I really like it. They're bold and beautiful

If I had one recommendation it would be to lower them just a bit so they're not even with the bottom of the floor lamp shade. Maybe just a couple of inches. Not too much.

Get rid of the chair rail and paint the entire wall the color on top now. I think you will find then that your art works for you. It's choppy now.

I'd be temped to hang them vertically w/bottom pic lowest to the chair-rai

How high is your chair-rail - it appears very high which isn't doing you any favors hanging art.
If you want to give the triptych a little more oomph, you could paint a section of the wall a complimentary color--say the dark blue, and hang them on that. or paint a larger piece of quarter inch plywood/hardboard and mount the triptych to it and then hang that.

It's unsolicited, but your lamps being so unequal in height is throwing things off too.

If it were my house, I would create an entry hall where the sofa is now. I would bring the sofa into the room by pulling it 3 feet closer to the TV. Don't get a coffee table. Try to get the two chairs together, maybe having their backs to the dining area? I would paint the walls all one color, including the chair rail.

The triptych could stay on the entry wall, but you might need to add to it to fill up more wall space - an octaptych?

Thanks for the feedback ...

I really like the pieces as well ... just the size ...

The top of the chair rail is 44" off the floor. The chair rail is staying. My home is a 1920's Craftsman, so the various moldings and detail are important to the architecture of the house. (Not to mention I really like this detail :-) ) So I'd rather change the artwork rather than the moldings.

paint a larger piece of quarter inch plywood/hardboard and mount the triptych to it and then hang that.

I like this option ... I could keep the piece, which I really like, but have it be more substantial on the wall.

I agree on the lamps, I think the different heights looked better before I had artwork up. But I really don't want to have another end table and lamp on that side of the sofa.

I would create an entry hall where the sofa is now

Definitely no room to build an entry hall, the room is less than 12" wide, and the entire home is 900 sq ft. I know for many people it seems unnatural to the front door to open straight into a living room. But it's normal for a modest home in this area. Here's a pic to give some perspective

Thanks for the encouragement Lily'smom.

The middle of the artwork is 4'10" high, so I think it's just the pics that are making it look like it's hung too high. I've had the art up for a week now, but it keeps bothering me, instead of growing on me. I had a few neighbors over last night and everyone agreed, it looked undersized when looking at the whole wall ... unfortunately!

I think you've gotten good suggestions for the art. For the lamps, what about leaving the floor lamp and moving the table lamp to over by the blue chair? Unless you have two people reading at either end of the sofa, you might not need both lamps where they are. I can't see what's by the blue chair now, but maybe pull it out a little so the lamp would go in the corner and not directly in front of the window (altho that might work ok).

If you did that, to help fill the sofa wall and give you some balance and vertical interest, what about a narrow taller piece at that end of the sofa where the table lamp is now? One with room for a drink to be set down, maybe even with storage for the briefcase in a cupboard. Maybe something period that complements the style of your home? Probably not this, but on the idea of this as double duty:

I would just lower the artwork a bit-it's supposed to correlate with the furniture(in this case- a sofa), rather than the whole wall. When an artwork goes over a furniture piece, the rules change a bit-the furniture becomes a point of reference. So. I'd lower them until they'd seem comfortable to me.And if they had to touch or even go over the chair rail-I'd be fine with it too, actually. No idea if people do that normally..I would.

Also, it's always pleasing for the eye to keep the things at a bit different height..so for example the lamp, the hanging shelf, and the art won't be on exactly straight line.

I'd probably not move them (the pictures) wider from each other..it makes sense as it is now, and I'd be afraid to mess with this balance.

I wouldn't hesitate to lower it though, as I've already said.

Love that yellow chair!

Wow, what a different perspective on the room with the second photo. Disregard everything I wrote above!

To me, the shade on the standing lamp does not add anything to the room, so how about changing the shade to match the color of the table lamp? Then your pictures would command more attention. I love the pictures! Don't move them further apart. Keep us informed of the changes.

Whoops! Sorry, I didn't realize the lamp shades matched in color until I looked again at your pics. I think, though, that plain off white shades for both lamps would improve the room.

I can see why you are getting mixed feedback about the picture, because it does look off if you look at it in the context of just the upper portion of the wall, above the chair rail. But when you step back and look at the whole room, the art is just the right size. It would look odd if it was bigger. I agree that the chair rail appears a little too high, but I think you can work around that. One suggestion to minimize the appearance of the higher chair rail could be to pull the sofa away from the wall slightly, with maybe a sofa table behind it, just because having the sofa right up against the wall emphasizes that the chair rail appears to be tiny bit high. A taller sofa would also do the trick, but that is one great sofa so that's not a very practical suggestion :) I also like the idea of playing with the arrangement of the furniture. I actually love the idea of the taller, narrow piece next to the sofa - especially because if it's the right height it could help anchor your art. My last suggestion, which you may not like because I can tell you really like your chair rail, but I'm just going to throw it out there: paint it a less contrasting color, closer to your wall color. Keeping your other molding the pretty bright white is great, but the chair rail really doesn't have to match. That way you are keeping your period details but they are the small, pretty details of the house and not the accents in the room.

