I really like your LR, I think you did a great job. Yes the chair is a bit too big for that corner but not too too bad. One thing I could say is that the two lamps behind the couch are too tall and thin, I would replace those with shorter wider ones, maybe even just have one. I love your sunburst.

Dear Elsa42,
I love the houndstooth chair! I think it is very handsome and I do hope that it grows on you. I agree with Roseabbey about the two lamps -- shorter and wider would be better and you might do fine with just one. Also, the white lampshade maybe could be changed to dark? It might give more weight to that area to balance the large houndstooth chair. You have a beautiful home. Thank you for sharing it.
FW

Wow its perfect....actually I think it is a little too perfect. I felt like something was missing but could not put my finger on it and I think it is missing a bit more of a personal touch...maybe some family photos, sentimental pieces..not sure something like that.

Don't get me wrong it is totally beautiful it looks like it is from a catelogue now it just needs a special touch of you and your family to set it apart from a magazine.

I'm sure we could get nitpicky and find fault, but overall, it is a success. I have the same thoughts as roseabbey - the chair could be a titch smaller, but is not really out of scale and the style works great. Do you need both lamps on the desk for light? If not, I would do as roseabbey says and just leave one on the window side of the desk.

I agree with everyone about it being a lovely room. I like the chair and it isn't so large that it shouts "I don't fit!" at me.

Haley Comet hit the nail on the head. It looks like a showroom, everything is coordinated. Neutral walls and furnishings with blues for accent.
This is what I would change. Play with color some more in the pillows and art. Move the chair's matching pillow to the sofa and/or use fabrics with a little more punch than those lovely, yet too perfectly coordinated, pillows you have currently.
If you change out the desk lamps, look for something that adds a little color or pizzazz. I'd start looking in second-hand or antique stores and open up to some quirky possibilities.

Good luck and remember to only buy it if you love it!

The room looks great overall. The minor things you bring up about the chair being too huge, ect., are valid but you are too sensitive to these details and the average person visiting your home is not going to notice or remember the scale of the chair.

As a PP has already mentioned the room does need a personal touch. Right now it looks like a designer room where the homeowners have not moved in yet. Everything is so perfect and generic there is nothing to draw one into the room with interest.

I see only two items that I would want to move; the fabric on the back of the chair and the lamp behind the chair. Is there any way to angle the chair and move the lamp between the large cabinet and the chair?

Yes, I agree...your living room is beautiful. You have a done a great job of blending in the technical aspects of the TV with a fabulous traditional look. You could add some new colored pillows to the mix I also think the houndstooth chair is nice, but too big for the area where it is. What about putting the clock where that chair is. Are you able to put the houndstooth chair in the corner beyond the desk?

My first thought was the same as Hayley Comet, a little too perfect. More like a formal living room that's never used except when guests visit.

It's really a nice room and all it needs is a tad more color in accessories and some personal touches.

Love the chair!

Wow! Thank you all for the feedback. See what I mean about fresh eyes? I would never have pointed a finger at the lamps on the desk. I'll play with those and see what happens. I'm getting the vibe that it might be too contrived; I've tried to add some colour (like rust or brick red) but I could never land on the right combination. I'll keep trying... As for moving the houndstooth, Vampiress - the only place it fits anywhere else is outside on the deck. Mmmmmm...
Had to giggle a little at the comment that it looks too perfect, not used. My house is too small to waste any real estate. You should see it when my sons and their friends are in there using the playstation or watching videos. Definitely not what I would call perfect! :) That's why there's nothing on the ottoman. Picture four pairs of size twelve feet! I just got to primp a little for my online company. Thanks again, you are a great bunch!

Beautiful room! My only comment was centered on the large round ball on the side table. Just didn't work for me.

it's a beautiful room and I wish mine looked as nice-- but it could use a little more color---because you have neutral walls and drapes and white couches anything will match--you could get colorful and patterned pillows in any colors you like---or patterned lamp shades--Home Goods usually has some pretty ones--also you could add to the right side of the mantel some colorful picture frames with family photos or some knickknacks

Hi Elsa!
You have a beautiful living room, with comfortable furniture and a soothing palette. I love your fireplace with the sunburst mirror.

My comments for "improving" the space have to do with balance and symmetry. The houndstooth chair is very handsome, but I agree with you, it is too large for that space. I have the same problem, BTW, with a leather chair that DH bought before our marriage. It's too heavy beside our fireplace and we will be moving it upstairs and replacing it with a smaller piece.

There is no symmetry around your fireplace; the space to the right is too "heavy". I had the same dilemma with my 1914 house; my LR is also fairly small and I did not want DH's 46" flat screen competing with the fireplace. I placed a round mirror over my fireplace mantel and moved the flat screen to another corner of the LR. It fit perfectly in that corner and it sits atop an old, small, antique table. If you don't need the storage, I would consider placing your flat-screen on a smaller table as well.

