Good advice - I definitely want furniture I can use long term. Not sure what you mean by glorifying though. How can something glorify and be a solid foundation piece at the same time? I wouldn't say I'm in a rush. In one month, I've added a chair and half a table. :)

Hi mnmmax3, I'm sorry if my message was a bit strong. It was very late in the middle of the night when I wrote my response and I was half awake. My sincere apologies. What I was meaning to suggest is, pick furniture that you feel brings the best out in the room or in your own mood. I personally feel that the best way to shop for a room is with your own feelings in mind. Think about what makes you happy, any colors, general ideas. Sometimes, when I'm simply out shopping I get excited and when those times happen, I always take note of the pieces in the room and a lot of times I take pictures randomly. People probably think I'm a maniac when I'm shopping. However, I later go back and try to bring some of those pieces or the similar into my home whenever I am redecorating. It's great that you are not in a rush. When I bought my house, I was anxious initially to fill it up and I guess I assumed that you might be too. However, it took me years to get it even close to ideal but every time someone comes inside and says wow your home is so beautiful, I know that they feel the same vibe that I do when I walk in, they feel the joy that I feel, the warmth, comfort and, welcoming feel of being at home. I hope you can bring this into your home as well. Further, the furniture may not be too small but, it definitely looks like something is missing and perhaps that is why you are getting the feeling that it might be too small. As you are shopping, keep my recommendation in mind. This place is about you, not us. GL!

No worries - I just try to take all this advice to heart and wanted to be sure I understood your meaning. These chairs immediately had my attention! I love the wood arms and the overall look. I shop at a little local warehouse place that has more interesting/modern pieces than our big box stores, but they don't always have a put-together space. That is the part I struggle with... the putting together piece. I know what I like and what I don't (though it will evolve as people suggest things I hadn't thought of). I do not have a good sense of scale or balance when it comes to decorating, despite hundreds of inspiration pictures and "research". I get the concepts and can apply them in my garden, where I have a very pleasing balance of colors and textures and heights, but for some reason it does not translate to inside. That's why I appreciate the talents and suggestions of all the folks here on houzz.

You have a good sense of style -looks as if you're doing mid century modern. It's lovely. Stick to pieces in that style and it will work out. Don't add too much - modern is uncluttered and open.

I wouldn't paint the new side table or choose a top for it until you decide on a rug. It may point the finish in a different direction. It's got a West Elm vibe and perfect for your room!

Good point, Joe. I am all over the place with the rug... I'm thinking at this point of doing the fluffy cream flokati type despite the fact it seems so overdone, because it will give some contrast to the fireplace which will have the concrete look.

There's got to be a perfect rug out there for you! We just need to keep posting until some of the designers chime in. Or start a rug dilemma post. :-)

What's the plan for the stairs? Are you going to leave them carpeted? Maybe a coordinated bound broadloom? Do the flokati rugs come in rectangles? I don't know much about them. My OCD would have me on hands and knees brushing it in one direction relentlessly, I could never consider one. LOL

Olivia, it probably makes sense to finish the fireplace first. My oriental doesn't really work downstairs either but I it was something we bought for our anniversary almost 20 years ago. I don't know if I'm sentimental about it exactly but I somehow feel like it needs to stay with us but probably not on the main level.

Joe: There was never a very good plan in place. This all started with "we need to refinish the hardwood floor"... and kind of snowballed from there. The carpet will be replaced (probably carpet again) and the tile in the mud room/bath/closet too and we are on the schedule to get the rest of our stained trim painted.

This is my before...

My furniture guy said he wouldn't recommend a flokati type rug larger than 5x7. I asked why and threw up a little in my mouth when he pulled up the sample rug to show me all the dust and stuff stuck in it. Said bigger than 5x7 and they are too heavy to shake out. I forgot about that - so maybe no flokati. :) I have a weird aversion to rugs where I can see the binding, so I end up looking at expensive wools.

Finally have the fireplace done. Turned out great and I'm really happy! At the moment we are planning on a skyline steel in the nook area next to the fireplace, with a darker elephant ear in the rest of the open area (both will have more of the brown tone missing in the current 50 shades of grey on my walls). What color should the media console be? Looking for something low. Our trim is decidedly cream (feather down) so not really feeling bright white which makes the trim look dingy.

Is there any way I can keep our old blinds that matched the original natural Brazilian cherry? Thanks!

The fireplaces looks great -- perfect for your room! I'm going to go back to my original thought on the side table .... any headway on finding a rug as that may help with the color for the side table and the media console.

I can't really offer any paint advice, I'm terrible with color but I understand completely. My trim is SW Snowbound and it's not really white, it just look white in the absence of white. Could have fooled me when I picked it out, it was in the white paint section! LOL

Thanks, Joe. I did a consult at West Elm in an attempt to make some forward progress. She suggested rug is last as there are so many options out there for rugs. Better to choose the main pieces first.

It's a six or half dozen thing. Many designers here say you should start with the rug but I imagine it's done differently all the time depending upon what gives inspiration first. If you want to hold off on the rug then I'd grab a plank of flooring, equally long piece of painted baseboard and a white board painted in your wall color and go shopping for a console! You may get some looks but you'll narrow colors down quickly enough.

You can search for a rug at this point, because you have two main pieces and they are both plain. So, pretty open field for a rug. Are you looking for a monochromatic overall look? Grays and beiges? Are you open for some color? As for tone of console, that will depend largely on the size and your budget basically. Common woods are less expensive and readily available and more interesting woods are more expensive and less available. Since you have a mid-century vibe with the sofa and chair you might want to explore lighter woods. You can mix woods. Might be able to find a bargain on Craig's list or some other such listing. Or shop around in resale shops. Need measurement of the space where you want the TV. Just don't mount it on the wall.

