I like the combination of brown furniture and the dark brick. Maybe consider a decorative valance at the top of each window to add color.

Can you take a better pic of the fireplace space. The photos are a bit dark in FP area. What material is the FP made of?

Here is her picture a bit lighter.

It just needs some big blocks & splashes of color:
valances, pictures, pillows, & plants would be easy & inexpensive.

very pretty room, very nice furniture!

Up close picture

Ditch the TV and blinds, then add some curtains or roman shades in a blue or green from your rug. I think that would make a bigger difference in your room than painting the fireplace :)

Oh, and if you aren't crazy about the brass surround, it can easily be painted black with a can of BBQ/Stove spray paint.

The only thing I would consider is painting the surround black (more black :)
And I'd pull some of that blue/gray from the rug for pillows, accessories. Do you need to have the blinds down? Maybe add some (relaxed) Roman blind/valance, like this but outside mounted

Or maybe bamboo blinds. I like the texture and colors.

Linda,
I think once you put the tv above the fireplace and lose the tv table it will open the space up and also make it much brighter. Wait until you do that before you mess with that fireplace too much. I kind of like it :)

Thank you all for the responses. I've lived here for 18 years and for the first couple of years I didn't have any window treatments because I liked the light and the view of the outdoors. The blinds were probably the most basic thing I could put on the windows because I could never think of what to do for window coverings. I really liked the fabric & style of window covering in the 1st photo Nosoccermom posted. The fireplace in that picture was so pretty.

I also liked the last photo with the bamboo blinds. I had considered bamboo blinds but wonder if it would make it too dark.

Beverly, thanks for the photoshop. It really helps me! I have such a hard time visualizing anything. I wonder if you could be so kind as to photoshop valances on the windows?

I really should learn to photoshop...

Thank you all for the responses. I've lived here for 18 years and for the first couple of years I didn't have any window treatments because I liked the light and the view of the outdoors. The blinds were probably the most basic thing I could put on the windows because I could never think of what to do for window coverings. I really liked the fabric & style of window covering in the 1st photo Nosoccermom posted. The fireplace in that picture was so pretty.

I also liked the last photo with the bamboo blinds. I had considered bamboo blinds but wonder if it would make it too dark.

Beverly, thanks for the photoshop. It really helps me! I have such a hard time visualizing anything. I wonder if you could be so kind as to photoshop valances on the windows?

I really should learn to photoshop...

Here is a pretty rough mock up with the valances. Hope it helps!

What kind of lighting do you have in the room? I can't see any lamps in the picture. If you just have overhead lighting the shadows can make a room look oppressive. I would add a couple of floor lamps. Light colored lamp shades will help brighten the room even when the lamps are off.

I agree about the lamps. I am a lamp fanatic. Maybe you can add a side table or two with some nice lamps on them.

Here is a mock up of another roman shade. I prefer the straight lines of this one.

Btw, how wide is your tv and fp? Just curious as to how it might work there. You can always hide it with bifold doors or something that slides.

Of course, since you feel the room is brown, you can always pull acolor from your rug to use as the shade color.
I played with some colors and this one is dark but it provides a nice contrast to your walls and its not brown. Here is a an image with a side table and lamp. I would add two or three tables with lamps or one table and lamp and a couple of floor lamps. I think you could use at least three lamps to brighten your space.

I think the tv over the fireplace is a great idea. You have a fireplace that is very nice! You could spray paint the gold surround black to update it. Maybe add simple legs under the mantle made out of some plain wood stock just covering the corner and 6 - 8 inches on each side to ground the space.

I like the blinds that you have for light control, you just need to add simple curtains with dark rods and ring clips. You can probably get by with 84 inch panels if you use the ring clips because it adds a few inches and would give you enough height to go 7 inches above the window casing. Like this picture for your corner windows.

Then you can move your sofa to face the fireplace/tv and move the chair to one side 90 degrees from the sofa and use the old tv stand next to the fireplace straight under the window to house electronics and hide the cords leading up to it. You might also paint the tv stand to match the fireplace and it would look more like it belongs under the window.

Hope that all makes since. : )

The issue with curtains, which I love, is that there's very little space next to the fireplace. So perhaps something like this:

I really like rtwilliams idea. I would add lightness with throw pillow on couch and maybe another upholstered chair. The rug is beautiful, but not sure if it's big enough for the space. I would also paint the brick on the fireplace.

