Would also like feedback on the wall color. I'm wondering if that is the problem. Although it will be a pain to change it, I wonder if something more terracotta-burnt orange would work better? Or will that be too dark? This room doesn't have windows.

Yes, the wall color is not working with the sofas. I see a beige , but anyone of the other colors in the sofa could work.
Beige would be a neutral backsdrop and then you can bring in some colorful art.

Everything looks very unrelated. I would work on the floor plan and how you want the room function (including what you want add - more storage (maybe buit in), extra seating whatever it is). Carpets are not in proportion to the space or scale of the furniture. A media room but you still don't have a lot of light so I'm not sure about going darker on the colour overall. I think a couch that contrasts with the room colour is OK but then you need to re-inforce the rest of the colour scheme with multiple elements. I'm not a beige person and I would worry it will make the room feel dull. Adding a second colour or an accent is another possibility. Good luck.

I think the walls are way too yellow for the space. There is a nice shade of beige in the sofa and I would put that on the walls...it would help tie in the floor color better too. The rugs are not that interesting and the brown is very brown.

Another problem I have is with the room layout in that, you want to see something interesting when you walk in the room...right now, I see the back of a sofa, the side of a computer table and the side of a window treatment that has no return, and a post. I also see a pendant fixture that hangs over nothing.

I would replace the pendant fixture with something more appropriate for the space...semi flush mount or another track fixture to direct the light.

I would replace the window treatment with something much larger...floor to ceiling with side panels, a sheer in the middle to make the window feel larger than it is and to fill that wall space. (I have even seen them mount mirror below a window so the reflected light gives a sense of a larger window behind the sheers.) This would get more fabric in the room for a cozier feeling.

I would want to rotate the TV and the sectional 90 degrees so the sectional is welcoming as you walk in the room, not have its back to you. I would also want to rotate the computer station 90 degrees so you see the screen when you walk in, not the side....if you are going to leave it there.

I would maybe try to use the book case as a room divider between the computer and the tv viewing area. Get some wicker baskets or bins to hid the junk in the bookcase but keep them storage friendly. Not sure just from the pictures, but I know the layout is troubling me.

Once that is done, then get larger carpeting for the seating area, and then move on to wall decor, side tables and lamps.

I think your problem element is the floor - hard, overpowering grid, very harsh contrast dark grout, light tiles. The nearly white tiles don't go with anything in your room. It's the opposite of cozy.

Wall-to-wall carpet or a room-sized remnant would help tremendously in giving the room a cozy feel. Much warmer, quieter, softer, better acoustics.

That's a really nice fabric on the couch - pick up a color from that for your carpet - a blue, or a soft rosy rust, mocha brown. Pick one of the darker colors on the couch - if you use a lighter color or shade, the floor will tend to rise visually and seem closer to the ceiling. Maybe some area rugs on top of carpet to define areas.

The rest of your fix is furniture rearranging, some accessories, paint which is soooo much less expensive than re-upholstering. How about a very soft light gold or an ivory? Get some poster board or white cardboard so you can do big samples - 3'x3' before you go ahead and paint. Pick paint color after carpet is in place - at least with a remnant you can roll it up while you paint.

Can you put the TV where the desk is? That way you don't see a big black rectangle when you walk in, and the couch faces you invitingly. Put your shelves on either side of the TV for more of a built-in appearance, fill shelves with books, art, photos, silk plants. No empty shelves, but no clutter or crowding either. Clutter goes in wicker boxes on the shelves.

Certainly get better chairs for the desk - it would be better to replace the desk with a wood desk or table coordinating with your other furniture. I'm a big Craigslist fan myself - you could also look for a coffee table or big ottoman that works with the couch.

Annie's idea for the window is a good one. Make it look bigger. Another approach: you could have a shelf or desk under it, maybe some plants, and a bamboo shade mounted nearly as high as the ceiling and wider than the window, as wide as the shelves you have under it. You could even put vertical framed mirrors on either side of the window and have the blind cover them when down. I'd be inclined to match your trim color on this shelf. If you have a shelf and a desk there, paint them to match.

Any lights suspended from the ceiling make it look lower. Get rid of them. You might consider recessed lights. Use plenty of area lighting - three to five floor, desk and table lamps. If you paint the ceiling a shade or two lighter than the room it will recede, the lines between wall and ceiling will soften. The sides of the duct box should match the ceiling, not the walls.

And after all this is in place, your wall art.

I just read your room doesn't have windows.

What is that window-looking thing? What's on the other side?

Thanks for all the great feedback.

This room was formally a hang-out spot for my older children, but I've finally gotten serious about getting it looking good (while still being family-comfy). Buying the sectional was the first step.

Things to note (based off of comments and questions):

Definitely agree about the area rug. The rug that's down now used to be much larger (twice that size), but it got damaged, so I separated the pieces. One is folded and resides under the computer station (not sure why I bothered with that). I plan to throw these away because they shed like crazy!

Lightning: I agree that more light is needed. I definitely plan on getting 2-4 more lamps to brighten up the space and add to the decor. Will remove pendant light also.

Room "window"-That window looks into another room in the basement. I guess I should've clarified and said that the basement doesn't get any light in from the window. Will definitely get better window panels. Something solid.

I did some web browsing and found some pictures that closely relate to what I'm going for. I don't want to do neutral walls because this wall used to be beigey/tannish and the room looked really dingy.

Inspiration picture: (I would love to mimic the wall color and burgundy, black and brown accent colors):

Another possible wall color: too dark?

How's this for a floor covering? We sometimes have issues with rainwater coming in, so I'd prefer something that is easily to pick up and dry. This comes in a 5x7 size (and is super cheap. I could get several to create one unified piece. Is this a good color or should I go for a chocolate brown?

