The house appears to be a minimalist design so less is better. The tv should be the only thing mounted above the fire. The dark floors would look great but to do the house justice I feel it needs minimal furnishings and sharp lines to achieve the dramatic look.

Hi, great space.... I think you need a coffee table that is more proportioned to your space and existing pieces.

Check out the Strip Cocoa Wood Coffee Table from Bryght

http://www.bryght.com/product/87/strip-cocoa-wood-coffee-table

If not you can always check out the other coffee tables and furniture pieces that they offer... they have a great selection of stylish, modern furnishings without the mark up. They also offer free delivery.

Happy Decorating!

ideas.

Hello, I am an artist, not an ID...so feel free to take my advice with a grain of salt.

When I look at your wall...I see the fireplace as the focal point. However, you have artwork that is big. A tv that is smaller than the art, and then more art hanging further down the wall.

I would: Mount the TV. Get it off the fireplace and let it have the center stage. Use your art, get more, and making a grouping around the television. Here is an example: http://www.fastframeoflodo.com/blog/wall-groupings-2/

I recently worked with a client that did a grouping just like this, she chose this piece as part of her design.
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/featured/the-garden-of-your-mind-bw-angelina-vick.html

You seem to have a mix of traditional and modern in your space. I would keep going with it. Lean into those elements.

For instance, your long vertical wall would be a great place for some modern or traditional art. I can imagine a line of medallions on them, olive or tan. If you wanted to lean into the modern, you go could go BW.

A link to the gallery so you can see the variety:
http://angelina-vick.artistwebsites.com/art/all/ornate+designs+and+medallions/all

I think the size and color and placement of your frames is good. I think the stuff inside them needs to be more graphic and black and white. You have too much going on in the art as is because of what you are aiming for.

The long narrow element needs to be like a picasso sketch black on white, really simple and graphic . The other two might be art photographs in black and white, but only one can have a lot of movement like your long narrow photo does now. Less is more. You might add a dimensional element - a metal typeface letter / family initial - mondrian style above the long narrow but left justified on it - ideally then taller than the television at the peak when you decide how big. To add more up the wall really takes a professional eye.

The rooms you show are eclectic, traditional in a fresh modern way. Your room can get there . . try painting the wood chest behind the chair in a fresh accent tone like a dark cherry and changing the hardware to match the silver on the lamp - this will help you bridge between the modern elements and the traditional to have a bit of eclectic. Consider http://www.sherwin-williams.com/homeowners/color/find-and-explore-colors/paint-colors-by-family/SW2802-rookwood-red/

The coffee table probably needs to be more modern in tone - the spools on the side make it not quite tailored enough. To add more color, on the end walls, side walls, try some vintage colorful graphic art posters like these magazine covers - a collection in the colors you want to use here http://www.art.com/asp/search_do.asp/_/posters.htm?searchstring=blanco%20y%20negro&SSK=blanco%20y%20negro&WT.oss=blanco%20y%20negro&sby=all

Layer pillows in after you find a focal color direction - fireplace pulls deep green up, add the red on the square piece, keep the sewing machine vintage wood with the black iron, maybe bring in some dijon tones http://www.art.com/products/p15280494-sa-i4968267/blanco-y-negro-magazine-cover-spain.htm
as an inspiration piece - go for a mix but incorporate simple really graphic pillows like the bird on a wire in the red pillow of your inspiration. Keep your lighter carpeted area - darken the rest of the wood - the dark fireplace needs the light floor as contrast.

You have lots of good instincts here .. . hope this helps you find your own personal look.

A visual of what I was describing earlier.

Feel free to contact me if you have any questions. =)

angelinavick@ymail.com

You will get a lot of great advice, enjoy choosing!

The dark floors will look great...it will also dramatically change your space.

I think room is lovely, I would make long & short term plan, changing to dark wood floor long term etc. I don't think coffee table suits your other furniture. Also would try to get more symmetry & balance in room. Matching side tables at the ends of sofa. Photos in frame looks a bit lost in that space so move to smaller wall. I like 'okadirect' for inspiration. Update throw & sort cushions ect. It just needs some small changes to give the room a bit more stylish impact.

Thank you lvpugs!

nature and art.

Your FP is a stunner but to make the most of it you need to remove all the wood and antique pieces from the space. If you're planning to replace only the carpeted area, and not the other wood floors, consider slate or tiles that look to be slate and compliment the gray/black/granite of the FP. I would move the family photo collage into that hallway and put a glass and metal credenza or narrow contemporary floating shelf below it. Again, eliminate all the wood - go for glass and metal. Others have addressed the artwork, but the FP is its own piece of art so keep it clean and simply decorated. What do you plan for window treatment?

first of all... i LOVE the fireplace! i think you should make it stand out even more by extending it vertically with paint, if you have a chandelier try hanging it low so it will fill the empty space on top. as for furniture i suggest you change the coffee table... choose something with a rustic industrial feel "wood and metal" and instead of the storage unit on the right side of the fireplace go for a long modern vase. good luck with your design :)

Thanks everyone! We do seem to be transitional in design. After having the entire house painted last year, we've been stuck with placing anything back up on the walls. We hoped that the blank canvass would be inspirational, but it had as freezing effect instead :)
We had long drapes on both sides of the windows in a dark heavy fabric (not covering the windows, just on the walls beside). Thinking of something similar in a lighter and more airy fabric and extending them higher, somewhere between the lower and upper ones, in line with ones we are adding to our adjoining dining area. Also think of switching out the wood blinds with something softer - places to start?
And the TV is mounted, but there is little space between it and the FP. I'll see if it can be adjusted.

