Thanks, Grover, for the paint job! Maybe Ruth needs more than one color in the room. I'm wondering if the wall opposite the windows could be in one of the darker shades that Ruth liked, such as Tony Taupe, while keeping the other walls Accessible Beige?

I like the Accessible Beige even better than the Latte, it seems like a wonderful contrast to all of the darker woodwork. But the two colors need to be tested in the room; all that natural light from the windows might wash out the lighter one.

I still would rather see the tv moved to the stair wall, leaving a place for a beautiful painting above the fireplace and giving you the ability to decorate your mantle. It seems a shame to have to leave the mantle bare. Two lovely chairs flanking the fireplace would complete the picture at that end of the room and create a conversation area.

Okay we are getting close! I really want to use two paint shades, one in the foyer (front door) leading into the family room. Which it would be that high wall over the entrance of the kitchen. The family room, up the stairs all one color. Unless you think I should do my fireplace wall one color then I have that crazy bump out (closet from upstairs room).
So I need to choose color, this is driving me nuts! Please note: EVERYTHING fades in my house because of all the sunlight and the paint is the first to show it within a short period of time. So I'm not going to pick accessible beige, before too long, it will be white. So I went and got swatches from BM today. I like BM Shaker Beige and BM Lenox. And I like the Latte too!

Jolieblue, per your request, I took down the curtains. I also took a photo walking into my house (foyer) from outside. This area I was thinking another color. I also need to buy something for the hot sun in that foyer window. Paint first, I want to start soon.

Thank goodness the draperies and decorative rods are down. Still think plantation shutters are the cleanest and best option. Simplify !!!! that's the best way for spaces to look bigger & better.

You could also consider motorized metal sun blocking shades mounted on the exterior of the house. They are quite expensive but seem to solve the problem with afternoon sun here in Texas.

I'm not familiar with those two. With all that light flooding in, you have a perfect opportunity to use a darker color than some other rooms can handle. One of the other commenters mentioned that you should put the new wall color sample against your current white woodwork to be sure they coordinate well. Be sure to do that, your white woodwork will be gorgeous against the colors you are considering, as long as they work together.

If you do an accent wall around the fireplace, I would stop the accent color before the bump-out, confining it to just the tall fireplace wall. It would be very dramatic to have a darker color there, with the light from the windows flooding in across it. But be sure the color complements the wood of the fireplace very well. People forget that wood is not "neutral", it's always a color. It either pulls towards red, gold or even orange. Sometimes that's why a color seems all wrong in a room and you can't figure out why: it's because the wood tones don't complement the wall color. Shades of blues and greens usually complement all of the wood tones. But when using a neutral shade wall color, you need to make sure the undertones of both work together. Using a color wheel can make it clearer...

Wow! You do have light coming in from all directions. I think either wall would look fine in a contrasting color. If you decide to use lighter/darker versions off the same color card, go at least two shades up or down the color card. If you only use one shade variation it won't even show up as being different.

I love the fireplace wall without the drapes! Do you?
Looking at your photo I can just envision it with a large bright painting above the fireplace and minimal but impressive accessories on the mantle. In my opinion, a tall painting would be striking. I would only use plantation shutters, roman shades, or some sort of blinds inside the window frames-no drapes to distract from the beautiful design you already have going on. If you didn't need the light control or privacy there, I think they look fine with nothing at all on them.

I don't want to complicate your game plan, but have you thought of picking out your furniture before the paint? If you find the perfect sofa and chairs, it's a simple matter to select a neutral paint that blends perfectly. There are a million paint shades but only a few furniture sets that you love. You can easily match a paint color to a rug or sofa. Just a thought.

The windows on either side of the fireplace look great without the curtains on them; the TV lowered as Grover has pictured blends in architecturally with the fireplace and looks fine. I wouldn't put the television on the staircase wall; I think previous comments are correct; it's not going to blend well with the architecture of the room. It will look awkward and forced. Doesn't matter whether it fits in terms of inches.

If you were thinking about getting air conditioning in a year or two then obviously you will want to think about not spending a fortune on blocking out the sun.

An L-shaped sectional could work well in this room if you could find one that still left you space by the staircase to walk by. Sometimes you can get sectionals that are designed for condos and they are not quite so large. It would also mean that everybody in the family could all sit together on the same piece of furniture.

