What are the dimensions of the room?

Visually it is very busy. 2 different cabinet colours. High contrast wainscotting, green wall colour in living room is not repeated anywhere, eye catching living room wall trim. dining room table and chair colour mismatch.

Too many things to look at. Simplify where you can.

For example, one wall colour. Remove any wall trim on the wainscotting and the living room walls.

Table and chairs should match, and maybe a round table will be a better shape for circulation.

Remove the flat shelf unit on the kitchen wall.

Remove any unused pillows, and the bench if it is not used. Solid colour pillows.

You have done a great job with the feature wall. Why it isn't working (as other commentators have suggested) you have gilded the lily. Paint all the walls (including the green wall) the white of the cabinets in an eggshell finish. Go with this look...lots of white. White pillows on the sectional; paint the ceilings white; don't paint the pup white (he will blend in as is.)

My rescue fits right in with my decor:

There's no flow because the three areas lack connection to each other and each are somewhat busy as they each have a "focus" point.

Unless my screen is off, I see a two tone black and white kitchen. A single blue or chalk board wall with some kind of different baseboard treatment in the dining area and then a third focus with the green walls/molding as an accent wall. Editing will help. I'd ditch the wall of molding and green walls and use art and rugs (add one under the table to define the dining space) instead of color-blocking walls with paint.

I love the suggestion from elcieg to color match all the walls and lower cabinets to the upper cabinets. It will make an incredible difference in how the rooms flow together. I like this very neutral color palette on the right. It seems to reference the colors in your countertop, the wood tone of the floor, and even your living room rug. Your brown couch will feel updated contrasted with light walls. I agree with partim to edit the pillows and keep them a solid color rather than introduce pattern.

"countertop of your island is on display, that should have NOTHING on it but something beautiful and useful: bowl of fruit; handmade cutting board or tray; lovely vase of flowers..." Ring ring ring, reality's calling... Having stuff on your island is not the problem here. And anyone who is able to keep your island limited to a bowl of fruit, hat tip, but it's not realistic or a design failure.

I love that green in the living room. I’d get rid of the blue stripe on the dining area wall. Also, can you take a photo with the chairs on the floor? I feel like the legs are distracting and making it look busy. Also, clear everything off the island, counters and floor that isnt necessary.

Forgot to add that a complementary lighting over the living room that echoes the lights over the island would also connect the spaces. Here the glass bulbs and hardware finish do complement the kitchen pendants. It should be centered over the living room, not where it is now.

Floor plan

Thank you all for your advice! I will definitely pair down all the visual activity!

Come back after all the clutter is cleard away . Do you need 6 seats all the time for the table ? The space for the LR and DR is pretty good but your sofa is huge and why do you have the TV so high and also maybe on that long wall where you could add some storage the tV at the proper height and a bit of display . I like Besta from Ikea for that type of wall and it is pretty obvious you need storage where you can get it

I think I'd turn the sectional so the it's back is against the green wall so it really opens up the room. I would also paint the dining room wall the same green as the living room and then add green accessories to both the dining room and kitchen (ie bowl with green apples, etc) .

Can you rotate your sofa so one side is along the long wall and the other under the window?

I cant :(

Just get white dining chairs or have someone paint your dining chairs white. Or you could alternatively get ghost chairs. You could also get a throw to drape over the back of the sofa - something in a light color. If you get new white chairs - get something very streamlined and/or with an open design like what you have on the black chairs. Not any dining chairs that are big, bulky, fully upholstered, etc.

Ghost chairs:

ETA:

Various throws; and you could use any light color, or you could alternatively pick up on your wall color. https://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/113434?

This looks like a great set up, plenty of space, and you are not too far from making it all work together. Paint the table legs the same green as your living room wall. Remove the half wall of bead board and paint it white, or just paint the bead board white if it is too hard to remove.

Add brass hardware to your kitchen cabinets so they relate more to the living room brass touches. Add two green and brass pendent lights (instead of having three) above the island. Remove the wood rack from the wall and add a nice veritcal piece of art, nearly the same size as the rack, that you really like and that ties some of the colors together.

I think your plate rack could be more useful and charming styled with some platters - similar to the pic on the right.

Agree with the advice to simplify - if you love the green accent wall, then I would paint the other walls (top and bottom) the same color. Less is almost always more ~

love the platter idea - those old platters are easy to find at flea markets etc

Actually, it isn't big enough, and it sure isn't big enough for the big dark sectional.

