Of course, not at all an answer to your questions, but I think the furniture looks dark and heavy. Any thought to changing it out? ( And I’m sure you’ll get a lot better and more direct responses. )

Not considering buying new furniture at this time, and those leather club chairs were not cheap :)

Make some inserts for the back of the bookcases and paint them to match the wall color. If you use inserts, it will easier to undo if you don't like it. Or easier for the next owner (are you planning to sell soon?)

Could be in a few years. I'd like to get some enjoyment out of the change, and also don't want the orange oak to be a factor if trying to sell.

It's not the shelves; it's the furniture and decor. You need some light in there. If you can't swap out pieces of furniture, maybe rug? Decor in shelves? I totally get that darker furniture is more family friendly but you need some lighter pillow, throws, decor.

You could stain the mantle a darker color to draw the eye away from the oak.

Oh ... and brighter art and paint gold around fireplace black. I am really envious of this beautiful space. Work with it! The bookcases and stone. Beautiful.

Consider painting the ceiling white, leaving the beams alone to lighten the space. I’d also spray paint the firebox with high heat black paint.

Firstly, your room is lovely!

Have you had the floors redone in a while? I ask because my in-laws have the same flooring that had naturally darkened and yellowed with time. When they had the floors refinished they were delightfully bright, whiter, and new looking. I'd think having the flooring refinished would brighten the space up drastically so that you wouldn't need/want to paint the other wood.

The idea to cut out inserts for the back of your bookcases and paint them white (then insert them) would be ideal.

Painting all of that warm and perfectly matching wood would be a shame.

Before painting the wood I would try classy blue throws on the backs of each of the brown leather chairs, brighter pillows. A much lighter, much bigger textured rug with a touch of design, and a several larger lighter whitish pieces of art and ceramic or frames on the shelving. A brighter round tray on your ottoman.

And yes to more lighting.

Well, if your whole house has wood trim and features, I wouldn't encourage painting the natural hardwood that your home seems to be beautifully enriched by. Could you provide a picture of the shelves and mantle bare? Maybe include a photo of the opposite viewpoint?

Rug

Safavieh Dhurries Collection DHU351 Rug, Natural, 8'x10' · More Info

throws

Tanga by Surya Throw Blanket, Navy/Bright Blue · More Info

ottoman tray

Vintage Garden Tray · More Info

art

"Flying Machine" Stretched Canvas Giclee by Leonardo Da Vinci, 16"x12" · More Info

Rembrandt Van Rijn Rembrandt's Mill Canvas Print · More Info

replacement pillows

Solo Rugs Bohemian Decorative Throw Pillow, Blush, 20"x20" · More Info

I don't see anything wrong with the bookshelves other than the random items placed on the shelves.

However, the rug is too small for the area.

I would recommend a sofa facing the fireplace with chairs placed on either side for this area.

I would replace the ceiling fan with a chandelier

also suggest using the lower 2 shelves on the left side for books, completely filled, and if you can do it with jacket-free hardcovers, all the better. This would balance the mass of the TV on the other side. Then I would group your smaller Items more tightly together on the upper shelves. Put your taller ceramics in the top triangular cubby. (Are the shelves adjustable?)

I agree with a larger and lighter color rug. However, I also suggest that you put only white or light-colored objects on the shelves or take the advice and make white or light grey inserts for the back of the shelves. Only light colored pillows for the chairs.

I wouldnt change any of the wood. Its beautiful. You could use a lot better lighting and a lot more of it. The one ceiling fixture is just not enough. You could also use some brighter colors to add interest, instead of just all dark type accessories. The shelves could use better arranging, and lighter brighter things in it to make them really stand out. I think the floors look great the way they are. I would, however, change out the rug. With the right lighting and the right accessories, it will be a beautiful room.