I think it would be worth trying having a part of the sectional or sofa run across the room. Someone suggested a sofa table or desk behind the sofa or sectional that runs across. I think that's also a good idea and would create a natural division in the space.

You can also do all kinds of things with televisions these days. If you want to make your television more part of the decor when you are not watching it. I have seen all kinds of clever solutions.

https://www.houzz.com/magazine/new-strategies-for-hiding-the-tv-stsetivw-vs~19306319

Tips on hiding the TV. And there's lots more online if you Google that. Personally I would leave the TV over the fireplace as it's the natural place for it and find ways to deal with the aesthetics.

If I were to do shutters? What color? Would I stay with white? And do I have to put shutters on the top as well for that fan look? If I do shutters on those windows, would I dress up the wall of windows facing our backyard? I'm working on the furniture and I hope to find a small sectional that will allow for a pathway. I'm leaning towards a grey color. I would really like to get away from the browns. Light colors are risky with our kids at this time, but I would consider maybe a light taupe. We do not have food in our family room (with the exception of popcorn and that can be an issue) ...when we have guests, we can't always monitor either.
The TV placement - back and forth Fireplace or Staircase. I think once I get the new sofa and chair, it will determine if that TV can fit against the staircase, since that will ad another piece of furniture and I don't want to feel cramped in the room.
Accent Wall - that is what is done now and I used the same color where the TV is on the small piece going up the stairs. As much as I love BM - Shaker Beige, we were thinking how quickly our paint fades (and I'm not kidding) that we are leaning towards SW - Latte or the BM-Lenox Tan and know it will fade out lighter within a summer. The Shaker Beige can be used in my foyer as long as I either do a window film or shade for that large window in my foyer. I would love to paint my ceiling a beige, but this job is going to take me a couple of weeks tackling it myself and I don't think I can pull off the ceiling as well.

licksch: very cool ideas with the TV - thanks for sharing!

Consider a fireplace bench (a 'dip' or 'full' model). Club fenders add seats and a safety element with little children. Framing (or set upon) the hearth, a club fender favors an open floor plan and a three sided conversation arrangement. It will not obstruct the passage from stair landing to rest of house. The added seats will make furniture choices and placement easier.

Ruth I'm so glad you want a gray shade rather than beige-it's popular now and will do much more to combat the bright light in the room. There are so many beautiful warm gray paint shades. Are you on Pinterest? (Can I say that here?). I have a board with paint shades (picked out by designers) and names shown: in warm grays, gray-beiges, etc., that you can check out.

I would keep the shutters white, unless you want to paint them the same color you choose for the walls. They could be a shade or two lighter or darker. Darker might be very nice.
I wouldn't put anything in the arches, unless it's necessary for light control. As far as the large window wall, I wouldn't decide anything about that until you have your furniture and walls are painted. Then you will be able to see whether the room needs more fabric, more color, more softness, etc.
I do think it would be advantageous to select a sofa before you paint. You may have a limited selection of fabric choices for it, but paint colors come in an unlimited selection. Even if you don't buy it now, get it picked out and possibly you can borrow a fabric swatch to compare to the paint. Or bring your paint samples to the store. (Paint a poster board or something with the paint, not those puny store samples!)

You can ask for a performance fabric on the sofa-they are very durable. Lazyboy fabric protection comes with a warranty that will replace the piece if it gets stained! (You have to pay for the fabric to be treated, well worth the $)

The sectional is a great idea for you, and they can be custom designed to suit your room. Check out the apartment or condo sized furniture-they come in more manageable sizes. If you bring it across the room between the living room and kitchen, its important to stick with a low-backed style. That would keep your view open across the windows too.
You might want to select long sofa with a chaise lounge at the kitchen end, rather than a sectional. It wouldn't obstruct the room as much and could be approached from either side. I really like that idea!

Girl, you don't want to paint those ceilings! I've painted enough houses to say no no no! Ceilings are hard even when they are lower. That two-story one should be left to a professional painter. When you get your new wall color, the ceiling will look just fine. You are going to see a major transformation just by changing the walls.

One tip I just thought of, I think most paint companies rank their paint colors by LRV, Light Reflective Value. It's a numbered scale that lets you know how much light the color is going to reflect back at you, versus how much it's going to absorb. You can certainly afford to have some of your absorbed.

As my husband likes to say; don't you love it when a plan comes together!

