One other question, since the LR is adjacent to the sitting room, what does she want to use the sitting room for?

I would rather return the rug but she says she likes it and wants to keep it . However, depending on what style fits in that room she may change her mind though. As for the living area, She probably would let go of the recliner if we found something comfortable for her:)
She wanted to extend the living room by having the extra area to sit and read her magazines and books an additional sitting area to visit with friends and family.

Since she wants to read and host in this room, is there comfortable seating for her and her guest?

Not now, it only has the loveseat. Thinking about the sitting room more, we changed it up so she can have a happy pretty space to enjoy instead of the living room all the time. She lives alone and does not get guests often. but when my family is there, my daughters will sit in there with her while others are watching tv.

What is "My mom loves the vintage French upholstered chairs.?" Is the loveseat something that she wants to keep and is comfortable? What does she envision as far as sitting in the sitting room to sit and read in? Maybe another recliner?

Yes, loveseat to keep. I will show u pictures of what she told me she liked. She was thinking a pedestal table with the “vintage or modern French” chairs just two chairs though,

and yes a comfortable chair in the other corner, maybe save the new recliner for the tv area. I attached a couple photos of the larger accent chairs

Is she keeping the 2 hutches?

Yes , She is so attached to certain things . She is not afraid of paint and new knobs though (thought of painting the bottom half of the dark hutch)

I don't think all the furniture that she wants to keep and add to that sitting room is going to fit. You need to do a floorplan or at the very least take the measurements from the photos of the new furniture and blue tape the measurements on the floor where she thinks they will work. You need about 3' behind each chair for aisle room and pull out from table. I'd start there and have her involved so both of you can determine what may stay or go based on what is most important to her if not everything fits.

Sounds like a plan, she has stated preference for two accent chairs over having a small table and chairs. depending what fits, what are your thoughts on the furniture, will it go with the rug?

I just found this , seems you have two threads on this same topic K B. Ted asked me to join in. That is certainly a a statement rug. I think I will read through before giving any advice but Ted usually gives great comments so he probably covered most of it by now!

Would your mother consider using the living room with fireplace as the sitting/ reading room? The fireplace makes for a cozy & quiet space, and welcoming for guests. And as TVs can be distracting and because you have the space to do
it, I would then relocate the TV to the other room.

Well, Ted is right; you need a floorplan. I’m not sure you want to design a room around this rug for your mother. Painting the walls and the china cabinets is doable, adding some of the furniture you posted is too but you run the risk of this looking a bit Alice in Wonderland if your not careful.

With the current rug, I would suggest a couple of pillows for the sofa, in the plum color from the rug.

Solid Color Plum Cushion Covers, Velvet 16"x16" Cushion Covers, Plum Shimmer · More Info

And then in the other room, consider adding a touch of the plum color in something like this ottoman coffee table, done in a plum/eggplant color:

https://www.interiordefine.com/caitlin-custom-ottoman?msclkid=6ff1625a36f8142ae6880255efee6177&utm_source=bing&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=45S%20%7C%20Shopping&utm_term=4588055865582488&utm_content=All%20Product%20Types#PER-038/Leg001-2?campaignid=316851558&adgroupid=1351300266182019&creative=&keyword=

And I would also possibly consider changing out ceiling fan to a bit more contemporary fan, or a chandelier - all dimmable.

For the room with the rug I would get curtains like this for the doors, made in a fabric that is as bold as the rug, either a solid or big oversized flowers

Ombre Window Curtain Tie Up Shade, 50"x63", Blue · More Info

In the adjacent room might be fun to layer a rug over the existing rug that is just as bold but in a different color scheme. If The brown recliner is a keeper:

Linon Rugs Trio Rectangular Area Rug in Chocolate and Garnet-8' x 10' · More Info

Linon Rugs Milan Flower Rectangular Area Rug in Garnet and Ivory-8' x 10'3" · More Info

I agree with the suggestion to pick up the plum color in the rug and would put one or 2 plum chairs at an angle facing the sofa. I would boost the art behind the sofa with something as colorful as these

Vintage Lavoie 'Ad 36' Canvas Art, 24x18 · More Info

Centro de las Bellas Artes Exposicion 1900 1900 Print · More Info

Thank you, @ital mover. I love your ideas, also. I especially like the idea of brnging in the curtains on doors, and that blue ombre fabric you show would be stunning. And the style you suggest and show on those curtains is perfect. And if not those particular curtains, I can also see something similar in a silk - same color scheme, in the blues for the doors - with the plum pillows on sofa.

