I agree that a gray might work well.

A warm gray would contrast with the marble and tile in the fireplace, highlighting it, deepen the mood of the room and make it more den-like. I am actually reading the current light yellow as a bit cold due to the size of the room and the really warm floor and marble color.

I love the sofa and fabric. I would look at FnB colors for a nice grey. I like the fact that they have a rather edited selection, whereas BM has a whole fan, 75% of which I doubt anyone uses.

You have a common dilemma in the room layout. The fpl is the most attractive focal point, the Tv is the practical focal point. But your sofa cant face both. I'd strongly consider removing the built in TV. You can get a very large Sony Bravia no thicker than an iPad and wireless except for power. You may even Opt to hang it over the fpl. They arent ugly anymore. The built in is a bit awkward, neither period nor modern.

I agree with getting rid of the built in.

I love the sofa!

Keep us posted!

You have a beautiful home. The moldings are fab.

Thanks so much for the responses. Sounds like gray is a good place to start for paint colors.

palimpsest: You know as many times as I've sat in that room, I never really focused on the colors in the surround. Funny how we overlook the most obvious inspiration. The PO was really into pastels so we've been going room by room trying to warm things up.

mtnrdredux: We didn't put much effort into the design of the built-in, but I really like it tucked in the corner and TV-watching where it is is okay. I didn't want the TV to be the first thing you see when you walk into the room so it being in the corner takes care of that. If we put the TV over the FP it would put the TV front and center, but wouldn't that require we put the sofa in front of it, blocking the entry into the room? Please let me know if I'm missing something but I'm not sure why we would move the TV. Also, any thoughts on modifications to the built-ins?

atkillery: Thanks for the compliments on our home. I'm excited about "dressing" her up.

So if we go with gray walls, any suggestions on rugs?

Your home has really beautiful bones. I look forward to seeing your progress.

That London sofa is gorgeous. I think it will work perfectly. I might try to position chairs across from the sofa (or maybe a chaise?) instead of flanking the fireplace to provide a conversation space for when you are entertaining.

I'm sorry I don't love your built in either. Would you consider using that beautiful chest as a TV stand?

Would roman blinds work for you (and your dogs) instead of the roller shades? Several on GW have shared pictures of really lovely roman blinds in their homes.

I would put the TV (if that's not a flat-screen TV, then you might have to invest in a new one) on a pretty piece of furniture (like a low bureau) on the right side of the fireplace. Use the TV to balance to asymmetry of the window on the left side of the FP. Then the sofa facing the fireplace wall -- I don't think having the back of the sofa facing the doorway is ideal, but IMO it might be your best option. Maybe an armchair in front of that window to the left of the FP, facing the sofa. A nice sofa table/console along the back of the sofa. It doesn't appear that your floor plan is to scale so it's hard to tell, but maybe another armchair (maybe smaller scale) sort of in front of where the TV would be, pulled out and angled. Hard for me to be sure, not being in the space, but I definitely think moving the TV is the place to start.

I personally would get the sofa in the solid color, and use the floral for a chair. Maybe something like Ben Moore Stone Hearth on the walls?

With the yellow and taupe-ish colors, an accent like turquoise/aqua could be great.

Smith and Noble. Blinds Galore, etc... various online shops have "fancier" roller shades that you could check out. Even JC Penney, I think, has some fabric roller shades. You could also jazz them up with a glued-on strip of trim from the fabric store along the bottom edge, or cool shade pulls.

And finally, some fabulous piece of art for over the fireplace. I'd go a bit bigger than the mirror you have there now.

Great start with the fabrics you've chosen. It looks like a beautiful house!

OOps, I just looked at your floor plan again and tried to estimate the width of your room based on the dimensions you provided on either side of the FP. Placing the sofa as I suggested probably means you'd have to go with a smaller sofa. 97" is a huge sofa!

I know grey is the "fad" now, but I'd go with something else. OTOH, I like uplifting colors, not necessarily all pastels.

I think your built-in is fine. But I would decorate it a bit more to make the corner really stand out. Nothing wrong with two focal points.

Do a web search on "decorative roller shades" and you'll get a lot of results in fabulous patterns and colors.

Your home is GORGEOUS!

I've been watching this thread as my so many people I know have a similiar layout (we used to have one too like this) but I found the furniture arrangement with a fireplace and TV competing for furniture placement as always a challenge.

Your particular room is at least a "dead end" which I think helps. What do you think of placing your CL cabinet on the right side of the fireplace (facing the entryway). You could then place something of height on the cabinet to give the window on the left balance on the wall overall.