Feedback is greatly appreciated. Would especially like to know if you think my wall and floor covering choices are good fits for the sectional.

You might want to look for an indoor/outdoor rug. They have a large selection now in all sizes and colors. Moisture would not be an issue as they can be hosed off for cleaning.

My concern is that in order to go with a wall color that dark, there needs to be tons of lighting in the room. Way back, Candace Olson redid a small room in a basement...it was about 12x16 or something. I counted and she had 21 sources of lights in that space between ceilings, wall sconces, book case lighting, lamps, etc.

Perhaps you can compromise and use the deep color on just one accent wall. Use fabric to cover the window that coordinates to bring the deep color to the 2nd wall and use furniture/art to spread it further around the room.

I like the idea of pushing that sectional against the wall in the far corner to make it more welcoming and putting the TV where the computer is. Then you can center the computer desk under the window and create a separate space there....or like your inspiration room, delete the computer and add a round games table.

If you have water in the basement issues, i would look at either carpet squares or indoor/outdoor carpeting that will not rot and dry quickly. Also be sure not to use a pad and the carpet should be loose, not glued down.

The colors in your inspiration rooms are beautiful but they seem a lot warmer than the red tones in your couch and they may not work with it. Could just be the photos. But now is paint chip time - get a bunch that look good to you, lay them on the couch and post a pic of the ones that look best.

Anyway if you go with wall colors as deep as the ones in the photos, off-white carpeting would work well; if you go with lighter colors, I'd pick a darker rug than the one you've shown - it's a deep beige and you haven't liked beige in that room - chocolate brown ought to work.

Carpet squares are a great idea - get some extras so you have the color matched if you need to replace any due to water damage.

I see a very pretty cream mocha on the walls. I have that color,, It's like when you have coffee with cream in it. Thats the color. I love it because it's so easy to match.
Your couch is very busy and the wall color should be changed The black entertainment center needs to be painted or a new one.

The computer works OK in that corner, but the industrial look folding chairs, the carpet stuffed under the desk, and the work surface are bringing down the tone of the room.

The couch is good, providing it's comfortable.

the fastest way to make a difference is with paint. Wall color ... go lighter. Way lighter. Match the palest beige in the couch and then ask for a 50% nmix (half the pigment)

Or go darker, again way darker. A rich terracotta or deep grey-purple to go with the couch colors would make the media room look ultra-cozy.

Having dark walls would make anything on the walls - such as movie posters or wall textiles stand out. As long as they aren't reflective, you can go crazy with the artwork. It's annoying in a media room to see reflected flickers o the on-screen action.

Instead of the small shelving unit, make a full-width shelf unit across that wall, and wrap it around the corner to pick up the computer work station.

The bonus to interlocking carpet squares, to my way of thinking, is that you can leave a square out to fit around the post! I don't think you'll be as happy trying to piece together multiple rugs; I picture them bunching up and tripping people. Could you just cover the window thing with a large picture? Unless it serves some function (serving movie snacks or checking in on kids from the other room), a window to nowhere would bug me. Your inspiration terracotta room has better light sources, so keep that in mind. However, low light rooms can look very rich with darker colors, so I think you're on the right track. Are recessed can lights a possibility?

The wall color is your biggest problem.
It is easy to make the mistake of thinking that yellow will make the room sunny. Strong yellow is the most anxiety producing color, particularly in a closed, underlit space. It really only works in a place with lots of strong natural light.

So if it were me, the first thing I'd do is choose a pale, creamy, yellow-toned neutral like Benjamin Moore's Linen White for the walls, and a bright, high-gloss white for any trim. It will lift the room up out of the ground, and keep the sunny warmth you want better than any other color.

Then you need a more workable and less disjointed arrangement.
I'd rotate the sectional and TV 90 degrees - put the television on the wall where the bookcases are now, with one on either side of the TV. Then you can paint the one wall behind the TV and the shelves that great terra cotta (firenze, from Benjamin Moore's Affinity line, is a gorgeous one...not too pink, not too red, not too dark), and add movie posters on either side of the bookcases.

Place the sectional so that the support column falls right at the corner, and the back of the sofa that crosses the room is flush with the back edge of the column. Set a long narrow sofa table behind the sectional, and a side table between the sectional and the wall, with lamps with clean white shades on both. Hang a tall mirror on the wall above the side table, to break up the expanse of wall on that side, and throw the light around.

Find a slender bookcase that is the width of the little window and comes up to the sill (or as close as you can get it). Put a matchstick blind at the ceiling above the window, and let it just cover the upper trim. Hang a slender pair of very simple curtains out to the side on a rod at the ceiling. Those elements will settle the window into the room.

Then find an attractive table for your computer, and set it against the wall to the left of the window, with wall shelves above it if you need them, or a nice pale pretty print...or both. Add a good swing arm lamp on the side wall to light up the corner, and give you task lighting. Move your pretty floor lamp to the corner to the right of the window, and set a comfortable chair there, facing into the room across the corner.

Set a round or square table and four slender chairs in the corner where the computer is now, with a swing arm floor lamp, that you can use as a game table. Hang a long mirror on the wall there, too, to elongate the view and increase the light. Put a pair of lamps on the two bookcases flanking the TV, add an ottoman in front of the sofa with a big tray on it to use as a coffee table, and you're done!

I think you can find everything you need at the consignment store, or yard sales, or on Craigslist...be prepared to give some things a coat of white or terra cotta or deep green paint, to do this on a reasonable budget. Rugs can come last, once your arrangement suits you.
Whew. That was fun!!