Here'a a fabulous room that just appeared in a weekend newspaper home feature. WOW! By sheer
coincidence, I think it is just the influence you could use:

http://www.stltoday.com/lifestyles/home-and-garden/webster-groves-bungalow-has-eclectic-style/article_fed0728b-5a63-5649-a8bc-f2660a921758.html#.UdEDYesNGNU

Hi amy, yes, you last arrangement looks better. Feels more balanced. This may sound weird. Try rotating the area rug at an angle with part under the sofa and part under the chair leg. May look awful, but may look quirky in a good way. How about your square art above the piano for now?

I totally agree with the red lamp Vivian showed, would also be a good lamp in chrome. Overall I agree with Vivian's use of red/orange to enliven grey and black. A larger rug would pull the room together......I'd think an ethnic textile in orange/red as in my photo above would warm up the room considerably. A row of large pillows on the couch in red/orange and/or black too.

Looks like a promising space. Is the piano a focus in your family or mainly a decoration? If it is used often, you could move it so the player is in front of the window. Cover the exposed piano back with materia with colorsl from the painting. Flip the couch and art piece to where the piano is. New couch wall could be accent wall. Floor lamp in back corner. Now the couch wall is open for a chair or 2 plus small table art wall art. I assume that the kitchen is behind the piano wall. Maybe a dimmable warm white LED strip would help devide the spaces and make up for some of the light lost from the window. I like the six frame sheet music idea mentioned earlier.

Many more ideas for the space, but not used to writing them down.

Here. I moved the piano for you. And added a funky rug to go with the funky art. I'm ready for some boogie woogie now.

Groveraxle- could you move the piano to the wall with the painting on for us, Pretty please? Swapping with the sofa and painting.

Somebody called for sheet music and a red lamp?

You guys are amazing! What about a more mustard yellow for the rug? Th kitchen next to this room has a barn red accent wall so maybe not so much red.

Margo, do you want me to move the piano or the painting? Y'know, I'm pretty old to be moving all this furniture and repainting walls after you make me rehang the paintings!

Yes, Dear Sweet Groveraxle, move the piano. put the painting and the sofa where the piano is now.

Ooh, I like yellow.

I believe the rug is the key to the whole room!

I like the yellow but maybe over the top on circles. I know like the art over the sofa because the white trim keeps the space defined. I think a green in the rug about the shade of the circle in the art would work and ground. It is earthier for the natural tones but has the life to hit the art and is the complimentary for the lamp and red in any connecting room. Also like a little more bright white in this rug,

Love the painting with the primary rounds ... the first thing I noticed, was "where is the table/coffee table" for me to put my drink on?" I see you have a few things that could be used, but they need to be bigger in order be more functional. An addition or two of Darzy's poufs would fill the bill on several levels. I like your current rug on the new angle. On the colored rug suggestions, I think I'd like them better if they were smaller - more the size of what you have now. Red arc lamp rocks.

I'm thinking Margo's idea of the poof stools and no area rug could be the solution. Except I'd like the piano bench upholstered to add color there too.

Could someone call the paramedics I think Groveraxle fell while trying to move the piano! We haven't heard back since the addition of the yellowed circle rug...

I think Groveraxle refuses to move the piano because she knows I am right and the piano should stay where it is. ;P

No, I've been over trying to bring some life to an all-brown room. OK, is it the consensus that the piano belongs in its original place or not? And Margo, what is that emoticon? Are you sticking out your tongue at me? Hmmmmph!

I'm adding those wire stools, taking away the rug--though I think it needs a rug--and finding that the room is very...plain, is the best word I can come up with here. Amy, let me know where you want that piano. I'll be back after I find the perfect rug.

This is a fun looking rug.

That didn't take long.

That is a cute rug. BTW, Paula on the other thread makes me fruit salad. Virtual fruit salad, but it's the thought that counts.

groveraxel - nice :-) work!

Hi Amy,
Some ideas for you to consider,

Have you already tried the entryway furniture and art that's above it over to the left of the front door as you walk in the room between the front door and closet door?

That may free up some extra space to maneuver the sofa and piano around to find a more pleasing fit. How about the back of the sofa in the middle of the room facing the piano on the taller wall. The sofa would define the room and would define the entryway as well and a gallery wall of your sheet music and other art work on the short wall to the left of the sofa . The chair is perfect by the window. The colorful artwork you have is a bit too bright white of a contrast and calls most of the attention to it.

