I love the traditional brick of your fireplace! If you post pics of the other walls you will be able to get better feedback.

Adding windows is a big move. How will it impact the exterior of your home?

I think that I might be inclined to try to add more light by first changing the paint color. The gray is very depressing, like a cloudy day! Choose a cream color. What is your flooring? Light colored flooring is key. Less cluttered furnishings will add to a new look......and probably be cheaper and less invasive than new windows. It might be worth a try.

If you do decide to add windows, make them the same height as the other window. Don't follow the ceiling line.

There are lots of ways to brighten this room for less money. Paint would be a cheap and easy way. Removing the popcorn ceiling would make for a less oppressive feeling overhead. Less clutter and more open furniture arrangement would help too. Fur is another "heavy" element that I would eliminate. What color is the woodwork in this house; baseboards, window trim, etc.?

I vote for adding natural light via windows if the budget allows! Pretty views and the brightness of light that windows bring in make a space so pleasant. I would definitely have the windows match in height. This article is helpful! https://www.houzz.com/magazine/architects-toolbox-3-window-details-that-wow-stsetivw-vs~1502178

Only if you flatten out the ceiling would that have a hope of working. The fireplace doesn’t really work with your ceilings long as it is, so that might be the best solution for all.

Yes to mirrors & change pillow color to apple green or pink. Love the fur.

The gray is nice with the fp or do a lighter shade. A off white wood be pretty too or cream color.

Thanks all! This is really helpful. The popcorn is being removed throughout the house right now so it will be flat soon. Still unsure if I should just go with white or do all one color (walls and ceiling same) due to slanted ceiling. We are open to changing paint color to the rest of the color in the house which is SW Accessible beige, it is a lovely light grey. Our trim color is white. What are your opinions on skylights as a possible way of getting more natural light instead of windows? Since we have the slanted ceiling in this room, skylights are a possibility.

My friend had a super dark family room open to the kitchen. She added a very large skylight in the FR and it was really a wow! Made all the difference.

IMO tyry paint and better lighting before spending money on windows. I see a lot of small pieces of clutter all of those gobble up light I would however need to see the trest of the room. I think windows will just add to the lack of symmetry on that wall. I think the chests on either side with mirrors might work . What color are the floors and the furniture.

Thank you Patricia, I will try to add more photos soon. We are in the process of remodeling so it is a bit of a mess right now. The flooring that is being installed is a dark brown (I know, it’s like I purposely want it dark in my house!), it is a LVP Flooret Modin Rigid in color Arbor. I have attached a photos of another room in the house (my office) that has the flooring installed and the paint color (accessible beige) and new trim and ceiling paint completed. We are changing out the blinds, to cellular shades in white.

If you go with skylights, do your research and make sure they are installed correctly for the pitch of your roof. Our previous home had 6 that gave beautiful light but leaked every rain/snow day. Reason, incorrect install.

Your floors and wall color work well, but a fan light on the ceiling will never be adequate. Add floor and table lamps and LEDs at the correct temp for best light.

My husband and I purchased a 1971 ranch that we're renovating a year ago, and we have the same problem with the lack of natural light. Even though we do have what would seem to be plenty of windows in the main living areas, they all open up onto covered porches or patios, a garage (used to be a carport) and a patio converted into a sunroom that isn't all that sunny, lol. So I pulled out my bag of tricks that I use when staging to visually brighten my rooms. Lighter furniture/accessories, white drum shades on my table lamps, light natural linen drapes, etc., all make a difference.

You will find that removing the popcorn and painting the ceilings white will make a HUGE difference in how much lighter/brighter the rooms feel. Even though we didn't have popcorn in this house (we've removed it in the past) we did have a flat, swirly texture that we removed because we know how much flat white ceilings can brighten a room. While I often advise clients to wrap the wall color onto their ceilings in their cavernous two-story living rooms, yours will probably benefit most from just keeping the ceiling white as your slant doesn't appear to be huge.

Accessible Beige is a lovely color, I used it in my mother's home.

Good luck, from one ranch lover to another! :)

The floor is a beauty!

We changed out our dark brown bamboo blinds we had in the living room, office (pictured above) and kitchen, to white light-filtering cellular shades. Wow what a difference even that made in terms of brightening up the room!

I think the plan now is, in addition to repainting the living room to a acessible beige is to put in a skylight. it Will be a while before we get to it, later this year but thanks for your help!

Maybe two skylights. Always better in pairs. Ours don't leak. Also consider painting the ceiling a lighter version of Accessible to minimize the vault line.