So a few things jump out-Maximalism and Neutral don't really play in the same sandbox. Do a google search of Maximalist style-it's over the top color, texture, and stuff. Neutrals rely on textures and subtle layers in neutral colors. So you might want to pick a lane. Also what I see is that your furniture, for the most part is all quite traditional, quiet, subdued, but your art is very bold, modern, and loud. It seems like you are trying out the combo, and you sense that it isn't quite working.

I am not a pro, and could not give you any help with leaning into Maximalism. For me, it's a bit of sensory overload, and I prefer a calmer space to call home.

Also, the nudes are a bold choice for the family/living room, and seem a bit out of place in that setting. I don't think the mirror is great either, but might work if you go Maximalist, but perhaps not there.

I think your best bet is to decide what style you want. Look at pictures in living rooms on Houzz, and filter by style. I don't think they have a Maximalist option, but you can just do a google search for Maximalist living rooms. Also consider, what you have going on in the rest of your house. Finally, when you decide which way to go, you can get suggestions that go with the style/look you are trying to get. Good luck!

Agree with kimbers333. Especially regarding the chair and coffee table with the leather sofa. I can envision chairs upholstered in darker fabrics, maybe a pattern, to bring in some of the strong colors in your artwork. A larger wood coffee table so all seated persons can reach it. Maybe pull the two chairs perpendicular to the sofa to create a cozy setting.

Oh, and no lamp directly in front of artwork, which may change if you rearrange furniture

@Valinta, actually a larger wood coffee table used to be there, I'll bring it back.

The chesterfield sofa can be traditional or stand with contemporary, but the area rug and wingback chairs are decidedly traditional and should be replaced. I think I would move the heavy sofa to the wall with the windows instead of the middle of the room.

The sofa works I think darker walls to give that feel is where I would start and some of those art pieces will look awesome ona dark wall.

@BeverlyFLADeziner I love the chair suggestion. I actually have this one from West Elm saved.

I think your artwork and furniture would look great with a deep rich wall color.

The rug is great! The fireplace would benefit from a rich wall color next to it too.

Regardless of you art not "working together" the idea that they are all works you love and mean something makes them work. I would group many of them and fill the wall space.

The mirror above the firebox is not attractive, can you move it to the front door?

For me, the fireplace/wall is your focal point, make it special, no need for random furniture, unless it is very tall... a solid large coffee table, more floor lamps so you can shut off the overhead lighting for a comfy feel. The sheers are too filmy, a heavier drapery panel or even a layered window covering with blinds and drapes.

Could be a cozy space full of personal works, rearrange and edit.

FURNITURE RECONFIGURATION

Side tables + table lamp

The small round tables feel mismatched in scale and height.

Swap for:

One substantial side table between the chairs

A larger, warmer-toned lamp (brass base, linen shade, stone base)

ARMCHAIRS

The chairs are lovely but read “cool coastal.” To better match a warm maximalist palette:

Replace the pillows with earthy, textural ones (mudcloth, browns, rich creams).

Add a small lumbar pillow with a global pattern from one of your travel regions.

Some inspiration

The Glass Coffee Table

It works stylistically but feels too airy for a maximalist look on this side.

Keep it for now if you like it — but if you ever replace:
Choose an oval wooden table or a chunky stone top, which brings weight and warmth.

• Replace curtains with warm linen panels
• Swap art above the chairs
• Update chair pillows
• Create travel vignettes on both wooden pieces
• Use warm neutrals + wood tones consistently

Add extra-wide panels that fully cover the wall behind the chairs. This shifts the vibe from “two windows” → one unified backdrop (very maximalist).

I do not think that dark walls would work better.

Your current off-white is fine, but to set a neutral maximalist tone, choose one of these:

Warm greige (Sherwin-Williams Accessible Beige or Aesthetic White)

Soft stone gray

Cream with a hint of mushroom

This instantly adds depth and sophistication.

I posted pic it disappered I think this is pretty much what you could do

Replace or reframe the 4-panel abstract art next to the window

Its palette is much cooler than the rest of the room.

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, I absolutely love this!

I'd put a bookshelf or a pair of bookshelves behind the sofa. Then, I'd style them with your travel souvenirs. Do it by color with books, as well. It will make everything look cohesive. I think your current furniture is great.

