You'll need to keep enough area behind the sofa opposite the tv clear for a walk path but once your extended family moves out, you could have room to "block" the view of the both or at least one -- the other -- side with something that lightens the vibe of the room and hides the sofa from that side: A room dividing white pony wall height bookcase/cabinet -- perhaps with the top board a real wood finish. Sometimes upscale kitchen cabinets can be adapt"ed to do this by adding a weighted foot/base and a adding the wood finish board "countertop" . Such cabinet could have open shelves or doors -- solid or glass.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/sonoma-residence-modern-living-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~124893

Send the sectional along with your daughter have abig bonfire for that outdated TV media stand and then get some stuff you love and BTW no reclining sofa next time. A nice sofa and 2 chairs a couple of ottomans to replace the reclining part and make sure the TV has a nice low cabinet where the TV is wall hung no need for a bunch of tstuff filling the shelve and check out Besat from Ikea for a low cabinet for storgae a place for the TV and a minimum amount of display. The TV should be hung with the center of the screen at eye level when you are seated. Or if that is not possible some nice light colored rug and pillows , remove all the stuff from the shelving and remove the whole top piece of the cabinet that has all the shelving that alone will lighten up the space . Remove the please and do not feel the need to replace any of the stuff ion those shelves Get some proper lighting all LEDs 4000K the other thing you need to lighten up the space .

Thanks, everyone. Long story about how we ended up with the sofa and entertainment center. Short version- I selected, and had delivered, a gorgeous, expensive sofa. That same day, the leg broke off and pretty badly damaged the hardwood, and we sent it back. My husband, trying to make me feel better about it, surprised me with the current sofa. I gently let him know that I didn’t think it worked in the room; eventually it became a huge, ongoing argument. He loves it, and I decided to live with it.

When we bought the house, the owners said they would leave the entertainment center. Trying to save money, we accepted it, I wasn’t worried about working with it until the sofa came into the picture.

This is the first time I have written here~ I just stumbled on the design dilemma page yesterday. So I appreciate all if the guidance. What I am trying to ask with my post is how you would finish the room while keeping the sofa and tv center. What rug would you use? Can I use a rug with bright color to lighten the mood of the space, or will that just be gaudy? What rug would look good ? Should I add a coffee table? If so, what material, shape, etc. What else could I do with the decor to make it less ugly? Should I get rid of the entertainment unit and, if I do, can you share ideas of what you would put there?

I haven’t figured out how to answer your posts individually. Please let me know if there is a way to do that.

Thanks again! If it comes down to the only solutiom being to ditch the sofa, I may just take up the discussion on the homefront again- but that is alot of repeated expense to take on.

Sounds like your husband was trying to be really thoughtful about the couch. I'm okay with the style of it, but a light brown would coordinate with the rest of the room so much better. I'm sorry you're in this predicament! I don't mind the style of the entertainment center, though I'd remove some of the decor just to make it less busy. Painting the room some shade of green or blue might help tone down the black couch. Then, use a rug that ties the couch and the walls together. Good luck.

If my husband did something this thoughtful, I would have to take away his credit card. :D Kudos to you for trying to make it work. I definitely agree with removing the matching chair from the room. Send with your SIL, sell or donate. Post more photos that include the foyer/entrance area showing stair railing and the room next to the living room (most likely dining room). I think less will be more, as in move piano elsewhere. Add a light color background rug that includes your favorite colors, add pillows to the sectional and if there is room for a cofee table, make it a round table to help soften the lines. I also think the wall unit needs to be moved towards the windows a few feet, but really need to see more photos to make suggestions.

I am hearing that the dollars are stretched and the sofa investment is a done deal, no returning it now. So live with the sofa.

Pairing it with the large entertainment center is too much for the room. Yellow and gray is a great combination and I think you could lighten things up without replacing the sofa. That can be done in 5 years.

This is a rough idea of what it could look like. (Done in excel, so not a pro photo shop design).

The lamp in the corner need a new daylight light bulb and a whiter shade.

pillow - https://www.crateandbarrel.com/tomas-color-block-pillows-24-set-of-2/s365472?localedetail=US&a=1552&campaignid=10461646749&adgroupid=103999389099&targetid=pla-473949026803&pla_sku=365472&pcat=HSW&ag=adult&scid=scplp365472&sc_intid=365472&gclid=CjwKCAjw9aiIBhA1EiwAJ_GTSg3pvCtXq9eFvwV7Fr6frnGsLOsDkwLqxMCuAyJ-f3S3yIElDFU-2xoC0p4QAvD_BwE

TV Stand - https://www.wayfair.com/furniture/pdp/trent-austin-design-adalberto-tv-stand-for-tvs-up-to-78-w003215385.html?piid=1686786473

Used the pillow for the carpet- not real.

A big help would be to paint the bookcase white and edit. I’d remove things from the top, as well as the picture and clock on that wall.

