I love your home, and love the woodwork. It probably has darkened with age, and could be nicer if stripped and refinished, but with 4 younger kids that is a project for down the road. For now, I am glad that you are not painting it. You have gotten lots of great suggestions, but many of them seem to be things that at this point you cannot do for a variety of reasons. Since you are suggesting that some of the fixes will be temporary, until your youngest is a bit older, I am thinking in terms of working with what you have, rather than making some changes now that may not work down the line when you are ready to really alter things. Since this is your family room, where all of you gather, imo we need to think in those terms, more than about what looks pretty. I get the impression that you don't use your front door often, since the loveseat is currently sitting there. So, despite the fact that I love the fireplace, you said it is non-working, I believe. It seems to me that for now, the place for the TV is in front of the fireplace. Straight on, almost as a replacement. Don't paint the brick, either. The one thing that could be nice is if the TV stand were a bit lower, so that the top line of the tv sat just below the mantel. With the tv in front of the fireplace, we need to move the viewing angles around a little. I would try the couch all the way back at the end of the room, in front of the double window. Move the torchiere down to replace that little table that is sitting in the corner. It seems like you should have enough space, with the couch against the end wall, to leave the sofa table where it is with the lamp on it. Take the loveseat and put it on the front window wall where the couch is now. Use the little end table to the left side, right by the entry, and add another table lamp (stolen from somewhere?) on that table. Keep the loveseat and table pushed as far to the left, close to the door, as possible, to give the tv visual 'breathing room'. Get rid of the runner in front of the couch. Leave the blinds, I think they are fine, but get rid of the window scarves. I would stay away from curtains, but would consider adding a simple valance above the front and end wall windows, hung just below the picture moulding. Nothing gathered, but rather something flat with pleats. Something like this style: premier stripe inverted pleat valance I would take down all the things you have hanging on the walls in there and re-group. It appears you have a mirror on the wall behind the door, which seems pretty much unusable. The framed art is marching around in a row, and is spaced too far apart. Consider taking the pix that relate to one another and making a grouping of them above the sofa table. I would take down the mirror over the fireplace for now - maybe it can find a new home elsewhere in the house. The tv will kind of dwarf anything that is framed up there, so instead try the large candlesticks to one side (but not all the way to the edge), with a richer color for the candles. Add a lower, wider vase or planter with some taller twigs and green grasses, etc in it, to bring some color and softness above the tv. Think about adding some other items to the pretty shelving besides framed pix - maybe some books, a couple of interesting pieces of pottery, etc. Look for things that pull out some of the colors that are in the fabric you want to use. As for paint, I would use a warm beige color on the walls, and go two shades lighter above the picture rail, same lighter color on the ceiling and on the entire fireplace area above the mantel only. I love greens, but looking at the wood in the room, especially in the closer shot, it feels like beige/gold would do more to bring out the richer tones in the wood. Be sure you have the highest wattage you can get in the lamps. Don't use the ceiling fan lights for lighting the space. They only create glare up high and shadows down below, unless you have them on a dimmer and can get a soft light effect that just kind of washes the ceiling. I think once you add some warm color with the paint, and bring in your pillows and accents, the room will feel warmer and more friendly.

Looking at @njmomma's post, ( I love that blue color) it looks really that the key difference is the window treatments. That made such a difference in updating the feel of the room. I see the rug was also changed, but I suspect that without repainting, just changing the window treatments to something similar (light panels) might give you what you are seeking. For the record I did track down the colors we used in our dining room (to sell) and it was BM Muslin on the bottom and Stonehouse above the chair rail. I didn't love it, but it was one of those combinations that seemed very agreeable (recommended when we were removing busy wallpaper in anticipation of the sale) with almost all decor . The house did sell in a matter of days.

Yes to being sure your ceilings are white-it will make a huge difference. The valance removal won't make much light difference but I don't think it adds to your kitchen. Solar cans/skylights are fabulous but a lot of money and if not done well can be a leaking issue that recurs as the roof ages. I am seeing beautiful and abundant windows and skylights already. It may be you just will have to adjust to life in the woods. More interior lamps and lighter paint all 'round.

HELP with new barstool, dining chairs, paint color. What barstool and dining chair designs and colors would work best? I'm still leaning towards a green paint shade and have ordered a couple samples of Behr's Sustainable and Sage Brush to try out. (BTW, everdebz, my paint prior to Oak Buff was Swiss Coffee throughout the entire house! First thing I did upon moving in, and then ten years ago I repainted the entire place with the help of a designer!) Requirements for stools and chairs -- comfortable (padded with backs), semi low profile, and small depth front-to-back. (My dining table pedestal prevents pushing the side chairs very far in under the glass top, and I don't like them sticking out a lot when not in use. Guess my table is too large for my space, but I don't want to replace it.) Here's a pick of a barstool I got from Amazon to try out, plus new picks of my existing furnishings/colors and the two paint colors: EDIT - don't like the stool coz it's too chunky and the fabric and leg colors don't work with my the dining room. Back to drawing board on stools...