Lavender Living Room · More Info

Would your sofa work facing the fireplace? It might be too big, hard to tell from the photos. Sofa facing fireplace with two chairs across flanking fireplace might be worth a try. I agree with removing thin drapes on windows - might not need drapes at all? Art swaps would be fun. Maybe large abstract over fireplace and nudes side by side on larger wall to the right of opening to dining room. Play with new furniture arrangements and art placements. You have great pieces to play with.

Repeating and adding to what others have said:

--Keep current wall paint or choose what Maureen suggested then match drapes to walls so art stands out. Paint your fireplace the same color as the walls and add an armful of wood logs to the firebox. (With all the dark pieces you have, the dark fireplace sand firebox suck up light as well.)

--Turn the sofa so it faces the fireplace. Move the blue chairs to flank the fireplace. Put your console table to back up the sofa. This layout.

Tribeca Family Duplex · More Info

Here's a fireplace with wood in firebox and painted same as the walls. If you have one or two of your travel objects put them on a new mantel with mirror in between.

Living Space · More Info

--Change the coffee table to something more modern

Interlude Jameson Modern Rustic Lodge Round Leather Coffee Table · More Info

--Turn that heavy piece in the corner to one side of the newly painted fireplace. Put your table lamp on it. Put your four art pieces over the heavy piece.

--Keyboard isn't ideal by the fireplace, but put this Matisse poster over it on side of fireplace where it is.

I am a minimalist but that I could do it is awesome just the right amount of glam and color

Just a thought about the picture that Patricia posted, it's still pretty minimalist. There are no prints or combinations of patterns. All the furniture is cohesively modern and streamlined. The color pallet is overall neutral, with (hate to throw this in there) pops of color in the pillows and artwork. Other than an excessive number of vases, (which again are all neutrals) it is basically just a modern living room. It is a pretty room, but to call it minimal maximalism makes no sense. It's an advertising angle to sell their services-it's a way of saying, "You can have it all!" Those advertisers, so clever.

But the fact that you responded so positively to the picture, gives us an idea of what style you really are leaning toward. , I think that it means that you actually maybe prefer a more modern or contemporary vibe, and not really so maximalist. You like the calmness of the clean lines and neutral colors, but you also want the energy of some color and art. That is a good place to start!

I agree with other posters that the sofa can work for different styles. But the chairs with claw feet, and the other antique buffet tables and side tables all are way more traditional. I can;t tell, but I think the dining chairs in the adjacent room, might also read as more traditional. Perhaps you need more of a transitional style, so that you can work with at least some of the pieces that you already have. I think you have gotten a lot of good suggestions here. And I have to say, the picture that Beverly posted with the mirror off the fireplace is an improvement already. The focus becomes the art on the walls, your eyes aren't distracted by the mirror. I think the suggestion for shelving is a good one too, then you have a way display your traveling treasures.

It will take some work, but at least you have a better idea of what style you actually like.

The souvenir items are intriguing. Would you please put them all on the dining room table and take a photo of them? That will give a good solid idea of how big they are and how many so that they can be displayed to better advantage.

@apple_pie_order These are the ones in the living room. I have more spread around the house.

TO me the pic I posted is like blnk canvas for art and some of the stuff you have collected over the years I think a nice large glass fronted builtin might be a good choice but still not every piece out all the time . I have afriend who has a huge art collection and he rotates the pieces all the tim has agreat storage place he built all insulated and temp controlled since most are canavases but I love going there and seeing different pieces all the time . I think the art is more impressive when not all over the place and too much . You have some really cool stuff why not figure it out first then design the room . I have found over the years manyt hings we picked up on our travels were more spur of the moment things that soon were not as fabulous anymore so sold some gave some away and kept the pieces that I still love . I do think too much stuff all glommed together is just too much stuff and no way to appreciate each piece even if you still love them all

What are your thoughts on rearranging your furniture? I would start with furniture layout, then figure out placement of wall art and art objects.

New rug, coffee table, and table/lamp between chairs will do wonders in here.

