First, let me say that I live in a house with 8 ft ceilings, and so have no experience with the soaring spaces that can present some unique decorating challenges.

But what strikes me right off is the rug. It needs to be bigger. And the chairs could be brought in more to have a cozy conversational area. But before you get a bigger rug, you need to really think about what colors you are going to want to live with (I am dealing with this now in my LR. I bought an oriental in a blue green color- love the rug but not crazy about blue greens. A potentially expensive mistake when now trying to decide on furniture fabric).

I love your couch! and it looks like it has the heft that a room like that needs. If you are going to keep the couch, you could use it to build your colors around. And I would think about some nice tiling around the fireplace with a mantle that is modern but again has some heft. There is a thread on fireplaces over on the gallery side that can give you some ideas.

Add some lamps and pillows to the rug and you have a nice space while you plot the further details of the room.

I think you need to have a great rug and then upholster your furniture in a fabric that will go well with your rug. I think your room can be built around a good rug. Always use one piece to build on. Choose that color, that piece and go from there. For me that one piece can change depending. At one time, I had a needlepoint rug that cost me an arm and a leg and I built my room decor around that. Prior to that it was a rug I had purchased abroad. I now have a large piece of artwork that I purchased from an art sale that was painted by a recently deceased friend, whose work I always admired and which has become even more collectible since her demise. You choose a jumping-off point and then go from there. I assume you want to keep the furniture since it appears to be very good furniture, and get a new rug, or did I assume wrong? So if this is the case, then I would start first with a rug, then upholstery, as neutral window treatments in a tall room like this (to me) are always best, as in tall neutral colored nice drapes than can span decades as far as classic style.

Your room has really good "bones," the fireplace, the banister, the natural daylight. And your furniture has a cohesive style that works with the room. So you've got a good starting place.

What do you want to in this room? Watch TV? Read? Entertain guests? Hang out with the family? Hot toddies by firelight on a cold winter evening?

I think once you determine two or three primary functions for the room, you will have a better grasp on how to decorate it.

For example, given the furniture you have there now, I can envision a space for adults, not necessarily small children playing with Legos. So I might designate this room for my reading nook, and for quiet conversation with my spouse.

So, I'd claim that striped chair for my own. Put a bookcase on the wall in back of it. Add another small table or some sort of bookholder on the side of the chair with the lamp. Add a large plant or small tree in the corner to take advantage of the light. Maybe anchor the two chairs and the table with their own area rug.

I'd get a larger rug for in front of the sofa. Put an end table on one or both sides of the sofa, space permitting, with lamps. Or a console table against the back of the sofa, again with a lamp or two. Possibly another chair on the other side of the sofa, to allow more people in the conversation area.

Beautiful space! As everyone stated above, you definitely need a larger rug - BIG! Large enough to span your couch and even as large as your couch and a couple of end tables. Bring the chairs away from the wall and put the front legs of the sofa, and the front legs of each chair on the rug. I would bring the blue wing chair around to the other side of the sofa. Find a table for it. In fact, you need more furniture - like it was suggested above, end tables, sofa table, both! Then - you need something to fill those walls. A large mirror or painting(s) over the fireplace, a grouping on the wall behind where the chairs are now. Or you may want a large bookcase in that space. In the entry hall, how about a large mirror over the table flanked by sconces. Put some knickknacks out on all those end tables and the sofa tables. Lamps make things look homey - try at least 3 in a room this size. You don't want to look like a lamp store, but I have 5 in my living room, and 3 in the adjoining dining room. Large pieces and groupings will help fill up space as well as give your room personality. Good luck! You have a great blank space to start with!

The very first thing you should think about is your budget for this room. For me, the formal living room of a new house would be later on my list of priorities, coming behind rooms that I use regularly.

That said, I would play around with the furniture arrangement. While having the sofa face the fireplace makes sense, try turning the sofa so that it faces the two chairs, and bring the chairs in closer and away from the wall. You want the furniture close enough and arranged so that people on the sofa and chairs are able to carry on a conversation with one another. (Love that striped chair!)

Tables on either side of the sofa and maybe a sofa table behind it would give you a place to put LAMPS, which would be a huge priority for me.

I see a mirror in the hall and a table and a lamp. Maybe the mirror over the fireplace? And the lamp on the side table between the chairs.

