Here are inspiration photos. I have A LOT of dark walnut trim in my house, including some serious beams in part of my great room. I chose to keep everything ivory (white paint looked stark next to the wood) and use ivory, blue and green in my furnishings and fabric. Less clutter, more simplicity tends to make the beams more attractive and easier to live with. The height of your ceilings also matters, as you can see from the different photos.

Two more. These beams are much lighter.

I will say you need heat and UV protection ASAP or those floors will need a huge redo. I use solar shades on my large LR windows to control heat and UV and give enough shade to be able to watch TV or at least a laptop. Use 10% weave in a dark color to keep the best view through the shades which is the reason I use them for daytime they also give you daytime privacy . I use drapes with the shades if nighttime privacy is an issue .

One way to make a change is to add bright color. I love that dark teal color in a nearby space, so I would bring it into the living room to make the spaces cohesive. I like the vibe of the room on the lower left and think the TV cabinet could be painted in that colorful folk art style. Teal and the rust color of your brick look wonderful together.

How many people use the room daily?

great light in this room! If it were me, I would remove the mantle (it's not bringing much to the table) and put a Frame TV over the FP on a pivot arm, it will give you a lot of flexibility

I'd then use an Ikea Billy bookcase as a base and create a shelving unit to the right of the fireplace for books, etc. and I'd float a nice chair in front of it so the seating is facing each other for conversation and not everything is facing the TV

Mae Day - There are just the two of us now

Got it. Thanks.

Do you use the fireplace a lot? If not, have you considered moving the table so it is next to the kitchen and flip the living room into the other half of the room? You have 2 sets of sliders - do you use 1 more than the other? I would maybe want to put the sofa across the room and have chairs backed up to the sliders and then put the tv on the interior wall.

There are some really good furniture layout people on here - let's see what they say!

What is in the cubby area by the table? A built in? Is that open for reimagining? What if that area was rebuilt for a TV? More information about how the whole room is used as well as dimensions of the whole space will be the first step on where to begin.

This room might have 8' ceilings, but the beams reduce the appearance of the height. Because of that everything selected in this room should ENHANCE THE HEIGHT.

1. Dining tables higher than 30" should never be selected for room that don't have 9ft plus ceilings.
2. The mounting height for the mantel too too high for this ceiling height. I have lowered it in this photo and place a larger screen TV over the FP.
3. I would change the brass FP screen to black
4. I would add a useful storage cabinet to the right of the FP and place framed art on the wall
5. I would add drapery panels to the window to control the intense light.
6. I would eliminate the torchiere & replace it with a stylish table lamp.
7. IMO the scale of the furniture is a bit overstuffed for this room, so I would select a new sofa and recliner that takes up less space.

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Hello Keith,

From your pictures it seems as if the wood paneled wall does not get as much of the afternoon sun. If you do not want to hang curtains there are companies that supply window treatments to the glass that can help shade the incoming sunlight but keep the view.

Here is a 3d rendition with suggestions for your consideration. Please know that the styles and colors are not being recommended only the placement and type of furniture. We also lightened the wood paneled wall. We are not suggesting that you replace the fireplace. This is just what we have that fits. Although you may want to update and lighten the fireplace. It would make the room feel bigger.

Hope this helps.

Question:

The given dimensions of 15 x 23 is that for the living room space only or does it include the dining area?

Lisedv - that is the entire space

thinkdesignlive - The cubby is general storage and is open for conceptualization. The room is our den/family room/gathering space - The entire space is 15x23. THe dining space is used for games, work, and light dinners as well

Mae Day Organizing and Interior Design - Thanks I like the ideas. I may play a bit with the design, but it is a good look !

Mae Day Organizing and Interior Design - Believe or not, the recliner is my wife's and it must stay. It's her favorite seat

Thank you for letting us know as well as getting back to us. 🙂

15x23 is just part of the info needed. If you can show doorways on a simple sketch then a new plan might be suggested. Hard to nail it down exactly without that information.

Here's an older one - the window/doors have been replaced with the sliders in prior photos

The storage area near the dining table looks like a small wet bar with shelving for dinner ware and table dressing. True? What a great use of that space!

Both of these ideas have a shorter sofa floating in the middle of the room….

I love the beams, though they do make the ceiling look even lower than it already is. To fight that, I'd get rid of the tall, over stuffed, puffy furniture. Think of furniture with more of an MCM line - slender arms, thin feet so you can see under it, lower to the ground. Can you meet your wife half way -- she gets a recliner but it is a newer more attractive one?

I love a room with a living area and a table area. Would it make more sense to move the table area to the fireplace end of the room, which appears closer to the kitchen? Then float a sofa in the middle of the room facing the blue room and configure a TV area on that end of the room?

More contemporary recliners

More streamlined sofa.

Hello Keith, Knowing that the chair is a keeper we updated the rendition using the latest measurements that you posted. This time the room is like your living room. Again, only the type of furniture and placement is being suggested. Hope this helps. :-)

Pathway from kitchen to office, front door and past dining room table is 3' minimum.

Thank you for getting back to us Keith. Have a great day. MAE

If the slider doors bother you with the sun coming in you could put Sun darkening curtains there but they don't have to be dark but that's what they're called they darken the room so you can see the TV and you can go with the lighter paint like a creamy white or something like that