I can,t get your kitchen pic to come up. From what I can see the grey wall is to dark for the space. Your right it doesn,t look like you know where your going with the space. It hard to pic colors when your new to a space and don,t know how the light plays with color in diff rooms just yet. With that small a space I would consider one color then go with it in diff shades.Very light on the walls then even lighter on the ceiling . With a medium shade on the built in. You already have a lot of dark in there I would only bring it up onto the walls with things like natural blinds open shelves on the back wall and picture frames. A nice light colored area rug with warm up and lighten that space as well. Really you just need to get the paint colors working better for you and I can see the rest of the room coming together easily.

I can see your pictures, but I'm not too sure what I am looking at -- I can't get the relationship between the kitchen and FR. Is the FR through the doorway, or adjacent to the kitchen chairs?

With the gray and white in the kitchen, and the dark FR, you might consider white walls all around and perhaps painting the built-in the same color.

I agree with madeyna. A lighter color, which I'd put on all the walls and the built-ins, would help a lot. If you are trying to blend this room in with the kitchen, how about a lighter shade of the paint in the kitchen? Choose the lightest shade on the paint sample card and see if that works.

And covering up more of the dark floor with a lighter-colored area rug will also help. If you have kids, consider an easy-to-clean outdoor rug--they make some great ones now that wouldn't look out of place inside.

Those are the relatively quick and easy fixes. You might also want to consider the lighting in the room. A few lamps will add more light than just the overhead fixture. And at some point, you might consider enlarging the window on that wall--it could be a lot bigger and allow much more light into the room.

I would paint the whole space -- all of the walls including the bookcases and the doors in fresh clean white. This choice would really unify the whole area -- and make the room look much larger and brighter.

Then add a much larger area gray rug -- and add some silver-colored lamps -- both table and standing lamps -- to add warmer pools of light around the seating area.

@andee The FR is adjacent to the bar stools. It is like one open area. So the second pic and the 7th pic "go together". To the right of the barstools is the opening.
I usually use Benjamin Moore paint. Do you guys know if there is a creamy white or yellow that would work in the FR? Or maybe I can go up a shade on the yellow in the kitchen ceiling- its called Yellow Lotus and use it in the family room on all the walls with a white on the brown built in?

@camlan The neighbors house is maybe 20 feet away. That side of house is just dark. There are lots and lots of trees so that is why its hard for me to get sunlight. I will also look into the rug suggestion. I have two children and my daughter has asthma and allergies so that is why I pulled all the carpet out and stained the concrete. But it doesn't feel comfy especially when we have family movie night. They like to lay on the floor but concrete is not soft :)

Thanks you guys so much

You have pictures of the room with the lavender/grey shelf unit and then you have a picture of open book shelves....where are they in relation to each other? I would paint the room and the built in shelf unit all one color....maybe cream. I think your TV should be hung on the wall and put on a lower - longer credenza. Maybe even turn your sectional to face the wall with the small window and put your TV on the window wall.......Need a few more questions answered here......

@grandmaof3 I just added a better pic of the whole perspective of the room. The units are in the same room. Once I paint the brown book shelves I am going to put the computer and printer in there. The dark gray unit is also a built in. I am working on the TV credenza I agree with you. TV wouldn't work on small window wall, I don't think you can see in pic but there is a door to a powder bath right there

Darn it the popup blocker won,t let me see your pics other than the one posted here. If you want to change the wall the tv is on just change the side that door is hinged so it swings the other way

I agree that all of your walls (LR and kitchen), woodwork, and builtins in the LR should be one color. And that color should be an off white. Benjamin Moore's Crisp Linen CSP-305 is nice.

The dark gold and dark gray are just not working for your very nice space.

@walnutcreek Even though my cabs in kitchen are a crisp white? I actually really like the kitchen as it is but I can lighten the purple-gray(Benjamin Moore SEA-LIFE) to the shade of gray on the window seat cushion or move up a couple shades on the purple-gray on the wall? So I want to neutralize the family room and brighten it up.

I don't mind the color blocking that's been done...I like to use different colors in open space to help the rooms feel more separate even though there are no walls to define them. I'm not a fan of the colors right now, and you don't seem to be either.

I'm also not a fan of the layout as it makes the room feel very long and narrow. Plus, the shelves on the right don't seem to be working for you...probably more display than you need, and it looks like you could use more functional storage. If those shelves are built in and can't be moved, then I would look into getting someone to make doors for the bottom half to give you more enclosed storage. If not, some big baskets would be helpful to contain and store toys quickly and easily for the kids. I would also get some smaller containers for the upper shelves to mix in storage with the family pics.

I would also want to put something horizontal along the short window wall... can the desk be moved there? Just something to break up the hallway look.

As far as colors, I suggest you start with something you like...maybe the pic on the wall in the kitchen...and pull a couple of the lighter colors out of there that you'd like with the white cabinets. I think I see a pretty cream color and a soft blue in that pic. Paint the wooden shelves the same color as the cabinets. Paint the base of the island black like the counter top. Get some matching window treatments that make use of both of those colors to tie the scheme together between the family room and the kitchen. Maybe something like this valance from bed bath and beyond

Then paint say the blue in the kitchen and the cream in the family room.

Finally, the other problem you have is simply not enough lighting in the family room. The room is too big to be covered by an overhead fan and an uplight. You need to look at some lamps. Maybe if you move the desk by the window, put a nice desk lamp on it. Get an end table on one side of the sofa and put a lamp on it so you can distribute the light through the room.

For the rug issue, maybe get a washable poly filled comforter...throw it down on the floor when the kids want to lay there and pick it up off the floor when they want to play. Throw it in the wash frequently.