fissfiss - I love your wood ceiling. Thank you for that suggestion about the small opening next to fireplace. That's something I've considered and I will now give it more thought since you brought it up. I have been using that opening as a path of travel through the house, but it's not absolutely necessary. I wouldn't even need to put a solid wall all the way up to the ceiling. There are other interesting ways I could create a "wall" there that would still allow natural light from the windows to reach that dark hall area. I'd only do it if it was really solving an important problem or unlocking some ideal arrangement. Otherwise I do like the travel pathway that opening provides and the natural light it allows into a dark part of the home.

Maybe the search term that might work would be "gentlemen's club". Wood, leather, darker colours, maybe some tweed accents, tufted large ottomans - sounds a bit like what you're describing and might work.

Another that might work in moderation would be some Mission or Craftsman style pieces.

Craftsman living room ideas (link)

Note the pictures showing fireplaces and built ins for inspiration for yours.

Pinterest is a good place to look for ideas and photos as well as right here on Houzz.

Once again though, you can search photos and cherry pick the elements that you like.

MV - I'm trying "gentleman's study." I need to think of some kind of "clubhouse" to search like an old money tennis club or polo or golf or equestrian ...? That won't be the whole picture, but it's a piece of it. I think you are right that some understated Stickley type furniture could work. (Mission style.) And I believe Stickley was founded not too far from where we live.

Four chairs in a circle will always look to me like an intervention is about to happen. No thank you!

Do you still want a Fjord chair and only one? Which chair or chairs do you want to have foot rests?

Are you sure a sofa, coffee table, then air isn’t going to project farther into the pathway? Have you measured and taped things out in the room?

I always do google image searches because they will include houzz and pinterest pics.

"Four chairs in a circle will always look to me like an intervention is about to happen. No thank you!" Kendrah that cracked me up!! (No pun intended!) You make a good point, because I just tried the 4-chair circle (using office chairs and folding chairs in the room) and there is indeed this feeling of forced conversation. It's more relaxed with just the one chair + sofa.

I'm not set on a Fjord style chair, I just used it as an example of a chair that is leather + wood and lets me elevate my feet. I think a swivel recliner could work, then I wouldn't need the separate foot rest. I'll be able to sit on the sofa (if there is one) with my back against an arm rest and put my legs up on sofa seats, and I'd also like one other chair in the room that allows me to elevate my feet. Or if an ottoman is placed precisely, it could serve both the sofa and a chair for being able to put feet up (although I never find that as comfortable.)

I have measured and taped, and the way I have it is a 7 ft sofa with 40 inch depth. I don't need that deep by any means but I used that depth as a maximum. I would need to keep the swivel chair on the small side. I have some flexibility in terms of coffee table width. So I should be able to space it all in a way that doesn't come out too far into the central pathway of the room. Definitely need to be very mindful of dimensions when furniture shopping for this space.

Took screenshots of various things today with you in mind. Don’t know that any of them are really what you are looking for but they each had an element of books or cozy or plaid.

Do you ever shop or daysream on 1st Dibs?

So kind of you Kendrah! I love that first chair, the plaid one. And I actually really like the other chair too, the only thing I'm iffy about on it is the horse blinder Mickey Mouse ear things, yet without those it would lose such an important element of the design and character. Actually now that I think about it, maybe those blinders would be perfect for blocking the sun from my sensitive eyes....

No I have never shopped those places you mentioned. I'm not knowledgeable when it comes to sourcing, which is very frustrating.

My current list of questions about the room design:

- Does a coffee table need to be centered on the fireplace or can it be a little off-center? If the dining table on the other side of the room is rectangular, should the coffee table not be a rectangle shape?

- If I do a sofa on large wall, coffee table, and one chair, and that chair has a footrest, is that a problem having a footrest near a coffee table? Should I rule out chairs with footrests and only look for swivel recliner?

- I want to get a carpet with texture. What impact does that have on furniture fabrics? Would smooth fabric work best? Or if there is texture on furniture fabric make sure it's significantly different from the carpet texture? Just wondering if there are general guidelines about mixing textures the way there are for mixing patterns.