I'd definitely move the pictures down a couple of inches. I don't think the huge discrepancy in lamp heights is doing that side of the room any favors. The floor lamp is too tall and the table lamp is too short.

Appreciate all the feedback ...

I will lower them next time I have someone over to help. That seems to be almost unanimous, so I'll definitely see how that looks. I'll also pull out the rug a little more next time I have someone over, so I can move the floor lamp a little further from the wall.

I think the cabinet idea would be perfect, it would definitely close the expanse of wall, and not make the triptych seems so lonely. BUT, there is a floor heater that takes up precious wall space unfortunately. If that wasn't there I would have went with a full size sofa :(

I also tried out moving the floor lamp to behind the blue chair. I don't love it over there, and I don't think it help the triptych out either.

Leave the floor lamp where it was; try moving the table lamp and table to that spot by the chair. The table lamp appears to be too short on the art/couch wall. If you scootch the couch a bit toward the heater, I was thinking the taller cabinet would go next to the couch on the door side (if the table lamp/table was moved).

Been following but didn't have suggestions. However, I agree with Olychick's suggestions above, the only issue being no landing spot to place a drink if the table is moved from the sofa.

The more I see of your room, the more I appreciate the challenges you face in this space. That heater is a real intrusion. You cannot even place a tall, slim plant to the left of the sofa--the heat would likely kill it.

aimee, your LR is very cute and I like what you've done with it. My only suggestion is to get some sort of coffee table, but if you're fine without one, it's also good.

I also want to say that my front door is situated just like yours, opening right into my LR. Even though my room is wider than yours, I would never pull my furniture forward to create a "hallway" along the long wall. It would be a total waste of space and it's not like I have a lot of traffic in and out of my front door.

Ok .. using Oly's suggestions, here are the pics

I really like how it looks w the the larger wood end table and lamp moved to this side. (It doesn't look as crowded in IRL, i promise) And I never realized the table lamp does look too short on the other side, but better over here, farther from the wall.

From another angle

So, I'd have room for a cabinet over here. I'd love a cabinet to display items and have extra storage. But I feel walking in the door, straight into a cabinet would be odd, and unappealing.

I do need a landing spot on the door side of the couch, for guest's drinks, and for me and a lamp. I sit on that side of the couch, and although I do have a full office up in the attic (not as dreary as it sounds) I work mostly from the couch. If I had a cabinet on the other side, by the heater, I think that would work better aesthetically, but I'd still need a lamp and lading spot on the door side of the couch.

What about this on the door side, and then adding a cabinet to the heater side?

The heater, well, I hate where it is placed, taking up so much of my limited wall space but at least it is attractive, and I like it's original. Many of my neighbors just have very large, ugly grates in the floor. Those are way more challenging to decorate around!

Here it is from the other side, it would be such a code violation now days!

I could actually do a plant over by the heater. This is a very moderate climate, and personally I'd rather bundle up than turn on the heater. I really only turn the heater on if I have guest over and it happens to be cold (or at least how southern Californians define "cold").

Maybe a plant on something like this? Still have a landing spot for drinks

Thanks Linelle, my LR does make me happy, although my mom says all the color makes her itch, lol!

I'd love a coffee table, I'm obsessed w this one. But when I mocked it up w boxes, it was too much for my LR, and made it feel like an obstacle course getting from the front door to the rest of the house.

Thanks everyone, the help on this forum is amazing!

You made me love with "what Southern Californians define as cold":) Yes..I'm already in my Ugg slippers half of the time LOL..the good things are so easy to get used to, it's amazing..

And-to me, the plant is always, always a great idea!

This side table and lamp in one seems so cute, but think how it will always have this wire coming of it..making it less versatile than just a side table and a lamp..

What about something tall, but not a closed in cabinet, so that you could display things from both the side and the front? Then when you walk in from the front door it's more like it greets you instead of seeing the side of a cabinet. I can picture what I mean in my mind, I'll see if I can find something to post later. In the meantime, I'm kind of imagining the cabinet posted earlier, with a base slightly larger than the top so you can set your purse down or whatever, and a tall, narrow display area above, but instead of walled sides it's sort of more open, like a tower with 4 corner pieces.

