Normally I would like white but in your case I would have to agree with your hubby. Sorry. Your room is beautiful as is and is very warm, inviting and rich looking with the wood built-ins. Your furniture is dark and the white would look out of place IMO.

Normally, I, too, would like white, but in this case have to agree with hubby and ctlane.........the wood looks lovely!! It's warm, inviting and perfect looking the way it is. I love the fireplace with the bookcases on each side like that. Mine are painted white wood, but if they could look as nice as yours do, I'd go with stain in a heartbeat. I think it's the combination of that lovely stone with the wood, painting it would ruin that nice harmony.

I agree with your DH--leave the stain!!! Now, an idea to jazz up the built-ins is to create decorative inserts for the backs of the open spaces in the bookcase. You can cut pieces of luan or even foam-core to fit in the back, behind the shelves, and cover them with either fabric or wallpaper. When you are sick of the look, just pop them out and toss. My mom did padded damask panels for the backs of built-ins in her formal LR and they are beautiful--but not permanent :) I think that the shelves were cut down by about a quarter inch (along the backs, but that was no big deal. Sorry, I don't have any photos of that to share!

Yup, DH is right on this one.

I also normally prefer painted white/cream wood, but not in your case. Ditto on what everyone else has said, that is gorgeous wood and looks great with the stone fireplace and furniture!

Thanks to all for your replies...I'll leave them stained! Now, Here are the next questions?
1)let me know what color would you paint this FR. Leave the golden on the walls or paint another color? if so, what color do you think I should paint the FR to give it a new fresh look? The room next to it is the kitchen. We just painted the kitchen "Olive branch" from BM.

2) Where would you put a flat Tv. On the stone fireplace or on the wall where the piano and the family pictures is?

Thanks for helping me with my FR saga...

The TV question is always a tough one. I'd consider putting it where your existing TV is now; and having a carpenter take out the existing "cubbies" and box for the current tv. You might want to look at modifying the right side as well to correspond to the left. If none of that is possible, I'd look at putting it above the FP but it looks pretty high. If the mantel could be lowered and the tv mounted lower than the existing, I'd do that. I'd use the piano wall as the last option, because you'd have to relocate the piano (not always easy) and you'd also lose one couch. If you are ok with that, then it might work. Generally I think it would be best to keep the tv on the fireplace/bookshelf wall somewhere because all of your seating works with that. Really cool room, and beautiful bookcases. I agree they look best stained, and the tv would look nice against the stain too.

I agree with jjam that the new flat screen TV should go in the area where the current TV is located. Depending on the size you get, it may fill most of the space on the left. If you can remove the shelves and vertical pieces to accomodate the TV, I think that will look the best. And I have to agree that the built-ins should stay as they are. I don't think the white would work as well with the beautiful stone on the fireplace. It's a lovely room. Will we be seeing pictures of the new kitchen?

Another vote for putting the new tv in the same spot as the old one. It disappears when it is not turned on. If you put it on the piano wall or above the fireplace it will be more obvious.I love this room as is. Is there a good place to stop the paint since it is next to the kitchen? I bet the kitchen is lovely too.

I agree with the others regarding the stain.

As for color, how about one of BM's grays. There are some with an undertone of green that might marry nicely with the olive, like BM Horizon Gray (2141-50), Gray Mirage (2142-50), or Paris Rain (Classic BM 1501).

Sue

Can you see the current TV given the location it is in? The previous posters seem to like that spot because it blends in, but I'm wondering if you can see it very well. It looks like you could from the two floral recliners, but if more than two people wanted to watch, it seems it might be awkward from the couches. I think the TV location might depend on how often you watch it and how many people need to see it.

I paint everything white but I like yours the way they are

If the TV is easily visible from the couch as well as the chairs, I'd see if a carpenter could modify the cabinet section to fit it where the present TV is, with doors that slide back into the cabinet when the TV is in use. Depending on the size of the new TV, as bac717 said, a carpenter may have to remove some of the vertical pieces, but it could be done without too much disturbance. You could have the same treatment done on the right side, as well, to be used for hidden storage. Then paint the room in a new, fresh color and you're totally updated! Not as much transformation as I think you'd wished for, but with a new paint color and larger TV, it will be a practical solution for this already lovely room.