- Should I nix the idea of a bookshelf on the large wall? Would it just pull focus away from the view? Or does that wall actually need something like a bookshelf? What would look better - a wood bookshelf packed with books, or a large, quiet art piece? In addition to my own photo of the wall, I'm including a professional photo that shows the wall and the view, (it's very difficult to capture both together in one shot on a phone camera) and I used magic eraser to remove previous owner's furniture.

I'm probably going to make a separate discussion topic specifically about the fireplace. Trying to figure out if there is a no-demo way to fix what I don't like about the bricks - the whitewash and the carvings.

If you're reading this and have any thoughts / opinions about any of my questions above, please don't be shy, let me know what you think. Thanks.

I love books, but I think in this room I would forego a giant bookcase. It would distract from the view. I think the bedroom next door could be an amazing library if it is not your master.

Thank you fissfiss. I really appreciate your input. We are not using the main floor "primary suite" as our bedroom. You are right that it could make an excellent library... We were planning to use it as a den and guest room. I think I know the answer to this, but I wonder if there is any way to have a bed in there and still have it mostly feel like a den-library... Probably not.

Editing to add to this post because now the gears are really turning in my brain thinking about that adjacent room being a library... I think a pull-out couch / sleeper sofa could be the solution for keeping the feel of a library-den but still allowing for a guest to sleep over!

I'm thinking of a plank diangely placed on that wall I think it will look nice

Should you change your mind about having your books in the living room, I think a bookcase with glass doors could be a wonderful way to reflect your view. I also like your idea of a custom piece that includes your desk. It could be just the thing to bring the room to life. I wasn’t able to find a single photo example of this concept, but a creative mind is a beautiful thing.

Here’s a mood board with items that caught my eye for your space. I couldn’t resist including the gorgeous chair that Kendrah posted.

- Coffee table can be off center from the fireplace.

- You can have rectangular table and coffee table. I'd like to see one or the other circular not because there is a problem with repetition but I think this room could use some circular influence.

- If you have a foot rest by the chair that is in front of the coffee table then a. that person will not be able to reach the coffee table, b. you could have a side table to go with the footrested chair but it will not feel like it is part of the group with the sofa, and c. you arrangement is going to stick out farther into the clear pathway that you want to the sliders. That is why I've asked whether you have taped out all of this furniture in the space to see that it will fit.

- If you have a swivel recliner, do you mean that when you recline it you will first swivel it 90-degrees so the foot rest that pops up will not hit the coffee table?

- Bookshelf on the large wall is fine. It won't pull focus from the view.

- I'm sure there is away to tile over the bricks or simply use a compound to smooth over them and then paint it.

- How often do you have guests? How long do they stay for? What are the measurements of the proposed library/guest room? Yes, you could certainly make that space a library. When would you see yourself sitting in there and reading vs reading in the living room?

Thank you to every person who has responded!
A comment from ffpalms hit on something I've had on my mind since we bought this place. Regarding the idea of a custom piece for the large wall, ffpalms said "It could be just the thing to bring the room to life." My original idea for giving some life to the room had been to put wood on the ceiling, and in my opinion that would necessitate also adding wood somewhere else, like wood trim, wood floors, or wood walls (not every wall in the house, but definitely on the 3 main walls of the great room.) In this "version" of the design plan, I also considered completely redoing the fireplace, floor to ceiling, so that it would no longer be primarily drywall. There were several reasons I abandoned this wood ceiling etc idea, and we instead decided to go in the direction of fewer changes, less money, and just working with the home largely as-is. But there's this term I've come across - "drywall box" - that persists in the back of my mind. It's an apt description of the rooms in this house. I'm not sure if just paint color and decorating can truly elevate the space beyond that "drywall box" status. At least it has a vaulted ceiling and a wall of windows though, that counts for something.

Answering Kendrah's questions:
"How often do you have guests? How long do they stay for? What are the measurements of the proposed library/guest room? Yes, you could certainly make that space a library. When would you see yourself sitting in there and reading vs reading in the living room?"
The main person I want a guest room for is my sister. She and my mom live nearby. That's partly why we moved here, to be close to them. It's not as if she needs to stay overnight here for a week like if she was traveling to visit from out of town, but I know we will have our "sleepovers" like old times when we used to live close, so I anticipate maybe about 4 times a year she'll stay over for a night or two. I can think of a few other possible overnight guests but it would be very infrequent.