How about a mirror above the piano taking into consideration the size of the piano so as to not overwhelm it, so you can see the pianist and they can see you, then you won't feel like you are staring at the person's back while they are playing?

Click under the photos for an idea book with upright pianos, hope you see something that suits you.

http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/13769400/thumbs

Groveraxle LOL, yes I was sticking my tongue out at you, but lovingly!

I would change the rug and painting.I hope it does not offend the owners but to me painting looks a bit childish.definitely not for piano room.

Your choice of art and area rug can dramatically change the style and feeling of the room. I prefer the piano where it currently resides. As I mentioned earlier, I think it would be helpful to angle the sofa a bit away from the wall and facing toward the piano.

I thought you guys would have this finished by now. ;-D at Margo.

Does anyone else think that the area rug at the angle as Nancy Reese shows looks good that way? I actually like it. With the piano left where it is and not swapped with the sofa. Now I think the wire poofs with a colorful rug is making the room look childish instead of sophisticated artists.

Darzy, I don't think you're going to make a sophisticated room around that art. Now, change the art...

The artwork doesn't match the room. I like the idea of adding color, but the white is too bright and wrong for that beige room. Also, do you plan on keeping th ceiling beige too?

Piano on tall wall. Angle the sofa and chair off the walls. It's so much more welcoming when seating isn't in rows.

I like Nancy Reese's reddish gradiant rug choice on the angle. I think that would look nice with the current art without looking childish.

What about a family photo? Or a portrait?

@Darzy- glad to see you are coming around with the rug...I tell you it's ALL about pulling this room together:P

PS- I love it on the angle too!

Margo...I always thought the rug was too small but "workable". Bigger would be better. :) I've seen "too small" is spaces and sometimes it looks good (or at least okay to me). Like this..(or I love a small cowhide under a coffee table).

I like the original artwork- It is playful. Bring on the poufs!

Not. Moving. Piano. Again.

groveraxle- you never did move it to the right wall for pitysake

Darzy- I have used the *to small look* and like it too! Darzy, I bet if YOU asked groveraxle to move the piano to the tall wall she would. She won't do it for me ;(

Rereading your post..piano is important and it is the first room guests (and you see) upon entering the front door.

Do this:

Wow, I never thought that this was to be a sophisticated room. My mind just went with pop art and musicians and thought artistic flair. Painting definitely not sophisticated but I love it.

judyg- I keep asking groveraxle to move the piano to that wall but she won't. I really don't think I would like it there but it has been like a game of ping pong on that piano location and the rug LOL

I would try the piano on the taller wall, then move the sofa to where the piano is and then get two chairs across from the couch and a coffee table in the middle. I would remove the oddly angled rug and put drapes on the windows for softness.

These are wonderful suggestions and ideas. I'm so excited to try out some. Thank you everyone!! It's helped so so much!! I like the more sophisticated route with some color, I'm a classically trained musician and my husband is a jazz musician. I might keep the fun art for the play room and try something new like the three big pictures. I like the angled rug too. Many great ideas to work with! Thanks again!

I agree that area rug and art on your wall if matched will make the change. Also quick fix is changing color of those bright pillows on the sofa. They net to complement other color (and those are from art) here is an example. More is here http://alexeirebrov.com/collections/wall-design/products/living-room-wall-design-2

i love the suggestion of the bright carpet. it pulls all of the pieces together for a more cohesive look which is all that was missing in my opinion. with that carpet it looks welcoming and hip. it looks great with what you already have.

What a great room. I like the piano on the back wall with that bright picture above it. You have a high wall there so it is perfect. Then put the couch and chair facing each other and get a nice big brightly painted coffee table. No rug - your floor is carpeted right? Framed sheet music with bright mats and black frames as a gallery wall over the couch. Go with color!

If you have more money to spend, I would consider two small armchairs in a bright leather (Green?) instead of the aqua armless. It would be more comfortable and inviting.

Also, a brightly patterned valance over the window would pull color to that wall too and show off its height to balance the height of the picture over the piano.

Oops - there is no green in that picture so maybe a different color for chairs - red chairs and a yellow coffee table?

Love the music...make it a theme:

http://fineartamerica.com/profiles/1-sharon-cummings.html?tab=artworkgalleries&artworkgalleryid=255306