I would have all the walls the same color to create a flow and not chop up space. I would take down that art piece and replace it with several small framed pieces running horizontally above the sofa. I think a soft shade of green for accents would work well to freshen up the space and look for it when you purchase art. Take down the panels which are too much for the space -- they don't reflect the cottage look. I really like the fireplace and see you've got a start there with the green accent in the plant and the wreath. You can also fill a bowl full of fresh fruit and keep it on your table.

What is going on with your curtains? They do not look good - at all....sorry.

My fireplace is curved and the picture is to big it gaps. I originally bought it for the fireplace. My pics came out terrible ,I'm sorry. Any suggestions on how I can make it work? Also because of the wreath I don't know what to put in dining room wall. I love the idea of painting wall one color. And pillow colors too! Thank you. I Don't any other place to put painting thou is there a way to make that work? Maybe something beside it...I don't know. I guess the cottage look isn't really accurately what I'm looking for. I just want to walk in door and be happy lol. I typically like color.... vibrant colors. Place is so small I decided to try neutral with pop. But now place is boring. Would it be to crowded of a look if I moved couch away from window a little and put a narrow table with lamp ?

Don't apologize about curtains ... I agree. I guess they need a weight at the bottom to keep them from doing whatever it is it's doing. Should I change them out completely or add to it , lower them maybe. I've just spent so much so far so I'm trying to make all my mistakes work.

I think your space looks great. It is a small space but it looks very welcoming and cozy. Remove everything from the fireplace and add artwork with lots of yellow and white. Replace your pillows, again with yellow and white. Go floral, graphic, whatever you like. Personally, I would remove the counter stools since there is very little space for the dining table. Also, as other have suggested, paint all the walls the same color.

The curtains are fine. Fix the way they hang by adding weights to the bottom corners. Sewing shops sell them, it is basically just a piece of metal, but you want the kind that will not rust/stain when you wash the curtains. Take out the hem slightly in the bottom corners, add the weights, then stitch it back up. Easy peasy.

Finally, I'm not sure if you use the door in the corner, but if not, add an accent chair.

If you are absolutely serious that you want ".....a simple, pretty uncluttered......contemporary look...." then I would encourage you to (a) start by thinking about this room completely empty, then (b) reconsider everything before you allow it back into your home.

May I tell you what I see?

1. The strongest element is the fireplace -- angled, rather contemporary and it certainly dominates the space. It provides separation -- visually and functionally -- between the areas of the room. I would tear out the "raised hearth" part of this fireplace.....easier than you might think......then rebrick the bottom area as necessary and install tile at the floor (we call this a "flush hearth." ) Now you'll have more "walking around space" in this room.

2. The far window wall presents another problem. Is this a townhome? If so, you're probably stuck with the windows. If not, I would tear out that closet and the window right next to it. If you can't get rid of the window, you can still tear out the closet. I'm sure you've got it packed with stuff, but it's in the wrong place and is contributing to the dysfunction in this room.

3. Instead of a separate table, I would build-in a table that is tied to your peninsula wall. Something like this image I found on the internet. Your table should be perhaps 30" wide max......cannot determine length needed from your photos. Keep it sufficient for 4 people, and think about smaller chairs. The end could be rounded.

4. With the changes I describe, you should be able to place your couch against the wall where your tv cabinet is currently situated. With the closet and the raised fireplace hearth removed, you have more room to situate your furniture. When you move the couch to the other wall, you open up the space visually, -- and you have all that wall space running from kitchen to windows that can be carefully managed with shallow storage (building-in things is always best in small spaces), wall-mount tv, and, of course, art.

5. Your vaulted ceiling could be converted to a "tray ceiling" with a built-in soffit that would define the space better, and perhaps allow for the installation of indirect cove lighting, and recessed downlighting. Photos below show BEFORE AFTER of a project I designed. A soffit like this over your new shallow storage could work quite similarly to my after photo.

6. Lastly, I recommend you simplify your drapery......perhaps eliminate it entirely. When we design drapery into contemporary spaces, it more often looks like this "ripple fold" design shown in another photo I located on the internet.

I hope you found some useful considerations here. Cheers!

Yes very useful. First thing going is tearing out the hearth and painting walls same. Then I'll move down the list thank you very much!

If you want to use a nice accent color to accessorize your space, look to your painting above the couch. Try adding some pink/blush color using pillows, curtains, a rug, more artwork, and blankets. You could also pick up the yellow and green in the artwork as well. Below are some designs of ours that might inspire you in your journey.

Lady's Retreat · More Info

Lady's Retreat · More Info

Lady's Retreat · More Info

I would love to add pillows with color, but flower pattern makes it a challenge for me. Can you give me some examples please. Also I would like to add something on both sides of picture to fill wall up. I was thinking shutters or narrow accent mirrors.... I'm not sure. Im terrible at this.

www.tonicliving.ca

https://www.tonicliving.ca/collections/all-pillows/products/posh-velvet-mustard

Here's an example of a yellow pop of color. You could also use pink/blush as suggested by another poster because it looks wonderful with grey. Don't fixate on the floral in your picture, just pull the colors out and use those colors elsewhere in your room (I see grey/white/yellow and a yellow-ish green). Since you already have a grey sofa, I would use more yellow and white.

That's a beautiful yellow... I love it !! thank you.

Hi Rosemary. A word of caution before you tear out the hearth. It's likely the flooring is cut around the hearth so if you don't have flooring to replace it, you could run into problems. I would definitely start by painting all the walls the same color. Your curtains, while pretty, seem to overwhelm the space. If you can use them elsewhere, I would replace them with fixed roman shades. It will take some of the heaviness away from your window. The print pillow you have on your sofa is fine and goes well with your magnolia print. If you add a solid yellow behind it, and one other in the other corner of the sofa, that should help. I would also look for a pretty throw to drape over the sofa to break up the gray a bit. The candles on your hearth don't have enough visual weight to make a statement. I would consider a vase like this one one side

Codes require you to have non-combustible material in front of the fireplace. As I mentioned in my comments, when you tear out the hearth, you will "fill in" that part of the floor with tile creating what we call a "flush hearth."

You're completely right MLB. It's not like I didn't know that but it completely slipped my mind!