The measurements of that other room are 17'7"x12'8" and compared to the living/dining room it is like a cocoon in there, in a good way in my opinion. I like having the option depending on what atmosphere I'm in the mood for, and there are many times I want the feel of a dark little den. We want to have the TV in that other room.

"If you have a swivel recliner, do you mean that when you recline it you will first swivel it 90-degrees so the foot rest that pops up will not hit the coffee table?"
I would place the swivel recliner so that even in the fully reclined position my feet would not hit the coffee table. I guess this is one time when it's a good thing I have short legs. I'm posting a layout image showing a chair with footrest, and another layout showing the swivel recliner. My thought is, with a footrest chair, the footrest is "permanently" blocking a path to the sofa, whereas with a swivel recliner, that path is kept clear at all times except when I am in the chair reclined. And even if I was in the chair and someone needed to get through that path, it's easier to move my feet out of the way in a swivel recliner vs. moving a footrest. It's actually easier for me to find footrest chairs that I like, but if a swivel recliner is the better solution I'll just have to hunt until I find The One.
All of this only applies to that one particular seating arrangement though, the sofa plus one chair, which I am not in love with or anything, I just keep coming back to it because it seems to have the least problems out of the options I've thought about so far.

I think you need to settle on a plan first. Seeing that last image - I want to move the sofa down so it’s centered on the dining table. Then there might be room for a swivel lounge chair at the top of the lounge grouping. I may have missed it - assuming no TV here? Get your plan settled first and then that creates a ‘shopping list’ of items - and those items get more detailed in their criteria based on the plan (exact sizing, swivel or not, etc).

My favorite design for a large room.

And if you are set on carpet you definitely need to start with that. Find the one you love and get a sample that you can keep and use it to test all of your upholstery options and paint. Do not select paint until you have settled on the carpet. Very important.

I hope you explore more fully your idea of putting wood on the ceiling. I think it would be an excellent way to add warmth and drama to the vaulting ceiling.

We had our paint color consultation yesterday. I am in complete agreement with thinkdesignlive's post above - we will not finalize our paint color selection until we have chosen the carpet. This consultation was very affordable, and the designer based his recommendations on only two fixed elements - the tile floor and the wood stair railing. I felt that getting a general paint direction based on those elements could help me narrow down what undertone I'm looking for in the carpet. I really wanted an expert opinion regarding the undertone of the tile because the carpet will meet up with it and I want a smooth transition. All this to say, I figured for such an affordable price there was no harm in getting a preliminary opinion on paint color, and I can always do another consult after the carpet selection is finalized.

The recommended colors were divided into two categories - light and darker. I had explained we're looking for a deeper tan to brown color, but I could tell the designer prefers light. His ranked choices for light colors were: 1) SW Wool Skein, 2) SW Naturel, 3) SW Natural Tan, 4) SW Urban Putty, and his ranked choices for darker colors were: 1) SW Universal Khaki and 2) SW Khaki Shade. I was surprised he chose green undertone colors because I don't see any green at all in the tile. However I know that green undertone neutrals are very forgiving and versatile. I also know that I love the way green looks with wood. Green happens to be both my and my husband's favorite color, so we are pleased about the idea of green undertone walls, I just hope whatever we choose does not go gray with our gloomy weather here. I see a lot of gray in the recommended paint colors.

Another surprising part of the consultation - the trim recommendations. The designer recommended that no matter what color we pick for walls, we use that same color for all trim and doors. It's not at all a surprising recommendation for the lighter colors (which he really believed we should pick), but of course we are not so interested in the lighter colors. His darker recommendations - Universal Khaki and Khaki Shade - are LRV 40 and 44. It's a lot of trim to paint so dark. I'm totally open to it because I dislike the trim in this house so I'm certainly not trying to draw attention to it with a contrasting color, but I at least wanted an option for a trim color that we could carry through the whole house. I also think a contrasting trim could fit better with our "dapper" design style. So I asked for a contrasting trim color and this really surprised me: his ranked picks were 1) SW Neutral Ground, 2) SW White Duck, and 3) SW Shoji White. It was the Neutral Ground that kind of blew my mind. I just never expected a paint color consultant in 2025 to actually give me a trim color with LRV 70 to go with walls that are LRV low 40s.

