Okay, well that's a whole lotta function in the lamp. I know you probably researched this to death, so I say okay to the chrome. Maybe a few hits of chrome here and there across the room to balance... As for matching the color to the table lamp...I see there are infinite color choices. You could get the lamp and then get the RGB info and do the match that way. I have to confess, I don't actually know how to manage that computer/technical part of color. (Funcolors could probably help.) I don't know about cat hair, but I can tell you that microsuede holds up well to kids. It might be a reasonable compromise...the practicality of leather with the softness (and potential for a bazillion colors) of fabric. Or, there is Crypton, which is kinda pricey, but comes in some great contemporary prints. Or Sunbrella style fabrics for indoors. All this implies custom, of course. But, depending on what you're after (parson's chairs?) it could be done. WOAHHHH... I just scrolled back up to see what you said about chairs. What about your chairs? Would you consider keeping them? They are the most comfortable things on the planet! I love that the low backs don't take up much visual space in the room. You would have a world of fabrics to choose from if you recovered the existing chairs. So much fun! And then there is the chrome to balance the light fixture. Not to mention the money you could save spent on something else. And your friends and neighbors would think you're terribly clever to incorporate what you already own in such a stylish manner... ;-) I don't remember if you discussed chairs in another thread. Perhaps you don't like those chairs and can't wait to have something new. But, I see potential for them, depending on your tolerance and their condition. If you don't want them, I'll be right down...

Thank you everyone for all the suggestions. First off, I had been meaning to post what I ended up doing with my botanicals. I had a set of four and a set of three. The set of three I decided to put in my dining room (also bought a larger mirror and moved the other one to my hallway, hung vertically) and the set of four I decided to put in my bedroom. I felt the set of four had too much lavender/purple for the LR plus I felt they were competing with the mantle picture and there were too many rectangular shapes. Here are the finished botanicals, though: It's interesting to me that the scale looks different IRL than in pics. Has anyone else found that to be the case? Some of my smaller items look lost in the photos, but don't IRL. I am actually finding the walls to be looking quite busy. Here are a couple of closer shots of some of the items in question. The statuary actually is from an old lamp, but the lamp part was removed. The oval pic is a water color which I bought at an antique store. There is something appealing to me about balancing out the rectangular artwork with oval ones. I have two mini oval frames in my entry plus an oval entry mirror and I actually bought two more smaller oval pictures (abouit 6"x9" just for the frames which are quite similar to the watercolor). I have toyed back and forth with swapping the curio and palm. What I did not like about the curio in the right corner is that it does not go flush to the wall due to the base molding so there is about a 1" between the curio back and the wall which is visable, where in the opposite corner I don't see it. The plam tree is also basically my place holder for the Christmas tree as I will take it out of the room, move a chair and put the Christmas tree. I also like the tables diagonally apart from one another. I like the suggestion to group the books together with bookends either on the piano or mantle so I will be on the lookout for some bookends. Mostly, I'm still not sure how to finish off the table vignettes or what to look for. Also, most pressing is what tyle of lampshade for the ginger jar. I don't want to emphasize the pink/rose color overmuch so was thinking of a dark wine color that would match to some of the dark red in my drapes. It seems not many like the little mirror/sconce arrangement so will have to rethink that. I felt the walls to either side needed something to balance out the scale of the mantle painting--at the same time not compete with it.

Ok, so repainting the room is an option: that's your out! Or should I say "easy" solution? Repaint in a color more in keeping with the gorgeous rug (which is beautiful and valuable on many levels-honeymoon purchase being one of them!). Then your window treatments (panels-maybe) will be a much easier decision. I'm not loving the panel options mentioned above, which I think are nice, but a tad too informal for the direction you have taken with your room. Plus, they are very trendy, which again is not in keeping with your traditional style. You have heirloom quality pieces there! The rug and furniture should stay. Paint is cheap (compared to the investment in good quality furniture and the rug)! That's the way to make a significant impact without breaking the bank. Take a good look at the colors in the rug. On my monitor I see blue as the primary color, but monitors vary. Go to the paint store and bring some sample cards home, narrow it down and then go back and buy some paint samples and splotch away. In any case, have fun with this project!

I love the clean, uncluttered look of your home and you've made some great furniture choices. My first thought, though, is that I would try to rework the sofa/sectional placement. It really is unwelcoming looking to me to have the back where it is facing a wall, when it could be oriented to look into the room and out the windows. It seems like if it were placed in the corner under the stairs that it would feel open and invite you to come in and sit. I'd hate to be cooking in the kitchen and have the family or guests with their backs to me. If you are having a TV in another room close by, do you need one in that room, too? If, so placing a 70" unit will probably only work as you have it. But, to me, it's not going to look like a living room but more like a movie theater, which is fine if that's what you're going for. It seems like it won't be a cozy conversation area, though. I might actually flip the rooms and put the dining room where you have the sofa now. I was looking at lights used with dining rooms and ghost chairs and saw this, maybe would work in the living room? Kind of fun. don't know if it would look as good without the colored walls though. And I thought something like these were interesting to consider for over your table: