Could you elaborate a little on how the power supply and various cables connecting the TV to cable box, Roku, DVD player, etc. were handled?

I really appreciate everyone's input. DH and I were discussing this last night and he wants to pick the sofa/chair colors first and then pick a rug and artwork that went with it. I told him I needed to pick inspiration first--artwork, rug, something that spoke to me and gave me a vision for the rest of the room. It was clear we disagreed, so I told him that one of us needed to budge and it had to be him :-). So, I've started looking at artwork and rugs and building a file of pieces that speak to me and give me a sense of what I want the room to "feel" like. I want it to be bright and light and cheerful. I want it casual/informal. I want people to feel they can tuck their legs up under them on the couch or put their feet on the coffee table. I am definitely afraid of color, so the art and rugs I am looking at are challenging my comfort zone, but I know that if I *don't* do that, I won't be happy with the result. I want the room arranged to encourage people to treat the dining area and living area as a flowing space, so that the living room welcomes people who are in the dining area and vice versa, since during parties, people flow back and forth from the two areas. We currently have enough open space to set up temporary card/game tables. I'm not convinced (or unconvinced) about putting a permanent table and chairs in this room for games, but since the family plays in the dining area, and we have lots of card tables to set up for parties, we don't need a permanent game space in this room. There's also an area for games in the rec room. As it turns out, the couches aren't comfortable anymore--they're over 20 years old and they are sagging. We have plywood under the couch cushions to make it usable until we get a new one, and the fabric isn't as nice it once was (kids, cats, that sort of thing.) We don't think it's worth re-upholstering and re-cushioning. The tables are solid oak (no veneers), and I'm not sure I can bring myself to paint them, although I might strip and restain them if we decide to keep them. If we end up not using them, then I'll put them in the basement to pass on to one of the kids when they furnish a place. The primary reason I'd consider keeping the coffee table is that it's sturdy enough to sit on--and people do sit on it. We don't plan to add a desk to the area. We have plenty of desks in other rooms and if we put one in here it wouldn't get used. Our purchase plans include: couch, loveseat, 2 (or more chairs), various coffee/occasional tables, rug, lamps, other accessories, and artwork. In other words, the only thing that stays is the bookcase wall :-). (And I think I've found a source to get 3 more of the bookcases on the left, so we'll probably do that and move the 3 on the right to DH's den so that all 6 on that wall match.) The bookcases are staying wood--I brought up the idea of a built-in white bookshelf wall 5 years ago and was roundly shot down. (DH is still surprised I even suggested the idea.) The carpet is in good shape and we aren't replacing it and DH doesn't want to paint, even though I'd like to add some additional color to the walls. (The walls are BM Shake Beige.) I like both ideas people have brought up about adding interest to the windows--either a window treatment or molding. The windows don't need privacy coverage, but I've been so afraid of doing something wrong that I've done nothing (so they look incomplete). And I totally agree with birdgardner that the bookcases and the stairway wall look cluttered (and it was worse--I removed some things to my at-home office this weekend.) I don't have much "large scale" art/sculpture/anything, so once I get some key pieces in place, I guess I'll be looking at decorating that area. (and convincing DH that the top of the bookcases are 'mine' and get to be book-free) So, my immediate goal is to identify some inspiration pieces to capture what I want so that I can select out from there. My other immediate goal is to post the floor plan--it'll help me to figure out what main pieces we need to acquire. Thanks everyone--this is really helping. (I'm way too old to find this so hard.)

I think you need to decide flooring first since it is the largest thing in the space then the tile for the fireplace will be easier to choose The last thing is paint color especially since you have gray sofas in the mix too. I love gray but it can be a bit of too much sometimes maybe just a simple really large format white tile on the fireplace would be a better choice. Porcelanosa makes fabulous large format tile with some texture .

I have a feeling that the shelves with pictures and objects on them may be a passing trend, one that I personally have never found terribly attractive. I do think that more could be done to make the living area more attractive. I'm afraid the rug in the dining area is too small, and the little round rug in front of the couch looks not quite right. I would get a large rectangular rug that covers the whole of the furniture area and find a warmer color that harmonizes with the furniture rather than picking up the cold gray color of the fireplace which doesn't really harmonize with the color of the adjoining cabinets. I would choose different rugs for the living and dining areas. With larger rug areas the sound level in this huge area would probably also be dampened. The picture with the yellow sofa has a much more modern vibe which makes more sense with the shelf arrangements, and probably would look blah without the yellow couch as an interesting focal point. Your colors are all very safe and neutral if you will compare them to the photos of high spaces posted above. I think more lively colors, beginning with some bolder choices of rugs, pillows, etc. would keep the focus on where people are living rather than the high walls. You have a beautiful space (love the windows and views), and to have the furniture turn its back on the view seems a pity. A lot can be done to resolve some of these issues, and perhaps seeking some professional help would be a good direction to take.