Ditto what the girls said... and your room is so lovely as is, even the paint color.

Thanks so much for those wonderful ideas!! Never thought about putting the flat tv on the same spot where the old one is. My hubby would like that..The guy who came to give us an estimate about putting the flat tv above the mantle suggested we needed to take out the stone in the area where the flat tv was going to be installed and my hubby didn't wanted the stone to be removed. And guess who were the carpenters who did the built-in bookcases? well...hubby and his dad, so he can easily remove shelves and make room for the flat Tv :)

Ctlane asked if there is a place to stop the paint next to the kitche, the answer is yes. I posted a picture of the transition walls and the columns my hubby added. You can see a little of the olive branch color. Love this color and would like to paint the family room with it but I'm afraid it will be too much green.
What about using this as an accent color on some of the walls like on each side of the fireplace, above the bookcases?? I think this color would enhance the stones orangy-brick colors...what do you girls think?

Here is a picture of the transition wall...
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I think you should paint the bookcase cream. It looks good the way it is but painted it wouldn't look like it came from a department store. I love your stacked stone fireplace. And with the cream bookcase it would look even more fabulous.

Please don't think I am being insulting, I am not.

....Jane

I would either leave the walls the color they are or paint them the same olive branch as the kitchen. I am personally not a big fan of accent walls and different colors in rooms that are open concept, unless they have a distinct stopping place like yours, but it honestly is very pretty as it is! How talented your husband and his dad are, lucky you!

Emily

Hogar
Lovely room - I'll echo what others have said about stained staying & not mounting the flat screen - rather modifying existing bookshelves - I would consider a few things as well
- Modify both sides of the bookshelves to give symmetry - Looks like you could take out the entire "cube" where current tv is & do same to other side -
I'd add some pops of color to the bookshelves - everything is similiar in color - The bowl on Upper left has color -
I'd consider a large vertical piece of art on the mantle - the mirror seems a little "squatty" and reflecting room/furnishings.... just a thought.
Also - while the room seems comfy & inviting - it appears that it is hard to move around in with all the seating, piano ottoman & backing up to kit table - Do you need all the seating?

Jejvtr, that is not a mirror.

What beautiful work your dh and father did! I'm normally a white person, but you couldn't pay me to paint those shelves! Whomever designed them gets a pat on the back!

I too would leave the TV where it is. Your FP is too pretty to put a TV on top of it, plus it hurts the neck looking up.

As far as paint goes, I think it depends on how dark you want the room because of the dark shelves. Either way, I'd go for something other than a light light color. If that helps any. lol

Funny, I thought that the FR actually WAS a green when I saw just the first photo :) I think you should repaint using more of the Olive Branch--I think it will appear darker/more intense in that room due to that impressive height!

If this were my FR, I'd keep the new tv in the same location, just removing the shelving necessary. I would not touch the other side until I lived with it for a while--It might not actually bother you/seem unbalanced. I would suggest, however, that the new flatscreen be mounted to the built-in with an articulating mount, so you can pull it out a bit, and angle it however you want to. We have a tv across from a light-source and the glare can be a problem there. Beautiful room!!!

I'll be another opposing voice, but I think you should paint the bookshelves some shade of cream or off-white. Right now the wall looks too busy because there are two focuses - the bookshelves (which are beautiful, but they're competing with the fireplace) and the fireplace. Then, you could paint the walls a rich gray, olive or taupe, which would really warm up the room and highlight the fireplace. Just a suggestion.

I think your hubby is not avoiding the work but as for my opinion it is better to leave them that way because it matches the color of your furniture too. But if you will insist I think you have to try it first in Photoshop to see how it looks like. Thanks

I love the shelves the way it is :) My vote is to leave the wood stain.

But maybe a diff. wall color would give you the change u're looking for. Paint can really change a space...

I dont think the stained shelving competes with the fireplace at all--I think it integrates it into the room as a whole. I also vote for the TV within the cabinetry itself so as to not cover up that stone work.

Hogar,

I like your family room very much! Can you tell me about the drapes - did you make them? How did you hang them? I have double decker windows like that too and I want to put up drapes that go both stories like yours. Do you have any pictures of them?

I also think your flat screen will look better in the cabinetry because it will be too high to put it over the fireplace. There is also sometimes an issue with the heat from the fireplace, depending on how hot it gets up there.

