Hi all - I'm looking for another set of eyes on this problem. I started to work with an online designer to help me transition my red/gold/green décor to more of a neutral scheme. We don't have the budget for all new furniture, so I want to work with the warm brown/gold undertone sofa and warm beige carpet that I have in this 17x12 family room. I plan to keep the TV stand, end tables, bookshelf and brown leather chair (likely replacing the red accent chair with something to match the new color scheme). My Pinterest inspiration pictures are all on the neutral side - which I'd prefer because after living with a red accent wall for 10 years, I'm ready for something more neutral! I'd rather use pillows and accent items to add color that I can change seasonally. Dark red feels oppressive in the spring and summer!

I've attached a few pictures showing my current room, painted in SW Ivoire and Valspar Posh Red.

I'd like to repaint the room (and the adjoining kitchen/morning room and eventually the living/dining room which are all Ivoire or Restrained Gold from the same strip). My Pinterest inspirations were definitely on the more neutral side:

Almost every room I see has either light or gray sofas....I'm having trouble finding inspiration pictures with a medium warm brown sofa like mine. This is why I opted to use a designer's services. In my questionnaire, I said that I liked warm neutrals with textures and that I wanted advice about paint, accessories, curtains and an area rug to work with my existing furniture. She sent me a very light rug idea with some dark greige pattern lines, light off-white curtains and Edgecomb Gray as the wall color.

This is where I need help. I feel like the sofa sticks out.....it just doesn't seem to harmonize with the rest of the elements and looks almost out of place. I worry that my dark furniture would look very heavy with a very light neutral paint. Perhaps the reason it looks off to me is that almost all of the images I see using a light neutral like Edgecomb Gray have light colored furniture, like this:

What should I do about the paint color - is light neutral the right way to go, given my sofa and carpet or should I go a little bit darker? We do have a southern exposure in this room and the adjoining space. Can you please suggest another direction for paint color, or tell me why the designer's idea just doesn't seem to harmonize? Looking at my room again, perhaps changing out the end tables to something lighter would help with the overall heaviness of the room. Please help! I need to get back with the designer with recommended modifications in the next couple of days.