**What changes can brighten the room please?
(Silly autocorrect)

if you still want the 'green tint' of your existing color but want a lighter look, choose a white with a green undertone.

SW Reserved White is a nice white paint color with a hint of green.

I'd paint the walls a warm cream color.

I try to have lighting on all sides of a room - could you add a lamp by the loveseat?

Sigrid I’ve thought of colour, or maybe brighter shelving or paintings on that wall?

I wonder if you are aware how much light is blocked by your blinds even though opened. Try curtain panels that rest off the window when fully open.

You might be surprised at how much lighter your room is if you were not facing the windows with all your seating.

When you face bright light, your pupils constrict to a smaller size, and cone cells in your retina quickly become less sensitive, reducing the amount of light entering your eyes to protect them and improve clarity.

Wow!! Such informative posts. Thank you!!

I would start by painting the walls a creamy white. Then remove the blinds and replace with bamboo roman shades with side curtains. The layout you presently have makes the room look small and cluttered. I don't have the dimensions but I suggest you try something like below. I placed 2 cabinets on each side of the fireplace for balance.

I don't find the layout of the furniture very attractive. Farrow & Ball Bone was recommended to me for my north facing LR. I would straighten the rug. Place the sofa in front of the windows and the 2 chairs on the wall with the opening. The green cabinet under the art. Turn the mirror on the mantle horizontally.

Turn on the lights. Of course it’s dim when the sun is on the other side of the house.

So far I’ve moved some things to feature more natural light. The last few comments add helpful tips to the list. May change seating and considering paint…
(The reason no seats are right under the window is it caused the person seated there to be a viewed only as a dark shadow).

The layout lead to the angled couch providing room to walk by to kitchen from stairs/hallway and still have some living room space. (See the yellow layout notes in photo)

The angle of the sofa still doesn't look right to me. Can you draw a floor plan and show dimensions of the room including the widow and fireplace. You also need to include some of the surrounding area so that we can look at layout possibilities. Take a picture of your floor plan and post it.

Just because something physically fits in a space doesn't mean 'it fits in a space'.

This angled seating arrangement doesn't work in this pace. The scale of your leather seating is too large for the room.

It feels somewhat better with the green cabinet by the window with the mirror above. Have you tried the couch under the arch and the armchairs at this end?

You won't like my answer........

Find a deep dark wall color you love.

Or another jewel rich color. No beige. Paint the walls. LIGHTEN THE FURNITURE . Which would mean lose the bulky light sucking brown leather. Add lamplight! Add color or not!

You just declared me insane?......nope. Not nearly.

You want to know how on EARTH this "brightens" a space, makes it feel larger, more welcoming, and at the same time - intimate.?

It's a mystery of the ages: )

You play UP the dim. To wonderful. All the white paint in the world will not ever equal the result , which can only be described as magic.

Dim......and DREARY are different. Very different.

It's decoration, and yes..add "Jewelry" in lamplight. Use the lamps.

What is on either side of the fireplace? Am assuming that is an outside wall since the fireplace is there. If so, can you install new windows on either side of the fireplace. That should be a west facing wall right? It may not help as much in the morning but should give you more light as the sun passes overhead and begins to lower.

I know the pat answer is always - paint the room white, but honestly, white is only pretty when there is light reflecting off of it. Without enough light it can be dull and lifeless.

If you love the blues in your art why not use a fresh blue or a coral that sets off the blue?

SW Sea Salt, BM Palladian Blue, SW Koral Kicks. Colors stand up in shade so much better than white.

Put a couple of your lamps on automatic timers to come on when you enter the room in the morning and turn off when you leave it. Lighting the corners makes a big difference.

Much better lighting and more of it. Invest in some pot lights in the ceiling too.

Can you try Lisedv’s arrangement?

I agree with Jan Moyer that dark walls and light colour furniture like her pictures would look quite nice. But it means replacing your furniture which might not be in your plan. Plus you have an open concept living area and we don't see any of the adjoining rooms (kitchen, dining) so that could mean a complete redo.

It's a small space and there are a lot of bulky furniture pieces. My suggestions:

• Completely remove the bookcase from the space
• Straighten the rug, no angle
• Move the sofa to face the window
• Move the green cabinet to the left of the fireplace
• Angle the leather chair and floor lamp in the corner on the right side of the fireplace
• Angle the beige chair on the other side of the window (you may need to place the footstool on the wall when no one is sitting there so you have room to move through the space)

If you like the layout, next steps could be:

• Remember the fireplace wall is your focal point. You could hang large artwork on each side, keep the mirror above and place a large vase with branches in front of it and group the small colorful items you enjoy. The mirror by itself is too flat.
• Find ways to bring texture in, a woven shade and drapes, pillows, more modern lampshades, etc. to counter balance the majority of flat and smooth surfaces.

ETA: The feeling of gloominess may be exacerbated by a poor layout, and perceived lack of personality. If you had loads of light in this room, would it reflect your taste?

This layout may answer a few questions:
Windows can’t happen
Walkway hence the angle to allow movement.
Short office wall so couch doesn’t fit
Open concept faces kitchen/dining

Thankful for lighting, decor, layout ideas.

What exactly do you expect us to do with that plan? You live in the house so it makes sense to you. We don't. A plan not to scale is worth NOTHING.

Now I see that we have been down this road before with this room.

Keep window coverings minimal. Sheer white or linen curtains hung high and wide will let in the maximum light while softening the space.

Consider a lighter-toned feature wall behind the sofa or fireplace to create more contrast and reflect light.

The leather sofa is a rich, dark piece. Brighten it by layering light-colored throws and pillows (linen, ivory, warm beige, or even muted patterns).

Consider a lighter rug (ivory, cream, or soft pattern) that spans more of the seating area to balance the darker floors and sofa.

The green cabinet is fun—try styling it with lighter, airy decor (ceramic vases, pale wood accents, maybe even a white lamp base).

You seem wed to these stange angles. Why can’t you put the sofa under the open arch?

You light bulbs - or shades - appear very amber. Get a 3000-3500k bulb and white shades.

Colour tips and light have been appreciated. Working with what I have. (Yes angles this time - mostly due to not facing directly to the window as the earlier post shared that it turns who we look at into a dark silhouette. We’ve staged straight many times.)
From the last picture I see we’ve removed a lot of the excess furniture. That’s a win)

Oh the couch under the arch juts into the walkway

You really need bigger brighter lights. You are depending on a north facing window to light the room which is unreasonable. And you won’t put seating under the window because the person sitting there will be dark? More lights.

Right. Why not install more lighting?

When you say the sofa juts out into the walkway - by how much ? Inches? 1/4 inches? Feet? If it is inches you need how about moving the bookshelf so the sofa has room on the arch wall. Place the freestanding lamp between the sofa and the wall or between the front of the sofa and the fireplace. That will give you wall space for art which will not eat into the depth of the room.

Thanks Kazzh. That takes into consideration the art love I have that you mention.

Have you considered closing the arch in the wall between the kitchen and living room? Having the sofa in front of the window is probably what was originally intended before someone decided it was a good idea to open the space between the two rooms.

It would open up your options for for furniture placement.

JAN MOYER - I like your answer! This is spot on! Most decorators/designers know this. I've been following Laurel Bern for several years. She would say the exact same thing. Paint it a darker color. No amount of white paint is going to do what you think it will do.

No one has mentioned this (I don’t think)……the fireplace surround is so dark, is there a chance of changing out the surround to a lighter tile or a stone? I think that would go a long way to lighten the space.

debra

You haven't provided a floor plan with dimensions but would a layout like this work instead of having everything at an angle?