I think the fireplace would look nice with the gold painted black and the brick painted green. Painting my fireplace brick out was one of the best things I ever did here . If you want to add softness and a little color to the room keep the blinds and add some sheers pulled to the side to your windows. Ikea had some nice white ones with prints on them that would look nice and not cost a fortune.

Please don't put the TV over the fireplace. Instead, get an articulating arm mount for it and put it on the wall in that left corner. Then you can pull it out when you want to watch it and push it back against the wall when you don't. They're one of the better recent inventions. It will also allow you to watch TV at eye-height, which is what you want, AND allow you to decorate your FP mantel any way you like throughout the years.

I'd leave the brick. It's nice brick. How about painting the mantel an interesting colorâ¦or stripping it altogether, depending on what kind of wood is under there?

I think it would look beautiful stripped or painted BM Wenge.

You are going to put the TV above the fireplace but where will all the accessories go. The boxes, players, etc that looks like some in the table the TV is currently on?
You might still need some type of cabinet there near the fireplace.

Is it possible to rearrange the furniture with the sofa facing the fireplace?
I like the lighter color shades they brighten up the space.

Nosoccermom - Exactly! just one panel to each side window. That picture looks really nice. That shows how the legs could be added under the mantle also. That fireplace looks nice painted out white. But I think I would try the painted gold to black and upgrade the mantle before painting the brick out.

Whatever WT you add, I would mount them high up towards the ceiling, to open up more of your window.

Wow, this site is wonderful! All your suggestions give me a lot to think about. Definitely, will need to address the windows. I kind of knew that, but because I was unsure it was easier to ignore. I took a picture from another angle to give a different perspective.

Here is one as you're sitting on the couch. I normally have a table & lamp where the Christmas tree is. Ignore the junk in the entryway, it will be gone in about a week, but you can see the lamp on the console table. I was planning on getting rid of it because I was given a floor lamp and would like to get one to complement it.

And here is the floor lamp:

I'm thinking that before I do anything to the fireplace, I'll get new window coverings, pillows & lamp to see what that does for the room.

I really can't put the couch directly in front of the FP because it blocks the tiny dining room. This is really kind of an awkward room.

Most of what is in this room has been given to me and I didn't really pick it out, but I find that I like it.

In the pictures, the white mantle really stands out. But not in a good way. It appears to be the only woodwork in the room, and the only bright white. I like the brick,,but maybe paint the mantle black. I'd suggest replacing it with a dark-stained wood, but then you start getting into a bit of a mess, so just paint black, or a deep orange/rust/red from the rug and/or gorgeous floor lamp.

YOu know what I'd do to get some color into that room? I'd paint the black bookcase. The black seems out of place and kind of harsh for that room. I love the earthy colors you've got in there and think they make the room look very warm and comfortable and inviting.

But I'd paint the bookcase a deep cranberry, maybe, like in the rug and the little lamp on the console table, but I"d do it in a high gloss, I think. Semi-gloss at the very least.

TV on an articulating arm would interfere with the opening to the DR. In fact, the TV, when pulled out, would be exactly as it is now, but hanging there, and again, then you can just push it back up against the wall when you're entertaining or otherwise don't want it hanging out there.

The articulating arms are such a great space saver and they're not expensive. But if you put the TV over the FP, you'll have to look up to watch (ugh, uncomfortable), it'll make decorating the mantel harder, etc. I've never understood the TV overt he FP thing. I personally find it to be vulgarâ¦at the risk of sounding like I'm 130 years old!

I think the tv over the fireplace will work fine in your room, despite Tibbix's continuing crusade against them. Your mantel is much lower than some, where the tv would be very awkward if too high.

I think you could have your couch facing the tv if you turned your rug and pulled the couch in a bit closer, leaving a walkway behind it, then the chair could go where the couch is now, or maybe where the tv is, if that's a better fit.

You've been lucky to have been given so many nice things!

