Once you are finished decorating perhaps you can attach some photos and show us !

Problem is I see contemporary/vintage things in the store but don't know if they will 'fit' into the traditional style Colonia :(

I will post some pics later of what I have to work with - thanks!

Wall art and sculpture are a great way to make spaces more contemporary..but we gotta see what you are working with. :) Will wait for pictures!

Attached are pics of the room. So far I have painted the fireplace, added the mirror and curtains, purchased the chair (recliner from Home Goods) and would like to keep the antique cabinet. I was thinking of slipcovering the couches since new ones aren't in the budget.

The double french doors look out the front. The single door looks out the back. There are 3 skylights and track lighting on the ceiling.

another angle

and the curtains (from Bed Bath Beyond). They have a slightly textured oatmeal colored background. The leaves are mustard and dark grey.

I would love to have bookshelves in here (we have TONS!) Debating if I should put next to the fireplace or floating shelves or standing shelves on both sides of the doorway. Eventually I will remove the carpet and put flooring down (right now it's concrete)

angel - I agree. Right now EVERYTHING is on the floor, we have no shelves anywhere in the house! And if you can believe it (I didn't!), there is only ONE half size coat closet on the entire first floor!! I can play around with the couches but have to have the doors accessible for kids and getting wood in the winter. I was thinking about painting the walls oatmeal or perhaps grey- thoughts?

This is such a nice room to start with. I would make two seating arrangements. Can you pull the couch closer to the fireplace and the chair that matches the couch and ottoman in where the checkered chair is. i I would also paint this room a blue/gray. I like the color of your couches but the room needs color. From what I can see, I would put bookshelves on the wall opposite the fireplace and make another seating arrangement with four swivel chairs.

We got lucky and the people selling the house repaired all the nail holes and painted everything cream - a nice blank pallet! Where would I put the checkered chair? I was thinking about shelves on both sides of the wall opposite the fireplace to have balance - think that's necessary or will just one wall do? I was also going to paint all the trim white to match the fireplace. You can't see in the pics but the couches are 8 years old and in pretty bad shape (we have 3 boys!) - stains, some tears, the legs are chewed from the dog lol! I was thinking of some kind of slipcover for them in oatmeal - thoughts?

Okay, what do we think of this? I moved the reading chair to the other corner (eventually there will be low bookshelves next to the chair) and centered the couches. Thinking of slipcovering the couches but with 3 boys not sure that's a good idea - thoughts? We also have a 30gallon fish tank, I was thinking next to the fireplace?

I will also recommend to paint the wood beams & the wood trim. I think the wood finishes make a room look very traditional - go with contemporary colors - grey - white - nautical blue

I like it better but now I would move the chair in the corner by the fireplace and then you can get your built in book shelves by the door. Don't angle the other piece by the door and try the tapestries over it for now. How does it work for you this way?

I will eventually take down the wood beams (they are hollow and only decorative) and plan on painting the trim white like the fireplace (figure I would do the walls first). Do you mean move the antique cabinet to the tapestry wall or just put it flat on the single door wall?

The original pics show the reading chair next to the fireplace - think that's better?