I don't have a room in my house large enough to accomodate these large entertainment centers, but if I did, I would grab them up in a heartbeat, even if I had to redo/add-to the shelving. If I had huge rooms here is what I would do: *Mudroom storage for gloves, coats, shoes, boots, sports equipment, cleaning supplies, etc. *Freestanding pantry *Clothing storage in bedroom *Linen storage/closet *Playroom storage if I had kids at home *Pretty garage storage *Potting shed for garage *Pretty basement storage *Craftroom/sewing organization Again these idea only work with the proper space (which I don't have) but many folks have more room than they know what to do with and are looking for the elusive organization ideas. Some of these are pretty in their original finish, but since most are practically being given away, what a great opportunity to get creative with different paint and faux finish ideas. Sigh! Sure would love to have the space.

Since you are not focusing everyone on a TV, I would suggest not thinking of arranging one rigid furniture group focused on one anything. Instead, think of more varied furniture pieces and looser arrangements that turn different directions, focus inside and outside, include lighter weight pieces that can move to join others, and in general and specific serve those different functions. The fact is, the living ("family") room arrangement has been contracting for some time. For more and more of us there's no need for a reading or sewing lamp if 95% of everything we read is on an iPad and many of us don't read or sew anyway. Less need for a dining table for those who often eat in their favorite chairs facing the TV, messier kids maybe kneeling at a coffee table. Of course absolutely no need for a table to spread a newspaper out because we don't take newspapers. Once-important desks have become strictly decorative objects now that we pay our bills, write friends and chat on our cell phones from easy chairs. No need for a game table when the games are in our laps and we're playing by ourselves with one eye on the TV. The classic little sewing table? Gone, with its lamp. Fact is, the standard living room arrangement these days needs to provide one favorite sitting place per person, equipped with one place to set a drink, from which the entire weeks' home leisure can be lived and many chores performed. In most homes at least a couple of those seats recline, and almost all are pointed at a television screen. The "window treatments" typically frame one view--of a standard back yard (not several views out over 52 acres). The typical family is not there most daylight hours anyway, and the seating typically ignores it to focus on a TV plus fireplace. This trend does not reflect every family's life, of course, but it has profoundly influenced what furniture is found in the typical living room these days (fewer and fewer pieces) and how they're typically arranged. (And, no, I don't admire this lifestyle contracture. I love, love, love my computer, and my own favorite chair, but hate that a beautiful, once-important old desk mainly gathers dust.) In any case, it doesn't sound as if you live your lives quite that way, You even knit, and with no TV you all presumably require other light and surfaces for leisure tasks. So maybe turn away from current standard arrangements to decide what pieces your lifestyle needs and where? You might try looking at pictures in old, pre-computer decorating books and magazines. Back when people typically turned the TV on to catch a favorite show, then turned it off.

What about a light gray?

I would focus on 3 colors predominantly- black for furniture and curtains (existing unless you’re looking to change window treatments too), warm gray for carpet, paint and background colors and gold for accents. I would pull the carpet color from the color of the leaves on the wall paper to tie it together. Same for paint. I’d take one of the colors you like from the paper and match it to paint. I would recommend pottery barn furniture in black - it will look much better than the mid tone gold wood pieces the previous owner had.