You've got a good start in the warm natural wood floors. Add other natural materials, and warm colors. Like your basket there. Things with texture. Think about recovering the chairs with a warmer colorway. Repaint the walls a warmer tone.

It's a BIG problem in a lot of homes since the greys took forefront in home decor. They need color to go with them to not feel so Depression era industrial.

I know what you mean about rugs and cats. We finally changed all our rugs to indoor/outdoor made from Polypropylene because they are so easy to clean when you have four long haired cats. So if you do want the warmth of rugs, that's an idea that works. These rugs are even red wine proof!
live wire oak already gave you some other great ideas. Texture and warm colors can really make a difference in a room and adding natural material items like your wicker basket, wood coffee table and bamboo blinds. Which means you already have a good start.
Maybe change the throw over the chair to something more colorful to match one of the colors in those gorgeous window panels!
I'm not sure what you keep in your wicker basket, but if there's room try tossing a colorful throw over it and let it drape over the top.
Though my cats walk all over my furniture they are very careful about knocking things over, so you might think about adding something colorful (ceramics maybe) to the coffee table.

Warmer colors
Pillows
Throws
Books
Layered lighting
Art
Candles
all to add texture and light

I can's see how much wall space you have, but art can warm & fill up a room. DH & I are both hopeless when it comes to actually hanging pictures. I have stuff I've been waiting to hang for 19 years. When we did our kitchen reno, we had to update the family room. I was out if town for a month & on the drive home I was trying to figure out how I was going to accessorize our very empty feeling (grey) FR. We had purchased some pics to go around the big honking TV he had to have. He surprised me & hung them while I was gone.
Totally filled up the room. I still need to shop for those accessories with color & texture but I don't feel the urgency I felt before.

Wood: bowls, frames, tables
Other natural materials as mentioned above (I see the same basket that I have in your pic :)
I think nosoccermom hit the nail on the head.

Thank you all! These are all great ideas. I love natural materials. One thing you can't see from here is my burgeoning teak collection, I'm not strictly MCM but I like the warm orange tones.

TheFoxesPad, love the idea of wood bowls. My grandfather was a wood turner and I bet I could find some of his burlwood bowls around.

romy718 - I grew up with two people who had zero nesting instincts. In reaction I hammer things up willy nilly all the time. DAP drywall patching compound is my friend. I have a really problematic entryway wall (off center sconce, off center built in bench, oddly placed light switch, hvac outlet, just a weird variety of things happening) and for now I've done a gallery wall with all my rando flea market stuff. I love it! The focus is on my collection instead of everything else being terrible. Some day I will convince my husband we should tear out and redo all the built ins, but that is not today.

Our walls used to be warm cream, which I didn't love (not a yellow fan) so now they're BM French Canvas which is a soft off-white with a green undertone. Pretty warm but I think the dining room (featured foreground) needs something darker and warmer.

justgotabeme - the dining room rug (foreground) is indoor-outdoor polypro and I love it! Really doesn't seem to catch the cat hair much at all. They don't seem to be ripping it to shreds either.

LWO I agree with you on the greys. Our bedroom is painted grey and it turned out unexpectedly warmish tan (BM Edgecomb Grey) which I am now thankful for.

nsm - thanks as always for the good ideas. You always provide good inspiration.

This post was edited by robotropolis on Tue, Jul 8, 14 at 14:21

Think your already doing things that work - the soft color on walls, pastel tone furniture and as well the basket - I feel natural materials like this used in decorating creates a cozier feeling. If space allows, perhaps a fabric ottoman?

While the patterned curtains are nice, I wonder if hubby would have less issues with curtains if either a solid color or less busy pattern. Then again, maybe no need to fight a war already won :D

Jaynes, great suggestions. You would think that about the curtains, however husband made me get rid of solid, modern, rust colored wall of curtains in family room and similar beige color wall of curtains in bedroom. He liked the colors, he just hates curtains! I think he probably likes the LR ones more cuz they're "funky" ish and unusual. Fortunately my tacky self married someone with a high level of tolerance for kitsch.

This post was edited by robotropolis on Tue, Jul 8, 14 at 15:10

Unfortunately, in the Canadian climate I think a living room without a rug looks naked. I visit your region regularly and it's similar to the West Coast where it's not enough for a living room to be the right physical temperature - I think it has to *look* warm too.

Believe me, I have tried rug-less because I also feel like rugs are cluttery, annoying to have to vacuum, sometimes tricky to make work with room shape and furniture, and for the last decade I've had kids and their antics. And why am I hiding my beautiful wood floors? But my rug-less experiments have never really worked. My sister found the same in her home - she just couldn't make the look work.