I had mentioned to him that I don't want stark white trim and also that I'm not thrilled about the big, white, textured ceiling. I even specified that I thought a trim in LRV 70s would probably work better with the beige tile than a truer white in the 80s LRV. But I didn't think he or any other designer would actually go for that. I thought it was yet another of my "dated" style inclinations. Basically I'm wondering if those trim rec's were truly his best suggestions based on our tile, or if he was grasping for something to accommodate what he perceived to be my criteria.

I think he went lighter to minimize the contrast between the large white ceiling and the walls…and in that case, I can see blending the trim in with the wall color. My walls in CO are SW Cream, and our trim is a light griege that matches all the built in cabinetry. I like it….it does not distract from the view.

Does anyone know of a good way to preview what the room would look like in the various paint colors? The Sherwin Williams visualizer is awful. I wouldn't base my exact paint color decision on visualizer images, but I think it could help me make a decision regarding LRV and whether I prefer lighter vs darker walls with the white ceiling.

For quite a while after we moved in, I was totally assuming we'd go with a very light neutral for walls, and that this would be the best way to downplay the white textured ceiling as well as the trim. But then one day as I was really looking at where the walls meet the ceiling, I noticed there was something I actually preferred about how the darker accent walls in this house look against the ceiling vs the pale walls. The stronger contrast looks very intentional and confident. I think there's something about it that fits with the design style I'm trying to create. But in general I think the intuitive choice for the main space of this home is a light neutral as long as that ceiling stays white.

Like I mentioned before, my real dream home would have wood ceilings and walls. I have been hoping that a brown-ish wall color could maybe give me a bit of that same feeling. But I know I like light walls too. I've noticed that when I look at room images, in addition to wood-covered rooms, another category I consistently like is rooms with off-white walls. The last house we owned was all a warm off-white in the main areas. The exterior was also white... I think I do really enjoy when an exterior very closely relates and flows with the interior. And our home now is brown on the exterior including the deck, so this is another reason I'd probably enjoy a brown interior wall color.

I am very curious to know how light vs darker walls will affect the view. I've seen advice to never go dark when there's a view, and I've also seen advice that a darker wall color actually makes the view pop like a lightbox.

Plaidpine you are too much ‘in your head’ about this process and need to get down with actual samples. Get the carpet samples and the paint samples together in the space. Post photos of them with the tile. Seeing is believing. We have to work way too hard to try to piece this together for you. Sorry to sound irritated- I’m not - just constructive advice to move this along. So if you want more please post those photos. We have no idea what carpet you are looking at and seeing it with the paints is important. So, in a well lit area have the carpet up next to the tile and have the paints lined up against the wall against a white sheet of paper background.

I concur. You are getting much too heady and didactic about this all. If you have the goal of completing this room this year, then you need to start getting samples and seeing them in the space.

My question about the paint is where does the wall color begin and end as the one living room wall carries into the hallway.

You are really transfixed on the view out the window, and I can see why. As such, yes, paint all of the trim the same color as the walls. You don't have a ton of it, and yes the contrast is distracting. I'd 100% paint the ceiling the same color as the walls, otherwise it reads as an accent wall. Just objectively look at the photos you posted here. The white is like a lid on the room.

You have a really clear vision of the room that is not aligning with any of the advise any professionals are giving you so go your own way and do .your own thing. Nothing wrong with that.

Narrow down your carpet samples and giddy up!

I have all of the paint cards. I tried taking photos of them with the tile and neither the tile nor the paint colors look anywhere close to how they really look in person. I'll keep trying to get an accurate photo but all I have is a terrible phone camera. It's frustrating.

I've ordered carpet samples. One has arrived so far. I don't think it'll end up being our pick. This was the boldest of the options we're considering:

"My question about the paint is where does the wall color begin and end as the one living room wall carries into the hallway."

I want one paint color for the living/dining, foyer, upstairs hall which is visible from foyer, and downstairs hall over by laundry and basement stairs.