What is the nearest big city to you? Have you looked at what is on your local craigslist? There are some great finds out there.

Congratulations on your new house! It looks lovely and we're all going to have such fun watching you decorate it.

I'm with the others here... I'd get a big rug and put the front feet of your sofa and stuffed chairs on it, pulling them out away from walls. This will give you a nice conversational space in front of the fireplace. I also think your current rug is way too light for your furniture. Maybe it can go in your kitchen or a bedroom?

I don't know your budget, but I got my huge rug for $50 through Craigslist, by watching it like a hawk and replying to the ad about 10 minutes after it was posted (he got tons of responses at that price but luckily mine was first). The rug turned out to be perfect and in brand new shape except it just needed a shampooing, which I gave it the minute I got home. I think if you have animals or a young family you might not want to put too much $$ into a rug you have to worry over constantly. That's how I feel about it, anyway. But if you've got lots of dough to burn I'm sure you'll be able to find something that makes your heart swoon.

When it comes to accessorizing that big space with the tall ceilings, I'd look at inspiration pictures. The Living Rooms thread in our Gallery contains several hundred beautiful pictures. I like to browse it with a specific question on my mind, such as "what should I put on my coffee table?" or "what's a good way to arrange pictures on the wall?" I will get good ideas and know just what to do in 5-10 minutes of browsing the pictures for ideas.

We've got threads for just about any kind of room in the Gallery. Close this thread and click on the Gallery links... one is top-ish right, and one is at the bottom. If you see pictures you love, you can save copies to your computer.

I won't go into how to rearrange the furniture. Although I have always liked wing chairs on each side of a fireplace. It just looks good to me.

Things that I think look great in a formal room are, ferns,fern stands,big coffee table books,leather bound books, sea shells, dressy pillows, silk drapes, a big mirror, art, candlesticks, blown glass objects, sofa tables, a great rug, secretary desks, floor lamps.

Your home is lovely! I would definitely use a traditional mantel around the fireplace painted white like the trim. I would move the stiped chair more in front of the window with the lamp and move the blue chair and coffee table on the left side of the fireplace. I would put a traditional sofa table behid the sofa (add 2 lamps if they can work in this location or an art piece, decorative plate and/or plant. I have traditional furniture in my living room, and added texture by adding baskets and crystal around the room. You could add a secretary to the wall where your current chairs are located. Lamps, pillows, candlesticks, sconces and agreed a larger rug will make the room feel more cohesive.

Big gorgeous space!

For NOW --- just remove the rug -- it makes the space look more empty! Move the sofa in -- towards the fireplace -- just a few inches. Then simply place the chairs on each side of the fireplace. Leave the red chair on the right-hand side of the fireplace -- but move it in a bit. Leave the tall standing lamp behind it. Place the the green chair on the left-hand side with the small table beside it. These moves will create a cozier conversation area -- for now.

First and foremost -- do measure the whole space -- including windows etc. On the main wall -- I would love to see a large set of white bookcases/shelves. Quite tall -- with shelves on the top and cupboards below. Maybe lighted from the top? Perhaps leave a large clear wall space in the middle for a wonderful artwork?

For the mantel -- visit fireplace and mantel sites online. Consider a white wood one -- remember to keep the lines simple BUT choose something large enough in SCALE to match the volume of the room. Then you add a large round mirror above it -- maybe a round dark-framed one.

Yes -- look through online and real stores for a larger area rug. Might help to work in colors for furniture, artworks etc.

Here is a link that might be useful: fireplacemantels.com -- JUST an example for ideas and measurements!

Oh, one more thing I love in living rooms formal or casual REAL ORCHIDS in a beautiful bowl or urn.

.....Jane

First I would like to sat THANK YOU for all the wonderful advice. I am looking for a rug online and I went out shopping yesterday but was not successful. Do you think a solid or printed rug would be best. I have found a fireplace mantel I really like but I got to get measurements and make sure it will be large enough for the room. Anymore suggestions would be great. I will post when I get it all done. Thanks Again Melissa

I forgot to mention adding either a mirror or picture over the fireplace. I would be careful about getting a patterned rug which would lock you in. I would draw my inspiration colors from artwork, pillows etc., I would probably try to go with a neutral in a cream/buff or navy or even consider a textured rug.