I love this room! change the rug, rearrange the furniture, and add better lighting and you will be a lot happier I am sure.

i will chime in as well that the room is lovely but needs tweaking. The rug, pillows, throws will certainly lighten and freshen the room. Perhaps rearranging some of your items on the bookcase. But certainly a great room to work with

Yes, there are better ways to lighten the room, but It seems you are more concerned with the color of the wood than anything else. If the color of the bookshelves already doesn’t match the rest of the wood and it’s a patina you loathe, then I would definitely explore changing it. No amount of other alterations in the room will make you embrace the orange wood. White shelf backs will actually highlight it.

Wow, thank you all for the great suggestions!

Replacing furniture is not an option - if we end up moving it will be a downsize, so not looking for new furniture

Definitely like the idea of a new rug. Is it necessary that the chairs are entirely on the rug? That would require an 8x10. Won't be too big for the space?

Already planned on replacing the fireplace doors with black. The brass is also from 80s

Fan is also an 80s throwback. It does help with airflow in the room, but is not attractive.

Shelves are adjustable expect for the top triangle.

There are can lights on either side of the fireplace which are not visible in the orig photo. I typically use these only at night because I don't like ceiling fan lights.

Here are more photos of the area. The kitchen and breakfast room are to the left and used to have the same oak cabinets, trim and crown. Breakfast room also had stained windows, trim, and chair rail (i.e. all 3 rooms were stained to match). A few years ago we remodeled this in white but did not touch the adjoining family room. My initial thought was to make the bookcases match the kitchen cabinets. But maybe just changing décor as suggested will suffice.

Just reposition the chairs you have so at least 3 people can easily see the TV

I actually just did that his morning :) Also reoriented the rug which was running front to back, now running lengthwise. The rug is about 5 1/2 x 8 1/2, so I think 8x10 is what is needed. I borrowed the pillows from our sunroom.

Regarding the light, current position of the fan is off-center away from the fireplace. I'm thinking it should be centered with the patio doors and beam, which would make it off-center in the room towards the fireplace, but over the seating area. I don't want to hack up the main beam to relocate the electrical box, so I guess the only options are to use a surface mount box/conduit, or some sort of swag for the new light.

I was thinking of something like this for the light:

Any recommendation for the width of the light given a room size of 15x16? Also vertical position?

Thanks again for all of the great ideas.

Don

I would adjust the shelves to be symmetrical, using two shelves on the bottom of the left side for books to balance the weight and mass of the fireplace on the right.

Sorry that my iPad mini doesn’t let see many details of what is on your shelves, but is that greenery you have on the upper righT? If so, I would balance that on the left with casually arranged small leaf prints p, botanicals, and other nature elements like that would be nice with the center piece of the European lake.

In general i would pull the sky blue and stone colors of the painting and bring them into the seating arrangement. And i would add lighter hued decorative items to the upper shelve, inclunding buying new frames for some of what appears to be family photo, some fancier, creamier and more old world just to mix it up with the dark frames you have.. if you have decorative boxes, think about wrapping them in lighter parchment hues.. that sort of thing. But i would use your central painting as a guide.

Yes that is some sort a fake plant. I was actually thinking of tossing it :)

The rug is pretty, but, it is too small. An 8x10 would be much better. It also looks much nicer with the pillow additions. I sometimes think that there is no thought, that goes into where a light fixture is positioned. I had one, in my dining room, that was centered with the window, but, not with the fireplace, nor the center of the table. It is now swagged over so it is centered on fireplace, window, and the dining room table.

LOVE this room and some small changes it can match the light feel to the rest of your house. Like you have mentioned replace rug, the chandelier you posted looks too small, this is an impressive room it can handle something more substantial. Some light throw pillows, cozy blankets. Would you consider changing the art above mantel To a mirror?

toss the fake greenery! I thought maybe close to the natural light you had some vines or a houseplant.

If you keep the main piece of dark framed art on the mantle, I think the smaller black framed artwork on the right competes with it, should be moved to another spot, out of that visual field.

You can find a modern, wood toned ceiling fan that will disappear into the ceiling. Then get at least one lamp for between the chairs.