The comment about the ceiling being like a white lid on the room makes me shudder. I can't have that. I also think it might look crazy to paint a large, vaulted, textured ceiling anything other than white or white-ish. My husband loves the texture on this ceiling. It's like this:

(Note - this is not my ceiling, it's a picture I found on the internet that closely resembles how our ceiling's texture looks)

Only the vaulted ceiling is textured in this house. All other rooms have flat no-texture ceilings.

If the white ceiling is going to look like a white lid on the room with darker walls, does that mean a wood ceiling would look like a lid on the room with lighter walls? Or is this a case of light advances and dark recedes? So only the advancing white ceiling produces a lid effect?

These photos show the recommended darker wall colors with white ceilings.

SW Khaki Shade:

SW Universal Khaki:

I have been following along on your journey to making this a space you love and I have to post a photo of a room that has the darker walls and such a warm beautiful feeling.

I love the contrasts with the walls and the sofa being a similar tone and then the darker drapes and accent chairs/ tables and then bringing in the wood tones and greenery to soften everything. Your space is such a nice open box and you just have to not put too many constraints on things and I think you will make a very special space that both you and your partner will love.

I agree with you about the first carpet sample. It’s very busy! I like all of the pictures you showed with the darker wall colors and lighter ceilings. Is your fireplace wood or gas burning? Code will dictate some of what you can do.
I would ditch the trim and reface it with a stone slab. Not all the way to the ceiling! But taller than you have now.

Fireplace is wood-burning and we're leaning toward keeping it that way, but we could convert it to gas.

Just ordered all of the recommended paint colors from Samplize. First time ordering from them. I added Relaxed Khaki because it's similar to the colors the designer recommended. I'm hoping that the larger samples will help us narrow down which ones we want to actually buy tester pots of. Maybe the larger samples will also give me a better chance of getting some semi-accurate photos...

I'm hoping to have paint and carpet selected by mid April. Sherwin Williams usually has a big 40% off sale in the later half of April. I'd like to schedule the carpet installation for 2-3 weeks after painting is completed. The carpet installers have told me to let the paint cure for at least that long before they rip out the old and install the new. They said we still may have to touch up the trim after they're done.

I have had good luck with the big samples. The size really helps.

Samplize swatches are fantastic. I never adhere them directly to the wall. I use a little masking tape on the corners instead. They don't re-stick that well and I like to move the same sample around to different parts of the room at different times of day.

I don't dislike your carpet sample. It checks the box of looking masculine.

Your husband cracks me up that he things the ceiling is cool!

I do think the white ceiling has a lid effect in the pics you posted and that it does look the worst on slanted ceilings and where there is a high contrast. Are you not wanting to paint the ceiling so you can use what is up there now? Or, because you don't want color on the ceiling?

I also have to laugh seeing your dark colors! I was expecting dark greens, not darker neutrals. I do think some of the colors you are looking at are very pretty.

I'm bummed about this, but there's just no way I'm going to be able to show what the paint colors really look like in my home. My phone camera is the worst. Here are some of the Samplize samples with one of our tiles. I'll also post a Sherwin Willams google image of each corresponding color:

Universal Khaki

Relaxed Khaki

Urban Putty

I spent a couple hours at a carpet store yesterday. I pulled every single wool loop carpet board that interested me. I think it ended up being about 10-12. I went one by one, laying the board of samples on the ground and comparing my recommended paint colors to the carpet colorways. I also had my tile with me to compare, as well as the Maria Killam neutral undertone wheel and several paint cards from each undertone to compare to each carpet colorway. Only one of the boards I had pulled offered a colorway in an undertone that could work for me. Then I looked at it more and realized it would shed way too much. So I walked away empty handed as far as bringing any samples home to test. I still have carpet samples from Masland on the way. The carpet store I went to does carry Masland, but it just so happened the two I was most interested in weren't there. They let customers bring the boards home for a few days so it's possible that's why they were missing.

I had been feeling pretty motivated and excited about my design but now I'm feeling worried and discouraged. The trim is a problem. The ceiling is a problem. Getting paint color right is always a problem. I'm having a hard time finding a carpet. My husband wants a new foyer light fixture NOW. My criteria for the foyer light (other than liking how it looks) is that I want a generally vertical shape/orientation, I don't want to see the bulbs, and I want light directed evenly.