I don't know where OP is located, region-wise, but the furnishings, style elements and direction here is reminding me of New Orleans, French Quarter. Not limited to there, of course! But it has that flavor.

KB- Does your mom want the LR and Sitting Rm to have a cohesiveness between each area or is she looking for each one to have their own personality? If she wants the cohesiveness, you might want to consider starting with the LR since it is a larger room but keeping in mind that the rug will drive both rooms since it is the statement piece.

Hey Ted. Some cohesiveness. And Thanks for the suggestion of Measurements yesterday. Room is 13.5x12.5 .
I provided photos only for a visual, just used other furniture around the house . the table is small but positioned for a 30 inch table top. Due to your comments about space I would put the table and chairs on the other corner and move the hutch down, giving more room for the chairs. My mom likes the idea of a comfortable chair, like a recliner (likes to put her feet up) that could go in the other corner? Willing to let go of brown recliner, wants to try and keep the area rug but is definitely flexible , if it just does not work.

I like idea of plum pillows but she is not into colored chairs and the New Orleans look for these two rooms. But maybe down the road for her den/office down the hall so thanks for the suggestion!

and the door behind the sofa , the one is stationary and the other folds open to a sunroom/bar area , but it’s not heated in the winter and this sunroom has access from the kitchen. Thinking to keep it open without curtains because she has that door open for three seasons.

Let me give this some more thought. I still think that since she wants some cohesiveness that you should start in the LR and work your way into the sitting room.

Just wondering if she will be able to return the rug since I'm guessing the feet of the coffee table and loveseat are now imprinting the rug? If it can be returned anyone that knows me on Houzz will tell you that I love color but that rug I think she is going to tire of it and have regrets. And it really adds another different style in the room rather than marrying all the different ones she has between the 2 rooms. I'd rather see the bright colors brought in with pillows and accessories that could easily and be cheaper to change out than a rug if she tires of those bright colors. We are great at finding rugs and I think we can find her one that she'll be happier in the long run with. I usually try and work around with what someone likes but if I know it really isn't right, I like to discuss it further. Perhaps if she has some hesitation about changing it, would she be open to having us look and see if there is something that she might like better? If so, what size do you need?

Your Mom does not have to do colored chairs with the plum pillows. She can use the side chairs that she has. And when I referenced New Orleans, it was just one style reference. Bringing in plum pillows is something that could just generally enhance the design, because the rug right now is not connected to anything else in the room. The plum color is the most subtle color in the rug, and it would be a nice accent to bring in - as well as bringing a bit of it into the other room to connect the spaces - as I suggested the ottoman, as one idea. @ital mover's idea for curtains on doors as a backdrop, with that blue coloration, is brilliant. But I could also see a neutral treatment on the doors, similar style, perhaps in a subtle stripe, in ivory/beige/gold tones. I could also for sure see a thin black and white stripe, which could be fabulous, but maybe too bold for your Mom's taste. The idea is the rug is nice and has all kinds of possibilities. And if your Mom likes the rug - why should she not have it? If you just want somebody to just tell you to get rid of the rug, you have already had that happen on this post. You can easily just throw another rug in the room. Your choice. I have given you some ideas of what to do and how to connect the spaces.

Anyone have a link to the recent thread with the new coral paint in the traditional dining room?

Does the den need a new rug or does it have wall to wall carpet?

@freedomplace1 glad we're having fun! Not hearing an "Amen" from KB but definitely want it known these are out of the box suggestions that her mom either thinks are fun to consider or better to ignore.

