Thanks for the feedback everyone! A little more information, we live in the San Francisco Bay Area, and the local building department allows us to only have an engineers stamp, it isn't required to have an architect. Additionally, our builder (while not an architect) has a lot of experience drawing up plans, and if we could find a floor plan that only needed some modification then he could draw up the plans. Maybe we will end up going to an architect after all, however at the moment I'm just trying to collect some floor plan options to see if we can avoid it. Ideally, we are looking for a single story home that has a large great room, windows in the kitchen, 3-4 bedrooms and about 3000 square feet. We don't need a seperate dining room, or formal living room, though if a plan has a dining room we will turn it into an office, or some sort of other "flex" space. Thanks!!

Great, Sally. Hope we didn't overwhelm you with too much information. Most of us do go for a holistic approach to space since no single element exists in a room by itself; they connect through layout, style, finishes, palettes. Sometimes the "problem child" isn't the actual problem, or the only problem, and getting a bunch of alternative suggestions can be useful. Your room is lovely as is, frankly. If you are getting wood flooring, that will definitely modernize the room without your doing anything else. Feel free to post again with all the details at the outset--i.e. not loving the paint, getting wood floors, etc.--then people won't chime in with too much information. Good luck with your new home. You have beautiful pieces.

I admit, I've never quite understood the idea of having both a living room and a family room, esoecially in an open concept house. I grew up in an era where houses had separate rumpus rooms, usually in the basement, where little kids could have their toys and bigger kids could hang out without interfering with or messing up the adult areas of the house. The living room was where the adults watched tv, entertained or read, and that area might have been a separate room, or open to the dining room. So I guess my question would be, how do you plan on using those two rooms that will give them each a clear purpose?

its large enough you can bring in botanical patterns or geometric patterned textiles. Color of your own choosing. The far wall w fireplace and clock in the living room would be nicer if lighter. You could take the same hue just lighter. It looks a little dreary/nearly gray which is going to be yesterday's aesthetic if not already...... then almost any color scheme would be nice or neutrals for that matter. More I look at it...ceiling is not high..I'd lighten that wall...others walls if you feel like it , and work w neutrals. Just a pop of blue for accents...or green....enjoy your new home!!!!