Although, if you opt for something more open, you might be able to place it on the other side since it wouldn't obstruct the vent.

For the length/width of the wall size, I honestly feel the triptych(3) of pictures is too small......sorry to be the bone of contention. On a smaller wall, they could be the center of atattention, on the larger wall, IMO, the wall size overpowers the pictures, and can't help being obvious. If *you* are happy, that's all that really matters. I'm just putting in my 2 cents.

I think I'd try putting the floor lamp back where it was originally and put the round end table back where it was. Then I'd find a new home for the table lamp as it's height doesn't work next to either the sofa or chair.

The pattern of the lampshades doesn't seem to add anything and takes away the focus away from the artwork. I would go for off-white shades to give more cohesiveness to the room. With the patterned rug I think plain shades would look better. A nice room, though, and love the boldness of the yellow chair.

Update ....

I bought a book shelf to replace the floor lamp fill the vertical space on the vertical space on that side of the couch. My idea was to close in the artwork, so it fit the space over the couch better.

I'm not sure I like the result, I think it seems crowded and visually cluttered, even before I display anything on it.

These are preliminary pics, just for an idea. I still need a taller table lamp, and to center and lower the triptych.

I like a light, airy and bright feel in my rooms, so I think this is conflicting with that, although I really like the style of the bookshelf.

Thoughts?

I think you have the same problem as with the lamps......the ends of the sofa are lopsided with a very tall item on one side and a very short item on the other side. The table lamp doesn't work any way you've had it. It's height is that of a bedside lamp.

Yes ... it took this thread to see the lamp height issue. A taller lamp base is actually being delivered today, but my UPS deliveries are always late in the day, after the natural light is gone.

In such space confines, what you bring in matters 10x more. I think k9arlene is right and that some symmetry on either side of the sofa needs to take place. I would center the triptych over the sofa, and make either side of the sofa the same.

Any possibility of putting the art in your dining space over the sofa and the triptych in the dining area? I think the sizing of the triptych is just a bit off for that large a wall.

I like the idea of it, especially because the style of the shelf is more open, but I agree it feels cluttered. It's too dark, and the lines of it are too heavy. Which is too bad, because it's a nice piece. The great thing about trying it out is that even though it's not quite right, to me it confirms you need the height, or something vertical to break up the length of wall, so you're on the right track! I'm not sure how much a table lamp will help unless it is significantly taller (which I'm not sure about with the height of the sofa) without bringing down the painting just a little. Unless I misunderstood, and it's a floor lamp you're referring to.

Thanks for the feedback ...

I'm coming to the conclusion that the triptych just isn't going to work on this wall, and I can't really trick my eye into making it seem like it fits the space :(

I don't think any one large piece of art will work here. A single piece will either fit proportionally to the couch, or fit proportionally to the wall, but not both. Does that make sense, am I on the right track?

So my other option is a gallery wall. It's not my first choice because of the expense of framing, and I tend to gravitate towards bigger, bolder pieces. But I think a gallery wall could extend past the couch, fill up more of the wall, and not look odd doing so.

This is my house, as the previous owner had decorated:

I would try the two dining room art pieces above your sofa. I love the colors in them and they look like they would fill your space nicely. Then put the triptych in the dining room on the wall to the right by the hallway. A similar bookcase, but maybe in a thin metal style might work well. It would give you that height you're looking for. I hope the new lamp base works better for you in the space. Pretty room, cozy and inviting. Reminds me very much of the bungalow in which I grew up.

I like the idea of the triptych in the dining room, too - the softer paintings over the "soft" sofa and the modern art in the dining area. I thought that earlier when the other art was suggested to try over the sofa.

I also like the proportions of the gallery wall with the sofa in your photo from the previous owner a lot. It balances the sofa, the chair rail height, and gives you the height on either end above the lamps. If it was any other room in your house I would say definitely do that, but you sound hesitant, and I think you should love what you see when you walk in the door.

You could certainly do a bold gallery wall, especially because it would give you an opportunity to use personal, meaningful photographs, art, and objects, and I think that a bright, eclectic blend would look awesome with the gorgeous colors you have in the room. But if every time you walk in you wish it was something else, it just isn't worth it.

Also, it doesn't need to cost a fortune to frame a gallery wall. The pieces you want to remain archival quality should be professional framed, but the beauty of a gallery wall is you can mix personal items with framed art, and customize off the shelf frames with custom mats, and you still get a quality look when all of the pieces are together. actually, when everything is framed exactly the same, it drives me crazy, because each item should be framed to best showcase each piece of art or item, not to fit a spot on the wall or to match colors in the room. It's the arrangement of those finished pieces where the decorating comes into play.

