This lamp is behind d the couch. Should we move it? Get another? it seems lost there although it provides plenty of light.

These is.the coffee table we are considering . More than one. Or a larger table. We’re really lost when it comes to a table or tables that fit the space. The rug is either 8x 10 or 10x12 ( need to find my tape measure) We need end tables too. And maybe plants or comfy throws?

Thanks. I actually wondered if we had enough pillows. But I can see how they might look cluttered. We use every single one of the ones that are there. They’re nic3 and soft and comfy. Maybe we need to store extras in a nearby storage container.

I’m not sure the pillow colors are right. . Or maybe they’ll detract from the pastel, rather than complement it and we really want it to be a focal point on that wall

Open to small or big changes.

I found your explanation a bit confusing. Do you want to hang the pastel over the sectional (non window wall)? Is that the shorter leg of the sectional? And is the piano on the same wall as that leg of the sectional (that is, is the grey thing in the corner of the piano photo the corner of the sectional)?

The pastel is stunning. The smaller artwork seems to play well with it in color and theme, but I think it will get lost. Is there another wall where you can hang it?

The panelling gives the room a bit of a rustic vibe that the rug and sofa seem to be fighting with a bit. Your proposed coffee table is in a similar vein. I'd like to see a bit more harmony between the walls and the furnishings.

IMO the pillows seem to be chosen to male the art work and IMO if you love the art it will alwys work . I love the art work but I don’t love the walls I would paint them they take away from the art I think an arc lamp in the corner would be a great choice or a lamp that is taller and larger in that spot . The coffee table is too linear I would look for something like a noguchi or do something like this .

Casals- yes, we have to hang the pastel on the only free wall we haves and yes the piano is there too.It is indeed the short leg of the sectional. . That particular wall csnt fit the long part of the sectional. .

i know it isn’t ideal to have the piano on the wall with any part of the sectional and it’s all jammed together but I inherited the piano from my mother and it fills me with nostalgia. Also, I do love to play piano.

We did try to find 2 couches but nothing looked or felt right. Most had backs that were too high. Or they didn’t fit our budget. And my spouse wanted a sectional anyway ...so there was that. Compromise.

I can’t find another space for the sectional. in our house.. So I think we’ll just have to work with that reality, as imperfect as it may be. .

There is a counter with contemporary revolving bar stools in front of the remaining wall - which i didn’t show. It’s basically there for entertaining. There are built- in shelves on the wall.

There is a piece of wall space on the east wall ( the one with the longest part of the sectional) where we could hang the small portrait ( of my mother),

The walls are stained but the wood would absorb another stain as it is essentially raw wood with a bit of color . It doesn’t have a finish that would reject a stain. I tested a small , not noticeable , portion with a light stain and it was quickly absorbed. .

So should we stain the walls a different color? They do lean more towards beige although there are hints of grey that I couldn’t capture with my camera. The other colors in my photo are accurate.

Patricia- yes, we tried to choose pillows to work with the art. They are also practical, not just accents, because we do use them. The covers are washable.

i never thought of an arc lamp and am glad you suggested that option. I do like Noguchi tables .

We need a flat stone, glass or similar surface because we have special glasses that don’t tip . They work very well with grandkids as well as adults but they dont work on wooden surfaces.

The grandkids are now old enough to follow common sense rules in the room and can use the floor or rug or bar counter for building blocks, art activities, etc ( the rug is easily vacuumed and durable) .

We do use this room every day. It’s our family room and the room gets lots of use. We hope the leather type sectional is easier to maintain than a fabric option. Time will tell.

I want to add that the walls are a rough cut “ pickled” type wood which came with the house and is stained not painted. We were always afraid to restain or paint I t because of the rough cut factor. It .

It is actually the color of the background in the pastel. Maybe we need more contrast. These are the kind of tweaks where I feel lost. I think at least one side table might be useful but maybe too much for a streamlined look and we certainly don’t want too much in the room.

Can you pull the sectional away from the wall? Would there be enough room to put the piano behind the sofa and put a couple lamps on it? I was thinking of an arc lamp in the corner as well, but I really don't like the sectional crammed up to the walls. Even if the piano has to stay where it is, just give the sectional some breathing room. A combo coffee table/ottoman would work really well with your needs.

Virginia Waters - Octogan Developments · More Info

Flo- I love the multifunctional advantages of that coffee table! We can certainly move the sectional forward. But there’s inadequate space to pull it forward and have sufficient room for both the piano and pianist, at least not without intruding significantly into the room.

. We’d also have to allow room for the large pastel to go above the.piano. My ( nonprofessional) instinct is that both the pastel and piano need more breathing room.

We are being particularly careful with the pastel because we had a bad experience with it when it was hanging on the wall once before. We’d been convinced to frame it in glass which wouldn’t pull the chalk off the picture. ( as some types of plastics can) . That heavy glass created an accident waiting to happen, putting stress on the frame’s molding and being unstable because of the glass size. .

Even so, everything was fine for years, and then one day, a recliner potion of our old sectional hit the portrait and it fell , shattering the glass. So now we’ve chosen a low profile sectional which won’t be in danger of hitting the artwork.

We've used museum quality plastic instead of glass in the picture frame. This type of plastic has no static to pull color off the pastel and little potential for shattering in the unlikely event the portrait would fall. I note this partly in case anyone else may be framing a pastel and unaware of the different types of plastic and glass. Reputable frame shops probably have informed employees. But we should never have used glass, especially on such a large portrait..a

I’m wondering if we can simply stain the wall to a better color. I don’t know if painting barely stained raw wood with lots of grain and roughness is an option.