Why?

You've about 20' to the end of kitchen counter, room to pass for stools, chairs at table needs 4' table is 36", room to back up a chair needs at least 4'

That means the "real" living room is basically 14' w and a mere 10' deep.

Don't spend a nickel trying to improve the wrong couch. Save all the $$$$$ for storage under a tv in a better spot, and a couch and two chairs. Don't box it off with a sectional........which you now know is the least versatile seating you will ever own.

In the meantime, clean UP every bit of clutter, paint ALL the walls to one soft color......tied to a rug you like.

There are a lot of lists of a whole lot of things you could do to the whole room however there was a central theme of simplify. To my mind, your choice of lounge light fitting does tie to the island fittings - it’s has clear lampshades with black blades. Yes bronze/yellow gold is ‘in’ but instead of changing the fitting, think about changing the kitchen fittings to a polished nickel to echo the polished nickel of the light fitting. Not everyone likes the light/fan combo, but if the combination works for you don’t change it out just for the sake of it.

If you can remove the small section of wainscotting and repaint. I can’t tell if the wall color is the same as the upper cabinets. If it’s not, then a simple repaint to this color will provide some unity. The plate display in the natural wood could be a bouncing point to strip the chairs to a natural wood or bring in a natural wood topped coffee table, or it could be painted to the wall color.

Do one thing at a time rather than trying to do everything at once, it will come together.

I just Looked back at your pics, hmmm the silver light fitting is in the ‘gold’ half of the room - gold frame, picture light fitting, gold legged planter. Maybe the kitchen fittings could be black so you don’t have to choose between the silver or gold.

These are amazing suggestions! I have some limitations but painting is not one of them! Im going to work on painting the wainscoting and cabinets to match the upper cabinets. The green wall as well and simplify. I alteady removed the distracting bench and pillows and its made a big difference. Ill definite send update photos. thank you!

Why can't you rotate the sectional? Looking at your floor plan, it won't block the door.

Just as a starting point, I suggest your declutter the kitchen counters and island. Find solutions to group your items in trays, on wood board, tiered trays, etc. Your island should only have more decorative items, perhaps tiered trays, a bowl with fruits, keep it simple. Decor on your dining table would also be a nice touch. I would paint the walls all the same colour, no wainscotting painted look nor moulding since you already have a modern looking moulding in adjacent the living room area..

As for the layout, I like Jan Moyer's suggestions.

Yes around table would work good and paint that wall That's south of the table that is too dark it would be nice at the table can line up with that wall Anna pendant you need and yes if you can change around the sectional

You can work around the paint colors and blocking by embracing it. Right now it's not realated at which is making it confusing..

1) Paint the kitchen table black and keep the dining chairs as is. This way all of the kitchen lowers will be cohesive. This will make a big difference. Painting furniture is very easy and Lowes has painting kits that are amazing and long lasting.

2) Dining table: Turn the table to butt the end of the island. See plan. Does 4 chairs work for you? The reason for this is to open up the living room area as much as possible. The one thing about open concept is that it tends to look like a big kitchen with a sofa. In your room, being long and narrow, adds to the cluttered feeling.

3) Green abstract living room wall: Consider playing up the design by Installing a bright green grasscloth in the niches. Make sure you install the grasscloth horizontally (and not following the angles). This will begin the layering process, which good design is based upon.

4) Existing TV wall: Build a unit ceiling to floor, wall to wall and the same color green. Incorporate the TV on an angle (maybe on a rotating arm to line up with the eventual position of the sofa.

5) Large black cabinet (now under the TV): Relocate to the abstract green wall and create a vignette with large art, accessories and lamps. This is an important wall as it is the only large elevation and a focus from all angles.

6) Sectional sofa: The sofa should not be against the wall. By angling it, the approach is exciting and unexpected. It's all about tightening up the seating arrangement and it will take some "push and shove" until it finds the perfect position. Don't do an extreme angle, a slight "off angle" will do the trick visually. Large art on the wall between the window and slider, large plant in the left corner, and a long console behind the sofa with swing arm table lamps. You can even fit a smaller scaled lounge chair and ottoman like an Eames chair. See below.

7) Add a window treatment on the window behind the sofa. This is another important element. The curtain panels must be ceiling to floor and don't skimp on the width of the fabric (2-1/2 x the width of the window). Crisp white sheers will look just as nice as a wild printed linen.

