Couple more things to add: we are pretty committed to the grey couch and chair and are planning to make the white shelves into a built-in (when we find time haha)

I would paint the walls a pale aqua...it would look beautiful with those other colors.

The room is looking good! I think the yellow cushions aren't right -- pick more of a mustard colour or a rusty red or green from the carpet? And you might go for a much bigger rust-red ottoman, also taking the colour from the carpet. Yes, the art could be more colourful on the art, but I do like what you have.

Don't sweat too much about an adult room being a mess because kids live in there too. That's why God made mothers. To tidy up. All families have that problem. A storage ottoman might help with the tidying up.

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Take a close up photo of the rug to see what other colors are hiding in there. I would move the rug to get the front legs of the sectional under it. A wider, brighter picture above the sofa would help, although the one with the stones/blocks is a bit childish for my tastes. Some additional lighting in the room - lamps and end tables.

Even with kids, I think you could go for a more polished look - nicer side table with the chair, pillows with some flair, arrange the top three shelves of the bookcases with some interesting pieces in addition to books, including a small lamp. Drapery panels on the sides of the window to soften.

Here's a few rugs that are brighter that may work. One suggestion is rug placement. It would bring your room together by placing the rug under the far side of your sectional.

I love your pb rug! I suggest you pull it under the front feet of your sectional.

I think a more colorful painting behind the sofa would look great.

I would be sure to have some end table with lamps on them. Lamp light is so warm and inviting.

Also perhaps a nice coffee table? A floor plant?

I would look at inspiration pics to help and to help you figure out the pillows on your sofa.

I'd keep the rug and change out the artwork. While I'm sure it's lovely, it is just showing up as a dark block in the pics, and I'm not sure there's enough light in the room to remedy that (though if you love it, you could probably get a plug-in picture lamp to illuminate it).

Your rug is great. Just adjust it so it is under the front feet of your sectional as others have suggested. I would change out to more colorful art and definitely lose the small round mirror above your painting. I would also paint your walls and add a coffee table with hidden storage. Then some great accent pillows and your cooking with gas.

You could remove the artwork and platter on the wall and replace with a bright and beautiful longer piece of art, then choose colors from the art that would work on your couch.

Thank you all for all of this excellent advice! I have so much to work with here. Very appreciative!

That rug looks a a bit old fashioned IMO.

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The rug isn't that colorful compared to what it seems like you want. However adding artwork over the sectional that is colorful will help, and adding in a colorful ottoman. Also perhaps more lighting will give it more light and make the space feel brighter as well. Here are some colorful pillows, art, rugs, etc to help.

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I love your rug and you have a nice space. You just need to add some finishing touches.

I haven't read all the posts but you definitely need more light! Your overhead lighting is make your space look dull. Lamp bases and shades will add texture and color to the room and make it look more finished. It will help to have some round shapes in the room.

Move the rug so it is under all the furniture or pull the furniture closer together for a cozy conversation grouping.

Get some new throw pillows. Richly textured or tone on tone patterns that read solid with colors that relate better to the rug. A coffee table with a brightly colored tray for the remote will break up the domination of the rug.

Keep the rug! Make some of the updates suggested. I think that round red ottoman would look great.

Keep the rug and move it under the sectional as others suggest.

A much larger or a grouping of artwork over the sectional.

Different pillows that better match.

A new end table that is a bit more edgy.

I would stack some of the books horizontal in the bookcase and add more color.

A big ottoman in the middle that has the colors you want.

Here is a rough mock up with a floor lamp, round coffee table, brighter pillows and art.

This is a better pic of her rug, so the colors show well - PB Eva.

I am not sure how to respond to comments specifically but I want to say again how much I appreciate all of these suggestions. This is such a cool community! I love all of these ideas and agree about the details such as replacing the painting with something larger, rectangular and more colorful, adding lamp light (never thought of that!), nicer ottomans, brighter pillows, more formal side tables, and many more ideas too. I agree with one poster too that perhaps the rug is just a bit more traditional than I want but great to think about how there are ways I can work with it. There is a lot I can do and it's just a matter of taking the time to find the right pieces. Thank you too for all of the mock-ups of the space! (As a side note, my 3 and 5 years old's were looking at the mock-up pictures like "wow is that our room!?":) Thanks again, everyone.

