It looks like you really like blue. so any of your rugs is fine. but if you want warmth, you will have to bring in a warm color, red, yellow, orange. i like a touch of gold with gray. Finally on the topic of art. i always believe that you should buy art that you love and that you should buy original as much as possible. never buy big box store, you are paying hundreds for glorified posters. if you want posters they have monets for 8-$10. other wise look local or go to etsy or saatchiart, you will find many that will give your monet a run for your money. if you find those prices too high, you can get an artist copy. if still too high, i would go with the new style for a couple dollars or less they will send you an online copy of the artpiece. send that to an online artshop they can make it as big you want. they have these cool ones now where they printed on glass. anyway you are then paying only the artist and the framer. and if you save the email that contains it. that is pretty much the same as a signed print. not totally original but much less chance of you seeing it again.

So I was just about to post a new question here and was thinking about this thread and how so many of you wonderful humans took time out a few years ago (omg pre-pandemic!!) when I was redoing my one bedroom condo. I obvs have no idea if people continue to stay on this forum but I’m hoping at least a few people see this so I can say THANK YOU!! Long story to go along with the long years we’ve all faced from early 2020 to now, but short version is soon after I did “refreshed” my place, I moved out of the h*** that was condo living in DC amid the pandemic to stay with my folks in NC. And quickly decided I never wanted to move back to DC! So I sold my place!! And no, I do not regret for a moment the work I put into it bc (1) it looked awesome and (2) it sold within days of being on the market, at a price a tad higher than other places in my own bldg which I attribute to a bit of emotional response bc my condo looked FIRE. So thanks to everyone who made suggestions (even those I didn’t take!). I learned so much and have found so much more confidence in my ability to know what I like, how to ask for help, and most of all…not become overwhelmed with opinions!! I ask for them, but hey…people like different things, no biggie. Anyways, in case anyone is still around, thought I’d share a few pics of how it all turned out in the end. Happy spring everyone!

The suggestion of top down shades is a good one. You can get the honeycomb shades in all manner of light and view filtering options. You really can't just live with your windows all closed up all the time. Why have a window if it always hidden? And the more you can uncover the other window the better. Bring all of that in tighter with neat shades. Lighten them both up with some nice top down shades and bring them to match. Your chairs are nice but there are a lot of them for such a small space and there is no where to get comfortable and put your feet up. One tends to slide out of slick leather chairs. They really don't look very comfortable . And how would one read with no lamp? You refer to it as the library, yet there is not much there that adds up to it's actually being a library, a comfortable place to read or relax, nor do you have very many books or shelves. It all looks pretty stiff, cold, dark and very brown, and not inviting to be there even with the window opened. Surely you have invested in your chairs, but a softer squishy and more inviting small sofa, a place to put your feet, a reclining chair, some very small tables and some floor lamps would be much more inviting, And a fabric upholstery could add some brightness and color and soft warmth to your room. A place to get comfortable with your iPad is a must for modern life. There is none of that in the room, either. It seems to be in imitation of a public reading room where you don't want folks to get too comfortable and they plan to stay only a while, sit up straight and read a bit. But, this is your home where you live and it should be more comfortable, warm, soft and inviting. It is none of that. This looks more like you are planning to have some sort of meeting and no one is expected to linger after. Do you really expect to have four people all sitting upright and quietly reading all at once? Your problem with your room is not just light, rather it is in your concept of the room both as to the use and purpose. Nothing here speaks the language of a library or warmth or invitation. Two small built in shelves do not add up to a library. There cannot be much there and it does not look as if it is a valued collection of importance with any order to it. Certainly nothing enough to build a library around. The room looks small and very likely intended to be more of a home office, perhaps? It certainly looks good for a nice desk and a couple of comfortable chairs. Perhaps you don't need such a formal space to read. If you really do a lot of reading do you really want to sit and read straight up in a cold and hard chair with your feet flat on the floor? I am sorry if you feel that my opinion is harsh criticism. But, you did ask for advice from strangers. One more suggestion and it is about that view outside the window. I don't know where you are in the world, but if the climate permits you could, perhaps, change that view of the wire fence by adorning the fence with hanging planters of flowers, in season. Or, establish some sort of trellis type of garden structure that sits in front of the fence. It is really the fence, itself, that seems to be the offender. And, it looks as if the fence may be your fence. You would only need to do this on the part of the fence that is in view. As to the driveway gate, you are just going to have to accept that that is where you live and that is what it looks like outside. You are not living in some 19th century manor house. It does not look like formal gardens outside the windows and you don't have an old world library full of heavy leather and wild animal skins from your safaris. Don't fight it. Embrace the reality. It looks like a nice room with possibilities.

I can’t get the pic to enlarge, so can’t tell what the top material is, but West Elm is one place that has a somewhat similar style: https://www.westelm.com/products/is-stowe-coffee-table-h3723/?pkey=ccoffee-tables&sku=cm_src=coffee-tables&cm_src=reducedClick&isx=0.0.3637 https://www.westelm.com/products/retro-tripod-coffee-table-h2106/?catalogId=71&sku=2308075&cm_ven=PLA&cm_cat=Google&cm_pla=Furniture%20%3E%20Coffee%20Tables&cm_ite=2308075_14465075426&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI9M-Xp5ab9gIV5iZMCh3mpwqcEAQYASABEgIbyPD_BwE These are fairly common, just search MCM oval coffee tables, MCM tripod coffee tables, Danish oval coffee tables, retro oval coffee table, etc. Do you know how old that photo you posted is? It might not be a table that’s available anymore.