This discussion seems like it’s rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. In this case, the “Titanic” is the vaguely defined, constantly sifting design goal. What OP has currently has NOTHING in common with the picture that Patricia Colwell posted, starting with the big Chesterfield sofa, which OP wants to keep. Go back to the drawing board. Pull together 8-10 inspo photos that you love and figure out what they have in common, or let the smart designers here help you identify the common elements. Stop throwing around meaningless phrases like “neutral maximalist” (which is contradicted by your neon-colored artwork) and let photos do the talking. If you must use words, think about the mood/vibe you’re going for rather than a style: cozy, elegant, comfortable, sleek, sophisticated? And sorry, the travel souvenirs add nothing. My father bought that exact same geisha doll for me 50 years ago. Nothing you have stands out as unique.

This is a very good article regarding Feng Shui- and it may contain some helpful info for you:

https://lifeathome.ikea.com/blog/feng-shui-the-modern-way/

I am going to include some excerpts from the article - and I also have some design ideas for you.

First, I would like to say: the souvenirs you have collected from your travels, etc. are wonderful items to display in your home - because they have significance to you. It doesn’t matter whether random strangers on the internet / or even your friends, etc. - “like” them or not.

Relevant excerpt, below:👇🏼

I have highlighted a few of the ideas in this article segment:

A couple of suggestions:

1. Put pillows on the chairs that relate to the color and vibe of the Chesterfield and room. The colorful pillows that you have on the chairs now are nice- but they do not really relate to the Chesterfield, and they do not anchor the neutral foundation.

2. Consider a lighted curio/cabinet to display some of your souvenirs. The individual souvenirs may not have a lot in common with each other - you have expressed this as being a concern; but the individual items do not have to relate to each other thematically- they are already related... as items you have collected from your travels. So a cabinet designed for collection display would have benefits.

I did a few quick visuals to show general concept:

I hope some of these ideas are helpful. Best wishes.

@Wow harsh much! My travel souvenirs might not be appealing to you, but they hold great significance to me and are great reminders of happy times with my families. My Hina doll, not "geisha" was handmade in one of the most traditional workshops in Kyoto, you can get cheap replicas at the airport and several other places, but they're not the same. I'm not opossed to hiring a professional, as I said I like many things and don't have a defined style.

@freedomplace1 thank you for this. Your renderings look a lot more achievable and I quite like them. I'll read the article, the excerpts you shared resonate with me.

My pleasure. Best wishes.

Irina, are you opposed to trying new arrangements with furniture? If you feel strongly about keeping current configuration, that’s obviously fine - would just be good to get some idea of what you are thinking. Might also help to see better pics of your dining room. Maybe some furniture, art and /or souvenirs could be juggled between the two rooms. Rearranging the things you have might give you a fresh take on the room.

What Caroline said, sort of—OP said sifa is staying, but most of the inspo pics have light upholstery and pale walls. I find very dark leather furniture needs either a lot of grounding— just the right rug- , or repetition of the depth of color, in woods or other upholstery that is at least medium- deep color or richness—- or all of these techniques combined to some extent.
So I’d search more specifically for inspo photos with essentially that sofa , and see how those rooms are designed, how the level of contrast is handled, what different aesthetics might use similar sofa but in different ways.
Or perhaps the sofa is negotiable, once an inspo theme is identified. Sometimes you don’t know what you want until you see it, or see what it is NOT.

Maybe I misunderstood but her comment was she loved my post so maybe we need to hear more from her . Sometimes a person has to see another option to understand what can happen

Based on your room and furniture vs your mentioned preferred style, liking Patricia’s inspiration room, while wanting to keep the pieces you accumulated…is not an easy place to start. Suggestions may be more confusing, unless you are willing to make concessions and start forming a plan. Thought this might help:

Here is an example of a room that contains a mix, has curated groupings, not overly accessorized and has an overalll connection…which is an important aspect when you are editing. If looking on line for inspiration, search curated living rooms (this was on Instagram).

1: Decide on your must haves, consider what you’d like to add, ie: the modern chairs (suggest next to fireplace) and also what you are willing to remove from room.

2: Test floor plans and the first decision is couch’s location (try facing fireplace and between the windows). Don’t crowd/line up items and proportions play a big part overall.