After looking at the Samplize samples throughout the day today, I think the Urban Putty color blends the best with the tile. I can't base the decision on that alone, but it's something to take into consideration. These are supposedly rooms with SW Urban Putty paint:

I have had discouraging days like that too where you show up with all of the right materials to help you make decisions and then walk away with nothing! Glad you samples arrived and you have found one that works well with the tile. It is a pretty color.

I saw this today and thought of you. Obviously not because of the style, but I thought the set up was a great example of a cozy library den with a sofa bed that could be used as a pullout guest room bed.

Here are a few more variations on the theme. Love that they all have sconces. I could imagine all of the side walls with built-ins too.

Kendrah, when I was thinking about creating a continuous built-in piece for the living room side, the idea I had was along the lines of those photos you posted. The built-in sofa would be nestled in like that, with art above, and there would be built-in side tables and maybe a desk on the end, with the bookshelves similar to your photos. And I envisioned sconces too. :)

Now what I'm leaning toward doing is keeping the living/dining space a little more minimal, still the design style I initially described, but a little more spare, and then have the adjacent room be the library/den with sofa-bed. I took photos of that room and may start a new discussion topic about it. I think it'll be more fun to design than this p.i.t.a. "great room".... And like I said, it's like a cocoon in there so should be easy to create that cozy library feel.

I could do a lighter paint color for the main space like Urban Putty or Naturel which are LRV 54 so kind of a light-medium depth, and do the library room in a darker color (not super dark, just darker than the main space color.)

Just had my husband look again at the paint samples on various walls, by the tile, etc. and he independently came to the same top 3 as I did: Urban Putty, Relaxed Khaki, and Khaki Shade. So those are the 3 test pots we'll buy to try out on the walls.

The light trim colors the paint consultant recommended are just not looking right at all. I don't think we can do the trim a contrasting color. We'll paint it same as whatever we pick for walls in a different sheen. That's what the paint designer really thought was best in the first place. Thinking matte for walls, probably satin for trim not semi-gloss? I actually like semi-gloss trim but maybe it would just draw attention to trim I don't care for.

We had very meh trim in our second home thirty five years ago, it did look way better once we painted the walls a neutral actual color, and the trim was then a nice white. In your space, I think same color would be good, and try the semi gloss if that is what you like! Easier to dust.

I concur with your trim thoughts - same color as the walls. Walls matte, trim a hint more sheen.

Don’t bother buying test paint pots for walls. Either order the samplize samples or paint the test paint on foam core board so your samples are moveable depending on light, etc. when you paint directly on the wall the color is effected by the color below it (unless you prime).

thinkdesignlive - We got the Samplize samples and that helped us narrow it down, then we got those tester pots from Sherwin Williams. We primed large sections of every wall and left a white primer border around each swatch like this:

But no matter what we do to try and get it right, I won't really know how it's going to look until the entire room is painted with 2 coats.

The photos above don't accurately show what the colors look like in person, and we only have one coat done so far. Hope to do second coat tomorrow. The colors in the photos from left to right are SW Sand Beach, Urban Putty, and Relaxed Khaki. We had done the Urban Putty and Relaxed Khaki first coats, and based on that realized that the Khaki Shade we had also bought would probably be too dark, because it's darker than Relaxed Khaki and while we're ok with how that LRV is looking we wouldn't want to go any darker for the main space. We ended up going back to Sherwin to buy Sand Beach because in the deck and on the little cards it looks almost identical to Urban Putty, just the slightest bit lighter and less gray, a little more yellow and green. The RGB ratios back up this assessment. But now that we have Sand Beach on the wall it looks totally different from Urban Putty and also totally different from the Sand Beach card. It's almost like it was mixed incorrectly. When we hold the card up to the test spots on the walls, the Sand Beach card matches the Urban Putty on the wall and looks very different from the Sand Beach on the wall.

Paint is obnoxious. Wood walls would be so much easier.

After the first round of paint testing, the consultant is now recommending a different color: SW Ramie. He says that compared to all of the previous colors he recommended, Ramie will look less gray. I generally like how the card looks, almost like a lighter, brighter Relaxed Khaki. My concern is that it could go murky green. I ordered the Samplize, so that should arrive tomorrow.