Was also thinking that if the colorful rug stays in the sitting room but otherwise color is not wanted in the chairs, etc. then maybe what could tie the two rooms together "cohesively" is picking up on the bold floral of the sitting room rung, but doing the living room rug and all the decor in blacks, whites, grays and browns

Allie Big Flower Contemporary Area Rug · More Info

or maybe a rug whose pattern is just huge oversized flowers, like a line drawing

-- or something a bit more conservative for the living room ...

one other suggestion

Put the TV in the "new" sitting room, and the sofa against the wall in the sitting room facing the TV (take out the big cabinet)

@ital mover - 👍👌. Another great idea. There are any number of ways to do it. Thank You. And btw, I loved your suggestion for the plum chairs, but didn't know if OP's Mom would want to go that far with color, and she already has some nice side chairs in the room that are easy to move when she has company. And just keeping the plum to the pillows on white sofa and bringing a bit of it maybe in ottoman into the LR is subtle, and can be very effective, too. I like the idea of adding black, whites, greys, browns to anchor it, also. I mentioned above possibly a black and white curtain/treatment for the doors. But I don't think OP's Mom would want that. I also mentioned a possible door treatment in ivory, beige, etc. But just generally, keeping it more subtle and bringing in those alternative colors you mention is a great approach, as well. Thanks again.

My mom wants to keep the tv in the space it is in. She loves color especially blue, pink and purple hues. Her room furniture and decor has always been dark and we are trying to lighten it up for her. She has been very undecided about the rug since it arrived, that is why I keep questioning it, I don’t want her to just settle. I appreciate all the suggestions, they are fun and I’m just trying to take it all in and most importantly, see what sits well with her:) THANKS!!

Hi, so nice of you to help your mom. After reading, it seems like she wants TOO many things in that sitting room. Loveseat, both hutches, recliner, table and chair. What about a small Bergere chair but ottoman to give that French country look with a drink table and floor lamp next to it in the far corner (where you've positioned the recliner). I think keeping the other corner empty is better for walkway from one opening to the other. Have art on those 2 walls to bring in the colors she likes. I too think the rug is not in-line with any French theme. She needs to decide I guess

KB- I totally get where your mom is coming from and her desire to lighten things up. And you are a doll for helping her as I know this can be very overwhelming for both of you. In my experience that if someone is undecided about something in their room, it usually means that it should be returned. The rug is usually the foundation in the room so you really want to be in love with it. Could it be that she is just tired of looking at rugs and is settling because it has the colors she likes? I know it is a big rug but think about rolling it up (or flipping it over to the plain side) and putting it aside for the day and at the end of the day ask her if she missed it.

I think Pat1250 has a very good suggestion. I would switch the use of the two rooms!

The front room fireplace is being under utilized and the huge side slung tv in front of the windows is never a good look. This pretty room could be made into a more formal living room/ sitting room and the other room used as a den/ tv viewing room.

This way the more formal China cabinets can be better utilized, painted and have room to breathe. They would look lovely in that larger space with the fireplace! I think you can do much better with your rug choice also!

KB- When your family comes over to watch TV, how many are in sitting in the LR? Are they visiting on a pretty regular basis?

Following

But I understand that it is her home and you are trying to help her! That can be difficult when someone has lived in a home for a long time and you don’t want to overstep. If she wants to keep it the way it is then perhaps we can help with a better flow in the livingroom! Here is an idea for the sitting room since it was formally a dining room. As this space is also a pass through I don’t think you can put as much furniture in here as you want. If you do a coffee table that is like the bistro table your mom wants and a couple French style armchairs that are small in scale but but still comfortable this can be a nice “ chat” spot for foot people to have snacks or tea time!

For 4 people 😂

Af few of you are correct, my mom has always packed too much in each room, you should have seen what we took out, ha. To answer your question Ted, it is only her and when my family comes over we mostly sit in the living room, it is larger and a few times a year my brothers and his children come in town.

Wow, this is difficult, especially when she will not let go of wall pictures, etc., and tells me she likes one style or color but then says she likes other stuff too that is totally the opposite. It's challenging to navigate when this is not my best skill set. I think I am going to make a couple of ideabooks for her with lighter colors and some with more vibrant, she needs more visuals and then see what she likes and then go from there with the area rug, this will give more direction for the entire room. Hopefully, I can circle back around over the weekend and have a answer on what she decided, and if I'm lucky you all will be available for further feedback. Sorry for the indecisiveness but at least we are still moving forward.