Couch selection is awesome. I personally would have it done in grey, and use the fabric on the right as a chair with pillows on the couch to match. With such a big sofa, I would be concerned that the print may be too much, perhaps not though.

A new rug unifying the new colors would pull it all together.

The sofa choice is great - will give you that transitional look you want. I don't think I would want grey walls and a grey sofa. Could be because I have light grey walls and hate them. THey are dead.
Does your room get alot of light?
97 does sound long - will it give you enough space on both sides of the sofa for end tables/lamps>?
Transitional to me - and I certainly could be wrong - is a clean uncluttered space. If you have too much furniture, you may lose the look you want.
Having 5 people in that space shouldn't be a problem - remember you can always pull a comfy chair from your dining room for when you have guests
As for your entertainment space - don't poke the tiger, if DH says it stays try to work with the space.
Depending on the wall color, you may want to paint it the same color so it blends away, or black/espresso to match whatever tables you choose.

What sort of rug are you looking for? Traditional? Wool? Etc?

Do you want a lighter color?

Here is one option...

Here is a link that might be useful: Rug

I was looking through the latest Crate and Barrel catalog last night after I saw this thread, and one page jumped out at me. The room has dark grey walls and there's a splash of gold woodwork that reminded me of the marble color in your fireplace. The picture will give you an idea of how the colors will work together. I think dark walls will look great in your room. I also love the touch of purple or an aubergine. That would go with your print fabric too.

I think if you did such a large piece of furniture in the print, the sofa would become the focal point in the room. That's really going to grab your eye upon entering. I'd probably save the print for chairs on either side of the fire place or for drapes or pillows.

The Crate and Barrel website won't let me link directly to the page so you'll have to leaf through to pages 46-47.

Here is a link that might be useful: grey and gold

You all are really awesome. Thanks so much for holding my hand through this. DH says the built-in stays and I'm okay with that. A bit more information about the room and our house. The FP in the den is pretty, but non-working so it provides great inspiration but no functionality. This really is our TV-watching room. We have a wood-burning FP in our formal living room and that's where we entertain if not watching TV and hang out with friends. (That'll be the next room we tackle so stay tuned!)

pricklypearcactus, oakleyok: The CL cabinet is a Lane chest so those are fake drawer fronts. The top lifts up and we store our TV watching blankets in it (amazing faux furs from Fabulous Furs!). We love roman shades and have them in our kitchen. Do you think we'll miss the softness of window treatments in this room? I would think we�d need panels or something to soften the windows.

sueb20: Thanks for the accent color suggestion. DH is against mass manufactured art so whereas I would go to Home Goods and load up on art I like but not necessarily love just to have something on the wall, he doesn't want to hang anything we don't love. Hence the blank walls. I'm looking at consignment shops so hopefully we'll come across larger scale pieces without breaking the bank.

aloha2009: The built-in stays but how do I balance the window on the other side of the FP? Should I put the chest next to the FP? I'm definitely going grey or dark brown with the couch and not with the floral fabric.

aktillery: DH and I are more attracted to rugs with lighter backgrounds. I've posted a few options below. Cleaning up after a recently ill dog reminded us we really shouldn't put too much money in our rugs. They'll likely be replaced every few years.

jeannie01: I love the look of the sofa. We're going to the only store in our area that carries the line to test it out. I hope it's comfortable. If not, I'm back to square one.

chickade2: Thanks so much for the C&B magazine link. I'm a very visual person so it's helpful to see it all together. AND purple is DH's favorite color so we may have a winner there.

Here are a few rugs I really like.

My favorite but it's a Horchow and outside my budget. Anyone know of a similar look with smaller price tag?

These are from Home Decorators so more affordable. I like them, too don't love either.

So if we go with a dark gray sofa and a rug with a goldish background, would you all still go with gray on the walls? Should we go with roman shades only or add panels on the sides? How about deep purple as an accent color? I saw one in the C&B eCatalog and it made me drool.

What a beautiful house! Would your DH be opposed to simply moving the built-in to the corner near the fireplace? I think I'd have doors put on the front, so that you could close it off when you don't want to see it, and I'd probably paint it a darker color so that the TV isn't a big black hole.

I think a 97" sofa will be too massive in that room... a typical couch is 84", and your room doesn't appear very large. They make that sofa in an 87" size; I'd opt for that. The solid fabric would be more versatile if you ever decide to change up your decor.

