Hi maximista, your current arrangement looks nice as it is! Congrats on removing the rug. :) Nice looking floor -- what kind of material is the floor ?

I might be tempted to switch the sofa with the TV.

I am tempted to switch the sofa and tv too. I think I will try it. The floor is laminate.

Cool! It will make your TV less prominent as you walk into the room. It's okay if the sofa isn't centered on the wall. Definitely find some art for your walls. It will give your room personality.
You could consider painting the niche where your desk is a medium grey. Will give it more depth. Add a bit of interest.

Some ideas: soft green colour for the desk niche, green rug with soft lines, glass coffee table,

Try turning the carpet the other way

Love carolins chair ideas. I think a more stylish desk chair would also give the space more style as well. I like that tv console very much! I actually like the couch where it is. If it's switched, the back/side of the tv will be seen first.

@Angel18432 here is the rug in other direction. I need to get a new rug - this old one is too dirty/uncleanable.

Short of painting, the room does need some colour. This is a blank canvas so you could go in any direction. Get a bigger rug though. Some rugs....

You could add in color with hanging paintings - I have original abstract paintings - I also offer customs. I am not sure what colors you are thinking but I have a variety in my Etsy shop.

https://www.etsy.com/shop/gperillo

Ideas for coffee tables......

What colors are you drawn to? Here is a nice transitional rug with color, but not too bright for you.

I think I am drawn to neutrals but then end up with rooms that look too plain and boring.

Neutrals don't have to be boring. You could even mix and match several neutrals. All these rugs and pillows are neutral but still have visual interest because of the textures and shapes.

Pillows......

Even artwork for above the couch can be neutral and interesting. Don't give up......inspiration will come to you!

I very much want to angle your sofa, and place the seating arrangement on the diagonal, so that the window is framed by it. Adding a screen in front of the office area, or perhaps a reed curtain (Pier 1) could lend a clean line and some texture. I like Darzy's rug choice, because it draws the eye ( and the welcome) to the seating - in a way a neutral will not. If you use some colour there, you will have that interest to draw on for curtains, a pillow or three and the aforementioned reed/screen.

I moved the sofa to the other side as well as the tv. Not sure if it is better. What do you think?

@studio10001 - I think the room is too small for diagonal arrangement but will try it. @Lydia - Love your suggestions!

I liked it better the other way. When you walk in the front door you see the tv this way. Plus, the desk area seems more spacious with the tv next to it, instead of the sofa.

Yes, I too love Lydia's art and rug suggestions for sophisticated neutral!

I do like the sofa on that wall, but not the TV, so yes, the other way around is better. Sorry for making you do the furniture shuffle :-(

Does the back detach from the console? I am wondering if wall mounting the TV might help.

Managing space.

Yes, the back of the console detaches. I could wall mount the TV. I could also put bookcases to hide the TV. I am not sure how I feel about the new layout. I will see tomorrow how it feels during the day and what I see outside. I really need draperies too. And pictures.

Paint the desk/cabinet area a nice Navajo white and then it won't be the focal point. Simply angle your couch with your rug and give the illusion of two separate living space...a living area and a office/place to work...! Good Luck:)

What if you introduced some softer colours?

Yes, I wanted to suggest painting the desk and cabinets too. That would make such a difference!

And since you are furniture shuffling anyway, would the TV fit next to the window with the couch facing it?

Color schemes....

Something like this perhaps?

Pillows Pier1, art Gina Perillo (see above):

I like the tv console and think if you mount on wall, you still are going to have to work around that configuration.
My friend has this unit in her home and it looks lovely. She has a very large artificial tree on one side and and a birdcage thingy on the other. What I think would look nice would be bookshelves on each side.

Also, another thought was to get a screen to hide the desk area when you have company if there is enough room. Pictures, pillows and a new rug as suggested.

I much prefer the first layout. With the second one you walk right into the TV and it hides the view to the outdoors. As for the desk, I'm thinking if you don't want to paint the walls then forget about painting the desk because it's much more tedious! Your TV stand is fine. Hanging the TV would limit your choices of furniture placement. You could hang the same curtains as on the sliding doors or some paneled closet doors to hide the desk when not in use. I agree that a more stylish chair would be nice but you don't have to go with a standard desk chair. Something like this would flow with the design of the room and serve as extra seating.

Now, I liked the sofa beside the desk, with TV at entrance. Just put your tall vase of twigs beside the tv, on entrance side. You've now screened most of the 'untidy' edges of the TV. And I think its less of a visual block to the window than the couch is- the couch is much deeper, even if shorter.

Thought of you when I saw this. You desk area would make a nice serving area when you have company.

The alternative sofa arrangement is starting to grow on me - I actually like it better, especially with the vase/twigs in front of the TV - overall, the flow is better in the room. The only problem is that the view during the day is not good - I see my 2 neighbors. When the sofa is on the opposite wall, I see trees and greenery. I dont know what to do.

a view from the room entry

That last arrangement looks best, but if you don't like seeing your neighbors...change it! =)

The neutral palette you have going looks very nice and classy.

I'm with carolins, if you are timid of color...bring in some gentle ones. Like pastels for instance.

You have a beautiful minimalist look going. Echo that in pillows, art. It will breathe life into your room.

A few pieces came to mind.
You can see them closer here.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/art/all/nonrepresentational+abstract/all?page=2

I also have a cityscape series that I imagine would work well with your space.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/featured/denver-co-3-angelina-vick.html

I don't know if you live near a major city, but you could look at the list of which ones I have.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/featured/usa-skylines-3-angelina-vick.html

These from my medallion series would work as well, but they are a little bolder.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/art/all/ornate+designs+and+medallions/all
These can be hung as single pieces or groupings.

My last suggestion is this cityscape.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/featured/the-hubris-of-mankind-1-angelina-vick.html

I think yellow would be a good way to go in your space. =) It would be a pop of color that would avoid it getting "boring" and if you want to go for something bolder later...you can, because most of the room is neutral.

Can you nudge the sofa to span the corner, but not worry about centering on it? Still get some view, the neighbor gets your profile, and chairs on either side of couch will get varying views, as well. If that doesn't appeal, when chairs arrive, they can also be positioned to take better advantage of the view. The reeds are working well!

Blue...may be a good start too.

Hmm... dilemma... I like this arrangement better, certainly now the reeds are blocking the TV cables. A comfy chair in the corner between TV and window, and curtains will complete your room and give you the best of both worlds, nice view on the greenery during the day, curled up in your comfy chair and at night you can close the curtains and watch TV from the couch.

See the difference in the view - 2nd/new layout vs. 1st/original room arrangement. Two very different views.

As I mentioned earlier, I prefer the first layout but it's really up to you......whatever makes you feel most comfortable!

Forgetting all about the layout inside, the 2nd view is great and you could have a nice garden/ backyard too which ever we are seeing. The view matters a lot personally to me. Wood and plants go together nicely so it is a shame to cover up the wood with a rug. But you have to do what you want according to your needs. This image is only a suggestion regarding making the maximum use of wall space since yours is limited.

Pillows for pops of color after you decide on rug, maybe a floating shelve behind the sofa so that is not totally against the wall?... You can add picture frames on shelve. Also if you are doing a coffee table you might want to consider an upholstered ottoman for extra seating instead . Also needs a little bling like a mirror:):)

Ooo yeah, original view is definitely better. You need to tackle the garden too. That will make a difference, but the original view will always be better. So... but you definitely need a chair, so you could still enjoy both. Better layout and good view ;-) But you'll have to do whatever feels best to you.