Software
Houzz Logo Print
s_arnos

What is this room missing???

3 years ago

I recently started to update our 17 year-old home's decor. In the kitchen, I added backsplash subway tile, painted the walls Wind's Breath and bought a new table and chairs. In the family room, I painted the walls Wind's Breath, and bought wall art and an area rug. My home was traditional and now I'm adding contemporary decor to make it more transitional. I like minimalistic, clean elements (no clutter or dust collectors) that look warm, cozy and inviting.

My kitchen and family room are open concept. I don't know how to make them flow together! What should I add next to my kitchen or family room?

I don't have the money to make major changes so the hardwood floors, blinds, kitchen cabinets and dinette set will stay. I want to buy new kitchen light fixtures (for the table and island) and a family room coffee table and side tables I put I don't know what will look nice. For a couple more years, we're keeping the brown leather furniture but after that we'll replace it and I'm open to other neutral colours like beige or taupe. I'm hoping to find coffee tables that will look good now and in the future with a potential furniture change.

Any advice would be much appreciated! Thank you!

Comments (20)

  • 3 years ago

    I would put the club chair up front next to the fireplace.

    and move the loveseat to separat the living room from dining space and add this sofa table


  • 3 years ago

    Is there another room for the console to the left of the fireplace? It might give the room a bit more breathing space. If there’s room (?) I think Lyn’s sofa table suggestion could be nice.

    Just wanted to say I love how Winds Breath looks in your space!

  • 3 years ago

    I tried separating the 2 rooms with the love seat but it's too wide and partially blocks the entrance to the family room (when it's next to a coffee table). Should I remove the coffee table and try pushing it closer to the wall?

    If I move the love seat, what do I put on that wall with 2 windows?

  • 3 years ago



  • PRO
    3 years ago

    I'd add more color. Instead of the beige rug, find one that has reds and blues. Same with artwork for the walls. And, if it's in the budget, I'd replace the beige tile floor in the kitchen for porcelain tile that looks like charcoal slate.

  • 3 years ago

    For your coffee and side tables, I’d go modern and light toned.





  • PRO
    3 years ago

    A cat or perhaps a lazy dog?

  • 3 years ago

    I’d choose something spherical for the dining chandelier to offset all of the linear elements.



    Lighting · More Info


  • 3 years ago

    Accessible beige would be nice or snowbound paint color I really like it it's light colored and for the future I would get around coffee table and I would get around or oblong in case you want to make it that way cuz it transfers itself in the shape you want dining room table with the windows being Square and the floor tile being Square the opening is square I think you need some roundness in your space you could even get some kind of round or something that's not too Square or something that's more see-throughy for lighting and maybe a floor lamp in your living room unless you already have one

  • 3 years ago

    Remove the word HOME on the fp. The fp wall could be painted char gray or navy, black to off set the tv. If interested the tv could go on wall opposite the windows?

  • 3 years ago

    It's missing color (too much dull warm cream and other neutrals and not enough contrast). Specifically, it's missing blue (navy, cobalt, indigo). But that's just to answer your question. I really like this space! You've done a great job so far! I'm impressed! And I do recognize that the art you bought has a bit of blue grey and you repeated it in sofa cushions. But it is a blue grey at best. It will blend in nicely with more blue.


    I actually like your brown sofas! Not because of a personal preference but because of the way they connect with your beautiful kitchen cabinets to group the entire space, making it feel so generous. They are not and never will be dated. I can't tell if they are chocolate brown or Cordovan brown. Can you help? Your kitchen cabinets are a red-brown, very elegant. I would have preferred a cool silvery white to light blue grey to go with the wood cabinets and brown leather. The cream color walls are dragging the entire space down. I am not stuck in a grey trend; this is what the cabinets need.  

    I also love your house plants. You must have a green thumb! They add some of the color that is needed, just not enough. And I love your wood floors… so pretty! And I love the crisp clean black fireplace surround. 


    I agree with comments others have made. Here are some things that stick out. The word "home" is detracting. Plus it's too casual for this otherwise sophisticated elegant space. The track lighting over the TV would be great if you put art there, but not for a tv. You may have gone a bit overboard on pillows and none are helping your color vacuum except for the blue-grey ones.