8) Rug: This is the wrong design for the space, but can be changed later. Basically, it doesn't compliment any element in the room. View the rug as art - it anchors the seating in an open concept room.

9) Relocate the bench into the foyer if possible.

10) Art: Don't be tempted to buy commercial art. Support your local artists' community for something special. Also don't try to "match" the roo. Buy anything that speaks to you. that's the purpose of art.

Like I always say, the nice thing about furniture is that it can be moved around! If you like this concept, please don't hesitatel to comment or ask questions. Hope this helps!

V V V Green grasscloth for recesses on abstract wall

Ignore walls V V V to create an optimal seating arrangement

V V V Eames chair and ottoman

V V V Relocate existing dark cabinet to abstract wall with large vibrant art above

The op began a NEW THREAD...... which needs to be deleted. Link below

https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6451812/open-concept-design-ideas-what-would-you-do#n=1

I am adding here, some of my comment from the new thread . If you're up to it , ladies? Follow........because.....

" We have two other places in the house with couches and tv............."

Good luck, if you aren't totally confused?

I apologize - I didnt want it to be confusing since the topic of this thread was different then what my new thread was asking. I just wanted thoughts on if we since we dont technically need this to be a living room space (because we already have a basement family/tv room and an upstairs loft that acts as a seating area and office space with a tv) if there was something else we could do in the space. Again, I apologize for the confusion and I will delete my other thread.

Additional living room

spaces

Also updates with paint options - the couch cushion is another sectional that we have thats a little smaller, just trying to see if that color works a little better (we dont have the budget to get a new couch)

Id like to still incorporate the green if the wall needs to be another color so i was thinking to paint that storage unit that same green - we have green elsewhere in the house like our half bath on the main floor

It's okay to have the wall behind the couch the green you want and if you want put the Green in your kitchen what is the storage unit in the is it in the bathroom you want to paint? I like that wall the beige color you selected where the kitchen table would be

The sofa looks better than the dark one, depending on its size. How large is it?

If you need a large dining room table, then that makes a difference. How about the arrangement that had the narrow side of the table butting against the island? If you need the dining room seating more than you need sofa seating space, then don't butt the table against the island. If you need dining seating, get rid of some or all of the seating in that sofa space, add chairs to the island, and put the dining table in that space. It depends on your family situation and how you need to use the room.

How you use space has not one thing to do with wall color. Nor accent walls !

”Design” does not begin with paint.

WE can’t tell you how you want the space to function for you.

Your friends aren't going to hang around upstairs near your bedrooms.

When you have friends in? What is it you lack??

A nice big casual dining space?

Your dining is sufficient, just a place to sit and chat/ gather with snacks in comfy swivel chairs as you cook?

No !! to any sectional.........You can have a couch and chairs...One couch.

first thing, you have got to declutter that kitchen. You're trying to make these spaces come together and the kitchen looks too chaotic.

second. That ceiling fan. please, replace it w/an updated fan or a light. new fans can be had for less than 200. it's really simple to swap them out. turn off the power, remove old one, put in new one. watch a video on how to get the wires hooked up. takes 5 mins.

You could do something like this one if keeping the black in the room. I like the black beadboard in the kitchen, so I might redo this accent wall with it. Wrought Iron is good

If you want to go a bit lighter, try some of the griege/fawn colors posted here.

these would also work w/the sofa and flooring:

the other sofa w/some other paint colors and ceiling light:

for the kitchen, wading through the countertop mess, I'd redo your table/chairs

Or, do a round one. You can find these vintage Oak tables on craigslist or FB marketplace. look up how to refinish them. it's not difficult. get some diff chairs or paint what you have.

Also gave you diff pendants over the island. I'd remove the middle one and just do two

This black bottom wall, you should paint the air vent to match. it's not something that should stick out. remove it completely, take it outside, and spray paint it with color that matches your wall. Valspar at Lowes has some good cans. Or, you can order a can of any color from any maker and they will put it in a spray can for you.

Above that middle part, do something w/cutting boards for some 'art'. you can go to goodwill and pick up wood cutting boards for cheap. sand them at home, oil them. or stain a few of them black.

easy

All design is first, almost always, a solution to a p.r.o.b.l.e.m

No amount of paint, cutting boards will fix your problem

I love Beth,( she loves cutting boards ) so I should start with that.

You have a " no budget" issue, and you're wasting time and money making paint your focus......when the issue is your living floor needs different furniture/seating than you currently own. Or...... a different sectional in the house is the better sectional for your main living floor?