Your ottoman is a lovely piece but it drags down your space. I'm wondering if replacing it with a lighter, glass coffee table would make the room feel larger?

One last suggestion I have has to do with your back wall. In one of your photos, I noticed your large clock in the left-corner of your room, with a painting, side table and two lamps pushed to the right of the wall. I think the lamps are fine (again, I think all of your pieces are beautiful), but there is no focal point to that wall. If you were to move the clock away from that wall (maybe move it outside to the hallway?) and center the painting and table - with your sofa centered in front of the table - then suddenly, there would be balance and a lovely focal point to that side of the room.

I hope you won't be upset with my comments; it is always easy to see things differently when it's not your own space! I have my own struggles, mostly to do with fabric, or lack of fabric, in my LR, my poor bay windows have been dressed with cheap blinds for the past 2 years because I haven't found anything I loved...anyways, good luck, you just have a bit of tweaking, your space is beautiful!

all the best,
from a fellow Canuck:)

I think your room is lovely. May I ask where you got your sectional sofa? We are thinking about buying a sectional and it seems to be the perfect size for my family room and I love the lines. Thanks for any info you can give me!

Emilie

I think your room is beautiful. My eyes also went straight to the ball on the table. Didn't work for me. Also I agree about the lamps being too tall and I don't think you need both of them. But that's being nitpicky. You have a beautiful home!

Ok first pictureÂ.push the box and the lamps back to the middle of the table verses being cozy up against the back of the furniture. ItÂs both a visual issue as well as a comfort issue.

Picture two, hummmm I adore the chair LOL but in that space itÂs bad..IÂm going to look at more picsÂmaybe we could move it. I think itÂs a valuable piece in the room that keeps it from being boring (itÂs a pretty room by the wayÂ.I love many things about it).

The trayÂ.it and the ottoman are eating up the wrong amount of space (itÂs too small and the ottoman is too big).

OK the ballÂitÂs coolÂbut itÂs too big next to the little lamp. IÂd like to see a bigger lamp and the ball perhaps sitting on the hearth (now I have to go back and see if there is a hearth) LOL

Ohhh now I get it (IÂve gone through a few pics). ItÂs not a sofa table itÂs a deskÂ.ok well, personally I think you should audios the desk and skootch the sofa back, tv cabinet down the wall further and all of a sudden the chair wonÂt be crowding the fireplace so much and the room will work.

The clock is lovely but I donÂt see a visual tie in at all in this roomÂ.IÂd move it frankly to a location that it fits in better.

A black throw blanket over the back of the sofa would be helpfulÂsomething with some texture would be great.

Ok on the mantleÂI donÂt see the tie in of the candle and jar and ivy. Now this could be because the color on my monitor throws it off, but on my monitor itÂs something IÂd like to erase off :oP That mirror is stand up on itÂs ownÂbut if I were to do something like the candle thing, IÂd go with a chunky ivory pillar on a chunky base sitting on a stack of antique books since I see nothing with age in your room (and thatÂs always valuable). IÂd also throw a couple big sofa table books on the ottoman if you keep it (and it might fitÂ.in some pics it looks and others I feel like youÂd trip over the people on the sofa to find a seatÂ.)

I hope IÂm not too brutalÂI do like the overall effort a lot and actually adore the chair LOL

Ohh Ohh Ohhh I adore the pic on the wall but the frame is too simple in a room that needs some pop. I'd love to see a total contrast thing go on with it. A big antique looking (baroque etc) done in black, like a rough black...big chunky, highly ornate but in a rubbed age finish. It's the unexpected that might shake up the room enough to feel less designr showroom perfect....does that make sense???? It's also a big block of color that's missing, yet stays with your rather neutral theme somehow....

I'm not minding the houndstooth chair that much. It's probably a little too big but I don't think it looks bad and is not part of the problem in the room. I think there's quite a bit of geometric shapes so I would suggest some fabrics with more curves. In the process, you might look towards having more color in the room.

It is really a pretty room. I agree with the advice to personalize it a bit more, especially with some whimsy or vintage something. If you cannot move the black floor lamp from the back of the chair to the side of it next to the armoire, then what would you think of trying a smaller reading lamp like this (or something similar that would not take up as much visual space, but make it a more cozy reading space)? This is expensive but is just for an example of something that takes up less visual space. I wondered if the black floor lamp might work at the end of the couch where the white shaded table lamp is now, just to balance some of the dark into that part of the room (although I think the table lamp looks great). If you are rid of the black floor lamp in that corner you could easily work in some colorful art above/beside the chair on the armoire wall, which also might diminish the chair a bit.

