You have a very nice room. For suggestions...I would get a wider TV component stand....one that is longer than your TV, The picture over your fireplace is pretty but too small and since you want it there, add something to either side, either on the wall or on the mantel...ie. tall candlesticks, vases or etc. I would like to see what is opposite the fireplace to advise about the furniture arrangement. Could you use two chairs with a table between them in that spot. I see a piece of furniture in the first picture...is it a chaise? loveseat? Love the tall ceilings....I would just ignore them as far as furniture/accessory arrangements are concerned. How about an end table at each end of your couch with lamps on them. Love your area rug.

We also have a two story family room. I found that I needed bigger things to fill the space. We've lived here 9 years and I really haven't tackled decorating this room yet. We've painted and bought furniture but that's really it.

I like the idea of staining the fireplace darker. You can use that as your anchor. I would paint that wall a contrasting color. You need a bigger piece of art or metal wall hanging above it. If you prefer to keep the art that you currently have over it, like grandmaof3 said, you need some tall vases or candles next to it. Or, add some tall plants on the floor next to it.

I would like to add shelves on either side of my fireplace. Perhaps you can add bookcases?

I agree that you need a bulkier tv stand too.

I have a small photo collage on one side of my wall of windows and a painting on the other. I have a friend who did a photo collage long ways on her wall to help bring the eye outward instead of upward.

Definitely stain the fireplace surround to a rich & darker color. A friend had a built in hutch in her dining area which was open to the foyer in a relatively new home. I hated the color from the get go. But this spring she re-did her kitchen and included refinishing the hutch. The faux painter called the former color "urine" and transformed it into a rich dark brown. Her crystal looks stunning inside but more importantly, it has revitalized her tired looking dining space.
My first thought when I saw your photo was to darken the surround and it will look stunning against your wall color and make that POP factor too! From the photos I'm not certain about your brick color, that might need to be changed for more of an accent as well.

We changed our fireplace surround during our remodel and the used brick interior looked uneven and detracted from the whole. Our painter used some black paint-- almost like charcoal and then wiped it off. The result is still brick but it fades into the design and doesn't cry out for attention on its own. I'll try and upload a photo this weekend for you to see what we did.

I don't know about your room dilemma, but I've just got to say I LOVE the robot your son made!

I would lower the ceiling with paint. Darker beams, I would want them to look like bulky old wood beams. Then a darker than your walls, but similar color on the ceiling. Your "eye ball" is no doubt to accentuate the fireplace, art over the mantel. It all needs to be more substantial to be worth accentuating. Darkening the surround would help. As said already a picture taken from your fireplace out the the other side of the room would help.

thanks so much for your input, everyone. what do you think about bookcases on both sides of the TV? there's so much open space there that needs to be filled and books and poss storage baskets would be really helpful...

Another question...

A really nice reader on the Lighting blog suggested cove lighting along the top edge of the fireplace wall. This lighting is typically hidden by crown molding. How would that look to have molding only on the one wall? The other walls have funky cutouts and angles that won't really allow for molding. Any suggestions??

Let's see:

Paint the whole fireplace mantel in satin black. Paint over the brass on the doors with black barbecue-type paint (high heat paint)

Add large round black-framed mirror over mantel.

Add black chunky candlesticks on mantel -- with classic chunky white candles.

Find a much bigger black entertainment center with bookcases and closed storage areas/cupboards -- one that would surround the whole TV. Always handy to have more storage!

Frame that adorable robot artwork and hang in room!

It's a fabulous room, but your stuff is too small scaled for it, and nothing breaks the 'waterline' of the top of the TV. It looks like things are cowering near the floor. If you have all that height, use it.

Can you hang something over the wall at the top?

The picture needs company on that fireplace. Could you add to the top of the fireplace to make it bolder? Even molding applied to the wall and painted to frame somethig out.

The TV is too wide for the TV stand, looks like it's going to fall over.

Could you buy/build something for the TV that would also serve as toy storage? Check anawhite.com for some media center ideas, and some great toy storage for living rooms.

thanks, teacats and lazygardens. i finally got my husband to agree to move the picture over and get a much larger (landscape) mirror. i did a quick photoshop (not all my actual style, just some quick cut and paste images from google).

i thought i could put a table lamp on a small end table next to the couch. what do you think of the picture by the couch? its really important to my husband, so its got to stay in the family room. also, i thought about framing Mr. Robot and hanging him on the other side of the fireplace...

also, what do you think about two large bookcases (with cabinets on the bottom) flanking the TV, with a larger media stand in between? will that look too disjointed, three large pieces next to each other, but not touching?

thanks, everyone!!!!

what do you think about two large bookcases (with cabinets on the bottom) flanking the TV, with a larger media stand in between?

It would be nice if you could find a single piece to serve the same purpose.

Here is a link that might be useful: entertainment armoires (some with bookcases)