Suggest a light rug to offset the sectional and add a few textured cushions that complement wall color and rug.

I would change the entertainment unit as photoshopped by jennnifer. At least something lighter in size and color, if you are not open to that than paint as was also mentioned. The flooring is light so thats a plus. Distract the eye with art. I'm not a big fan of the yellow walls with the black sofa, but it looks like a big undertaking to change it with the openness of the space so I would tie it in with warm accents.

Some great suggestions here. i dont know if this could work with your sofa, but my daughterinlaw took the corner piece out of their sectional, added a couple of C-arm tables, put a plant on a stand and a fig tree in its place (her corner was against a wall, so maybe just an end table for you), a light rug, light pillows and fhrows, light artwork, and a couple of small plants and accesories, not many, and moved the corner piece to an upstairs loft area in a corner. It brightened up and lightened the heaviness of the room tremendously.

given that you must keep the sofa, Jennifer's suggestion is my favorite. it seems that in order to make the couch work in here, you'll need to majorly declutter the decor like how she did in the mockup. find a new home for the family photos (like in halls or the stairwell). relocate or get rid of the other stuff such as the lanterns and big clock.

I like Maureen's suggestion of using a light color rug and throws to lighten up the couch. Neutral colors such as off-white, tan and light grey in a mix of interesting textures. The light wood coffee table softens it up as well.

As for budget: a new smaller TV unit will not even cost that much. you could probably find something good at Target or Wayfair. Or even try FB marketplace first. Are there any decent consignment stores in your area? I have found some really amazing pieces that way.

As for that free TV unit that came with your house? Try selling it on FB marketplace.

Thanks again for all of your comments. I looks so much better with the small, white TV unit! Just to clarify, the sofa is a dark grey, not black - so ot is slightly better than shows in the photos. I really get stumped on the coffee table idea. If the sofa is dark gray and Tv unit white, what color or material coffee table would I get? There are cupholders for the sofa piece facing the TV, but not for the other side, and no space for an endtable. Also, I know a light rug makes sense and is tasteful, but I love some more colorful ones, also. Would any of these work?

personally, I'm not a fan. one of the reasons why I think the off white / tan / grey accessories that Maureen posted work is because it kind of softens and neutralizes the dark couch. I feel like those colorful rugs and crazy patterns will add too much boldness rather than softening that area.

as for the coffee table -- get a light color wood. it will look fine if the TV unit was white. (if you're going to paint your current one, consider soft white). or get a TV unit that's the same type of wood as the coffee table.

as for the cupholders, a coffee table will take care of that. of course, placement is a problem if those seats are recliners.

that couch looks like it comes apart? would you be able to compromise with your husband by removing the cupholder sections? it will make the couch look better and allow room for end tables.

I am in the process of getting a coffee table to finish my complete remodel. Based on the input I have gotten from my designer, you might be best getting something that is glass or lucite with some hits of shiny metal to complement the dark tones.

I have been looking for quite a while for the perfect cocktail table and discussing various possibilities - why some work with tweaks - why some don't work etc., I don't think you would want another heavy dark piece to add to the visual density.

I was leaning towards glass, but not sure if I should add a whole new material.

I would think that adding a lighter component to the room would complement it.

I am a not a professional decorator but I have learned a bit about how decorators balance stuff.

But take a look at pictures of living rooms and see how various types of coffee tables work with different rooms. There are so many pictures on line for you to analyze.

To direct an answer to an individual, high light that individual's name and copy/past it into the comment box. That way "mentioned you" comes up in the comment feed (clicking that bell on the upper right corner of the page) of the person mentioned/highlighted.

It shows up green in the comment section when you do. Like this: suezbell

My inclination would be to do one or two things at a time and see what helps rather than going overboard.

Keep an eye out for a few colorful cushions that you like or, better yet, that you both like.

Are you and/or your husband DIY inclined? Just adding a white bookcase the same height as the sofa against the one (shorter) side of the sofa as long as that side of the sofa will decrease the visibility of the sofa from the other room.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/214835844700938335/

If there is room in the walk path from the front door alongside the back of the sofa to the rest of the house, the bookcase can be "L" shaped and literally wrap around the entire back of the sofa.

This was on a Houzz page ... don't recall if I posted the link before.

https://www.houzz.com/photos/sonoma-residence-modern-living-room-san-francisco-phvw-vp~124893

Perhaps your husband saw an opportunity and seized it! Take down the Beach House sign and the other beach oriented ones! That ship has sailed on to "Man Cave" so just go with it. Big box store signs and battery operated wall clocks have run their course in my book. Can the surrounding shelving and drawers be removed from the center section of the entertainment unit? It appears to be two different colors, so perhaps it is not really one piece. This is not your lounging sectional, but look at the way it is accessorized and sitting on a large, grounding rug. Colorful art, pillows and accessories can help reduce the impact of the sectional. Paint the piano, and maybe the entertainment unit, in a color from art you find.