By the way, thinkdesignlive I have to admit I think you're right that painting on boards instead of walls is the way to go. Having the colors lined up next to each other, even with primer borders, is still too visually confusing. The problem with boards is they can't simulate how the trim will look, but I can do that separately. I can't believe now in addition to Samplize samples and tester pots I also have to buy Mighty Boards or whatever. Add in the consultant and the supplies and it starts to seem like the amount of money we're spending to pick a paint color is going to end up being more than the cost to just paint the space a few times until we get it right. Which is what we did in our previous house...

My carpet samples finally arrived. In person, there's really not one that seems like the right choice. I'll have to keep trying.

I'd love to pick out a sofa or chair. Initially I was determined to only buy that type of furniture from a local store, so that I could actually sit and test how it feels. But I have realized that limits my options so drastically it will really affect the level of design I'm able to achieve. We've been to almost every furniture store in our area. I think we need to try estate sales and auctions.

I have the recurring thought that by the time I get this house all furnished and decorated we'll be ready to move again. We don't have a track record of staying anywhere for very long. We've owned two previous homes. First one we were there for 7 years, second one we were there 5 years. We've been in our current home for almost 5 months so far... I'm glad we didn't go off half cocked and start buying stuff right away when we moved in. Our ideas have totally changed from what we were thinking then, including the function of certain rooms. So, it's good we held off, but now it's time to get this done and it's such a slow and frustrating process when you keep trying to find things (paint, carpet, furniture, etc.) and nothing is working yet.

I just double checked my carpet samples because I thought it was odd that not one colorway in the bunch is working. Sure enough there are 3 missing from my order. Checked the pack list that came with the order and of course the 3 colors I had the most hope for are not included because they are on backorder. Now I'm imagining when I finally find the right carpet and base my paint selection on it and schedule installation suddenly it'll be "ooooh sorry we aren't able to get that carpet after all."

Texture wise, I like the Dublin samples. The ones that have more defined ridges will look dirty more quickly

Go back to the OTHER den thread.........

and READ my comments, the last three or so...

Since there have been questions about what my desired style looks like, I'll take the opportunity to call out some elements of Jan's moodboard that could fit:

The carpet in the background is nice and it repeats the grid of the tile. It looks to my eye, at least on the screen, to possibly be green-beige which would be an ideal undertone. I have been thinking a looped wool carpet is what I want, but am open to other options if they achieve the right look, blend with the tile, and are not too "precious." I love grids and plaid but had decided a large pattern on the floor would distract from the view. The pattern in Jan's carpet could work though potentially since the color is consistent.

Of course I love the plaid pillows! The shape of the couch is generally what I have in mind and I like the 2 seat cushions (not bench, not 3, I like 2 for this living room.) I am picky about sofa legs and this couch eliminates that issue. I like how the bottom is. I have been thinking a welt on the sofa might add to the "dapper" look I'm going for. Maybe even a contrasting welt.

Thank you so much Jan!

Editing to add: the color palette is on target.

You still don't get it..............

A room is the SUM of the parts. To work with anyone, any designer.... you need to let go of the reins. You can't. And every designer you've had in there can sniff that out.

Got 12 - 15K for wall to wall carpet? That's what you will need for that room......to have that one in the grid.

As to your Trafalgar samples from Masland?

The goods are 12" wide.......and WHY Masland has fallen from favor. Everyone is going to 15' and 16' widths ( BIG BOX EXCEPTED )

Your room? Spell SEAMED Trafalgar. Not your best idea yet, along with meh......as broadloom goes.

Yes I know about the carpet widths and this room will almost certainly take 2-3 sections of carpet. The current carpet is 3 sections. That fact was undetectable to us for a very long time until we put our faces to the floor and examined very closely.

What makes you say I don't understand a room is the sum of its parts? I certainly do know that, but I'm curious what is it about my apparently poor communication skills that leads you to believe I'm so clueless about that?

The CURRENT CARPET is not that carpet!!! It is exactly why a builder loves it! He can slam it in, cheap and the seams don't show! He can use an installer from Home Depot central, also cheap!

Darling.......you know everything so have at it!