Thanks for clarifying the use of the space. It originally sounded like a room for the kids mostly. I think it is nice that your DH likes to be involved. Plaids and checks are hardly just country, but if that is his thought and he is immovable on that, so be it. LOL I was confused by your comment about the swirly wall areas not being able to be painted. They are painted the ceiling color, aren't they? No special maintenance to paint them another color, and I really think it would make the room feel more spacious if they were the wall color. I like the changes you have made - the room feels so much brighter.

Once the room is painted it will make a world of difference. There are a zillion shades of white. Your drapes on the right (which I think will certainly look the best) have a lot of blue in them as do your carpets. Pick a good shade of white to go with them. Actually any white color will go well in that room if it blends with the sofa's. Question? Are you going to paint the window panes as well? My guess, you will probably not. With painted white walls and beige sofa's and white drapes it is going to be very light in there. Which is good, no? I have painted dark paneling over the years and it looked wonderful. Paint is and has always been the thing that can change a room more than anything. Good luck and remember you can always change the drapes. lol .....Jane

My problem is that much of the furniture in this room was given to me (post divorce, single parenting, yada, yada), and not necessarily what I would pick out. I do however like the sectional and it is really comfortable. I could easily give up the coffee table and tv armoire...but that isn't in the cards for now. So onward! I did very roughly photoshop the walls in a very light buff - and it looked nice, so I'm considering this as well. The walls are currently a cream color, not white. Now that it has been suggested I can see the need to remove the chair rail and so will need to be at a minimum painting the bottom of it so it is a continuous color. I liked the warmth of the light buff, but wasn't sure how it would look on the paneled walls. I love the grommet curtains that have been suggested, although I think I have to stick with a fabric that is pretty casual. The width of the sliding doors is 79", so would a curtain with a 48-50" width work? I also agree that I should be looking for a table to be placed between the sectional and chair. That spot is definitely in need of a change so I'll start looking for a table/lamp for there. The artwork is all pastel type colors that do fade away, and they are lost in the space in term of size. I like both of them, but am open to changing them out as well. I always thought that a very large, flat, dark basket might work (think I've seen in PB catalogs but not for sale. Perhaps I could do some floating shelves. I had thought that perhaps this mirror (see link) would work above the sofa table because it has a casual, rustic aesthetic...but I do also see that that table doesn't really go in there with the rest of the furnishings or that mirror. It was my grandmothers and I actually do like it a lot, so that's where it ended up, but I could switch it out and see how it looks elsewhere. Ok, I'm rambling. I so appreciate your suggestions/insights! Any further input is always welcome! wig Here is a link that might be useful: mirror

Plantation shutters then just plaid panels at sides...?