IMO you have done nicely from what I see . I love that rocking chair. If you want a bit of releif from the brown I always like a robin egg blue for a throw or a pillow

Hi!

From a Feng shui perspective you have a lot of representation from the earth element. You also have a lot of metal elements(white walls, piano, light flooring). To balance all the earth you need to add more from the wood element. A simple way to do this is to add green plants. Colours from wood element are green and medium blue tones like the rugs IdaClaire suggested above. Stripes also represents the wood element.

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Thank you, everyone for your ideas - this is a great community. I've been trying to visualise a blue-green rug in the space, and I like it, but I think this will be vetoed by the allergy sufferers in the house. This explains also the general scarcity of textiles, I'm afraid - all I get to work with are things that can be washed (preferably hot). While I don't know much about feng shui, I have the feeling that green, (specially if it's a living plant) will enliven the place while not fighting with the brown - this was something I did not think about before. Now all I need is a plant that is large enough to contribute visually, and cannot be easily killed ;-)

I think your space is lovely! Not too brown at all.
You can easily add colour you feel you need with a nice rug,it even just with artwork, and other decor.

Sorry, just read your rug/allergy comment.
Well, artwork and decor then!! But really no rush. Find things you love. It’s very attractive already.

In terms of the styling, there are some brown things that certainly could be not-brown. Maybe the bottles, the books.
Also, larger more impactful items (artfully arranged, of course!) would be better. There are some great articles on houzz about arranging vignettes. Search for those! I’m sure you’ll do very well with a bit of guidance cuz you have good (edit: great) taste! Good luck!

Edit: the lamp near the chaise could be larger

I think your place looks nice. Peaceful vibe. I like it. I don’t think it looks overly brown. The windows are great. So far so good! Take your time as was mentioned. It’s always better.

You’re right about the plants. They also help with air quality.

I haven’t tried Ruggable yet, although I plan to. My coworker loves hers. They’re machine-washable rugs. Could be worth a look?

I just checked them out too seems like a good idea.

A large plant is a great idea. Then, repeat the bright green color elsewhere in the room - wall art, decor items hard or soft. E.g. green pillow covers for the 2 square pillows on the lounge, recover the piano bench seat in green fabric. Solid or print.

Pothos is a very easy to grow plant. It can be trained up a support to be quite tall and bushy, or be grown as a hanging plant. They can be quite large either way. You can even grow them in water. https://www.thespruce.com/pothos-an-easy-to-grow-houseplant-1403154

Your orchid on the piano would look better without its stick. If its long stems have finished blooming, cut them off at the base. But keep any new long stems.

What a lovely space! Not "too brown", imo, and you've gotten the best ideas to add colour. Do you have any window covering on the large window behind the screen? Just wondering because many don't appreciate working on a screen with a window behind it.

I, too, think it's a very nice space, as is. Plants are good for air quality but are also dust magnets and require lots of care to keep dust free.

The only piece that I'd change is the buffet. With the rest of your furnishings, I think a lighter wood, more of a Scandinavian look would be wonderful. Would it be possible to strip it?

Wow! So many great ideas! Thank you all for the help and encouragement.

partim, I was eyeing a porthos just today! I'm still looking, but it's definetely on my list - the lady at the gardening center said they are pretty robust.

Olychick, that buffet looks very sleek, I like it. Sanding the old one is just not feasible, but replacing it is definitely worth keeping in mind.

drdeb1234, I confess arranging a vignette on the buffet was exactly what I was trying - the black bottles are an attempt at balancing the black lamp. Looking at the picture "from the outside" I can see your point, it all goes under in a compact mass of "dark" - I'll have to think about something else.

Hang art over the piano. I like how this is framed with white matting.

It wasn’t bad! But could be better (although believe me I’m no expert!). Taking pictures and reviewing them helps.

Here are some other resources

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/decorating-101-the-abcs-of-arranging-vignettes-stsetivw-vs~33336175

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/make-a-scene-with-vignettes-and-tablescapes-stsetivw-vs~2127487

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/beautify-your-home-with-things-you-may-already-own-stsetivw-vs~75978475

I think what wasn’t working was that the two parts - the tray at one end and the books/lamp at the other didn’t really relate to eachother. They seemed like two completely separate vignettes.

Two ideas: 1) I really like your space and agree that a bit more color would enliven it. If you can't do a rug, could you consider a floor cloth, i.e., a canvas that is painted? It wouldn't have nap and you could use a stencil and some natural (no VOC or whatever your allergy sufferer must avoid) paint colors. 2) The two panels that are between the windows are nice. What if you used some wallpaper on just those two panels. There are lots of really cool papers on the market, especially large scale patterns. I would like that better than framed art to maintain your streamlined space. Oops, now I see that these panel are really panel window coverings. Why not select colorful printed panels, maybe paper or fabric bonded to them?

I don't think the problem is too much brown; rather, I think it's not enough of something else.

With allergy sufferers in the household, you may want to check out ruggable.com for washable rugs. They have great patterns, colors and multiple sizes you can toss in the washer and dryer. 15% off for Memorial Day (I'm not affiliated.) Your chaise would work well, and seat several people when you entertain, if it weren't against the wall. For parties float it opposite the "bar" and flank the bar with the two rockers, placing the leather stools between the pieces to act as a coffee table. Make sure all the seating is 18" or less from them. Anchoring all of that on an 8x10 rug would make the place pop. Use colors from the rug for accent pillows on the chaise and for more art.

The things fresh eyes see in pictures! I've been living with those window coverings for so long, I've stopped seeing them. Yes, that's another excellent idea for adding colour.

Lovely space and a lot of great choices already. If you’re willing to switch out the dark brown dresser, would you consider painting it? Maybe a pale blue chalk paint if you’re bring in a few blue/teal/green accents?

On the other hand, if you lighten up some of the pieces in your vignette, keeping it the way it is could still work. Find a selection of clear green and turquoise bottles to replace the black ones in your vignette. The lamp is a little too far to the right, the tray with bottles needs to move a smidge to the left. Try covering the books in white to repeat the white from other pieces in the room.

I’m an allergy sufferer myself, so I completely get the no rug thing. And all throws and pillow covers must be washable, etc. Regarding plants and dust... very easy solution for that is to give your plants a shower every so often. This works incredibly well to keep them watered, dust and insect free, and is really easy to do. I use cool water (not completely cold) and don‘t turn the water on full blast so that it’s fairly gentle on the plants. Leave it in there for a bit to drain, and then they can go back to their normal spot.