My new rug is awesome because it was CHEAP ($150 at HomeSense), patterned enough to hide stains, and does the job design-wise. I feel like I could toss and replace it if it gets damaged eventually. Here it is in my "in progress" living room:

I would recommend that you make peace with having a living room rug but pick something more midtone with a subtle pattern that can be hosed off. Maybe better to go with something a bit bigger than your round one. The underlay makes a big difference too.

If a rug is not going to happen, I would recommend a large ottoman/bench (upholstered in a wool kilim?) - use a tray for drinks.

Here is a link that might be useful: kilim ottoman

Is it curtains he doesn't like or any window treatment? As you can add warmth with non-curtain window treatments like roman shades or wood blinds or duettes or luminettes or plantation shutters.

You might also look into floor cloths if the rugs bother you. Painted floor cloths can add texture, pattern and are extremely durable and easy to clean.

Otherwise you can look at adding texture and/or pattern to your wall with wallpaper...or even one accent wall be it wall paper or paint color.

Here is a link that might be useful: Floor cloths for example

You can also add warmth with furnishings, like bookcases and shelving, and creating vignettes using accessories and lighting and art.

Your room is lovely. I skimmed the thread and did not see anyone suggest plants. A couple of substantial palms in nice pots in the corners of your rooms will add warmth.

Parlor palms are easy to grow and big box stores carry them periodically. Smaller pots of succulents scattered about are currently popular as well. Hopefully your cats won't be interested in the indoor dirt.

Plants with cats can be a problem...I'm suffering with that now with my new kitties...I've had to remove a number of plants to places they can't get at as they're poisonous to cats. Also, I did have a large potted plant at my old house which my cat decided made a great litter box!

a skirted table

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[Traditional Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2107) by Minneapolis Interior Designers & Decorators Lucy Interior Design
you can paint stripes or other designs on the walls and painted rugs on the floor

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[Contemporary Bathroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by Los Angeles Photographers Erika Bierman Photography
more stripes or color blocking with paint

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[Traditional Basement[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-basement-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_747~s_2107) by Denver Home Builders Wonderland Homes

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[Contemporary Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2103) by Wilmington General Contractors Dewson Construction Company

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[Contemporary Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2103) by Portland Interior Designers & Decorators Ragan Corliss

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[Contemporary Kids[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-kids-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_24653~s_2103) by Ponte Vedra Beach Interior Designers & Decorators Beach Chic Design
notice how the floor is bordered in the shape of rugs but there are no rugs, you could do this with paint on the hardwood in a latex paint or with tape to simulate area rugs blocking off spaces that would have a rug

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[Modern Entry[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modern-entryway-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_741~s_2105) by Frisco Home Builders Hensley Premier Builders

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[Traditional Living Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-living-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_718~s_2107) by Rockford Interior Designers & Decorators KannCept Design, Inc.
faux painted wallpaper

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[Mediterranean Bedroom[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/mediterranean-bedroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_715~s_2109) by Morris Plains Artists & Artisans Periwinkle Skies, LLC

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[Eclectic Dining Room[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/eclectic-dining-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_722~s_2104) by Baltimore Interior Designers & Decorators Robin Hiken Interiors

Thanks for the great ideas! gr8day, Those stripes are very cool.

Feisty - totally with you on decorating for the climate. I'm lucky in that I have heated floors, which I know doesn't help with the look but definitely helps with going rugless.

Annie, I love the idea of floor cloths. I'll have to look much much further into those. I can already picture several areas I could use them in.

I also love the IDEA of plants but have a sad confession which is that I kill every houseplant. I just never water them. It's funny because I love gardening outdoors but it never translated into gardening indoors. And yes, I have to stick to catsafe plants. My idiots would eat anything.

I'm actually kind of ok with my living room which is why I dared share a picture. My family/TV room on the other hand is scandalous right now. I'm not even showing a photo, it's that bad. For budget reasons I'm locked into the very manly furnishings, lighting is a disaster, and like that of another poster, it's very long and narrow (24x11). Cold and ugly. Just waiting for lightning to strike on how I can furnish it from elsewhere in the house. Of course my husband loves it because it's stark and utilitarian.

I was going to answer your title question with "get a cat" but I see that's the problem, not the solution.

You might be able to put a small kilim rug or tapestry on the wall if you have the spot.

Then slide it over a few inches a week until you have a curtain. :P