If I were building there would definitely be an overhead (not recessed) in every room! I love having an overhead on a dimmer in every room to add additional lighting to the table and floor lamps, and also for convenience when cleaning or just running in and out for something, but it also adds another decorative element to the room. Our LR doesn't have an overhead fixture - you can see where it was removed and the ceiling patched - and I think the room looks "unfinished" without it. It seems like an awful lot of empty space up there! We may have to take down the LR ceiling to do some structural work and if we do we're going to take that opportunity to put in the wiring for an overhead fixture. I would love to find a beautiful antique chandelier, but Rejuvenations has a couple I really like too. I don't think a chandelier looks odd in a LR at all as long as you pick the right one. I don't know if this is the case in your situation, but it is also pretty common for a central overhead box to be installed during construction even when there is no current plan for a fixture there, because it's such a stinker to do so later. The opening for the box could be covered by a nice ceiling medallion.

I just painted my living space BM Dove wing. It's light, but has enough color not to look like a pure white. Still has warmth with a yellow undertone, but with a tiny amount of gray in it, so it isn't a super clean white. Love it. - there is also Dove wing, which is the lighter version of it. They both have similar names, which can be a bit confusing. Here is one example of Dove WIng. There aren't that many on HOUZZ ( most are of dove white)

Hard to advise without photos. Look to your own ideabooks for inspiration.

I'd see whether I could rotate the couch (also moving the rug appropriately) 90 degrees and "float" it in the room so that the three-cushion section faced the blank wall and the two-cushion section faced the fireplace. I'd place low "media" cabinets along the blank wall and move the TV to it with some lamps, books, and other stuff on it; and shelves and/or pictures above it. I'd move the chair so it doesn't block the door. I'd hang a fan with an appropriate-length downrod but without a light. I'd lower the kitchen light. -- amateur