Oh, just in case you are waffling...
Painting the bookcases white will just accentuate an enormous TV--not a feature I'm guessing you want to highlight, esp. when it's turned OFF.

My vote, again=leave the stain.

Leave the stain, and this from a woman who loves white bookshelves. They are beautiful and go with the mantle and stone perfectly.

I agree that Olive Branch would be a perfect color in the FR too. It would be beautiful against the dark wood and the stone.

I think your furniture layout is fine. It looks like a great conversation area. Maybe the one sofa isn't the best for TV watching, but it must work as that's the way you have it now! :-)

My only suggestion - and it may not be possible - would be to move the piano further away from the sofa on that wall. It does feel a little scrunched but it may just be the photo. I know first hand that photos don't give true color or perspective all the time.

When we moved into our home, I considered painting the dark wood built-ins also. New wall paint, as well as refreshing the stain, made them look as good as new.

Hi GW friends,
Thanks so much for all your wonderful suggestions and for taking time in your busy schedule to help me in my FR dilemma.
So, as popular vote indicates, I'll leave the bookcases stained, put the flat tv where the old is and paint the FR with the same color as the kitchen (Olive branch).

Now, talking about sitting arrangement, I do feel it is a little crowded eventhought it works when we are all together watching movies (we are a family of 5). Do you think I should remove the loveseat (next to the piano) and move the priano under the picture arrangement? (more to the center of the wall)? Or do you suggest other arrangement? the kids do like to lay down on the loveseat and watch tv from there because it is closer to the monitor. Or I could move the larger sofa to that wall, move the piano in front of the windows but where do I put the two chairs? (they are recliners so they need room to puch back).

Pam-md: I'll take pictures of the window treatment and the thick wooden rod they are hanged from. I was lucky that my aunt came to USA for vacation and made the window treatments for me. She's is a skilled seamstress in Peru and when I mentioned to her how much it would cost me to have someone do the w. treatments for me, she offered to make them. I paid her but not as much as I was charged and she was very happy because it more than cover the cost of the trip. My neighbor across the street liked her work so much that she hired my aunt to do her window treatment in her living room and my neighbor's friend also hired her to do hers. So, my aunt was happy, she went back home with good cash. And the best part is that she made them each in about a week.!Sorry for the long story :)

Hi hogar,

I love your room, but please don't put your piano against, or really any where near the windows.

I am not a piano expert, but I have a friend who is a phenomenal pianist and has perfect pitch, and had a hard time placing his upright when he got a new one...

He was told:
Upright pianos should be against a wall, preferably a full wall for best sound. They are built to resonate a certain way (?!)

Putting it near a window will affect the sound of the piano, and also the variance in moisture, sun and temps can mess with the inner workings of the piano and really foul things up.

Any way, that just jumped out at me and thought I'd mention it!

Hi pam-md, I have taken pictures of the curtains that you were inquiring about...sorry they are a little dark. I hang them with a wooden rod in a cherry finish that is really ...

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gosh, I thought this was a magazine picture at first... lovely already!

This seems to work best, I wouldn't change the arrangement. gramma jan

Bumping for Pam-md...

Ok dont laugh, but when I look at that first photo, I think that If you painted the fireplace grate, something brighter, that might be a splash of color that would look good. I also agree that a different (taller, bigger) art piece on or above the mantle would look better, you could incorporate a piece that has bolder color in it.

I just googled abstract art, you get the idea...
www.dafenoilpaintings.com/.../set111.jpg

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Thanks so much rjinga for those awesome art work..I'll be in the hunt for some and post some pictures later..

it is really awesome art work. i like second one.

Leave the bookcases stained (beautiful, btw) take out the cubbies on the left and I believe a 37" tv will fit there.
How wide is the bookcase 40"? Move the piano a little furthur away on the same wall.
The room is lovely, painting the walls would be the only thing I would do...If it ain't broke don't fix it.
signed by a wood lover...Joann

Actually, in my bedroom, I painted my wood stained bookcases surrounding our bed a slightly darker shade of the mocha color that we painted the walls and love it...
However, I think it would be a shame to paint your bookcases, they are rich looking with the dark backround behind the books. The white bookcases would be a white elephant in the room, IMHO.
Please tell me you're not planning on painting the stone fireplace ...