Thanks for posting the close-up of the rug. It is colorful in its own muted way -- it's strange how it looks so different in daylight versus night when the colors feel so much more muted. I am looking for brighter couch pillows as that is a very good suggestion and easy to change. Colors to pull out I'm thinking would be red or perhaps a green (love the teal pictured above.) I am not sure I understand what colors could be pulled out of it. :0 Also, if I went with a red ottoman (love that idea) would you all still recommend using other colors for the couch pillows? Thanks!

I, too, like all that people have suggested but I want to add one thing that bothers me.....the two shelf units in the corner....do you have another place for them? Maybe if they were half as tall and painted the colors of the walls, and have less things in them, it would be better. Not sure. They just look crowded in there somehow. Do you have room for one along side the glass door/window and the other shelf on the other side of the window (Can't see that part of the room) Good luck with your changes....gives a room a new feel with just a few little things..

Yes that's a very good point. I have issues with them too -- I would prefer something more substantial/formal looking and they definitely need some paring down and styling. Unfortunately we don't have space on the other side of the window for one of the shelves (I wish we did!), although from a functional perspective I do like how together the two shelves make a little reading nook in the room. Our home is very small so I sometimes feel like I am trying to fit so many functions into each room. I am thinking of adding a center corner unit (it's an ikea shelf) to add more space, but definitely good to think of ways to add style to that area. Thanks!

Eventually we'd like to make a built-in look like this. Hopefully we can do it this summer:

I like that built-in.

This might help you base your colours on the carpet:

I would get a can of paint and paint your wall behind the sofa a great color from the rug, but go brighter than the rug. Let the rug be a "supporting" piece not a dominate piece. A couple of lamps and moving the rug under the legs of your sofa, a couple coordinating pillows and interesting art over the sofa and Voila! Whole different room! I would keep the rug until your little ones are a bit older anyway. Especially since it is fairly new. I would not do a built in. First, that is too small for a growing family and you need storage with doors below, so look for a used piece of furniture you could paint the way you want. It will serve you much better than a built-in and it can be moved to another bigger home when the time comes.

I would agree with others:
- round ottoman, like Beverly suggested, but I would choose one in lighter color (one of the light rug colors)

- bigger scale bright artwork

- consider armchair covering in the brighter color from your scheme

- moving rug position

- changing the corner book shelf

If you can take a picture from different perspective, it would help us to have a suggestion for book storage.

Great suggestions! Thank you. I will see if I can get some good pictures of the full space later today. I am going to do some of these steps. One question about lamps. Do you all think something colorful is better or more neutral? I am thinking since I’m looking to bring colors lamps would be a way to achieve that. These are some of the lamps I’m looking at:

The teal scallop one is my favorite but they only have one in stock so couldn’t do a pair but I love the color.

When you’re looking at lamps, make sure you pay attention to the height on the table and in relation to the chair/sofa. It’s hard to tell, but the one you like appears very short/squat to be a lamp next to the sofa.

Ahh that is a very good point. Maybe it is more of a console table piece. I’ll have to think about that as I haven’t decided on end tables yet.

Definitely choose end tables first, then lamps. Target's Project 62 and Opalhouse collections have lots of great, reasonably priced options for both, as you can see! The pale blue, cream, and rusty red would be great colors to work with to brighten things up. Don't forget a lumbar pillow for your chair as well! If you look back at your first posting, you can see how nice the camel color pouf works with the furniture and rug. It brings warmth into the space. I think if you add some wood in a coffee table to the space, it will do the same thing. Maybe something like this, which also adds a bit of texture.

You have the bones of a great room-it just needs a bit of finishing!