I love a mix of modern and traditional, but also a lot of ethnic pieces with soul/sentimental value... but I have a very hard time actually combining things that look right, especially where it comes to pattern. A lot of my favorite looks use many different patterns on top of each other and it comes together beautifully - but this is where I struggle.

Not a pop but a blend with white railing etc. Soft finish. Width: 16 inches Height: 30 inches

Basilica Sky, Table Lamp, Basilica Sky Finish, White Hardback Shade · More Info

Home-y? transitional Pier 1 look, and Idk if wood or resin. Width: 18 inches Height: 35 inches

No need for this one, if rug has little or no beige.

Gallatin Table Lamp, Beige + Brushed Steel Finish, Cream Hardback Fabric Shade · More Info

Perfect, practically perfect. Orange-y and its relative: muted watermelon.

except from here, seems too many items on shelves, but that's what there for. ;)

and why dark rug, unless for practical something... it detracts from fp.

Not traditional lamp -- like the legs of table/ottomans, does this do something for you? I rather like the blue you posted.

Signature 1 Light Table Lamp in Marble Gold · More Info

Fp traditional and ok, and does this go traditional in good way? Width: 18 x Height: 35"

Signature 1 Light Table Lamp in Blue And Gold · More Info

I like your style and you have many lovely things. However you also have quite a few so-so things that detract from the more attractive items.

I would remove all the books from the shelves, and all the framed photos. Remove the items (candles?) on the mantle - they detract from the art. They might look nice on the table on a tray in the place of the candle arrangement which is too tall. The tall plant is out of proportion but the pot is lovely - would it fit on one of the shelves in the place of some of the too-small items? The vase behind the sofa would look better on a shelf.

I'm always suspicious of draped tables, suspecting that one of those 3-legged plywood jobs is lurking underneath. Replace that with a hand carved chess table (maybe from the homeland) and your floor lamp (or maybe an arc one to hover above the chess board.) Turn the chairs to face each other over the chess table, all sitting entirely on the rug. If it won't block the main entry to the room, pull the two rugs and all their "cargo" to the end of the blue arrows below, leaving a path to the glass door. Place the stools at the fireplace end.

I like the orange touches below and would add color to the backs of the shelves. Try one of the softer or cooler colors from the stools or rug. You can paint custom fitted pieces of luan or foam core so it will be changeable if you tire of it. Style the shelves with 1/3 books (standing, leaning or stacked to support smaller decor items,) 1/3 large decor that can be easily identified from across the room, and 1/3 open space. Group the smaller photos on the table between the lamps, using that urn in the shelves.

I prefer this rug. Soft, yet colorful.

I really appreciate all of your suggestions and ideas - super helpful so far, thank you! :)

A few thoughts...

There is a large entry into the room, and moving the two sides of the room any closer together will encroach upon that entrance. We tried it, but it doesn't look right and gets in the way (this is the entry from the garage, and it's how we walk over into the kitchen from there daily, so we can't have the furniture blocking it). Here's a photo...

The orange chairs are facing out because the elderly members of our family like to sit there to watch the television - it wouldn't make sense to point them toward each other, that'd be impractical - as pretty as I'm sure it would be.

I do like the idea of a chess table; I looked at mother of pearl inlaid tables on my last trip to Turkey and loved them... that may also be an option down the line. The table beneath the linen cloth is a dark wood table - there isn't anything wrong with it, but the tablecloth works better there than that table did. I'll still keep an eye out on the perfect table for that spot, though - thank you! :)

In the meantime: I am taking to heart the fact that I need to rearrange the items on the shelves; thank you so much for the formula, decoenthusiaste! I will use your suggestions and will take photos once that's done. I also hadn't thought of painting foam core to fit into the back of the builtins - my husband would NOT be on board with me painting any part of them (he built them himself and it was quite the adventure lol), but he won't mind me adding a removable background!

I played with some of the ideas here. First, stools by the fireplace:

I'm not sure how I feel about that because I do love the stools and want them to be more of a focal point - that feels hidden to me. It also feels like something is missing... not sure how to remedy that.

Here is the idea with the stools at the forefront, with the rug roughed in...

Maybe this orange rug would work better to tie the orange chairs with this side of the room:

Last idea is with the more modern rug... I'm not sure whether this works?

Thank you for all your lamp suggestions, everdebz! I will rough them in tomorrow and see which makes the most sense. I love the modern one... maybe it makes more sense to select the rug first. Hmmm... Also: The dark spot by the fireplace is a fur throw we keep there for the dogs, they love relaxing by the fireplace. I may add beds for them behind the sofas and remove that, because it does take away from the overall look!

I love how the two stools look at the ends of the sofas. The light-colored upholstery of the sofas serves as a great backdrop to make the colors and shapes of the stools stand out more. They also help extend the fireplace seating group out just a bit, visually closing the gap with the other area without impeding the walkway (hopefully).

