This rug is a 9x12 , I know it's dark but the blue is pretty vibrant. I'm not ready to pull the trigger, still looking but yea or nea?

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I like where you're going with the color. You need the depth on the floor. The current one in your picture just looks flat. I think it just needs a little bit more contrast.

What do you think of this one? http://www.overstock.com/Home-Garden/Preston-Brown-Tabriz-Rug-93-x-126/5924169/product.html?refccid=6FDIVMPXHYSY26CGGTCMAHYDV4&searchidx=3

I like the pattern but it's a little dark.

I read the whole thread. The 'new' rug is gorgeous and adds a ton of vibrancy. Please buy it. Do not add any more brown to this room unless it is in a patterned fabric on a pillow or two Definitely, do not add brown drapes. Natural woven shades in medium to light tones would be fine. Cream or pale turquoise/blue on the side might be nice, might.

I like classic metal lamps of which there are many out there at all price ranges. Most of them are heavy, so the kids won't topple them easily. [houzz=]

Do not spend money painting out the molding until you get much closer to finishing the room. Not only do they not bother me, they reduce what you have to hang on the walls.

Something wonderful over the fireplace and some carefully wall art between the windows flanking the fireplace might do the trick.

That new rug looks Ikat to me. I am enamoured of Ikat right now.

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I like your coffee table but agree it is too small.

You can have a long ottoman made in a dynamite accent fabric.

Iris above the fireplace a la Van Gogh is always a favorite of mine.

The room is so imposing, you need large accessories on the mantel. The rocking chair is perfect in that sense. Something yellow on the mantel if you go with the above rug. I see yellow in this room no matter what.

And remember chandeliers are not just light: the right ones are art.

These ceramic pillows are exactly the kind of thing I think you should hang between the upper and lower windows flanking the fireplace

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Find a side table you love to place between your big chairs second hand and paint it just the right shade of yellow or even cream.

The rug gives you your color scheme and dictates most everything else which is as it should be.

I think you should put a rug on empty floor.
http://www.houzz.com/ideabooks/17967586/thumbs/Floral-Area-Rugs

You are right the 9X12 rug is a better size. The 8X10 is a bit small as you want at least the front legs of sofa and chairs to be on rug. Pick one with several colors in it to pull your color scheme from, but try to stay away from brown as you have a lot already. Sadly, the new coffee table is dwarfed by the couch. It is going to have to be a substantial rectangular table to work with the very large sofa. Solincia's suggestion for the limed oak table is the right idea. The limed finish breaks up the dark brown furniture and since it's a rustic finish the kids can play on it and really not harm it. Tape out the size of any potential coffee tables on the floor/rug with painters tape then take a picture from above. We are so used to seeing rooms in 2D in magazines and tv it often quickly lets us know if something works or not.

Here are two views of your room with that rug, one with teal drapes, one with brown:

Ok sending coffee table and rug back today. New search begins

Here's a coffee table we have not been using, is that better? I want to get rid of the mirror top and put something else like distressed wood, not sure . The furniture arrangement isn't a definate. So far I think it's the same placement just flipping couch for chairs position. If couch has it's back to door there is no room for end tables, is that ok?

Thanks Ramona, are those wall pillows lights?

Ramona love those lamps too!

I'm digging the ikat rugs too. It's really hard to find one larger than 8x10

Aerial LR

More coffee table pics

http://plushrugs.com/loloi/xavier/xv-05/midnight/

those wall pillows are ceramic art objects unlike anything else I've ever seen and not that expensive at all.

no light though

click on the image and click again to get to the site selling them

I love that rug too grover

Ummm, I love love love that rug, but it is not fitting my budget and the fact with kids a replacement could be in a few years, damn kids! J/k. I'm looking for $1000 or less. :(

Husbands talking about a natural weave rug. I can kinda of see that. I don't know though, what do y'all think?

West Elm. 9 x 12. $499.

More neutral:

Grover, love the drapes in that last pic, kinds like RH twill drapes in Fog or Indigo.

There's a reason the other was so expensive!

I think the coffee table I showed y'all with mirror top is to small. I think y'all said a large square one would be better.

Scratch the neutral rug. Husband out voted.

Coffee table? Console but no drawers?

I'd like the second coffee table if it didn't have that bottom. You can do better on the console.

Hello everyone! Can I ask why no one has recomended to call a desiger in your area? You can call and ask pricing per hour. Get a professional to come look at this space and give you sound advice based on seeing the room. If they offer to come for free, you wont get anywhere. How can anyone tell from these pictures what to do? Draperies are a good idea. The area rug is a nice addition of color... but please, I cant understand.... why is the longest wall is open and all chairs facing a blank wall instead of the beautiful windows outside? A good desiger will give you great ideas that you could build on and hook you up with a custom drapery panels and that might be all you need. I hate to say it especially because these photos are just too small, however the furniture you bought... all pieces look a bit too big for the space. the sofa alone, no, the chairs, no but all together? this sort of thing is going to be trial and error until you like it or get someone physically there I'm sorry to say. Do you think you can even walk in the space if you add a coffee table? It just looks so narrow. Before you make any more costly mistakes, like buying too big of furniture, or not painting the right wall color... I think you should do yourself a favor and save some additional headaces. Unless, you want this to be your life long project :).

