big. Huge. Including this shade. Saw the whole big article on it just today morning..Living Etc UK..illustrations and all. gorgeous.

it's easy to buy green sofa..it's just expensive as hell))) which, I guess, makes it less easy..

(obviously what matters is how YOU feel about it..sofas and colors are personal like that. But if your hesitation is mainly about" dated"-you can easily throw it in the window. Your sofa is cool. Look for throw pillows that will make it sing to you again. Even before that-think about the whole pallette you want in that room, the mood. Go from general to details. Give it time. Ah, and your paneling is fab too. Work with walls rather than paneling.)

Again, great suggestions above about how to evaluate what you're going for and how to achieve it, what stays as is, what changes, what gets moved, etc.

Enjoy..it's exciting!

Your things are nice but there are too many things in the room. It's been mentioned above that you should pull everything out of the room. Start from scratch. Clear off the mantle, walls, floors , windows, etc. Then shop your stuff. Put back in the room only things that you love. Then decide how to finish the space.

Change window treatments as said. I think your room is very pretty! I would put a little spin on it though by swapping out some of the accessories, art and rug.

Paint

Accent colors

Silk Rug below••••••••

Art where wall plant is

Some shiny stuff like a mirrored tray on coffee table. Plus, some shiny metals and bright pillows.

I would recover/reupholster that sofa! It is lovely and happens to be my favorite shape for a sofa. It looks to be in good condition also. I am having a very difficult time finding a sofa right now and wish I had kept my old one (very much like yours). I really tired of the new one quickly and gave it away.

Assess the condition of the frame of the sofa and the chairs. How old the sofa is would be a good place to start. If it's in good condiltion I would just reupholster it and the other two chairs.

Clear out all the accessories and only put back those that you truly love and mean something. I find it a little cluttered.

New windowcoverings and new paint = perhaps choose a colour from the fireplace rock.

Whatever chairs are not used, get them out of the room.

I like your furniture. I think you just have too many accessories in the room and the furniture needs a different arrangement. What do you use the room for usually? Is there a tv I'm not seeing or is this a sitting room for reading? Do you entertain guests?

It could be a soothing room with repeats of sofa's green and the rug's color --this is dark-ish [and more olive] but you get my idea...

Just's pretty art, etc... that mix greens [as nature does too], could be nice with mix of colors [if you might entertain a new]:

You said you like your chairs. Do you need all of them? I agree with the above but I would also evaluate the use of the room and what furniture is truly used/needed. No pieces are the same. It adds to the "a lot going on" feeling of this room. Two matching chairs flanking the fireplace would relax it a tish, for instance.

Thanks for all the comments. Here's what I'm thinking. Leave the paneling. I really thought it was weighing the room down, but from the comments it seems like maybe too much stuff is having that affect. I thought the room looked cozy, but dark. The only chair that doesn't get used is the one to the left of the fireplace. I put it there for balance. The room is more for reading and family get togethers-no tv. I think new window panels and pillows will help. I also think a lighter paint color would make a difference. Getting rid of "stuff" has always been hard for me,but your responses have inspired me.

Great advice and good plan. As I looked at photos and read through the responses I was hoping you wouldn't decide to paint the beautiful woodwork. For me there's just too much stuff in the room and the paint color is too dark but fundamentally a beautiful room. I'm looking forward to seeing the transformation.

Try displaying only a third of your decorative items at a time. Store the rest in boxes. Rotating them seasonally will refresh the look, especially if you add fresh seasonal flowers and plants.

I think all you need are light curtain panels and brighter/cooler light bulbs. Redo the accessories on the mantel. I'd love to sit and read or visit in a cozy room like yours.

A torchiere lamp that shoots the light onto the ceiling will provide a wonderful glow to the room. It can be difficult to find the right one; most seem to be very modern or too ornate for my tastes. But something like this Kathy Ireland Torchiere

might work. I use a 64 wall equivalent flood bulb in mine.

I really have to caution against curtain panels next to the fireplace. There is no space to draw them back and hence they would inevitably cover the windows and block needed light. Also, forcing panels into too-small of a space gives an overstuffed feel to a room which diminishes it. I would recommend either bare windows, OR simple blinds (such as rattan or a textured fabric) that are mounted up against your crown molding and thus can form their own valance when raised.

Lighting is needed; please consider whether you can install Solatubes. If not, you need lots of additional artificial light to make the room more useable and attractive.

Love the sofa! Love the fireplace! I would paint the walls but not the woodwork. I think you have way to much in the room. I would start with decluttering and go from there with your color scheme

Before you spend a dime, temporarily pack up all decor and try a new layout with your existing furniture. It's easier to move things around when you have a clean slate.

Looking at the fireplace, I would try the green sofa on the left wall. Two chairs & a small table between on the opposite wall or flank each end of the sofa with a chair but floating. Are there two chairs that have the same seat height? Two chairs may still work as is by the fireplace. Move the bookcase to the back corner where the dresser/chest is or take it out completely. Right now it's got to be blocking people's view of each other.