Here is a link that might be useful: Reading Lamp

OK clax66 and igloochick, you've outed me on the clock! Frankly I had absolutely no place else in house to put it. And the picture frame has always bothered me, no definition. I bought the picture because the first time I saw it I actually had a nanosecond of vertigo. I might redo the frame when the budget allows. Too bad about the wicker ball, I must find another spot for it, don't want to give it up.
Emilieva the sectional was from a company called Stylus Furniture. They're in Vancouver but they do sell in the US as well.
I have to tell you, as I write this post, I'm watching "Something's Gotta Give" and I'm thinking oh, why bother!? Incredible house.

Keanu's not too shabby either.
:P

As for your chair, you could change out the feet to shorter ones and it would balance better. I did that will all my furniture. You have very good taste and you're doing fine. The tweaking hints that have been given will do the trick.

I don't think the chair is actually too big, I think it's too dark, with the TV and stand being black the balance of the room is being really thrown off. Open up the light coverlet and grasp it by one corner and arrange it across the chair and replace the shape of the lamp for a light one will go a long way towards removing some of the visual weight. I might even add a pillow to match the sofa so as to carry that color across the room.

mao

Beautiful room-my eye was drawn to the rug which seemed slightly under-scaled for the room and needs to be larger. From my vantage point, the only thing sitting on the rug is the upholstered ottoman coffee table, which by the way could be scaled down to a little more petite (narrower) proportions.

Honestly? I think your room is beautiful...
I would toss the throw that's on the houndstooth chair onto your leather otto and put the big ball on the tray there too.
Add a plain, furry, pale throw onto the houndstooth chair opened up a bit and call it a day~
Lovely room!

Elsa42. You have a beautiful room to work with and a great start. You mentioned space is a premium in the room and if that is true, I would think that all the dead space unused behind the sofa where the painting, clock, and "desk" are could possibly utilized. Might be that is the only place you can put the sectional because that is a door in the back left and you have the room opening so that may be the case? Not sure I can tell from the pics if there are any other options to open up the room a little more. Seems a little tight with all the furniture bunched up on the short side.

Could possibly move that sofa/sectional to the back wall or the wall where the TV is? or to the opposite wall?

I like the chair, I think the problem is that all the furniture is all bunched up on one end of the room not that the chair is too big. Could you hang the TV on the wall and get rid of the big armoire and put in another room? The beautiful window and fireplace seem to not be played up which are the main architectural elements in the room. They are being covered up by big furniture IMHO.

From a decorating perspective the room looks a little staged or too perfect. Again it is a beautiful room with great window treatments, pretty sofa, mirror, etc. Layering (sorry to use a term that is so often overused to the extreme) with some more texture in a throw or pillows in some other fabrics like silk or velvet to add some depth would look good. I also could see a set of multiple prints on that big back wall to add some warmth. The clock doesn't go with the decor which is more transitional. Seems like you could use that wall to put a couple of leggy chairs and have more seating for later.

Here are some inspiration pics from my files of elements that might work for decorating your room.

Add some objects to the mantel that are symmetrical and with a little height.
{{!gwi}}

I agree about the lamp. Here is a photo from the Velvet & Linen blog of Brookes marina house.
{{!gwi}}

Photo grouping for large wall example
{{!gwi}}

What would your sectional do on the TV wall? A rug like this with some depth could really add something to your room. The rug you have is pretty though, just wanted to show you this sofa facing window. This room is shaped like yours.
{{!gwi}}

I just love your LR. Great Job! May I ask the color you used on the wall. New here and not sure what BM is I think the color of the paint name is sisal but can for the life of me think of BM brand of paint?

Thank You
Bebob

I wish my room looked as custom done as yours. You have done a good job.

Very nice room indeed. I do agree with other points, of personal touch and color, and the lamp suggestions, all very good points.

Bebob - Benjamin Moore - to answer your question

Love the room. Can you share your media cabinet source and tv size? I think it looks perfect!

Lovely, lovely, lovely.

Although it is a tad "professional looking" --

I think it needs something funky to give it some visual tension. Maybe a couple of brightly colored pillows or one of those glossy "genie vase" lamps in a bright color.

thanks for the info on the sofa. with regard to the several mentions of your ottoman being too large. I was thinking what a perfect size it is because everyone sitting on the sectional can use it. We have 4 kids and when all 6 of us are sitting on the couches watching the only TV, we would all love to be putting our feet on that ottoman. Instead, we fight over the little coffee table we have. I have posted a pic to show how small ours is.

Thank you all again for your comments. I promise I will try out all your suggestions, but it might take me a while!
Auntie Ellen the media cabinet was made in Ontario (Mennonite country to be specific). The TV is 46". They will modify existing designs to whatever you need, so I bought the tv and components first and then sized the unit to fit.

