A Charcoal gray from the rug would be nice.

I would use it as a footstool. It's too low for extra seating. I like your furniture.

I would be tempted to cover with kilim with colors from the sofa and chairs - could you just do the top and leave the sides leather? great piece!

Thanks! There is no gray in the rug, it is muted blues with flashes of rust. I suppose I could use the darker blue. It isn't comfy seating for the average adult but our daughter is quite small and it's her favorite perch.

Interesting idea la_la but I feel like that would be really busy for the space.

Match it to the sofa. It's a great piece and deserves top notch refurbishing.

For anyone reading, please don't ask Commentors to ignore the rest of a space. Good designers take in the whole space, not just one item. They take in the "givens" that won't be changed: floors, cabinets that are part of the room, items the OP absolutely have to keep, furnishings adjacent and open to the space. They look at what can be changed out: wall paint, rugs, art, furnishings.

In your case, sure a one-item question is okay. But in back of my mind, your well-styled bookshelves seem too lightweight for your recent choices, which have more visual weight. If you have to keep the shelves, then paint them so they blend into the wall, and the items on them stand out as would your new furnishings. Okay, end of unsolicited opinion!

the blinds seem harsh alone. how about simple panels on each side to soften the space?

in the blue of the chairs?

Thanks for the response. You didn't say you didn't like the Charcoal, so even tho the rug has Navy, the Charcoal would still go with it and the other pieces.

If you stain the shelves dark Charcoal that would be nice. Beverly's is nice .I feel the room needs some black and Charcoal gives the same effect without being stark.

When you’re trying to picture the little ottoman in gray, look at that lamp you have on the end table! It has a similar “striped” shape that echos the ottoman.

Interesting idea to stain the shelves. They are brand new pine, they will age into a darker gold that will look better (we have older shelves that are already the gold color, but they are beat up from years of moving). I'll see what DH thinks about staining this set. Beerpocketbook--interesting point about the lamp! It does look very gray in the photo, but it is actually blue. Maybe blue-gray is an option for the ottoman.

Oh just saw Beverly's mockup! That looks great, and staining the uprights only would be much easier. @BeverlyFLADeziner would you keep the ottoman in the same color or change it?

The ottoman is such a nice piece. I was thinking same as @la_la Girl - recover just the top since that’s the only wear I see. I think though that the rolled ribs are integral to the piece so not sure about kilim fabric - though I like that fabric. Not sure that fabric fits with your decor either. I do think the current color blends well with both sofa & chairs. How about taking to an upholstery person for advice? If the top only can’t be color matched to the bottom then maybe do the entire piece & match to chairs? Off topic - the suggestion of staining the uprights on shelving is a great idea. @BeverlyFLADeziner inspo pic looks wow!

Agree, love Beverly's picture and am currently researching refinishing techniques. Almost willing to order a whole new set in black, but that is serious $$$ (shipping from Finland is as much as the shelves themselves).

The ottoman is very old piece and there's more damage on the side turned away from the camera. Plus it's a storage chest and the interior is covered in dark brown shag carpet. Yuck. It's worth just doing the whole thing in something new that will last for awhile.

Do not order a new set. It's a very nice bookshelf and it looks just fine as is.

If you want to change it, staining only works on raw wood so if there is a finish use chalkpaint and a brush. No prep.

Consider painting just the frame and leave the shelves natural wood. That would be awesome.

Thanks for the like, that was quick! I was edited my comment to add Chalk Paint in case you missed it.

Thanks. Yes, there's a finish so it would be paint. It's tricky because it's a modular system, and there's a deep groove running the length of the uprights on the inside, which would be visible on the back uprights. Getting an even coat there will be tricky, maybe possible with spray paint. If I decide to do it, I'll use some of our older beat-up pieces.

Will definitely do just the uprights. I really love Bevery's pics with the black uprights and natural wood shelves. I think that's the perfect balance for a room with low ceilings.

@Lyn Nielson the panel suggestion is good, and one we may do someday. We have a child with developmental disabilities who makes messes that defy comprehension. Nice fabric drapes are unlikely to hold up well. And the ottoman has to be leather or vinyl, because it's her favorite place.

@BeverlyFLADeziner's picture is just too good. I ordered the black shelves. I have a hall closet begging for some better shelving, and child's bedroom that needs some shelves added on, so this current unit won't go to waste. And I'll go ahead and recover the otttoman in pretty much the same shade. I've ordered accent pillows in blue and gold tones, so it should all tie together. Thank you everyone!

Thanks to @BeverlyFLADeziner and @tracefloyd for the dark shelf suggestion! Especially to Beverly for the convincing mockup. I figured out a good use for the set in the picture, and ordered new black pieces. While I was at it, I installed Ikea light strips on the top half of the unit. We don't have an overhead light in this part of the room, so the bookshelf lighting makes a huge improvement in the room.

Almost done now. Still working on pillows--I think the new blue ones are too large. And the floor lamp feels busy. I'd like to put a plant in that corner and find a better lighting solution.

Wow! What a nice difference the new shelving makes. Really warms up the space & the nicely curated items on shelf show up so much better. Good placement for that Coway purifier too 😊. I have 3 of them around my house. I do like the idea of a taller floor plant in the corner but I don’t think the lamp looks busy at all. The blue pillows on sofa may be a tad large but the addition of blue color there is nice. Maybe just remove 1 of the 2 plain ones & keep the one with flowers on it.

Looks gorgeous just as it is! Love it.

That looks quite good. The scale and the finishes on the bookcase work well in the room.

Would you consider dummy panels of drapes on the window to add more texture and contrast to the room?

oh wow it looks terrific! ✨

@BeverlyFLADeziner I would have to think hard about whether we could make drapes work right now, for messy child reasons. But if I did--what color? @Lyn Nielson suggested a medium blue like the chairs. Would it work to do something neutral, like a natural-linen color?