    Here are a few ideas and why's. Crown molding, because your floor and fireplace are really elegant, and so is your brown leather furniture. That's not essential though. Just keep it in mind for if and when you replace your kitchen wall cabinets. Floor to ceiling draperies in a navy blue trellis pattern or something similar with a cool white background. You don't have a nice view outside the windows flanking the fireplace, they will help with the focal point while adding elegance and color. If you consider them dust collectors I understand. If you are actually worried about dust, check your filters and clean them monthly. For drapery panels, you will need to pull the loveseat a little bit away from the wall, but you need to do that anyway so it doesn't look so afraid of the other furniture. Pull your sofa a few inches away from the wall too. Replace your area rug with a blue and white one to draw attention to the focal point of the room, the conversation area, as well as an obvious secondary focal point, the fireplace and TV. I'm sorry if you just bought it. The cream color of the rug and walls is what is making this room dull.  Normally I would agree with others to move the TV from over the fireplace, BUT, I'm not this time. Moving it to the obvious wall would challenge your furniture arrangement and would leave you nowhere for the huge new art. Also, the black TV and black fireplace surround seem happy together. Put a dimmer switch on the ceiling lights if you haven't already. They will allow safe movement during a movie while not interfering with viewing.


    I think some of what I've said is unwelcome, and I really don't mean to upset. I want you to know I really do think you have a beautiful space and you have done well generally. I think what you really want is advice on replacing the occasional tables. Is that right? I'm glad you do, because I think you have a great opportunity to brighten the space with glass tables with metal frames. They are super clean looking too, right? They will add contrast in reflectivity and texture and lightness. I would choose bronze to blend with your seating. If you are dead set on replacing the sofas with light leather (I assume you don't want fabric dust collectors) then you will need wood furniture to do the connecting job your brown leather seating currently is doing. Maybe you think you want to replace your kitchen cabinets with all white someday and take them to the ceiling (a good time to add crown moulding). Well now this is getting messy. Think about how you really feel about your brown leather and wood cabinets. I really like them but they determine other purchases. If you repaint a silvery grey, chrome and glass tables also would work. If you replace your brown leather with light grey leather, chrome and wood  (like your cabinets) work. The safest approach is to get different tables instead of matching. Have the coffee table in wood and glass and some end tables in chrome and glass, and others in chrome wood and glass. I did a little googling.

  • 3 years ago

    Agree with @RL Relocation LLC - i feel like updating the lighting would go a long way

  • 3 years ago
    last modified: 3 years ago

    What a great space. Love your home. I do agree with above. The "Home" needs to go. Update lighting. The console next to the fireplace is too heavy for the space, it needs to be moved out.

    Consider drapes for the windows to fill the space. One panel on each wall surrounding the windows next to the fireplace. Just go straight across with drapery rod, leaving transom window above. Pick a dark color or pattern for the drapes.



  • 3 years ago

    We need to keep a unit to the left of the fireplace because it stores all the cables that are plugged in there with our stereo equipment. I could find another one though. I wonder if I should find 2 smaller ones and place one on either side of the fireplace?

    I like the idea of a spherical chandelier to offset the linear shapes!

  • 3 years ago

    I will look for light-coloured modern coffee tables.

  • 3 years ago

    I also like the suggestion on wood, chrome and glass tables so I'll see what I can find. I've been stuck on whether I should get a square or rectangular coffee table?

    I've been looking for a chandelier and island lights for a while. I can't seem to find anything yet. I really want to update them.

    I'll get rid of the Home sign. I just don't know what I'll replace it with.

    If I replace the console to the left of the fireplace with something less heavy, what colour should it be?

    Thank you so much for all your expert suggestions! I have more work to do!

  • 3 years ago

    We don't have a budget to change the floor tiles right now. In terms of adding colour, I am very fond of neutrals. Unfortunately, they can look boring so I need to jazz things up a bit.

  • 3 years ago

    I forgot to add that the leather furniture is a dark chocolate brown.

  • 3 years ago

    Green, gold, blue will be great with the brown.