Its a tough call but I "see" a REALLY BIG piece of art (or several large pices) on the wall where you have the pink flower painting along with a long, narrow rectangular table under underneath. A giant mirror could also work to bring in some more light to the room.

There are a lot of different pieces of furniture in here so I think something larger and more impactful might be a nice balance to the rest.

If it were me I would take out all the pictures in the room except the one that propped on the piana. The size and colors of the other seen wrong to me. Also I would remove the two floor lamps. I think painting the room in a gold shade would help a lot. Could you take of picture of the room facing the front door? I think there is potential in the room.

I guess this wasn't a very interesting question! Thanks to the two who responded. limogique, the three pictures kind of give you a panorama of the room. There's not much more to see. :)

A few weeks ago, an interior designer actually came to our house and gave me some ideas for this space. (I posted about it in another thread.) She initially suggested getting a 48" chest of some kind to place to the left of the door (underneath the pink flower painting) -- she also liked the painting itself and suggested putting it there.

An alternative was putting the bench in that position and getting a taller piece -- perhaps 60" high, 48" wide -- for the wall to the right of the door, something with glass doors, and hanging some of the artwork on either side. The problem with that for me is that we don't really need the storage space, and I don't like buying a big piece of furniture that doesn't serve some useful function.

Another idea she had was painting the end tables a dark green, even suggesting a color (BM Sussex Green). It's hard to see in the pictures, but they are rather battered Danish modern knock-offs, probably not worth refinishing.

We have been thinking of getting a glass coffee table, and she liked that idea (see the link for the one we like).

So any thoughts? How about the recessed light idea? TIA.

Here is a link that might be useful: Glass coffee table

The glass coffee table in the link is nice but looks too stark for your room in my opinion. How much work is it to put in recessed lighting? Is your home two story or is there an attic above the living room with easy access to put in recessed lighting? I agree with the designer that you need something to offset the fireplace at the other end of the room. Your pictures are too scattered as they are now..they look like they were just put up wherever there was a nail for them. Possibly 2 shelves one on top of the other in the center of the wall could be one less expensive answer and the pictures could be set on the shelves. THe bench could then sit under the shelves or you could put the bench under the flower painting and put a narrow table like a sofa table under the shelves with a lamp or pair of lamps on it. That would be less costly than recessed lighting. Just a suggestion. Would still like to see the walls painted a color too.

There is an unfinished attic above, so I think it would be fairly easy to put recessed lights in.

And yes, the pictures were just stuck up where there were nails to get them off the floor so we could clean this weekend.

What I like about the glass coffee table in the link is that it IS plain. Basically, one would see the carpet underneath, it wouldn't clash with anything else, and the glass would add a little brightness to the room.

Another one that's a little more ornate is in the link. The curved console table in this group is nice, too -- it might look good on the entry wall.

Here is a link that might be useful: Another glass table

I agree with a previous poster that the artwork and the floral chair do not get along well. At least not on my monitor. I do not like recessed lighting, but that is just my opinion. I also agree with your designer about a chest; the bench is too low unless you have a very big piece of art above it. You could consider hanging a quilt there. Not necessarily a traditional quilt, but maybe one like in the link below. These are fine art.
Diane

I love the fireplace wall. What a nice focal point.

Here is a link that might be useful: Art quilts

Have you considered putting the couch facing the fireplace. Then both chairs angled by the fireplace. Buy a sofa table to put behind the couch. This will define your entryway and give you the table you want. You can't put a table under the pink painting because you already have a table next to it.
For the bench wall, if you keep the bench you would need a mirror the width of the bench and tall to form one piece. (from the bench to about the height of the artwork). If you can replace it with one of those hall tree things (what are they called, they have a bench, a mirror and hooks on the side). That would balance off the fireplace and it's functional.
The lightting, go for it. If it's easy and you can do it yourself great. I wish I cound but I have a 2-story and I'm not paying for someone to do it.
I don't think the pink painting matches anything. Maybe it looks better in person. If you like it then I would switch it with the one on the piano (I like that one) but at least it gets the pink/blue away from the couch.
I love your chair. I would definitely go for the soft gold on the walls. Is there a door across from the couch now?

mlraff53, funny you mention that arrangement ... we had it set up like that for a year or so, but it was just too cluttered. There was only a small space to get through past the couch into the dining room and kitchen, and we got tired of it. And yes, there's a doorway ...

This is looking from the front door area toward the dining room (this was taken a few years ago -- please excuse the mess):

And this is with the couch facing the fireplace. After this pic was taken, we put a mission style sofa table behind the couch (matches the coffee table). In the far right of this picture, you can see the oak bookcase we had by the front door, which we moved out of the room recently.

Most of the artwork in our house was made by my mother, so I have kind of a sentimental attachment to it. I do have some other paintings that might have better colors for the room; I'll take a look tonight.

Is it cluttered because of the couch or other things. What if you go back to this arrangement but without the bookcase. Also move the piano to the bench wall if that is possible? If all else fails, when the chair has the back to the front door (with the sofa by window) put a round table on the left side of the chair.
If you get a long sofa table or some other large dresser-like piece for the bench wall, then put the bench where the bookcase use to be (again with a large vertical mirror).