I'm not an interior designer by trade but this is such a great room and looks like it will be fun to re decorate. There are some really talented Houzz designers that will most likely give you some specific ideas. I agree with you though it appears to be a little on the dark side with the wall colors the way they are now. By lightening the room with new paint, accessories such as the wall hangings and curtains the room will be like new again. Love your dog. :) Good luck!

I like your room, but can understand wanting an update. Just don't paint it gray please!

Never! I don't want to paint it over with the "in" color only to have it looking outdated in a few years. I'm thinking about blue (like navy). The room has alot of natural light and can handle a dark color. Plus living in New England the "color" really cozy's it up on a winter night.

What a beautiful room! I agree that change is good, and VERY glad to hear that you are not going to try to force gray into the space!

I would not do navy. It seems that it would not be much change from what you have now. You already have beautiful floors to add warmth on cold nights. My favorite " go to" color is SW Nomadic Desert. It adds warmth, goes with almost everything, and has no undertones.

I am sure that you will get some great advice.

I understand needing change, but thanks for letting us see this fabulous room before you do it...I love it! You have talent!

I'd love to cozy up in that room! It's wonderful! I think blue would look great and freshen it up. I'd probably update the window coverings and either recover or replace the oversized chair and ottoman. The couches are timeless so will go with just about anything you choose to do in the room.

I don't think you need any help :-)

Did you do the walls yourself? What a lot of work!! I can understand how difficult it would be to move on. I am not one for walls THAT dark so won't chime in on the navy, but I see grapefruit's point. Not sure if your drapes need more than removing the valances. That alone will update. Who watches that TV from where? It doesn't makes sense there to me. I love the ferns in the windows! How fabulous you don't need privacy panels there!!

All the different colors and the wood... these rooms just work so well. I normally don't like a lot of things on the walls, but you have done it perfectly. By far one of my favorite houses I've seen - ever. It doesn't matter what you change it to because it seems like you have a lot of talent. Come help me with my rooms - I'm way too conservative and cautious! :)

Thank you for the compliments. This room does have great bones and the whole family loves the feel of it, that’s why it’s been so hard to move on. My husband and I painted it a long time ago, but my painting hand is getting itchy. I see the point that navy is too much along the same as the dark green. The curtains cannot be salvaged, the backs of them are rotting, but great point about just removing the valances to give a more updated look. I laughed about the TV. It pulls out from the wall and adjusts so you can watch from anywhere. If we have a group I move the couch with back facing TV to face the fireplace. (My version of a sectional)

I have always loved color and playing around with it. Not sure why I’m having such a hard time choosing a new color. For over a year now I have brought home new paint chips every month and narrowed it down just to decide I didn’t like it the next week. I appreciate any and all your ideas,

Oh my I LOVE your room as well. I personally think navy would be great. I can't see is the trim around the windows wood or painted? Anyway I love the room, I would love it with navy walls (or a rich dark blue) and I think maybe the wainscotting could insure that the navy doesn't make it too dar.

Trim is painted. My thought was the wainscoting might just bring it “up to date” and prevent it from looking too much the same. Also I think it might look pretty good going up the stairs to the landing.

I can't seem to see where you mention wainscotting upthread, but I wouldn't add any more architectural elements to your room. The ceilings, beams and flooring seem like the perfect balance of wood in the room. I'd be worried about something else on the stairway competing with the railing, making it all too busy.

After looking at it more, I was wondering how it might look to paint the area below the stairwell a lighter, more neutral color, that kind of fades into the background. Not sure if it would just bring attention to that area or not. There's so little of the dark paint there and lots of white trim that I thought it might look good to just forgo it there, but cannot see where that wall ends.

I like the idea of navy. Your ceiling is providing enough character - wainscoting would be too much, I think.
I would update lighting, lose/update the window treatment, and replace the comfy chair or, if it’s worth it, get it upholstered in a different fabric. Maybe get rid of the red magazine holder and get a basket for the magazines. The couches and the rug stay. I can’t decide about the table between them, but I think it’s inoffensive enough that you could keep it if you do the other stuff.

Fun one!

Because you had dark green for so long I would not do another dark colour. I would look at a light colour. Off white, beige, light gray.

This room is lovely. It's also a great example of why it is a mistake to equate "dated" with "awful." Your room is "dated" because we know when faux paint treatments and elaborate valances were popular. But it was lovely when you made those choices and it's still lovely now. But I totally understand being ready for a change!