One: go back to beginning. Post new pictures ( jpeg ) of the kitchen, with NOT ONE THING on the perimeter counters, or the island.

I don't care where you "stuff the stuff"!. Clear it out, and take three pictures.

Two: Go take a picture, please, of the OTHER sectional. Print that picture and measure the sectional, or draw it and show its dimensions/inches. Can it be broken up?

Three: See the floor plan you posted above and below. You've not a "living room" - you have a living/DINING" room, not really generous, and before you worry on what should be green? or black or any other ? Figure out what furniture you can sell to get money, to get what you NEED, the things that will make the space function and look good and that will not be a sectional. I'm sure you've learned by now, that 90% of the time.......a sectional will paint you into zero options and a tiny corner and to be stuck in that corner as long as you own that sectional.

No tv above as you seem not to need a tv?

De clutter

Stop painting!!!

Sell something, Facebook Market that does not work in your home

Save money to a piggy bank, and don't touch it

If you do not NEED a cutting board? Do not buy a cutting board, and I care not if it is a 1.50 : )

Limp to a more permanent solution.......?

Most important is the fact that NO amount of paint or doo dads on a wall, will fix the number of feet and inches available in this home and after you accept that as truth? You will be on the way to better, and even more "informed" paint selections.

Why? Because paint can be mixed to fractions of a color, and those are derived from soft furnishings. Couches, chairs, rugs, art and those can certainly contain........the color green.

I appreciate all the discussion! So very helpful! I’ve made long term and short term plans. Here is where I am with the short term -

We need a rug but this fits our needs - the tv is really only used to play music and to have art displayed so for right now it’s fine there. Also working on curtain colors

Don’ t spend money on curtains yet, please.

They are secondary selection to a rug…. a couch.

Those are more impotant and cutain panels half hidden behind a couch isn’’t optimal either…

if you must get curtains, amazon has some semi custom you can try.

https://www.amazon.com/TWOPAGES-Blackout-Curtain-Darkening-Curtains/dp/B085RS35SR/ref=sr_1_9

some othese are only 26" wide.

this one is more expensive, you can choose your length, but they're 52" wide. you need some more width. choose accordingly. If you need to buy two panels, then these would cost less just buyin the one panel.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C2Y44T9Q/ref=sspa_dk_hqp_detail_aax_0?sp_csd=d2lkZ2V0TmFtZT1zcF9ocXBfc2hhcmVk&th=1

and make sure to take the curtains over the side. they're too skimpy, what you have now. take them over the left another foot or so.

new fan. the one you have now doesn't work in the room, plus the blades are too short to be of any cooling benefit.

You actually don't even need a fan w/the light kit. you have recessed light. get a new fan, longer blades, no light. shouldn't be that expensive. try and match the tones in your flooring rather than getting black

move the sofa forward so the drapes aren't smashed. you have the room

like shown here. these are light filtering, I think the others are blackouts

again, check the width before you buy.

Light filtering.

https://www.amazon.com/TWOPAGES-Pleated-Filtering-Darkening-Treatment/dp/B09NKV32GR/ref=sr_1_29

color-natural. 52X95

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZFM47SP/ref=sbl_dpx_decor-window-curtains_B0C2Y44T9Q_0?th=1

another style. 3 diff ways to hang them

https://www.amazon.com/Blackout-Curtains-Bedroom-Darkening-Insulated/dp/B0CL6JJMVK/ref=sr_1_41

Personally I'd spend the money and do a really nice woven wood blind. but if you like your white faux wood blinds, go w/the curtains

So now that the green had been deleted from your space - one idea could be to bring in a rug that has a touch of green in it, and you can also use the green in your curtains.

https://www.ikea.com/us/en/p/dytag-curtains-1-pair-gray-green-40552891/?

https://orientalrugofhouston.com/products/green-handtufted-turkish-wool-oriental-area-rug-orh18844?variant=48520763212069

Line up table with that wall in dining area. Nice ideas & nice shrt term idea.

Keep everything in neutral colors. eye can easily scan, creates soothing calm feel

Yes to neutrals but you could have a colored couch if you want and you can add color pillows a throw colored towels it don't have to be Bland

Jan, what do you suggest to do with curtains when panels are hidden behind couch. OP. I totally agree don’t buy curtains yet. I did and now I’m asking this question because they will be hidden behind my sectional and I love my curtains but I’m afraid they just won’t work.

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