Contemporary Family Room · More Info

if you must go with glass coffee table, something like this is not too bad. note how the rug is a light color with a subtle pattern. maybe too grey for your room, but I could imagine this working if it was light beige.

but you said this was a waterfront community, and some of your décor indicates you kind of want to go for beachy? I'm not sure if pairing a glass coffee table with dark leather is going to get you there. I think the color palette and light wood table in Maureen's inspo pic does a better job of softening the look of the dark couch.

I'm kind of at a loss of what kind of wood coffee table to recommend! you could always select a table (check the return policy), paint the TV unit white and see how you feel. return the table if it doesn't work for you.

maybe look for a wood tone that matches the trim in your home.

light colors and subtle patterns:

It would be best to decide on the entertainment unit and coffee table before purchasing the rug IMO.

agreed, I think it's way harder to find a good coffee table than it is to find the right rug.

I am thinking about switching the couch with a set in the basement, but (1) it may be too big- I have to measure and (2) the set in basement is a loveseat/ sofa and looks smaller than the sectional, but it is brown leather so still very dark. Do you think it is worth the effort and expense to bring up the dark brown sofa set and move out the sectional? My gut tells me it I still wont like it.

These are color ideas I originally had in mind before we moved in. When it is possible for ke to do “do-over”, do you all like any of these?

and these:

If the sofa in the basement is still in relatively good condition you might want to consider swapping the two and doing a slip cover over the sofa. I have not done a slip cover, but from what I read on the Houzz posts, they are much nicer now than the slipcovers of yesteryear, but work better with sofas than sectionals. For a small investment you could get the color you want.

I am with you on wanting more color and not all beige and gray and white. Picked colorful area rugs for my own home. That said, I am not sure about some of the colors you picked. It seems to me that you like blues and have yellow walls. Blue and yellow are pretty together. I think orange will fight with your floors.

a slipcover on a leather sofa may slide around and not stay in place.

Deb Joy - can you post pics of the furniture from the basement? I have a feeling that brown leather will look better than what you have now. also, having a sofa and loveseat is a good arrangement since you can add end tables. then you could get a big ottoman instead of a coffee table, so everybody is nice and comfortable.

I really like the gray and diamond shaped pattern rug from Pier 1 (#3). Make sure you get one that is large enough so that all front feet of sectional are on it. Keep the sectional so that you don't have endless arguments. Take all the stuff off of the entertainment center and edit what you put back. Don't put anything back on the top or on wall behind. Use some books, some small framed photos, a few vases. Leave a lot of space around items. I would go with a black, gray and white themed room. I would paint the walls white. Get some colorful pillows, a white faux sheepskin throw for back of sectional.

Here are the brown pieces. I tried to measure if the grey would fit in the basement room, but I can’t tell because I don’t know how to measure the curve, It is a very close fit.

woops, here are the brown

I wouldn't swap the brown for the gray. They are bulkier than the gray and will add even more weight to the room.

It confuses me that there are some many questions on how to brighten up a room with bulky, dark vinyl or leather furniture. Why buy it in the first place? I have had a fabric sofa in my used daily living room for nearly twenty years. It was "Scotchguarded" when we purchased it and then professionally cleaned occasionally ( every 4 or 5 years.) since. The cushions are foam rubber wrapped in light padding and they are still firm and comfortable, and you don't slide off them..

It’s ‘cause the husband and the sofa are a package deal. I’d just get more cats and hope they destroy the leather in a hurry. 😹

well the daughter, son in law and little grandson moved out today. Sad to see them go, and will miss my “Good Morning Mommom” hugs everyday. But I m not too sad seeing the cats and all their stuff go! I do like cats, but the ginger Maincoon was
pretty viscious and scared the heck oit of my Golden, not to mention throwong up hairballs everywhere. Just nasty..

The brown set is bulky but also smaller. Loveseat os 63” long and sofa
is 88. the dark grey sectional is approx 114 x 114. It takes up much of the room and has an awkward curve that doesn’t fit the shape of the space. So, I dont know which Is better, but I do think there may be benefit from the smaller set.

We always have one Golden Retriever or more running around. They shed like no other. The vinyl and leather sofas stay better looking much longer with the dogs, based on our experience with fabric and leather sofas. The size and bulk of the sofas- yeah, that’s the hubby thing.

I really appreciate everyone’s opinions. This is my first post here. I really thank you for
the honesty (brutal honesty at times lol), and especially for the advice and ideas.

I will post what we do once we get it done

I think the brown set looks less bulky just by the very fact that there is less of it-- it's not a sectional. Plus they don't have cupholders, and the color is better too. Still dark and large, but an improvement.