I stopped reading every word in the recent posts after the 15th one, so forgive me if I am repetitive. I believe the tv should be over the mantel. You shouldn't have a sight issue due to the very long room, and most brackets adjust the angle. Also, natural light from the long wall will reflect a tv placed on the opposite side. Long panels can be easily shifted when rings are used in conjunction with long "poles" attached at the sides (think hotel rooms). I would angle the couch opposite mantel either left or right depending on access. Be careful with the floor lighting fixture with children. You might have to bolt it considering the delicate balance and height. I think the first barrel coffee table is beautiful, and I might get the same one, however is too small. Given children are in the area I would consider a large upholstered piece. You might have to pick the fabric wisely, but sunbrella has an amazing collection of fabrics. I like the distressed wood pieces for weight and variance in texture and tone. I'm hesitant about the bright artwork and opt for black and white or sepia pieces. The rug should be custom to meet the correct proportions of the room. Probably a standard pattern bound at the edges. Extra color would come from the pillows and various fixtures. Also, while I understand the weight of the fabric is a concern, but I would love a darker tone of grey velvet drapes.

I went back to some past photos, the room is larger than I thought.... again my point being, we are all just guessing on this issue.

Arrangements,

Thank you for your concern and you definitely have a point but I asked them for their help and you scolded us like children.

Would love to see the the drapes be no higher than Ann dee's pic, just above the actual window. Love the colors in the last ikat rug you posted. You really need some great color like that in this room; please do not make the drapes brown! Pick colors from a great rug but definitely go bold with art over fireplace and some accents, pillows, flowers, throws and items for mantel. Do you have some things you can pull out to try? Also, do you have enough room to get around your chair on the long wall where tv will be? Maybe move chairs down a little toward sofa and line up straight instead of angled?

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Sorry, aaronsgal,,, you felt that way, I am just trying to be helpful. I don't ever understand why so many people try to do this on line & over the computer. I find there are just so many factors, light coming into the room, the way the sun is orientated, I guess it does make me frustrated cause it is more of a science and flair for space than most people realize, and I feel bad that someone is challenged with the space they have spent so much time thinking about. I myself would try not to offer an opinion for that reason, as I can't see all factors, and It seems like there are a lot of challenges in this space. Good Luck.

Arrangements,

I have used decorators, some from the fanciest shops in Houston and have always been disappointed. I think our styles are similiar but then we are in the project and it takes a left turn. I would Love to find someone to work with. We have now moved to the country and the closest town is Beaumont. I went into a store here and walked out disappointed after talking to a decorator. I don't mind playing around and experimenting with ideas from here. Some have been very impressive. I know you don't have the exact perspective since you are not physically here but any ideas you have would be great!

I would suggest finding a registered ASID, designer.... not a "decorator" a person who has gone to school, and is trained. Not just a sales person. A lot of sales people, don't have Interior design degrees. However, I've also seen a lot of designers, not listen to clients as well.... if I ever fly to Houston, I'd swing by ;). Good luck! Just don't face the sofa/chairs so their not looking out the window :)

aaronsgal, you need less brown, not more. Think blue, green, teal...

Hang in there aaronsgal...decorating takes some trial and error:) Re the pics with your old mirrored coffee table...right shape but still a bit small for size of sofa. I understand why you don't want the TV over the mantle - too high and too far away. This limits the TV to the long wall even if your backs are to sone of the windows. The TV console on the long windowless wall will also give you hidden storage for kids toys etc. Grover's more neutral pic has the right SIZE of artwork (the one with the people in top hats) making the mantle the focal point as you walk in. With such a tall room you are going to need big artwork or risk it being dwarfed. His/her (hard to tell with the sunglasses ;) ) mock ups are very helpful to see what you get. Only thing I'm concerned about is when you place the sofa into Grover's pics with the TV console whether you will have to pole vault over the sofa to get into the room. You could always consider moving one chair out of the room to use in another room and go with one chair facing the fireplace. If you are looking for a large rug for a reasonable price you could consider buying carpet off the roll and having it cut and bound to the size you need, however you are limited with patterns this way. Overstock.com and West Elm both have reasonably priced rug choices with large sizes. Good luck.

what about a smaller rug on top of the netral rug?

Agarrett,

I have been wanting to take up pole vaulting, that would make our LR really stand out :) Seriously, you are so sweet. I needed to hear that! Playing with arrangements now. Post pics if I come up with anything new. I do think it will end up the way you described. Yes mirrored coffee table is going. I'm looking at RH coffee tables now.They are longer. 8)

I really like the corbel idea for a media console, with recessed tv, but the cable parts, I'm not sure what to do. It's an interior wall.

Would this help to hide cords behind corbel consol? You could put cable box into decorative open front box. http://houzz.com/photos/123693

Cindy, since the corbels are mounted on the wall , would the cables run alongside the corbel?

It seems they would have to. They also make the cord covers that stick on and can be painted a color to barely show. But I think it will take some careful organizing to make it look neat. Can be done tho.

Aaronsgal, I love this impossibly long thread because my family room in the home we moved into a year ago is almost the same in terms of cathedral ceilings, a view, and the challenge of young kids. I'm going to start my own thread to get ideas and I hope some of your posters will comment. Groveraxel, you are the most helpful commentator on Houzz!! As far as the comment from Arrangements, I have to agree with what you said Aasronsgal....I think the whole point of having a resource like Houzz is that if you want to find design help you can easily get guidance from pros or just people with a great eye! I have gotten so much constructive help from this site. I've also used pros (ASID) with mixed results. I have 3 kids that are all under aged 3, and I had a pro give me a plan that included a white rug. Seriously?? I have a few 'kids-free' zones in my house and I'm happy to spend money in those areas. But in a family room, where you may have to toss a rug out in a few years, you just can't afford to spend that kind of money.

Thanks Lori! I'm still working on it! Taking a break through holidays. I'll have to find your thread!

I like groveraxel s ideas the painting needs to go up higher

I think bring in reds in rug. Something like this as room appears to have similar dimensions. Stone face on chimney would also break up all the wall space.
http://houzz.com/photos/661151
I like the couch on wall and chairs facing into fireplace with tv opposite couch configuration. Big wood rectangular coffee table would tie altogether.
If panelling can come off walls it would be worth it.
Good luck.