Here are some better pics, any ideas you would have to make this room better decorated please help. I need all the help I can get and I know you are all so helpful. Thanks.
Melissa
This is kind of what I am thinking with the bookcase:

Hi McHaney,

I just love your colors and the wall paint offsets your sofa beautifully. So these are some ideas that struck me to lighten things up a bit while keeping the beautiful wall color and contrast with your sofas. And a peek of what your bookcases might look like :) It would be nice to beef up the mantel also to hold its weight with the new casework. Doesn't quite look like there's room, but a light reflecting glass-top sofa table would add to brightening things also, or something along those general lines : ) I did warm the ceiling a tad.

Gorgeous and yummy : )

Does anyone but me think it looks odd to have two colors of crown molding in the same room?

What if you did the shelves matching the cabinets on a white wall as in squirrelheaven's picture, but do white crown molding around the whole room including above the shelves? You have white baseboards and trim, looks like.

I'm not sure. I wondered at first then it seemed to look ok to me. I think I've seen it before. Would look through books & mags for examples first! : ) I just thought it opened the ceiling and brightened the room more, and preferred it to breaking up the wall with the chair rail. Dark looks nice, but the other mouldings are white. I always find it confusing when trims are mixed.

Here's w/o the crown and with the chair rail. Paint similar to the kitchen or lighter/creamier. This looks very nice too! : ) I just love your rich walls and the sofas.

First pic -- maybe you're thinking book cases, not just shelves, so the sides are in.

Voila! If life were only this easy : )

Wow, Squirrelhaven, I just had to post to say that that's some of your best work yet! You are amazing!!

FWIW, I like the white molding - either all the way around or with stained molding over the far wall. And I like the adobe walls. I also like the idea of a sofa table, and perhaps a small area rug and coffee table in the "conversation" area. Very pretty room!

Lucy

Wow Squrrelhaven!!!That is amazing!!!!
Thanks for all your great ideas. Now I have so much to decide. What do you think is the best idea? I think I like the bookcases with the brown crown molding and painting the back lighter. Like the following pic....but do you think that would help lighten the room?

Please give any feedback. I am so design challenged. Everyone has such great input.

Also, I LOVE the picture idea on the wall with the chair (as you can see my son broke the shade off the lamp :-) What do you think I can do with the other wall regarding art, etc....

And do you think I should put a ceiling fan and recessed lights in? Thanks so much!!! I am in need of help!

Melissa

We were also thinking of getting a fish tank that would cover the width of the right cabinet. Do you think that would be too much? And eventually, when my hubby sweet talks me enough we are going to get a flat panel TV to replace the old one.

I would like to see Squirlhaven try a mock up with the cabinets below + the bookcases and mantle all done in white or cream. That would lighten everything up and I am sure you could paint the cabinets easily.

Seems like you and I have the same footprint in our family room and kitchen. I am just trying to figure out though where your dining space is? Could I see a picture of what looks like granite? Is that a table or a bar area? Just curious I am reworking my breakfast area and our layout seems identical! Thanks Melissa

If you reflect more light around the room by bringing in more light colors, as in behind the cases, light pictures or matting, light colored curtains, maybe even a mirror over the sofa or reflective glass coffee/sofa table, even the white lamp shades, that sort of thing, it should break up/reduce the darks and be and feel lighter and you'll still keep that rich look.

I, too, picture a ceiling fan. I imagined something dark and rich : )

Actually, when I started putting the cases in, the top piece was supposed to be at the front like a bookcase, it just kind of ended up with shelves and moulding at the back. How do you plan on doing them?

I think a fish tank is very enjoyable and would look fine, myself. As much as I don't like seeing equipment, your wall looks great even with the big tv there, so I wouldn't think the tank would be much different. I guess there's no room for it on a stand? Where would you put the flat screen?

Ha! I remember you. You never came back ...

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Good grief. Now I remember what I really wanted to ask. And I now see you included an inspiration pic. So, the fp doesn't actually sit back much and the cases are to come forward as in the inspiration photo? Notice in that scenario the moulding around the casework units is separate than the room mouldings and looks fine. Kind of like kitchen cabinetry. Yours does fit snugly to the wall, though. But it's still a separate unit. I think that situation carries itself ok, but would still look for examples in real rooms to see if you like it.

I'm thinking like lyban, why not paint the lower cabinets white and have it match the existing tim? This would also help lighten the room.

I'm with Dorothy, I think painting the cabinets white and going white on all the moldings would brighten the room. The dark molding is pretty, but the room needs lightening. Also, since you already have the white baseboards, you wouldn't want to put up dark crown with the white base.

ok, no white yet, but oooo-la-la on the full wood : ) Isn't light and airy, though. I do believe you said something about pot lights ... over the fp wall would be nice.

Maybe the blinds could be raised some to let another 10" of light in? or maybe they're inset.

Forget the styling of the fan and console (which could alternatively be a coffee table), as it's just what I had on hand.

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This is rough, and wood doesn't change over to white very well, so the pic is smaller -- and squint! The windows needed something, so I just left the other panels on.

I do agree that it is jarring to be mixing up all the stained and painted wood in the same room; however I like the stained built-ins better with the brick fireplace. If you do white cabs+trim, I think you need to paint the brick or veneer it. I don't think I'd run crown on top of the brick. It looks odd to me somehow.

Do you have an 8' ceiling or higher? I wanted to put a ceiling fan in my family room but DH vetoed me (so we just have the electrical connection). He felt it would be too visually bulky for an 8' ceiling (and is probably right)--unless it was a hugger model and I haven't seen a hugger that I like.