Like I said, if you moved the brown set upstairs, you could have room for end tables, and then get a big ottoman for when you want to lounge. (I can't tell-- is the brown set also a recliner?)

So, i can force the grey sectional to the basement but it will look worse. Still could go either way.
I tried to layout the room with both types of furniture. Most of the pics I am posting are w the sectional- the last one is with the sofa and loveseat, but I wasn’t’ as precise with the room dimensions on that one.
Please let me know what you think, and don’t hold back (i know you won’t!). I haven’t bought the new furniture and decor pieces and I hope I can get your suggestions before I do! I have drawings with a red chair- that could be white instead, what do you think? Do the colors work, is the layout better, what would you do or not do?
Thanks for all of your help!
Deb

Here are more- I posted to quickly

Last 2

I don’t have much to add to all the advice above, except don’t add more gray to the room. Add light and bright color.

Mostly I want to commiserate over the husband/surprise/sectional. Many years ago we built a new deck and I was excited to furnish it. Together we looked at several styles of chairs, etc. but hadn’t decided on any yet. Till the day hubby came home from a business trip with FOUR PLASTIC FORMED PORCH CHAIRS. Hot pink in color. From Walmart. I was aghast. He was so proud that he had ”solved our problem.” Things went downhill from there. This was more than 40 years ago and I’m still mad about it. So I understand where you are.

I understand that when people come here to this forum and attempt to get design help, the crowd sourcing situation here can often result in even more confusion for them. So my advice to you is to keep it simple. Really... Your husband likes the current sectional in the space, and it can work. And it can work without you dismantling and/or rearranging the whole space.

@SeattleMCM put together this beautiful rendering for you (posted up thread) - and it is really a perfect look for your space. It is also a look that you could accomplish very easily.

You could go a bit larger on a rug, if you wanted to. And as an alternative to a hard edge table, if you have young grandchildren visiting often, you could instead use an ottoman style coffee table. If you don’t want to use throw pillows, use a throw or two on the sofa - whichever you prefer. A couple of simple edits is really all you need. And for sure, what @SeattleMCM did here for you with this rendering is brilliant.

I agree with freedom, not bad and it sure looks comfy.

it looks nice! what would you do with that big tv unit? that was the big change I was considering. replace it with a lighter, smaller one. But what to do with the big one and/or
all the storage space in the drawers!

I would buy a new smaller TV unit and try to sell the old one on FB marketplace. if it fits in another room, feel free to keep it but it sounds like you really don't like it, and it came free with the house.

if anyone is curious, the rug in my mockup is only $222 for a 9x12 at home depot. IDK the source of the coffee table, just posted there as a style idea. one conundrum is finding the right size and placement so that it's not in the way of the recliner.

freedomplace1 aww, thanks!

The entertainment unit appears to be three or four separate pieces. The console upon which the tv sits. Two end units, and a bridge. Am I right? Strip everything off the unit (except the tv) and start dismantling the unit. First take off the bridge. Then, push the two side shelving units apart from the console. I would consider painting all of the pieces white. But first see how the tv looks on the console by itself, with nothing above or beside it. Could you use the side pieces elsewhere in your home? In the basement? If the pieces still don’t work, separated, then….sell them. Someone will want them or buy them from you.

You could paint the entertainment center the same color as the wall -- make it more visually disappear -- then make sure you don't add so much decorative stuff it comes across as clutter. .

You could surprise him by selling both items on Craigslist or Marketplace. If you think you can make it work then more power to you, but both items really are big, dark pieces that won’t be easy to disguise. Personally, I would be driven mad and frustrated with my home for as long as they still sat in my living room. If it’s important to you to start fresh, find a way to do it!

Thanks, all. As much as I would love to sell both (and the sofa is actually returnable for a while yet), it would cause issues. I have hated it and, consequently the room, since it arrived a couple months ago. Not only is it huge, bulky and dark, it has an awkward curve that does not reflect the room.
My compromise will be to sell the ET, but first I will take it down to just the center bottom piece, which is 5’w, and see if it works in it’s current shade. I’m concerned about painting it- the finish is shiny, almost lacquer-like, and I think I could mess it up if I paint it. It isn’t bad looking, but just overwhelming with the sofa.

I think your sectional looks very comfortable! At the end of a long day, isn’t that what matters the most? I have made costly design mistakes trying so hard to get the right look. The real important things that can bring cohesion and harmony in a space actually don’t cost much at all- clean, uncluttered and functional.

I think you have some good ideas here... all is not lost. Grey can work with your light floors. Here are a few examples of ones I saw for inspiration...

Blu Dot · More Info

Suburban Contemporary Family Room · More Info

Kirkland, WA Living Room · More Info

I’m concerned about painting it

I'm with you. that be a huge pain in the butt. just minimize it. if you still hate it, replace it.

Thanks for the encouragement and the pics really help me alot!