The orange pillows and the throws look good, too!

The second to last photos, the one with orange rug is perfect!!

I like the suzani stools at the edge of the sofas , better than at the fireplace. and the orange cushions on the sofa are good.

I like the oriental carpet with the orange field, it is very vibrant.

But if you wanted a more restful one, you could keep the ivory and dusty blue one you have, too.

If you keep the rug you already have, I would get (or make or have made) a throw for the sofa that incorporates the dusty blue and the orange, marrying the colors.

I would also have throw pillows made for the two orange chairs, not identical ones, but coordinating ones in orange/blue to pick up the color in your wall hanging and the orange of the chair.

I would also use coordinating ones for your sofa.

For example, the orange ones are nice, but they would be improved if they had trim all the way around that incorporated the orange and dusty blue.

The suzani stools would also be improved with solid color welting where the cushion meets the frame. You could do two thin cords of colors. That would depend on which rug you use.

Orange would be great, and either a dark blue or a deep green.

And can you get another tall bushy plant like a fiddle leaf fig?

I love all of these tips; thank you loobab! I'll add orange piping to the stools and start researching pillows!

I'm liking the look of the orange rug and think it helps to tie the space together. I was playing around with painted shelf backgrounds, and I like how that looks as well. Right now, narrowing down between two orange rugs, and also looking at colored backgrounds as suggested by decoenthusiaste...

Rug 1 (same as posted above, now with the colored shelf background that I would try to match to the darker blues of the wall hanging):

Rug 2 (another idea, lighter tone of background color matched to the light blue of the wall hanging/rug):

And the other side of the room for easy reference... I think it works nicely with the pale blue lamp? Especially once I also figure out the pillow situation...

Once the rug/lamp/paint decisions are made, will get to organizing the shelving as well! Thank you for all of your wonderful thoughts and feedback; you ladies are so great!!

I loved the stools where you had them originally, they broke up the linear feel of the room which looks forced imo. I would try a different rug with not so many different colors. For example:

Stella Contemporary Area Rug, Orange and White, 8'x10' · More Info

I would then pull pillow colors from the suzani stools for the sofas and orange chairs. I would pick one of your pillow colors and orange to add color to shelves - vases, picture frames etc.

Does this work better?

With stools out by the ends of the sofas...

To me, fp at 'back of the photo' isn't seen by us, and quite traditional... so modern type stools 'show' against sofa material, and also extend toward entry.

Why new rug - seems enough items, patterns around. Goes with chairs' rug.

Can we see the blue item on the wall?

Dare a striking rug, and "you'd better" place only very related maybe creamy white on the shelves! ;)

Just me I have mom's Lenox collection. Plates work too.

Have you tried switching out the chairs with one of the couches? Not sure if a couch would fit on the other side of the room... (sorry if someone already suggested this...I tried to read all the replies!)

I like the colorful orange rugs. (First one a bit more than the second, but both brighten the entire room!) Another thought for the back of the shelves - removable blue wallpaper. The peel and stick kind can be taken off and will not take away space like painted foam pieces will. The stools look great at the end of the cream sofas because they stand out more. You can find better rugs for the two-chairs area after you replace the central one. Your first rug is “fine”. The orange ones are “Wow!”

I'll take a better picture of the wall hanging and post it, everdebz.

Thanks so much for your feedback, Beth H.! I'll definitely be rearranging the shelves once the background is changed! I do still love the stools and think they add soul to the room... of which I'm a big fan. Plus, they make us all smile because they're significant... which adds warmth to the room that it wouldn't otherwise have. I know they're colorful and look a LOT to the eye - which is why I hoped to find a way to make them a focal point in this room. If you HAD to keep them, what would you do to make them work? :) Also, when you say you'd lighten the accessories, what specifically do you mean by that? Thanks again!

ericalynn523, the sofa won't fit on the opposite end of the room... but we also like the symmetry there, so it's probably for the best. I know, creating my own problems lol!

Thank you so much for the removable wallpaper idea, RedRyder! I love that! The only trouble I imagine encountering, would be finding just the tone I need/like. Just looked through all the amazon options and didn't see anything workable there... this: https://roommatesdecor.com/products/grasscloth-peel-and-stick-wallpaper?variant=31643566637159 was one potential option, but it's textured and I'm not sure whether that'll work. Hmmm... something to think about!

Idk what shelf direction you're considering - my q. is what items might you most want to have in groups. I see a few blues....Gold too. Can black frames go on a dark table? to me they don't help the room nice as they are.

Blue like curtains are blue [but are they] might be nice back color.