Oh my gosh - this is a little like "da-ja-vou"!! Reminds me of my living room and all of Squirrels amazing transformations! Hang in there mchaney1, it may take a while for it all to come together, but these gals are AMAZING and you can't be in better hands!

tinker, I thought of that right away and kind of did a double-take.

Thanks for all of the great ideas! I think I like the stained cabinets with the lighter behind. Squirrel---I did paint my bedroom SW rain---thanks for the help. I was very pregnant at the time and probably had prego "forgetful" brain and forgot to look back at the posts. But that looks great.

I was thinking of building the cases out and putting a trim frame around the front of them similar to the other pic but that pictures room is bigger so the built in appears more separate (I think) that is why the can get away with the crown. What do you think?

I have an 8 foot ceiling, but I do think a fan would be good because it does get warm in that room as the sun rises from that side of the house.

I would put the flat screen where the other TV is. Any more feedback would be great!!!

Thanks so much.

scottmel- this is too weird...My husbands name is Scott and mine is Melissa----anyway!

The dining room is next to the kitchen...so the family room is in line with the kitchen followed by the dining room.

I will attach some pics of the kitchen.

I also got a lot of info re: the kitchen from the site. I love gardenweb and all of your help.

Here are some pics.

From the dining room:

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Also here is a before if that helps looking from the Family Room, we have now painted the Dining Room the bottom a shade darker than the kitchen and the top a shade lighter. FYI

Some how the pictures got messed up...

I will try again.

Melissa

ok, here's a narrow crown trim, maybe 2-1/4" is it, with and without one on the brick. Second pic is a whiter backdrop in the cases.

Yes! Great I Spy! We need a prize : ) I grabbed the mantel top and orange box from Tinker's project. Ended up with shelves instead of bookcases, too.

Here it is with your mantel piece but with another piece of wood added to the bottom for more visual impact. Less expensive! : ) I've also lowered it, which looks better imo. Makes the ceiling look a bit higher and the ratio is better, I think. Local code requirements on the required distance and projection from the wall is needed, though.

I like the ceiling fan. This is a smaller unit, have no idea on the actual proportion to your room without the ceiling marked or something. I've seen fans in small rooms with 8' ceilings and they can look fine and not interfere with head room.

The perspective along the ceiling was off on the others, so tightened that up. I think this is more accurate.

Squirrel, you are truly amazing and I don't know how this forum would function without you!!!
Diane

Haha, the wonders of au chocolate!

Don't know how much you're up to for your project, McHaney, but here's the whole darn fp surround, lol. Really lights up the space, also.

I do like a wider crown moulding, so put that in.

Here are a variety of effects for y'all to see : )

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Ooohhh... I liked the stained ones in the last set without the crown on the brick. Squirrel, you are an amazing miracle worker to so many on this board. So what are you going to do about the chair rail? I notice it's not in any of these latest pics. Please post pics once the fan is in place; maybe I can convince my DH yet to put one in our family room.

Something like this is nice too, with more wood, along the lines of your inspiration pic:

Why thank you! I think the chair rail and lighter paint color was nixed. ???

Of course, moving right along : ) as far as light goes, you could drywall over part of the brick and do something along these lines:

WOW - you are so truly amazing!!! I never would have thought of that. How would I get something to surround the fireplace? Would that have to be painted?

That's a layer of drywall over the brick, with a purchased fp surround (hopefully avail in the correct size : ) Of course, you could also stucco over the brick, also, for an earthier look. Things like that always scare me, so I guess I'd be inclined to just keep it intact and not ruin it.

Here's a link to see some.

Here is a link that might be useful: Mantels & Surrounds

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I agree it looks better w/o the chair rail.

Hey Melissa thanks for posting the kitchen pic - love the granite with the black chairs!!! That is too funny that our names and spouses names are identical! Squirrel did a GREAT job on your family room, I am mulling over ideas for mine since our layouts are sooooo close! Thx for sharing. Melissa

Thanks for all of your help. I will let you know what I decide. Any other suggestions are always very welcomed!!

Squirrelheaven, do you have any ideas for picture placement on the wall over the sofa? Thanks you are amazing!

Here's the sofa area with the picture lowered and area filled out. Showing the addition of a coffee table in two shapes. And also trying lighter mats on the pics to brighten things up.

I love what you have going. It just needs to be completed and filled out some : ) The colors are just gorgeous and make for a wonderful and comforting setting to spend time.

You might want to start another thread, as this one is bogged down with a lot of pics. Also, once the images become oversized and the text doesn't wrap anymore, a lot of people won't look anymore as it can't be read easily.

squirelheaven, you are truly AMAZING...I love to see all of the changes you can make doing this....how do you do it?

I still like the wider white crown molding all around the room the best.

Well then .... : ) Voila!

Forgot the inside of the cabs as lighter, but they're all glowy, so here's an accent color instead.

Glass top (which reveals clutter, though :(

love the transformations Squirrelheaven has done for you. She is so talented. My two cents is I like either the beefed up mantle with the wider crown or the full mantle over top of the brick. I don't like the drywall/stucco idea over the brick with your bookcases. They look too far away from the fireplace.

These changes will make a huge difference in your room!

With drywall, I'm not sure how things would trim out with the different wall thicknesses.

Here's another option, minimizing the space on the sides:

Like this? Oops, I put in dark crown too. Don't think that'll fly either, as the glass doors are white and she's looking for more light.