Hey KB- your mom sounds like me- likes everything-lol.. I think presenting her an IB is a great idea and I think you are doing a great job of navigating her. It's hard for her to give up her stuff so I'm sure she is second guessing every move. Especially if she doesn't have a vision. Some times I find it helpful to just sit down with that person and look at rooms together that may not necessarily have the exact style but have elements that they can point out that they like and discuss between the two of you. You both will probably start to see a pattern develop of what she likes and doesn't. So that it doesn't overwhelm her, you may want to tell her to just focus on how she feels about one thing in each room that you look at. Such as the rug in photos that you show her and nothing else. Though she'll probably make other comments regarding the pillows or whatever but she won't feel pressure on having to decide on that, too, right now. And indecisiveness?? Oh ghezz this is nothing... We're here to help you so we'll just follow your lead. And thank you for being so prompt in answering and responding to our questions and thoughts.

She should keep her wall pictures if she likes them. It is always possible to find new ways to display them

You said earlier in this thread that 'You' would rather return the rug, but that your Mom says she likes it and wants to keep it. I knew I wasn't imagining that whole thing, but I had to go back and read through some comments to make sure. (Btw, is this your space, or your Mom's?) And then you said, "However, depending on what style fits in that room she may change her mind though." And there are certainly plenty of people here who will help you to accomplish what you want, which is clearly to return the rug, and do something different in the space. And one of the main reasons they will help you to do that is because a) they do not personally like the rug, and/or b) they do not have a clue as to how to work with that rug. So they will have you get rid of it, and bring in something generic. Unfortunately, generic design (at best) is most of what gets tossed around on this forum. Also, please do not destroy your Mom's furniture by painting it. It looks like she has some nice pieces. If you want painted furniture, you can purchase tons of stuff that is a!ready painted, or get some cheap pieces to paint. Before you trash your Mom's pieces, consider selling them, instead. I suggest you appraise the pieces before selling. And btw, the tv placement is fine; it works in the space.

The rug is fine, and can be totally worked with. You have received some ideas here to connect the rug with the spaces. If in spite of negative feedback from you and others on this post your Mom still wants to keep the rug, I suggest you consult with a designer to help you coordinate the space - and especially iif you want other ideas on working with the rug and don't believe the ideas you have received here are sufficient. There are many reasonable on line services. And it is a simple thing to coordinate that rug with the spaces. Any competent designer will easily be able to work with that rug. You are not going to get the design help to do that here with this crowd sourcing situation + the tone of this post. However, if you are just here to rewrite the space, carry on. My Best Wishes to your Mom.

Some photos that may help in your discussion.

If the LR has sage walls this combo might be something to consider for sitting rm. We can always add a bit of blue and lavender.

pink sitting room ideas - Google Search · More Info

Softer look

white furniture with pink rug - Google Search · More Info

Interesting neutral rug with color used throughout. I would consider this in between a soft palate and stronger one as shown in a few photos below.

30 Extremely Charming Pink Living Room Design Ideas - Rilane · More Info

With keeping the brighter rug, this would probably be more the direction the room would take with brighter saturated colors

pink sitting room ideas - Google Search · More Info

pink sitting room ideas - Google Search · More Info

By the way KB I'm not afraid of working with color as the rooms below are some of the rooms I've helped OP's with on Houzz and they are far from being generic. I ask a lot of questions and there are a lot of discussions to achieve a room that fits the person needs and wants so that they are very happy. There are many talented people on Houzz and many not, you just have to find that connection and go from there.

Fierce · More Info

Ligita K · More Info

Log Home · More Info

Nice work Ted. Take your time K B; sit down with Mom and compile an ideabook. These needn’t be rooms that you want to copy btw. This is we’re people get into trouble with inspiration rooms! They take that too literally; they are meant to give you an idea of what you like,to inspire you not to copy! Most of those rooms are unattainable and when people can’t achieve that they get frustrated! So keep in mind it is to give you and Mom a direction on what you love, colors you like and style direction! From there you can develop your own sense of style and your own unique room! As an aside; I have no problem painting things like an old China cabinet! These pieces have become practically throwaways and many consigned shops have a hard time selling them now! I happen to love them because they add height to a room but painting them gives them a new attitude and modern feel!

Well said Lyn and so true. And one of the many great attributes of Lyn is that she is great in sharing ideas on how to transform an older piece to something that looks more current as she has lots of experience in doing that.

Just spotted this rug and it reminded me of this thread and different possibilities to share with the owner of the house!

Deland Floral Leaf 8' X 11' Area Rug · More Info

Another one for you IB perhaps

Braxton Culler Living Room Westport 2 over 2 Sofa 678-0112 - Braxton Culler - So · More Info