Ruth, DO NOT PAINT PLANTATION SHUTTERS !!!!!!! Get white and don't get the fan tops. Fan tops are non-movable and look overdone. Also, do all windows with the same treatment. Your window wall needs light control and Plantation shutters are the best thing to do that as they tilt. Draperies are either opened or closed. Blinds also tilt but are horrible to clean. I think you should just get things going. You've had way too many suggestions and I might add, two or three of us gave you suggestions way back in March that are being repeated over and over again.

jolieblue: THANK YOU! Yes, our plans are finally coming together! Great ideas with the sofa and I was thinking of the chaise lounge as well...same location too! I think some nice end tables (smaller) will help as well! If I do go with shutters, I'll stick to white, just because I don't want to paint them. Ok on the ceilings, I won't touch them. And we can't afford a professional right now, we have a pool that we are finishing up right now, so I have to keep things on a budget! Good news is, my husband said A/C will happen, just not this year. So for now i'll buy some window or floor units. I will wait on the large windows. THANK YOU again for all your help! I'll keep you posted as I paint!

I wouldn't want to paint them either! You are are on the right track, and by doing all this thinking and sorting out ideas, you are saving yourself from costly mistakes. I'd rather run 100 ideas through my mind than jump on the first one. That's what this forum is all about, isn't it? ;)

judygilpin: Thank you...I'm on it! : )

Shutters should be ordered in the same white paint color as your trim. On the arch top windows, I would use arch top shutters with horizontal slats, not the fan shape!

For a room like this with a wall of windows, window film will give you control over the heat, protect your furnishings from fading AND allow you to keep your view. The newest window film technology stops heat from entering while letting in more light than older tech window films.

We do work with solar shades as well but find that room temperature control is better with window film. In many cases we do both for maximum control. Shades and blinds still allow heat to enter into the space between the glass and covering causing a radiant heat effect where window film stops it before it enters your home. Visit www.enerlogicfilm.com to learn more and find a professional near you.

The first image below shows the Enerlogic film next to a standard film. These films block the same amount of heat but the Enerlogic is much clearer. The second image is Enerlogic installed on a wall of windows similar to yours. Good luck!

Solaris... That is very very very impressive! I always thought it was the light itself carrying the heat. But you say you can block the heat from coming through the glass. Very interesting.

Yes! Typical films needed to be darker and more reflective to block heat. The Enerlogic films are selectively stopping the infrared (heat) wavelengths while letting more of the visible light wavelengths through. Some of the heat does come from the visible spectrum and a small part of the heat we feel from the UV spectrum but the majority is part of the spectrum we cannot see.

As much as 40% of your HVAC load is directly related to your windows (depending upon the type of glass and the window/wall ratio of your home). After installing this film we have clients see as much as an 8-10 degree temperature swing in problem rooms. Now your HVAC system can keep up.

Please let me know if you have any additional questions or need help finding a professional in your area. - Kevin

Do you have anyone in the Ballston Lake, NY area?

There are a few Vista dealers in your neck of the woods but I do not know any of them personally. Visit http://vista-films.com/en/find-a-window-film-dealer.aspx to find one near you. Good luck!

OK It's FINALLY Painted! I custom adjusted Sherwin Williams "Latte" and named it: "Java Latte". To me it looked like coffee ice cream out of the can! It took me 38 hours to repair and paint this area, but its done! Now for decorating and window treatments! Here are a few pics!

as you can see we lowered the TV and I'm wondering what to do on the little bit of mantle or around the fire place. Would it be too much to hang a decorative light from the wall on a wall hanger? One that you would put a votive candle in. I was thinking of something with a pop of color. I really like teal blues. And the shade of color changes with the amount of light that comes into our home. It's the perfect color in the evening, I'm still trying to get use to the tone in the morning, but I think that will look much better once I decorate.

Nice color! Since the top of the TV is higher than the window frames on the large bank of windows, be sure curtains, if any, hang higher than the TV, even on the arched windows to keep things balanced. Couldn't find pix of windows like your arched ones, but here is the idea visually. If you do shades or blinds it won't be an issue.

Much more relaxing color.

I would do plantation shutters on the rectangular portion of the windows flanking the fireplace, with probably nothing above, or if it can be done as a single shutter on each side, then I would include the arch with horizontal louvers all the way up. I would put nothing on the mantel. If you fall in love with an enormous piece of art, you could place it over the TV, but otherwise I wouldn't worry about that space.

