I just posted this on someone else's thread but I wanted to say THANK YOU for helping me find my voice! And making progress! The granite guy came today and fixed the crack. You can't tell at all standing over it. I can see it when the sunlight is reflecting off of it, but also bc I was specifically looking for it. Anyone else would just see it as graining. Granite guy said it happened probably when the cabinet guy was hacking at the trim he had to remove bc it wasn't right. This I can live with. The cabinet guy showed up yesterday. The magnet he brought to fix door wasn't the right one. I started to show him which cabs had nails still sticking out and he said he'd check all of them. Then he said ok I'm done. I opened a cab and said the nails aren't finished, I thought you were going to finish them. He says,"Oh I didnt realize that you wanted me to do that." Really?Really? I guess he thought the splintered wood was fine? So then he says ok I'm done. I'm going to run to HD and get the magnet and be right back. Then I went to check his work. He missed cutting nails in 2 cab and didn't finish 3 others. Well...An 1 1/2 later he calls and says he got the battery but needed to go home and he'd come back tomorrow. I told him he missed more nails etc. And... he didn't come. But I do consider it a small victory he came at all. And lastly, I called the glass guy and said it was really driving me crazy everytime I look at it. He said he was going to call daltile to see if there was anything he could do, but if not, they would have to do it over bc it was their mistake. Yea! So I'll let everyone know how things turn out. I really don't expect to hear from cab guy. But, it's not the last he'll hear from me!

First -- let me add a BIG vote for placing a TV within the bookshelves -- and using the cabinet bebeath it to hide the usual cables and equipment. Next -- first I really did like the ruby glass in the original photo -- the color worked very well with the artwork. The art was very nice -- both in its vertical placing and its shape and size. You simply needed to spread out the red accents and add lots of books (both in side-by-side AND in stacks) BUT -- if you feel like a change -- after you have installed the TV -- consider replacing the artwork with a dark-framed round mirror. The round shape would break up the strong vertical and horizontal lines. The other thing to consider would be to paint out the brass accent lines on the fireplace doors. Use very, very fine sandpaper, then sand VERY lightly, clean VERY well -- and paint over these lines using barbecue or high heat paint. Removing these strong visual elements will bring the viewer's eye back up to the shelves themselves. So -- I would concentrate on creating the TV area FIRST -- and then work on the shelving (and maybe the round mirror and the fireplace doors).

Purplish tones like your wall can be very sophisticated when used with neutral colors. If you tape a piece of white paper on on the wall and then take a photo of it in daylight and night, we'll have a better idea of the true color. Different light bulbs and different computer screens can cause colors to look off, and the white paper gives us a baseline. If you don't want to spend a lot on decor, second hand stores are a great resource. People get tired of stuff, or move, and their things no longer look right. I'm also a fan of spray paint. If a picture frame, or maybe a large bowl/platter for your coffee table, is the right size and shape, it can be any color you want including metallic. It could be something from a resale store or something that you already have in another room. The new spray paints will stick to just about anything. Post some pictures as you go along and I'm sure we'll have some more suggestions. Do you have anything in other rooms that you think might work here?

Thank you ALL for your comments and advice! I will get a sample of SW Pure White to compare it with the other options. Among the initial colors, I am now actually leaning towards Decorator's White for the walls - it definitely works in the kitchen and it actually may balance our (mostly) warm furniture in the living room. Using this paint in both rooms would tie the two spaces together. For the trims, I am leaning towards Behr Ultra Pure White or BM Chantilly Lace. Considering this is a room that gets A LOT of natural light (particularly in the morning, windows facing east and south), would there be any particular recommendation for the sheen? I was thinking eggshell for walls and satin for trims. We have a small daughter, so we value durability and ease to clean...