I do like houzz and perusing. Beth's blue back and blue curtains, both at eye level - just for another to see, here's yellow back/ curtains:

Eclectic Living Room · More Info

Seems room has a fair amount to look at. Possibly shelf has items that are 'extra' or too visual altogether. Can this type look work too?

San Francisco Mediterranean · More Info

Home Offices · More Info

?

Keiko Aqua Grasscloth Wallpaper Bolt · More Info

Colicchio Light Green Linen Texture Wallpaper Bolt · More Info

A different pattern than what's around, but it's busy likely

Deny Designs Holli Zollinger Terrazzo Wallpaper, Multi, 2'x10' · More Info

Moroccan Peel and Stick Vinyl Wallpaper, Mint, 24" X 60" · More Info

everdebz-

confetti nougat candy, yum!

I still like trying to make the stools the standout pattern in the room. How about this rug?

Unique Loom Helios Sardinia Orange 8 ft. x 10 ft. Area Rug | Google Shopping · More Info

Also, blue is perfect complement to orange. I would pick up color from stools for shelf background. Also a colored table scarf on table between chairs to tie in.

Hi, you can add a custom made glass chandelier enhance the space.

See below a quick idea.

Everything in our collection can be customized for your space. We offer FREE DESIGN SERVICES so we would help with everything you need to illuminate your space.

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I agree everdebz - the curtains are blue and the wall art is mostly blue, so the back of the shelves is best off being blue as well! I love the Houzz examples! Just not sure whether I like the idea of pattern in the back of it; I'm thinking plain would work best because I'm already feeling overwhelmed with pattern lol

ashtonchic I understand what you mean! Do you think this looks better than the patterned rug? Maybe this way the stools are the focus...

I'll pipe up to say I like that alot. If solid blue is added, a somewhat solid rug to me "pairs well." And solid nice with the pretty stools.

loobab, are you hungry? ;)

Always!
Wavy granite looks like marvelous ice creams.
Jamoca almond fudge
Pralines and cream
I could go on and on
I couldn’t have that in my kitchen
I’m way too suggestible.
Things look like other things to me too much.
Book matched stone looks like female genitalia.
Dale Chihuly glass sculptures look
sperm trying to penetrate an ovum.
Ok, it’s not always about food.

I don't know how wide the opening into the room is now, but if you made the wall longer on the fireplace side you would have more room to arrange furniture.

I had to look up Dale to see the sperm thing.

I'm dying.

Haha... there is no way I'd ever see anything other than sperm penetrating an egg in those - loobab, you're right on!

Okay, decision is between these two rugs. Anyone else want to put in your final votes before I place an order? Shelves will be getting rearranged as well; I'll post about that to update as it happens, after the background is done. :)

Option 1:

Option 2: I changed pillow colors here to pick up on some of the other colors in the suzani fabric (red and green). There's also blue and orange, so the same pillows as above could probably work?

Thanks ladies; hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving day! <3

#1!

I think the first one is more interesting. For tons of peel- and-stick wallpaper go to Etsy.

#1

Number 1 is really nice but you lose the stools! And the rug by the chairs already has a beautiful pattern, hmmmmmmm. Happy thanksgiving!

Option 1. I wouldn't say you lose the stools, I would say they become subtle and blend beautifully.

I love the Persian carpet.

Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone!

Ordered the rug!!

Excited to get it - it'll be wonderful to have all that orange on the other side; that alone will do a lot to unite the two sides, I'm sure!

Also looking at wallpapers for the back of the shelves... will keep you all posted on that and hope to get your help to rearrange the shelves, as well.

After that, will change the lamp that's over by the chairs. I'm thinking once the shelves are accented with the blue background, it'll be nice to have a blue lamp in the same tone over by the chairs to further unite the two sides. :)

I'll keep you all posted, thank you for your help and feedback! <333

And speaking of Persian carpets, if you think you will go that route, geopolitics matter.
After the change in government the Iranian embargo and its provisions may change making the importation of Persian carpets possible and reviving that entire industry which has been sadly flailing along with others.
This is not a political statement.
I just love beautiful well-made hand crafted art, a fortiori things done for centuries.
Oh, and if Persian imports come back and you like the “blues,” check out Isfahani pottery.

Yes, loobab - I couldn't agree more! Mom is Persian (Iran is where her family is from); there is nothing like pottery from Isfahan - incredibly beautiful and right up my alley! Not just blues, but all the colorful pieces, too.

The Persian style of decorating is close to my heart and it's been a journey, trying to tie in classic/traditional style with some more modern pieces that will keep our home looking like it belongs in this century (lol), while incorporating the pieces that are Uzbek and Persian because these are styles that speak to our soul.

Thank you!

I vote number 2, for simplicity - to see fp, and art above fp, and more...

"For the sake of entire room" what about buying what you can of your liked pottery - so a collection with their variations can be appreciated ? could mix in cheaper store-bought in time.