I do love your colors!

I think the colors of the art in your dining room art work better over the sofa.

You'll hate me:

Love all of the opinions ... keep them coming ...

I know sometimes with all the feedback it seems like everything is picked apart. I am pretty confident now in my choices, something that wasn't as true a few years ago. For instance, the glass lamp shades have been suggested to be changed a few times, as well as the removal or painting of the chair rail. Those are some things that I know I really like, so even if everyone else hates them, I'm ok with that. They'll stay because they are pleasing to me. But there are other things that once someone point it out, I can see it and agree, like the need for a taller table lamp, or lowering the triptych.

I have a hard time visualizing sizes and proportions, so art sizing and placement is a constant struggle for me. As soon as the triptych went up, I knew it wasn't right. I was hoping it could be fixed, or maybe I just needed to get used to it. But it is becoming apparent to me it just doesn't fit the space, and no tweaking will make it right to my eyes.

As or the dining room paintings, I really really love those where they are. That is one place that I got it right the first time with those pieces, in that spot. So since I'm really happy with those where those are and how they look over there, I want to keep that area as is.

The triptych wasn't terribly expensive, so it won't kill me to put it away for now. The idea of a gallery wall is growing on me, I could see myself being happy with one. I do have a gallery wall in my breakfast nook of vegetable watercolors, so I don't hate them as a rule. I wish I was patient enough to let a gallery wall grown on it's own. I'm afraid I don't have it in me. I see decorating as a project to get finished, and not a constant evolution.

So assuming I'll go with the gallery wall, I have two directions to go with, I'm drawn to both of them

Travel photography:

I have a pretty extensive collection of photographs from travel over the years, and travel is something I'm passionate about. My previous home nearly all my artwork was travel based and mostly gallery wrapped canvases of my photos. I also had Wanderlust made with old travel posters, so I could reuse that. My hesitation is will the photos be too small to make out? And is this a less sophisticated option vs. the original art in the rest of my house?

Floral watercolors:

I've fallen down the rabbit hole on Artfinder, and to a lesser degree Etsy. There are pieces I absolutely lust after, and would love to have the space for. My hesitation is my living room is pretty boldly graphic, are floral watercolors too soft and pastel?

Actually, in thinking about my hesitations, they come down to the nature of a gallery wall. How do I prevent visual clutter and work with the bold choices I already have in the LR, in particular my rug?

Lol, I don't hate you at all nosoccermom! Can you post a larger version?

(I was like, wow, that looks my my LR, hey wait, it is!)

I just love your sofa, art work, wall colors, etc.

Here's two pictures of the living room above.

If you do a mixed gallery wall instead of framing a lot of one thing, you can mix together a lot of your photography and water colors and different types of original art that you like and lay them out in such a way that they are balanced. It is significantly more of a challenge to allow them to be mismatched, because we've all seen old fashioned, mismatched "gallery walls" that weren't really gallery walls, but mixed doesn't have to be sloppy. It's easy to get discouraged or second guess yourself if you are trying to "match" just 2-3 pieces to each other because it never feels right. But when you have 8 pieces you love, and one is a small canvas, and one is a watercolor, and one is a sketch, and one is a photograph, etc. you begin to see that one picks up the color from another, and that the sketch looks great next to this one piece, and the bright watercolor creates great contrast with the black and white print, and before you know it you have a really beautiful wall that really reflects what you love. The key is to keep the framing simple, to best compliment each piece of art, so the colors and contrast between the different pieces really pop.

You do strike me as the kind of person who knows what she likes, so if you choose pieces you love, I think you'll find it will come together faster than you think.

Thanks for those pics and the compliments nosoccermom! I love how in your pictures the room looks layered and textured w the different furniture groupings. And I can't take credit for the wall color, the PO had a great eye, and I love her paint choices.

Thanks elizabeth, that encourages me if I just find things I love, it will naturally all fit together, hopefully at least. You're right, in that there are many gallery walls that I don't like, and that's turned me off them. But the PO's gallery did look really good in the space, so that gives me the confidence as well

I'm off on vacation right now , hopefully I'll find some art I love while I'm here!

Photographic art is my area of expertise, so here are my suggestions: The 44" tryptic art is MUCH too small for the 16' wall space. The previous owner's cluster fills the space well but is much too busy. A single panoramic image at least 6 to 7 feet wide (with good lighting) would make the room. I would go with a 24"x72" + frame or a 30"x90" gallery-wrapped canvas giclee). The other option is a cluster of images or a single image printed as a cluster (gallery wrapped or aluminum - floating).