Blank canvases can have a freezing effect.

Your home is more modern than the the traditional decor.

I wouldn't move the tv until you know for sure what you are doing on that wall.

If that is just a niche by the stairs and not a hallway, is there a closet or space behind it? That might be the place for the TV to hang above a low credenza or gear could be stashed in an adjoining closet.

It's a niche...but to the right (behind the wall where the photo collage is right now) is a powder room, and to the left is the master bedroom doorway. We have a very open concept house...lovely and challenging at the same time. The living room is also entirely open to our kitchen and dining area (and our next phase of updates).

Sorry - 'not' a niche.

On that size arch window I would do a nice wood blind underneath and i am sure your getting a lot of heat. You can do a treatment but it would cost a lot of money and would never look as good as if you kept it open.I would call a 3M window film company out they have all types of options to keep that heat out and still keep the look of your window.

The window film will keep your furniture from fading and help with the glare

love your fireplace! Yes, I agree your coffee table is too small for your space. I would go with a round shaped glass table instead since you have many sharp lines in your existing furniture (couches, tv, fp, frames..). The glass will make your large living room stand out even more as it won't be "blocking" or competing with your other furniture and could weigh down the room. It doesn't look like you really need the storage there anyways. Your house looks huge so I'm sure you can find elsewhere to use as storage. How about something like this in the attached photo? It's pretty popular right now and it has a very modern design that should compliment your modern fp.

Fantastic room! Have you thought of stained or leaded glass for the windows, at least the top ones? It allows natural light in but gives you privacy without worrying about curtains or shades. Below are a few examples. Please let me know if you'd like more info: 1-866-846-5758. Thank you!

Losing the white wood blinds would help the mixed metaphors. I see how everyone is responding to your modernist fireplace, but the rest of the style cues in your home are definitely more traditional - the interior arches, arched eyebrow transoms. Not only is it important to have things you love in this home, but you also can legitimately respond to cues that aren't all contemporary.

Adding curtains back is really important to transitional style - it gives you an opportunity for softness and to tell your color story if you want to be really bold.

I think with the scale of the window, lighter / airier curtains might be overwhelmed, especially because of the visual weight of your fireplace. You are dealing with a large scale statement on that wall to help balance the rooms - but something lined linen in a lighter tone could be great. I would still run the rod really wide so mostly they sit open and running the rod at the break between the two windows above the trim makes the most sense.

If your style were really modern, then loden velvet grommet topped curtains would be a no brainer and sounds like what you removed. Since you want something more transitional (and the architecture beyond the fireplace certainly supports that), you might want to consider a print drapery fabric in a very modern ikat or suzani / ethnic print. Ethnic prints sort of bridge the gap between Modern and Transitional style.

Here's my pick for you - a luxe ethnic pattern from calico that is the right scale with a 15" vertical repeat - tone on tone neutral that would work well no matter what colors you are featuring in art / dishes / etc. http://www.calicocorners.com/product/designer+fabrics+for+the+home/shop+by+pattern/ethnic/ocean+city+-+robert+allen+fabrics+birch.do - these in a tab back style very full and long would be amazing. You would want sufficient width to actually be able to close them. You would still need to use the rod very wide so it can stack back out of the window,

They also have a sea color that would be less modern / very transitional (probably drive all the contemporary vision designers here crazy). It would totally rock / work in your room. It is not my first recommendation because I haven't seen the rest of your house / it would set your color story for a long time with aqua and loden. It could be terrific but would have to be very YOU where the neutral first choice of birch lets you play with color in art, rugs and accessories and make changes. This choice would send you looking for pillows in sea and loden and a blue-green rug.
http://www.calicocorners.com/product/designer+fabrics+for+the+home/shop+by+pattern/ethnic/ocean+city+-+robert+allen+fabrics+sea.do

The right answer for light control are neutral natural wovens that relate back to the ivory / sofa tone / neutral wall tone. Smith and Noble has good options


Here's the link for woven shades - look at the ivory or the natural to see how minimal they could be behind. They have other choices too - they will send you a catalog. They will be a best value buy - look high end, not break the bank. Of course, these could be phased in ahead of drapery for budget purposes but it is the drapery that will start to bring in the transitional feeling that will help your eclectic style shine.
http://www.smithandnoble.com/config/natural-woven-waterfold-shades/shades/natural-woven-shades

Going to a more statement drapery sets the tone for the room - stands up to the fireplace and starts to pull things together. Calico does have their big sale going on, so if you were ever able / willing to splurge on just the right thing - now might be it since they will make them for you or maybe you sew.

Here are some variations on my first suggestions - options. You could paint the coffee table the darker red I first suggested to acknowledge its funky-ness until you come up with something you love. If you embrace a specific color story with sea drapery, then adding an aqua toned rug might be good, or you might just take antiqued aqua paint to your coffee table for now, and let the wood piece by the chair become washed with loden paint to sort of stain it towards the gray green of the fireplace.

You have many options because you have been thoughtfully neutral in your major upholstery.

and p.s. another thing that would be great on the wall in your primary arrangement would be a manzanita branch or if you are ne, a birch branch - something 36 - 42 inches with all the minor branching as intact as possible. You could hang horizontally on your wall - over the bench in the hall is one place it might go.