What are you looking to change? Paint? Furniture?

two initial questions - does the couch have to be in that corner, and does the TV have to be on that wall?

I'm mostly looking for ways to decorate and make it look more "lived in." Not sure what would look good over the fireplace - art, mirror, ironwork?

I'm having trouble committing to a color scheme - the couch is an olive green color and the wall paint is River Sand from Behr. We desperately need some sort of end tables, or perhaps a sofa table behind the sectional.

We are pretty committed to the TV on that wall - all of the wires for the components go through that wall into the cabinets in the laundry room (which is behind the TV wall.)

I think we also need to keep the sectional where it is - we tried it on the other side of the room, but it cut off the flow from our kitchen. We were thinking of maybe adding a leather chair where the kids' small table and chairs are right now.

I would move the TV to the wall below the four windows. Then rotate the seating so that the one side of the sectional backs up to the tile floor area, and the other side sits on the wall with the single window. The child's table and chair set could be put on the wall near the fireplace where the tv is now. That wall could also have a console table and a lamp, some art, or even a run of low bookcases with art hung above and wall-mounted lamps.

You need lamps and end tables, I can see. Are you also planning on a low entertainment cabinet of some kind below where the tv hangs? You could also possibly add another chair to the left of the fireplace once you rotate the furniture.

Since you can't move the TV wall...can you move the sectional closer to that wall? I mean away from the wall it's resting against.

I'd like it if you could rotate it 90 degrees...bring the shorter end toward the camera angle.

I'd like to see a tall table, like a sofa table or high console along the 4 window wall. Put some lamps and/or other tall pieces, even lean a tall painting against the wall, but setting on that table. I wouldn't hang pics on that wall.

A mantle would be nice, but if you can't do it, then get rid of the glass inserts and put up a nice metal screen. You definitely need something above the fireplace, but I think I'd lean toward a cool big clock.

Color scheme, I'd add some orange to this room, pumpkin, rust, even copper. Punch it up a bit, and since you're in the desert, go with desert tones.

Oh, and change out your ceiling fan with something heftier than that white one.

You also need a colorful rug in there. Since you've got kids, and it's a family room...go with family friendly.

pesky1 - thank you for the great ideas! I think I'm going to look for some rust/pumpkin pillows for the couch to punch it up a bit. I also love the idea of a sofa table behind the couch on the window wall - it will allow for some color back there without hanging anything on the wall. If I put a sofa table there...would you recommend I center it on the wall, or center it behind the couch? (meaning it would be off-center on the wall)

I'd love to do a clock...but I already have a big one in my kitchen! I was thinking of doing a round mirror with a heavy frame to "match" the clock in the kitchen...

I think I'd center the sofa table behind the sofa, not the wall. I'm afraid it would be too much weight on the fireplace end of the wall if you centered it there. You could always put a chair or a plant between the sofa and the fireplace to balance the sofa table.

A big round mirror would be awesome. Glad you like the idea of the pumpkin color, I think it will be so cozy!

I started working on this before all of the great suggestions. I need to check back here WHILE I am working, not after. Duh!

Didn't get a chance to find an endtable or lamp. I did manage to pick up the toys and put them in the basket though :)

Anyway, this is me goofing off today.

{{!gwi}}

I might put a mural on that wall, then hang tiny bamboo curtains in each of the windows, like this...

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... your choice of murals, but all kinds of things could be done with paint. If you want a modern look, you could go for horizontal stripes around the room either in different colors, or more subtly with flatter and glossier paint in the same color. I like what Paint Chips did... it makes the windows a feature, like artwork.

I think the couch needs to come out of the corner...float it a foot or so off the walls. A nice tall plant for that corner would look good. A wood end table, floor lamp and a matching coffee table would add some more texture. I love sofa tables but I am not sure if it will work here. I think a long table could go under the tv...maybe a sofa table or some sort of console to hide stereo components or toys. I like the iron work picture above the fireplace. I am not as hip into the mirrors over the fireplace. I wonder what it would look like if you painted the area above the fireplace a darker color to pick up on the stone, like an accent wall that coordinates with the other wall color you chose. Maybe 2 shades darker over the fireplace. I like what paintchip did with the ceiling. A cheaper alternative that would fancy up the room would be to just add paint grade crown molding.

WOW! I'm stunned - you all have such amazing ideas!

paint_chips - I am in love with the iron work you did - I saw something similar for over the fireplace this weekend and now I"m tempted to go out and buy it right now! Love the treatment for the little windows too.

gk5040 - I think I'll definitely pull the couch out - we used to have it set up that way in our old room (with a tree behind it as well!) And I love the idea of painting the area above the fireplace a different color - that would make it stand out more.

oceanna - the mural is a neat idea too. I've seen some shows on HGTV where they do the horizontal stripes and I thought that might be a neat application here.