I'd put the Lane chest on the wall where the TV is now, with a comfy chair angled toward the fireplace.

You might think of painting the fireplace mantle a deep brown. With gold walls, it would really stand out nicely (and give it a little more weight).

I LOVE the floral in your inspiration fabrics - pillows on your sofa would be so gorgeous in that.

An ottoman for a coffee table would be great for when you need extra seating... just push it over in front of the TV and you've got seating for five (3 on couch, 1 on chair, 1 on ottoman).

What fun you'll have with such a pretty room - can't wait to see what you decide to do with it!

Have you checked out dark grey walls on houzz.com? I'm attaching a link below. I think you're going to need a definite contrast if you go with a grey sofa. Personally, I like the drama of the darker grey on the wall and a lighter grey on the sofa if you decide to do both in grey.

Here is a link that might be useful: [dark grey walls[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/dark-grey-living-room-phbr0lbl-bl~l_62763)

Thanks chickadee2 for pointing out what works in these rooms- the light/dark contrast. So I've spent some time taking a closer look at inspiration pics of family rooms with grey walls and I just don't see it working for us. The rooms are beautiful, but we want a dark sofa and a cozy room which in my mind means darker walls. Dark walls, dark sofa isn't quite what we're going for.

So here are the elements so far.
London Sofa in a dark grey/brown fabric.

Inspiration Rug:

Inspiration fabric:

Leading accent color is purple/aubergine and gold.

Would it be too boring to go with Golden Ecru, the same wall color as in the center hall?

I'd like the WT to blend with the wall color so should we go with simple roman shades in a linen maybe or shades and panels in a goldish color?

How about a dark grey leather ottoman?

The built in is sabotaging the layout potential of the room. It also doesn't work at all stylistically. It's too big and white. Of course DH doesn't want to give it up. He's a guy and guys lose their mother's umbilical only to replace it with an attachment to the TV remote as soon as they pop out of the womb. The thing is that it's the white elephant in the room, and the room could be so much BETTER without it. A thin TV placed over the fireplace would unite the focal points, and an unobtrusive cabinet to the right of the fireplace could house the associated electronics and not dominate the room the way that BIG WHITE TV CABINET does now. You have to convince him that there is a better solution for the TV that will make viewing it more pleasant.

Well, I thought the TV built-in was a reasonable solution. This is their TV room after all--there's no reason for the fireplace to be the focal point, especially since they have another living space that has a working fireplace.

I'm not saying to block the fireplace, because it does add something to the room. But the TV can be the main focal point in a TV room.

I'd suggest painting the built-in the same color as the wall, to make it not stand out quite so much as it does when it's all white.

I'd go with a sofa along the long wall, with two comfortable chairs opposite it, and a coffee table in between.

The chairs would be on castors, so that they could easily be moved into TV watching position when visitors come over. The coffee table would ideally be two or more smaller tables or wooden cubes that can be moved with the chairs to provide side tables when the chairs are in TV position.

(I've just been re-reading Little Women and some other books by Louisa May Alcott and I was struck by how much they seemed to move furniture around. Someone is always wheeling a chair up to a fireplace for a visitor entering from the winter cold. There really isn't any reason a chair can't be put on wheels and moved to where you need it to be now. Furniture doesn't all have to be static.)

To balance the window on the left of the fireplace, I'd get a shelving unit, which could hold the DVD collection, maybe in attractive boxes, and some books.

What I'm hearing you say is that you don't want the tv to be the first thing people see when they walk in the room yet you DO want to use that room for primarily TV watching. Given these facts, I would leave the TV right where it is in the cabinet that you have. It is hubby's room too and that is what he wants. We must always consider the FUNCTION of a room first. With a TV over the fireplace, it WOULD be the first thing you would see. Actually, in the corner it is in, your focus would be also the direction of your front door where your guests enter, much better IMO than having your back to your guests. Love your couch and rug choices. I would resist going dark on your walls however. A dark couch will suck up the light and you don't want it TOO dark. I would just pick out a coordinating paint color on your strip that is not too dark. I would also consider adding some molding and glazing your tv cabinet after everything else is in place so it will coordinate a little more. Love the idea of an ottoman for a coffee table as well as possible seating. I would do leather. I would also just take it a step at a time and get things little by little, and only buy what you really love. Can't wait to see how it all turns out!