Kimmieb you went to alot of trouble, thank you! The room is only 19 x 10'6" wide, so it was a challenge for layout. I thought about opposing sofas but nobody wanted to look sideways at the tv, and there wasn't enough room to put a decent coffee table between them. I would have hung the tv on the wall but I didn't want the mounting hardware and the back of the tv to be the first thing I see when entering the room.
The first photo you posted is stunning. I love that striped rug. I can definitely see something like that in the room, it would help it look wider. I also love that display of art and thought about doing something like that but in the study (which you can see from the living room) I have a grouping of antique maps. Do you think it would be too much to have a similar thing in the l.r.? (I can't figure out how to get the image to post here so I added it to the original link - see first photo.)

Here is a link that might be useful: study

I think the main thing you need is color, and I think that color needs to be a warm red. I think overall it looks very pretty, but adding color through art and accessories will give it that cozy look. I would look for vintage pieces-- but stay.away.from.the.neutrals! No antique maps! I LOVE antique maps but you have enough neutrals going on. Use your space now for color!

Emelieva, the ottoman came from the same company. I like it because it's leather and easily cleaned and you're right, no fighting for foot space! Plus, it stores an amazing amount of "stuff" inside. :)

Anele, I didn't the means the maps per se, but another grouping so close to the group in the study might be a bit much.

I love your room. I love the wicker ball just where it's at. Seems to be unexpected there, and that is what your room needs. My only suggestion (besides adding beefier lamps to the desk) would be to replace the picture on the desk wall.

I'd love to see something with color there...a big honking floral in an abstract or even impressionist style. For some reason I'm seeing a big orange-red poppy.

Other than that, I'm so jealous of your nice, neat room. Even spiffed for on-line company, my LR just doesn't look neat!

Elsa thank you so much Benjamin Moore, How dumb of me. I remember what it was about 9:00pm last nite. I have had this cold for going on 3 weeks sometimes can't think.
I'm in the process of redoing my LR. It's been 4 weeks peeling 1950 wall paper. Must be three layers on the walls and ceiling. Thank you all for your wonderful ideas. Elsa you did a great job on yours. I love the color you painted. Still trying to figure that out. I was thinking of painting one wall a darker color then the walls. I have not heard any of you talking about doing that. My thoughts were that it would make the room seem longer it would be on the wall of the fireplace.
Have to go. Thank you all have a great day
Bebob

Elsa

I LOVE what you have done in your LR - it says, come in to my cozy spot & read, relax, watch TV -

Since you have inquired about further critique here's my arm chair assessment - all little tweaky type things:

- I love to see a better pic of the rug - I think I see rust color in there, which would offer a great color for accessories - pillows, ceramics etc

- Table lamp - shade is wrong & I don't know if the scale is right
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lamp-Factory-LF15977-Table-Lamp-Oxblood-Ceramic-Finish_W0QQitemZ180406822473QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLamps_US?hash=item2a0115a649
http://cgi.ebay.com/29-High-Traditional-Amber-Porcelain-Table-Lamp_W0QQitemZ170352527714QQcmdZViewItemQQptZLamps_US?hash=item27a9cd4962

- The sage couch pillows are fine, but I think the other 2 would be better suited with some punchy rug colors. They sort of say "man cave" & your room is everything but that. The patterned one particularly is throwing things off

- Trying to peak in the study - have you tried or considered swapping the chair in the study for the one in LR? or the one at the desk in LR to other end? - I can't see either very well in pics so just a thought.
Have you tried removing the floor lamp & pushing the chair back - I actually like the chair - I think I different cover for the kidney pillow would offer more.
I wonder if this would work
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/vine-floral-embroidered-lumbar-pillow-cover/?pkey=cpatterned-striped-pillows
or this
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/paisley-jacquard-pillow-cover/?pkey=cpatterned-striped-pillows

This on the couch? I'm a sucker for these
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/bird-embroidered-pillow-covers/?pkey=cpatterned-striped-pillows

- any of these?
http://www.restorationhardware.com/rh/catalog/product/product.jsp?productId=prod1613041&navAction=jump&navCount=1

- I would agree about the Grandfather clock - he just looks as if there was an after thought, no where else to house him.

- now I wonder if the desk could go where the GF clock is? either caddy or in the corner.

- The photo in frame behind the desk is not centered - on anything - I agree to the above posters who rec a different frame - but also, I like the art wall in the study & think that same feel would be suited well in LR

- I think the Ivy & some type of glass or ceramic bottle on top of TV would be better suited somewhere else.

- The throw on the chair would be better suited on the sectional

I Love shopping for others

Hopefully some of this has sparked ideas

Best to you!