I thought navy even before I saw that you were thinking about it. Maybe because I love the darkness of the green. If you don't want to go quite so dark, maybe something like Benjamin Moore Evening Dove, which is just a bit lighter than Hale Navy.

That really is a lovely room.

WOW! was my word when I opened this post. You have a great sense of style! I love your leather sofa's, rug, ceilings, big windows, ferns, and so many more elements. I would go much lighter on the walls to let the other elements stand out. I love the chase chair in back and bet it's really comfy. I would probably recover it in an updated fabric. But you can afford to go a little wild with that choice. Maybe leopard print? Have fun!

Very cool room! I'd paint the walls in BM Linen White, which is a soft creamy white that works great with stained wood. Then add curtain panels mounted on steel rods and rings, along with natural woven shades (grasses/reeds/wood/bamboo). Reupholster the chair & ottoman in a coordinating fabric, and pare down your accessories.

Here are some examples of rooms similar to yours for inspiration:

Thank you for all your suggestions. Evening Dove is a definite possibility. A lot of you have suggested a white or off white. From past experience I can tell you it doesn't work. The room was very cold and white did nothing to bring out the natural oak of the ceiling and floors.

Has anyone used the new BM product Century Paint? I think it sounds like it would look wonderful on the walls.

Please do something more interesting and colorful than white. White is boring.

Century paint colors look awesome! The warmth it would bring .....

I think a shade of light (I won't say white..) would be beautiful. Navy would be lovely, but not enough of a change. I think if you do navy, you might end up decorating in a similar fashion and you're wanting a real change.

This room is beautiful and I have personally seen the whole house. A white would make this the coldest and brightest room. It would almost be unpleasant to see from the rest of the house as it has so much color and charm throughout.

The wainscoting suggesting is perfect! You will upgrade the room with even more character. Wainscoting is the perfect compliment to the home. Paint the new wainscoting "Chalk White" from Ben Moore and paint the walls a deep navy blue (Century Collection Finish). I like the evening dove and abyss from the Ben Moore line.

WOW I thought it was dark blue!! The second picture really looks more blue to me, which tells me blue would be fab!!

I have a room with similar wood tones and the green paint I had wasn't working for me. I went with a dark charcoal and it really made me love the wood (it doesn't feel dark in mine, either, with lots of windows).... you definitely want to go with something that'll work well with the wood. I think the right navy will be sharp.

I help you to visualize blue in your room.

Celerygirl can you do a light unwhite?

BM Van Deusen, Gentleman Gray, Newburyport blue. All darker blues.

I love your room!!! Why don't you find a color close to to the current leather look color and paint it with that color? I would try and at least stay in the family of that color. Your room looks so wonderful with the rich color. I wouldn't want to lose that. If you pick a blue, try and go with a wamer blue than a cooler blue.

My husband's office is painted Pewter Green by SW. It looks like a blue green and changes throughout the day. I would definitely give it a try!

Here is a photo. It may look completely different in your home. In my husband's office it looks richer and maybe a bit more blue. His office is full of light from three walls of windows.

I have a ceiling similar to yours. We used brainstorm bronze by sw. Here is a photo right after it was painted and during our building process. Our ceilings appear much more like the colors of yours. Thought I would share.

What a great space!! We would suggest to brighten up the room through paint. It makes all the differences. Maybe a light shade...off white or beige?

Please do not do blue. Your beams have an orange hue to them and the complement to orange is blue. That will make the beams look even more orange.

I love the character of your room! I agree with cpartist that blue walls would highlight the orange tones of the wood, so that's something to consider, though is not necessarily a bad thing if you like that look. A deep, dark navy, something like BM's Hale Navy, probably wouldn't have the orange-highlighting effect as much as the less saturated blues in the mock ups.

I also love aktillery's example of the her husband's office in Pewter Green and think that (or something like it) would look great in your space. Though I completely disagree with the sentiment that white rooms are boring, especially when the ceiling and architecture ooze character as yours do, I understand that they're not for everyone. I think a warm off-white would look beautiful, but it sounds like it wouldn't suit your tastes. Hope you'll update us with whatever you decide!

white walls and black and white art pillows rugs it would show off your homes bones so must better but I think you like color to much to go there so it would be nice to see what you do

I think there are many different colors you could use in the room that would look wonderful. I like navy but it is similar to the green. My first thought was a very creamy white. I'm sure it will look great with whatever you end up going with. Please do come back and give and update. :)

Beautiful home.

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