Your FP windows are perfect for Roman blinds mounted up high on the wall to gain all natural light in the daytime. No drapes here. Add a photo of the door and other window. Is the door clear glass or frosted? How high are your ceilings?

again, great suggestions above

couple observations:

-pictures of interiors-unless done professionally or done in a room that receives huge amount of natural light(like my previous living)-very often seem darker than they are. So while the room does seem dark to me-I remind myself of that. I've counted six lighting fixtures(might be wrong)-that's not bad at all. Obviously there's always space to add more..if one has enough outlets))-especially as lights are fun and can be mixed and match to one's heart content. Bringing more light/bright accessories, metallics (as already mentioned), reflective surfaces, etc, will also help tremedously. Of course the evaluation what stays comes first..but you can always fall in love with something unexpectedly fast))

-I don't quite know the official definition of neutral-but for decor purposes, it seems to be that every color one is accustomed to see a lot in nature, is naturally perceived as a good background color. Green is treated as neutral by many, because of that. It goes with just about everything. It also goes with all the other greens. The amount of fabulous combos containing green..it's just a pleasure to think of all the wonderful possibilities. The only thing I'd avoid-is being too schematic about it..like, add cranberry-and it already spells "Christmas" because it's very overused combo, and while holidays are wonderful, one wants one's room to be able to spell many things, not just one. Like a good book that you can't narrow down just to one quote, as wonderful as it might be. You want to enjoy the book in its whole.

Well ok..this post was supposed to be shorter lol..again, enjoy, and thank you for sharing your dilemma with us..it's a great thread, and if you feel like sharing your progress some time in the future-I'd be among those who'd excitedly wait to see it.

I painted the mantel and really like it! I'm wondering if some wall sconces would be better for lighting? Or, a chandelier in the center ceiling would be OMG! Still needs a bit of editing. I also added silk drapes to go with the rug posted above. I love the rug I picked in my above post for this room because it adds interest and goes nicely with the fireplace, furniture and works with a more modern vibrant impressionist painting. I might like the painting as well or better with no frame if the canvas has gallery finished sides.

Dark chair is not exactly in right spot.

BEFORE

Would you like me to make the mantel wood again? Didn't know if you would like painting it.

I took a lot of stuff out of the room. How do you feel about that?

I am adding some additional photos to show my limitations on furniture placement. The room measures 13x26 with 10' ceiling but it is split level so the useable dimension is 13x18 when you allow for the traffic flow from downstairs (right behind the sofa table). Compound this with traffic flow using the door which leads to the deck and you get a sense of my issues. I do think my pictures are coming out a little dark as I do have a ceiling light. I just didn't include it in the pictures. I was considering side panels on just one side of each of the windows that flank the fp so as not to cover up the beautiful view but still get softness and color. Maybe that would look odd and r shades would be the way to go. I currently have honeycomb blinds on all 4.

The pictures are very dark. Can you turn the lights on and take new ones? And open the blinds?

Try this again.

I am not saying this to be ugly but I just want to point out that most of the posts in this thread have said that your room has issues because of all the stuff. It's all nice stuff. There is just too much of it.

The problem is not the layout or a piece of furniture or the paneling, etc. A wall color change will lighten things up. But your room will never look fresh while it is filled with so many things. And your furniture placement wouldn't be as big of an issue if there wasn't all the other small decorative pieces in the room to walk around.

If you love all your things, that is great. But there are currently so many things in the room that they will overpower all other suggestions for improvement.

When I see your rooms I think of the old Laura Ashley or Ralph Lauren decorated rooms.. the worn leather suitcase under the table, the little decorative frames all over, items under different styled tables, the heavy drapes,...

And I must agree with d_gw... your room will never look fresh while it is filled with so many things. I wonder if you took all the brick-a-brack out for a while. Bring all the tiny decorative pieces, items on/under the tables and put them in the garage and just remove them while you imagine your space. Pair down to almost nothing.

For me, I would update to new sleek lamps and repaint the walls. Sometimes when you repaint a room you have to take items out of that room to protect them. This is when you get to see the space without all the stuff. You get to rethink the shelves or space and refresh. After you paint and you rethink the tables and space keep in mind that a clean look focuses on 1 and at most 3 different colors. Keep the green sofa so use a few items in the same green color, the brown everywhere is a color so chose a 3rd color to go with the green and the brown. Maybe white?

Love that gorgeous green sofa!

Thanks Justerrilynn for the photoshop image. Probably stay with wood mantle.

If you do not use the chair to the left of the fireplace, remove it. Move the upholstered chair that is in front it back into that corner.

In your 13X18 room, you have 4 chairs, 1 sofa, at least 5 tables and a bookcase, plus suitcases on the floor. Plus all of the knickknacks! That is a lot of stuff!!!

I would empty out the room and add back what you LOVE.

Looks like the mantel would be awesome in white!

Here ya go Chocolate, I made the mantel wood again for you.

Please know that I do realize I put the coffee table back in too large. You will have to use your imagination : )

I took things out. You need to bring back in a side table and lighting.

BEFORE below

Thanks, Justerrilynn, visual really helps. We c