OMG, you should see me going shopping... I have all my color chips and pictures and sample chunks. I'm obnoxious! I loved the IKEA stools BUT there were little visible bumps where the seat meets the legs. They told me to just hang tight and see if they would disappear once the leather broke in, but I returned them. I wish I could find something similar, because they were otherwise the perfect shade of orange and great style. Our local chair place orders some out of Canada but not orange. Online everything else is so bright.

Pillow idea? if muted colors could guide/ inspire -- letting your blinds be ok...

Mina Victory Natural Leather Hide Floral Patchwork Violet Throw Pillow, 20"x20" · More Info

Mina Victory Natural Leather Hide Floral Patchwork Violet Throw Pillow · More Info

West Elm has a TV console with wood and black that has a mid-century vibe. It is fairly wide though. How much room do you have for the console?

Thanks Flo. I do love color. I just picked up this pillow from West Elm. I don't know why it looks so Grandma-ish in the picture, it's really fun and funky in person. And we just painted the dining room Riverway. I want a rug to be comfy as my kids like to camp out by the fire. I have found those hide rugs to have noticeable seams. I received comments that the rug I had before was too busy so I am fine with something very subtle. I do love the 8x11 size of that Duncan rug, 8x10 seemed a little tight when I had that in here. The pattern is okay too but I am afraid it is too blue-toned.

Other shade colors - table version too:

Versanora Romanza Tripod Floor Lamp, Copper, Floor Lamp · More Info

H 47.25" / W 35.5"

Messer Oil on Canvas With Frame · More Info

Manufactured By IMAX Worldwide Home

Everdebz, thanks for the ideas. I am not generally a fan of brown except in woods. Not sure why... I like your thought of pulling in the blind color though. Thanks.

Flo - the space is about 84". Husband is looking for something fairly low to put the TV on. The Modernist looked okay but I like the ones at Room and Board better. We live in MN so we can hit the weekend "outlet" store there and get a pretty decent deal.

Love, love that lamp!!

I thought this one was beautiful (Moro) but I was afraid it was too much linear next to the slatted-look of the fireplace.

that is great piece and repeating the linear is a good thing. Only problem, if you need remote with infrared, it won't go through the wood. So that door would probably have to be open. Room and Board has great quality pieces. I'll take a look there. I was hoping the sofa was purple!! haha! Love purple with oranges! But maybe we could find a purple rug! I love that pillow because it is different and funky to me.

Check out the Hudson Media Cabinet with Steel Base on room and board website in the Walnut. this would work with your flooring beautifully I believe.

72w x 16d x 24 High Walnut finish · More Info

Thanks Flo - that is super helpful to see how this can look with some more work. I really had not even considered purple. My phone (and probably the lighting) makes the couch come out purple every time despite it being a true brown grey tweed. This combination is kind of cool but would not work with my new pillow, right? Honestly I am scared to commit to a color for something big like the rug. I can change out accessories all day long and I want to be able to bring in colors in all the adjacent rooms. Thanks for putting something above the TV. I wasn't sure what to put there. If I leave the chairs against the window, can I add something closer to the fireplace for additional seating? I found this at the room and board weekend outlet too. I have to read my specs for how close stuff can be to the fireplace...

There were a couple of units at the outlet with skinny mitered edges like that that frankly looked flimsy. I will drop by there again today to see what they have this week. I do like that the grain of the wood is going the same way on those.

Did you decide on the chair - is height much lower than sofa? or not at all lower....

Just read this: couch is a true brown-grey tweed.... if keeping it, what color is the chair again? sorry....

seems with toasty - beige fp... you're leaning toward warms... NOT browns!

maybe sofa goes purple-y cause floor is nice and warmy chestnut...seems real wood with touch of green - this rug and does it blend with squash-orange chairs?

Cool Abstraction Multi Rug, 5'x8' · More Info

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everdebz... I have the two chairs with a tweedy grey pattern. They are slightly shorter than the couch and with the open arms seems way too small at first, but have grown on me and I think are just fine. I am waiting until I get the rug and additional pieces before I decide if I have room for another chair. That rug has some nice colors. I am looking for something 8x11 if possible. I will look some more tomorrow... Thanks!

good 'luck'... :)

Ok. Been awhile and I'm making progress. Sorry, we're painting and repairing walls so ignore the stuff around. New nubby rug and a great coffee table.

We are planning on ordering the 80" media console from West Elm.

For now we've been doing the chair in front of the fireplace but I think it needs to be farther away if we actually have the fireplace on. If they are together by the window, do I need something on the opposite side or do I just move everything farther onto the rug?

Did the SW color consult and planned on skyline steel in the entry, office nook and LR nook, with elephant ear everywhere else. Skyline came out horribly yellow up next to the fireplace (the picture is the second color we tried - Stormy Weather from Ace - that also doesn't seem to work). I would love to skip the grey altogether but it's all open and I don't know where to stop as it extends up and down the stairs...

I love this new art piece and would love to put a color accent behind it, but that would mean a plain color for the entryway. The bench I bought is too blue-grey but I cannot return. The office adjacent to the entryway is a deep orange-red color. Will the stupid bench look okay against grey once I get some art up?

What should I paint the rest of the walls? One grey all around? Grey with lighter accents? Colors everywhere?