And thanks for "picking up" the toys! With our addition, we even built a playroom....yet the toys still find their way into the family room! Definitely need a solution for that.

What kind of end tables are looking for? Since its a family room some family photos in nice frames I think would look great. Maybe an Alphabet puzzle rug in the corner for the kids.

Yes -- pull out the sofa -- and let it face the fireplace.

Then add a row of dark tall brown bookshelves under the tiny windows.

And add a long low cabinet under the TV -- so that it doesn't look like it might float away! THEN look for a couple of Tuscan-inspired artworks for over the TV cabinet.

Yes -- a round mirror would be lovely over the fireplace -- and I do like the custom grillworks in the small windows.

Wonderful idea to add copper accents to the room!

Here is a link that might be useful: art.com -- Tuscan landscapes

I love your windows - if I ever build a house again they are the first thing going in the plan.

What do you think about this for balancing the room out?

I think I'm looking for some smaller-scale round end tables. I feel like right now I've got too much square/rectangular things going on in there and I want to soften it a bit. I'm having a hard time finding round!

daisyadair - I like the idea of balancing - I might have to try that. Thanks for the compliments on the windows - they let in the right amount of light and I don't have to stare at my neighbor's house! :)

azmama - you are so right about round end tables. In my living room I have little tables like these -

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What a pretty room.
I love those wood beams that Paint chips added!!

Here is a copper round mirror from Grand in Rod.

$199.00 - 21.5" D or your could find a cheaper one and do a paint treatment to it.

I would definately pull the sectional out from the walls. Wonder what it would look like making a V from the fireplace??

Console for under the TV - it would be a great place to store the kids toys!!

This is a cool copper accent table.
>
I thought Grand in rod had some pretty cool artwork, too. Might want to look there.

Anyways, just some ideas.
Get those furniture gliders and start playing around with the sectional.

Smiles:)

Love those round end tables! I hope I can find something like that soon..

Paint chips - did you find that picture of the iron scrollwork above the fireplace online somewhere? I'd love to know what store. I'm going to hit Kirkland's Home store this week - I think I saw something similar there.

Thanks for the feedback everyone. I am recovering this week fron an injury and bored, bored, bored, bored, bored! It is SPRING outside which makes it worse! Because I can't do much, I thought I would at least try to make myself useful on Garden Web. :)

Az- Your piece over the mantle was actually resized from something I found online. I know Hobby Lobby and Garden Ridge get tons of stuff every year. Also try garden centers. I couldn't find an online source because I guess that shipping for something that large and heavy is prohibitive.

The windows were pieces from an iron shop online that I scaled to fit your window. Those were almost 15", but they have different designs in different sizes. They have a 200 page book of iron that is great fun to look at (but their web navigation is less than stellar)

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I think you are right about a lighter table. I love that your furniture is so grounded, but a little lightness would be great. Something like that one in Daisy's living might be nice.

OH! I love those mirrors Johnatemp posted! I have copper on the brain right now. I have been searching for months for the perfect vintage copper tray to go under my dog dishes. (Yes, you read that right:)

Az,

In regard to the drifting toys, have you read "Don't Shoot the Dog" by Karen Pryor?

Another thing that might be interesting would be a wide vertical stripe of color encompassing each window. That might "ground" those windows.

Oceanna - nope haven't read that book! Although the toys are for my kids, not the pets! ;) If I could train my kids as well as my parents have trained their dogs....then I might have to pick up that book, LOL!

Love the stuff on grandin road - definitely see some possibilities there!

I have similar windows in my kitchen, does anyone have any ideas for me also? I am stumped!!

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/weethreegirls/april049.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/weethreegirls/april050.jpg
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f339/weethreegirls/april051.jpg

Not sure if this will work for you, but we had similar windows in our FR. I had originally wanted to leave the windows bare, but the hardware on the windows was unusually large so I found some square decorative metal wall hangings at Pier1 and put them over each window. I had seen this type of treatment a long time ago at a model home and it helped to take the focus off of the hardware. HTH

You're probably not interested in more construction, but I think a wall of built-in bookcases underneath those windows, terminating about a foot to 18 inches below the lower sill, would do a lot for those "floating" windows. Display colored glass or interesting objets d'art on the top of the bookcase. The light coming in from those windows will make it difficult to see any art properly, and for the same reason you would not put the TV on that wall.