I believe you have a lovely room and I for one would not give up prime decorating real estate and place the TV above the fireplace. My TV is mounted as Tibbrix suggested and I am more than pleased with my decision to place it as I have. Granted no one can watch TV when sitting in the chair, but when we have guests and the chair is being used, TV viewing is not a function of the room and it is pushed back against the wall. I think your mantel and fireplace are fine as is, but a new screen is needed in your room as well as mine. I also agree that window coverings would soften the room. I would also move the floor lamp to another area of the room and turn your end table 90 degrees as it looks like you have the front of the table facing the side of the couch. I also like the idea of painting the bookcase, possible a color in your rug.

This post was edited by CarolT924 on Tue, Dec 2, 14 at 21:51

Carol, where is the cable box, etc.?

Right now the cable box is sitting on the hearth, you can just see it peeking out from the right side of the chair. Our cable box is very small and black, the white larger item is an Xbox the kids use to watch DVDs, I really should remove the Xbox as they are away at college. I am looking for a small bench to place below the window behind the chair to eventually place it on, or possibly place a small wooden painted bench on the hearth and leave the box below it, quite honestly, I don't even notice it anymore.

This post was edited by CarolT924 on Tue, Dec 2, 14 at 23:52

Lovely room and it looks like you were given some pretty nice stuff! I'd keep the blinds and add curtain panels high and as wide as you can as shown above. I think it would look nice to pull a color from the rug and use solid curtains.

Your fireplace is nice and I'd even leave the brass alone.

I agree with Tibb about the bookcase might look nice painted something else. I like the cranberry idea. Maybe even the blue color in the rug.

Your floor lamp is really awesome. Looks like a very comfortable and cozy room.

This post was edited by sheesharee on Wed, Dec 3, 14 at 0:46

Is there any chance you could move the couch to the opposite side and float it (in that you see the back from the entryway). Move the tv and console to the wall the couch is now against and move the chair in front of where the dining table is and put it on an angle.

Not sure any of this will work for you, but here are some mockups. I know the FP and the rest do not match yours but it gives you an idea.

Another angle.

Sorry for posting each rendering one at a time.

I was thinking of this thread today so I'm bumpin it.

I am bumping it too. Would love to hear op's thoughts.

Thank you all for your ideas. They have been great. #1, I am definitely replacing the window treatments. I loved the fabric valances however, when I showed DH, he nixed that right in the bud. My second choice would be to add the bamboo or wood style blinds and that's what I've asked Santa for Christmas.

As for moving the furniture around, I've decided that it's not logical to decide on furniture arrangement when it's the holidays since the Christmas tree will be gone in a month. I think I'll get the blinds, then when I remove the tree I will move the furniture around and see what fits.

I liked Aktillery's idea of putting the tv on the now sofa wall, however, not sure about getting cable and such over there. This really is supposed to be a very low budget project mostly because we remodeled our kitchen and a month later, I lucked into an almost new leather couch, bookcase & rug.

I've been looking around at new pillows and a new throw to accessorize. One thing is that I want to get a lamp that is complementary to the floor lamp to sit on the side table. Again, that will probably depend upon furniture placement.

Once I do those things, I think I will have a better idea of what to do with the fireplace. I think I would like a style like this but using a more colorful tile in a gray/green color.

{{gwi:2141031}}

[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Birmingham Home Builders Signature Homes

As for the black bookcase, it might seem out of place in the pictures but I really have a lot of black accents in the adjoining kitchen and dining area so it's not so out of place. My house is only 1500 SF so the living areas all blend.

One more thing, I am definitely going to paint the brass black. That would not only look better, but it would tie the black bookcase into this particular room.

I will post pictures as I go along. And again, thank everyone for the thoughtful suggestions. I have a new perspective.

I like the black bookcase, but then, I have quite a bit of black furniture :)

I, too, like the black bookcase. Sounds like you have a great plan. Please keep us updated.

Per the great input from this forum, I have decided to put bamboo blinds on my windows. I'm going to do inside mount because I like the look better, I don't want a liner because the room is dark enough as it is and I don't need light filtering, but I am not sure about adding fabric borders. Anyone have any thoughts or ideas?

{{gwi:2141032}}

[Traditional Dining Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-dining-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_722~s_2107) by Wayzata General Contractors Stonewood, LLC

No trim.

Just ordered swatches of their "Tahoe" material (like very thin bamboo) in three colors from theshadestore.com. I'm thinking about getting them in roller shades, but they also have a whole "Naturals" section in blinds as well. And the swatches are really, really nice. I'm impressed.