3. Accessorizing: colors and rug choice are KEY. Be sure to group similar items together, so the “vignette“ can be appreciated vs nothing really standing out.

Take your time, purchase and return if needed (even designers bring in options and test). Good luck.

In my opinion, changing your living room should definitely start with a new wall color. I'd recommend a color close to your chairs, but a couple of shades darker. This would immediately tie together the rug, chairs, and all the shades of blue present in the art and decor. This would already provide a visual anchor/starting point for the rest.

Continue boldly, multi-layered, using “big strokes,” creating structure.

And when you achieve a general balance of all the basic shapes and color spots, it will not matter how many and where you have decorative items - the stabilized harmony will no longer be disturbed.

The main style I love and work with most often is eclecticism. I would be interested in working on your space. If you're interested, please send me a private message.

I think the article that Freedomplace posted is a good guide for helping you organize your room with the items you have. The pictures she posted also look similar to your stuff, but have a more cohesive feel. I would note that the colors and placement in her pictures are similar to yours, but different, and those differences do matter. I think that your dining room looks more cohesive than your living room. I would also note that it is just as traditional as your the living room. So I do think that if you tried to get your living room to look like the picture that Patricia posted, it would feel out of balance with the style of the rest of your house. (Sorry Patricia-I just think it would be such an expensive stretch. She would continuously chase her tail.)

I think Patricia made an EXCELLENT suggestion, in that you rotate what you display, because, you have a lot of things (the maximalist side of you ;). When you have it all out, the eye doesn't know where to land. If you store some of it, then when you decide you want to change it up, it's a bit like Christmas. When you go to the storage box to put away the ones that have been out for a while, you bring out the other items. That will bring back the memories, joys and sadnesses, from past days and travels.

As far as the stuff, it is yours to treasure. It's not special to me, but my stuff wouldn't be special for you either. It's nothing to be concerned about, we are not all exactly the same, and thank goodness for that. Our differences are as important as our likenesses in making this a beautiful and interesting world.

Another thought on all the stuff, is that sometimes it is good to purge. We are not defined by what we own, (though most advertisements would like us to believe otherwise, and unfortunately some of us do), and eventually we can't take it with us. It can be liberating to let things go. I do pottery as a hobby-you have to let things go, or you will drive yourself crazy. I am, apparently and successfully, on a mission to find out the infinite number of ways that a pot can be ruined. But ahhh the feeling when it all works out! Sorry, I digress. I would say that sometimes the failures lead to superior results on the next try-sometimes not.

So your room is not great, but its not the worst. You have been given many good suggestions on this thread. Now it's your turn to play. Do some research on design-google, you tube, the Houzz images, etc. Make a plan, then shake it up, and try out some of the suggestions given by posters here, and/or in your research. Remove some things, move some things around, and figure out what you might purge, what you want to keep and store, paint you might try, and what new items you might add to improve the look of the room. It really isn't terribly important in the scheme of things. So make it fun, a chance to stretch your design imagination. You can make it a beautiful room, that reflects your personality. You probably won't get it the first time. Edit, edit, edit, and try something new-repeat until it comes together.

Two other things, I also noticed the difference between your dining room and living room pictures in that the living room picture was taken at night. I think that putting the overhead lights on a dimmer may help the night time ambience, and better yet, add some floor and table lamps, but don't place them in front of the art as another poster noted. Finally, live plants go a long way to making a room FEEL good. If you aren't good with house plants, then get cut flowers from the market. If you use the flower food, sometimes they will last up to 3 weeks.

Good luck. Post pictures of the changes you make.

I hope you did not think I was harsh I love art but have found some things we bought in haste were not grat. I think you hav elovely pieces but I still say when all dipspayed at the same time they lose the specialness (not sure if that is a word) I love things that continue to give you joy but they deserve there place in the sun

@Patricia Colwell Consulting, not at all. I appreciate the advice. You've given me tons to think about. For example, I do have a lot of things and that's why I was thinking that a maximalist style was the way to go, but that might not be my only option and displaying things at different times might actually work better for me.

THank you I think the reason I like the pic I posted is it lets all ylur art be the star I collect original art and often design my living space to go with the art not the other way around I think the sofa drsives your bus so how much do you love it is really the first question