Can't view your pics.

I've never posted pictures on here...sorry. Let me know if this one works and I can post more.

You have a lovely home! Just some random thoughts: could you paint the wall behind the sofa the same color as the fireplace wall. If you had some other lighting (such as floor or table lamps) instead of the overhead light it would help to warm the room. Could you move the tv to another location so the back isn't visible from the door and to allow the room to look more open with only the railing visible. Perhaps move the chairs to each side of the fireplace. Try the vines on tv across the mantle with your bird feeder and other country decorations instead of the photos. Hope this helps.

Here is another picture from another angle.

Is there enough room to put the tv in the corner next to one of your windows? If you can, I'd do that, then move the other furniture in more of an L shaped arrangement where you can see the fireplace and tv at the same time. Also, any chance you can lower the mantle on the fireplace and/or stain it to be more visible against the stones?

Your space is really beautiful and I love that red~

~~Veronica

Unfortunately, that wall between the living room/kitchen by the window is not very long...only like 3 feet tops. The tv stand would stick way out and you would see the back from the kitchen, plus I would be blocking half of that window. I know, not a good layout at all. I'm up for a new TV stand, that actually came from my bedroom, we used to have an entertainment center on the wall where the couch is but then the couch was along the railing and i was afraid the kids would jump on the couch and fall over the railing.

Hopefully Les will stop by. She's a genius at these things. Here's what I would do:

(1) Move the tv to the wall where you have your sofa.
(2) Eliminate the accent color on the fireplace wall
(3) move your sofa so that it faces the new TV wall, and put a sofa console table behind it.
(4) Move the two chairs (I think it looks like there's a second chair + ottoman off to the other side of the sofa?) so that the chair and ottoman is in the corner where you have the recliner now. And the recliner is on the other side of the sofa, facing toward the fireplace.
(5) Put a small side table next to the chair and ottoman with a reading lamp.
(6) Move the family photos and vases that are on the mantel to the console behind the sofa. Put a larger piece of artwork over the mantel.
(7) Add a large ottoman or a coffee table in front of the sofa.

Well, in that case.. put your entertainment center on the wall where your sofa is now, put your sofa facing the fireplace, but NOT on the railing, just float it in the room and put your two chairs facing the entertainment center with their backs to the dining room. I think your room is plenty big enough to get those pieces off the walls and make your seating area more cozy and intimate. At first it may feel "weird" to see the back of your furniture, but you'll get used to it (the hardest part is convincing dh- at least in my house, LOL, and if ya'll totally hate it, it's easy enough to move back). I'd get the arrangement I liked down first before buying any new pieces so you know exactly what you need and you can measure where it'll go so you make sure to get the right size. Hope some of this rambling helped.

~~Veronica

Someone suggested I paint the room in Sherwin Williams 7734 Olive Grove....What do you guys think? They thought it would bring my fireplace out and warm the room up. I was just afraid it would be too dark.

Jennifer

Please could you show us a few more angles of the room. This may sound a bit odd but could you stand on a short stool (be safe! of course!) and shoot a few photos down into the room. Put down the blind -- and turn on the lights (and lamps) ....

Sorry -- but a few more shots may help everyone to see your whole room and help out!

How about a medium gold color (although I do love olive -- and your room is lovely and bright so a deeper tone (of any color!) would work so well! Of course -- you may want to consider painting both the family room AND the kitchen to match ......JUST a thought -- really!!!!

O.K. How about Benjamin Moore "Deer Path" (#CC-1047) -- a tan with gold undertones that might work well with the tones in the wonderful fireplace ...... but I'm not sure of the tones of the carpeting ....

Yes -- so far I would recommend placing the TV in the corner by the left-hand window -- and then floating the furniture to face the fireplace (and the TV) We did that in our tiny living room -- and covered up a bit of the window BUT it really worked out so well for us!

OR -- if you find a flat-to-the-wall entertainment unit (there are literally dozens on most local CRiags Lists!) that would fill up the wall (where the sofa now sits) -- and then float the funiture to face it!

So far the room looks great. If it were me, I'd keep the wall color at the mantle wall and do all the rest is a soft warm green. It would cozy up the room tremendously. If you don't like green then a warm sand color would work too. I'd use dark bamboo blinds that have the valence too. That way you can hide them under the valence and at night lower them for a cozier look. I'd paint both the ice chest and the small couch table and I'd do them black. I'd use the last painting you showed on the mantle but I'd put greenery draping on one end and three black items on the other like slender and tall.
I do think something soft over the armoire would look lovely. A rectangular three piece set of pictures in goldent tones with black frames. Get a huge dark basket for beside the recliner for books and remotes. And if you have the energy I'd carry the new wall color into the kitchen. Put punches of red in the kitchen and it would pull the whole thing together. You could even paint the base only of your table and do it black. None of these are costly but do take time. It's worth it in the end. Good luck

If you plan to keep the valances I would butt the top of the valance up to the ceiling so that you would get more light and it would make the windows seem bigger and the open up the room. As long as the valance covers the top casing it will be a big improvement. I agree with the other about moving the sofa. Perhaps it could float between the kitchen and the living room, then put the Tv on the sofa wall. It seems a little top heavy by the open stair case. I like the color of the wall it goes nicely with the kitchen and I think it is rustic looking next to the stone fireplace. Have fun.