NOT that I want to go around defending DH's and their attachment (literal or figurative) to TV's, but I'd work on everything else right now. If you eventually move the TV you still have all the other elements in place. I would not move the TV over that particular style of fireplace. I was going to suggest before someone else did, that the TV cabinet should be painted a dark furniture color or wall color. I thought the hall paint might work well in there, but I don't know which is more accurate: the picture of the hall or the paint chip. The rugs with "bursts" compete with your inspiration fabric, imo.

I really am thankful for everyone's comments and I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed. For me the kitchen remodel seems easy compared to this stuff! I'm taking your advice and slowing down a bit because I don't want to make a costly mistake.

karen.iz: With such a large, out of scale sectional in the room now, I admit I'll need to double check going with the 97" sofa. Especially since we don't have end tables or ottomans in the space today. Luckily we get to check out the exact sofa for comfort in person in a few weeks when the sample gets back to the only store that carries the line within a 2 hour's drive. I'll also tape out the sofa and end tables on the floor before we decide to order.

hollysprings: I really appreciate the built-in may not maximize the layout opportunities of the room, but its location works for us. Plus DH reminded me that he doesn't like sitting with his back to the door which is another reason for its placement.

I truly appreciate everyone's comment that the built-in needs some work, but I'm going to take advice from joanie30's, camlan's and others and leave the built-in alone for now. Come back to it when other elements of the room are done and decide what needs to change.

camlan: Chairs on casters is a great idea. I was sitting in the den last night and I completely forgot about needing floor space for our 2 large dogs to hang out. Plus I think less furniture is better for this room and for the transitional style we prefer. So I'm leaning towards only one chair in the room on casters. To your point, I can put a second comfy chair on casters in the entry way or LR so we could easily pull it into the den when we need it. Problem solved! 90% of the time it's only DH and I in the room so we really don't need 2 chairs. Also, we'll have ottomans in the space that will provide additional short-term seating.

I like your idea of a shelving unit on the other side of the FP to balance the window. I like that idea because it gives us display space for family pictures.

joanie30, andee: You really hit the head on the nail about the TV so thanks for articulating it so clearly. I've decided against dark walls and leaning towards sticking with the colors on the paint strip. Once I find a rug and the exact fabric for the sofa, we'll decide which color works best.

On the layout front: If we go with one chair, where would you put it? I like the idea of a shelving unit on the other side of the FP to balance the window and for display. What would you then do with the storage chest?

Here's an inspiration shot from houzz. Should I be looking for a unit like this? I like that it's open on the sides and back so it doesn't look so heavy, but will this be too modern next to our very traditional FP?

[

[traditional family room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2107) by salt lake city general contractor Candlelight Homes

So what do you all think of these chairs? They're all from MGBW so I can get them in our inspiration fabric. Am I even close?

Chair 1- My favorite but does it look too much like the sofa?

I like chair one and love your inspiration pic!

"How do we make the FP more special? It doesn't work but it's pretty and I think should be the focal point."

The problem is that you can't have it as the focal point and have the room work for TV viewing unless you put the TV either in the corner next to the fireplace or over the fireplace. And that's why I think the best choice would be to move the TV cabinet to the corner next to the fireplace and paint it a dark color so it disappears. As others have observed, being large and white, it draws the eye---and not in a good way. That will let you have the sofa on the same wall as you intended, but just shift all of the room's focuses to be together.

Or place a flat screen over the fireplace with a picture that can slide up or be folded back against the wall when you want to watch TV, but covers it to hide it when you don't want the TV to be visible.

Putting it behind a two way mirror is also a possibility, but that's a little more expensive.

{{gwi:1415361}}

That allows the fireplace to remain as the room's focal point as you want, but also allows for it to function as a TV den.

GreenDesigns: I now appreciate wanting the FP to be the focal point but keeping the built-in are competing goals. You posted some great solutions but we've decided the built-in and TV are staying where they are. I'm thinking a larger scale mirror or piece of art over the fireplace is all that it needs.

I have read most of the advice given you and looked at your pictures again. I think if you would paint your TV built-in a darker color and your fireplace surround the same color, it would look better. I think I would paint the walls either a light, light gray or a cream color n(lighter version of your hall). Then I would get the couch and rug you love....I love them also... and get two chairs with rollers, for the wall across from the couch, with lamp and small table between. If you use a storage ottoman for a coffee table...that will take care of your cozy TV watching blankets. I personally would not get a bookcase for the side of the fireplace....I think you have a nice clean looking room and any more furniture would clutter it up. If you want to keep your cedar chest in the room....put it in the corner, with a mirror above it and a tallish lamp. Floor lamp at the end of the couch and you have a very nice looking room. Just my 2 cents.