Thanks everyone! The mirror is actually done in a green color with some decorative painting on it in a sort of botanical design. I was *thinking* about painting the outside edges of the mirror black, the front flat part the red in the room and then having some of those vinyl "wall words" done in a custom fashion to go around the frame of the mirror in black. I was thinking "Live Well, Laugh Often, Love Deeply" in a script font. What do you think? I love the rug but just wish it was a bit bigger. It is a 9X12 and my furniture doesn't fit all the way on it. I switched the furniture to an L-shape and the back legs of the chair and sofa are off of the rug. I don't think that this one comes any larger. Hmmmnn... The mantel is really bothering me in brown. Do you guys really think it would be too much black on that wall if I painted it black? Maybe I should paint it back to the trim color. Thanks for any advice!

Our Gentleman's Parlor is 18 by 18 with a walkway along one length. We have a nine by eleven area rug. I can't imagine having anything smaller. I agree with Patty to draw up a scale floor plan with the furniture placement before you buy a rug if you really want to buy a rug now. Personally from experience of building three homes I'd wait until you were in the home. You won't really have a feel for what works until you are in the home.

I would move the tv to the wall where the couch is now. Move the couch opposite, with its back to the sliding door. Consider adding a sofa table behind with a pair of lamps to bring more warm lighting into the room. Keep the small chair where it is on the right side of the fireplace, and use the floor lamp next to it. Put the chair and a half and ottoman to the right of the couch, the end table and lamp beside it. Move the whole arrangement a bit closer to the fireplace, and make sure that the front legs of the couch and the chairs are on the rug. I agree that the coffeetable is not the best choice. I would love to see something round, perhaps a wood or slate top, with iron legs so that you don't have so much heavy furniture in the space. Down on the end wall where the tv is now, I would think about a game table and chairs in the corner where the screen is, great for snacking or playing games or doing puzzles. I would find a new home for the screen. Then a group of bookshelves with some closed storage in the same finish as the tv cabinet to the right along the wall to allow for storage of some of the toys, as well as a place to house books and media. Take the clock off the fireplace and use that on the end wall where the game table will be. Use the canvas you have on the fireplace, to bring some of the warmer colors of the room onto the grey fireplace. If your DH doesn't want to paint the fireplace, check into staining it. Just giving it a warmer finish would do a lot for the room.

I'm glad you found something you really like. Just a small consideration, but the Chinese vase at the corner of the fireplace looks rather unbalanced, and the chair by it seems a little too large for that space. You could try positioning it where it faces the long side of the ottoman, i.e. facing towards the windows.