The paint color looks wonderful!

Love the paint color.

Hi! As far as decorating your wall I recommend considering iron work to hang on the upper quadrant of your 17' wall- this looks especially nice on high walls like yours.

Here is a link of iron work art on high ceiling wall:

http://houzz.com/photos/6948668

Here is another example: http://houzz.com/photos/104134

one more picture of iron work ideas for high ceiling great rooms: http://houzz.com/photos/209684

I hope this gives you some ideas!!:)

yes it does, thank you very much!

Since we don't know what the exterior of the house looks like, we don't know if this will work, but you could always put a sun shade on the outside, like we did at Margarido House in CA, in the place of drapes, etc that might block the scenery outside. The sunshade has also been great with reducing solar heat gain, since you said you have no ac. http://www.mcnichols.com/case-studies/margarido-house.pdf Good luck!

Hi Ruth, I have one more suggestion for your consideration- see this link for a 'double-sided' couch concept that you can use to set up sitting areas when you have multiple views- not sure if you have a pool or other view from your window where you can do this. Alternatively, you can also place a bench behind your couch to create this concept. Hope this gives you some ideas!
http://houzz.com/photos/550442

That's neat!!

As you can see in one of my new photos, we just installed a pool in our yard.

The color is beautiful, and so are the pool and the yard. Much as I dislike TVs over fireplaces, I think that may be the best solution here. I would keep decoration to a minimum and arrange your seating so you have a direct view of the TV and the yard.

Window coverings, your plants, some lamps, and art are all you need here. Let the view and architectural details of the space shine.

Thank you ...I feel so free of clutter on my walls right now. It's wonderful!

Ruth, I think your new color looks great! The lack of visual clutter allows your architecture and the backyard pool to shine. I agree you should keep accessories and decorations to a minimum, and fuss-free. One sneaky way to do that is to select accessories which are large in scale and only have a minimal number of them. They will make a big impact but not busy-up the room.

I also agree that a large stunning piece of art over the tv would be great. But it needs to be truly beautiful and truly large. Lamps can become art if you select something large and pleasing to your eye.

Beautiful cozy throws and pillows add depth and color, and can be changed out in summer/winter for a whole new look. Pale, lightweight cottons and linens in the summer and cozy, warm ones with rich tones in winter go a long way to creating a pleasant ambience. I think it's important that they not only look good, but feel soft and appealing for your family to use. I like pillows that can really be used! Throw 'em out when they get shabby, it's fun to select new ones.

I'm not sure about the wall sconces by the tv. Have you considered tall, weighty candlesticks on the mantle on each side of the tv? Something about 2 feet tall. Mercury glass would be stunning, but black ones would also be nice. Ballard Designs has one that would work beautifully, the mercury glass would stand out beside the black tv. Picture attached.

If you concentrate now on acquiring furniture and lamps in a pleasing arrangement, that will give you time to look at the room without clutter. You might find that the minimal look grows on you! And then you can add decor very slowly and be sure not to go overboard.

I thought of your room when I seen this picture. This is the first time Im trying to attach a picture I hope it works. Lol

I love the blue color tones, so soft and inviting
Thank you for sharing!!

I truly love all the ideas coming in!! So excited to try new things! Thank you all for your inspirational ideas!

Debbie McMahon Carr, that picture is perfection. The colors, the textures and the wonderful laid-back vibe. Love the bamboo shades, and when those type of shades are lowered, the light filters through beautifully.

For winter, pictures the shells and beachy items packed away, replaced with fall/wintery items such as pine cones and darker toned metals. The pillows and throws could be replaced with a beautiful rich pear green (think cotton velvets). Or deeper orangey bronzes which would look great with the blue. So much potential there

yes Jolieblue....sounds so beautiful! Love it too!

Personally I do not care for gold walls, and I would suggest two harmonizing shades of blue that you like and which will go well with all the beige and brown in the room. Before painting the walls, I would suggest you add some white-painted horizontal wooden trim around the room, making it even with the lower edge of the upper windows and their trim. Then, I would suggest you paint the upper wall one shade of blue and the lower wall the other shade of blue. I believe this two-tone effect will make the walls appear shorter and will add a fresh and cozy feeling to the room. You also may want to experiment with this two-tone effect on the wall of the staircase.