Great photos!

I think navy might be too harsh, and that you should consider also a more complex blue with dreamy memory feel

This is Farrow and Ball Selvidge, and a near match is Benjamin Moore Blue Spruce

Thanks for the great suggestions!! Here are more pictures of the room. I do think the brown piece is too small for that wall, but it's their old record player we repurposed into a Bluetooth speaker, so I'd like to keep it there. I had a tree in the corner by the gray chair but recently moved it into another room. Think it needs to make its way back in though!

I didn't want the gallery to take up the whole wall, but I go back and forth between feeling like it's missing something and feeling like it's too busy all at the same time. I was hoping if the whole wall was a different, darker color it might make the space feel less empty. I am thinking of adding the two wall lights that are sitting on top of the record player.

If you paint the wall blue then you will have two focal points, the blue wall and the fireplace wall. That is not ideal imo. Perhaps you could move the gallery so that it is on both sides of the brick fireplace and paint that entire wall, including the brick, navy. It would likely look more finished since the gallery is too small for the current wall.

Hale Navy is the color on the island. Not sure I'd want an accent wall and the island in the same color. Should I paint it back to white if I go with the darker wall?

Imo either color would be fine on the island.

That is a good point! I'm not sure I could fit much on either side since it's very narrow, but I do like that idea!

You might want to try it before you paint. That way you will know if it all fits.

I'm wondering if I move all of that over what I could put on the wall where the gallery used to be. A large mirror is opposite the fireplace.

I would add something with texture to the wall that currently holds the photos. Perhaps some sort of textile.

Yes try it!!

I'd keep the wall white or it will look out of place on one side of the room. You might consider painting your fireplace a deep color instead. The high contrast will make that the focal point of the room, and highlight your photos on the mantle. Your gallery wall is great, but just needs to be spread out a little more horizontally, either by adding some things to the ends or just readjusting what you have.

I think the space might work better if you try this:

Move your cabinet down the wall to the right, nearer to the door. Turn your big chair and ottoman parallel to the wall like a chaise lounge, its back to the window, facing the cabinet. Leave enough space behind the chair to put the basket of blankets behind behind the chaise, and possibly the tree as well. Add a floor lamp for reading behind the chair if you've got an extra. Put a lamp on the Bluetooth cabinet. Hope it looks nice that way!

Maybe invest in a roll of navy peel and stick wall paper and see how you like seeing navy on that wall. Now that I see your whole wall, and what else is in the room, I'm thinking old-fashioned wallpaper might look great as a background for the gallery, the more old fashioned the better.

Great photos. Your grandparents were very glamorous. I like the dark backdrop.

Maybe some sconces.

https://citychicdecor.com/how-to-install-wall-sconces-or-light-fixtures-without-hardwiring-or-a-wall-outlet/

@chelea carving can you match the color in your bar/island? Repeating it at the other end of the room will create movement, drawing the eye back and forth, and will mentally elongate the space.

In addition, the navy against the gold frames will be a cold/warm contrast, especially with the red in the room completing a triadic color scheme.

I just want to advise you to insist that the painters use the correct dark primer instead of what they seem to like to do which is to use a white primer tinted with the navy blue. They will swear up and down it makes no diffrrence but it makes a huge difference. It's like the difference between poster board and velvet.

Other thing is that dark colors are better in eggshell than in flat. Again, it adds depth.

I think your idea is wonderful and look forward to "after" pictures.

Such great feedback back!! Thank you all so much!!

To work with the cabinet below the omagex

Sorry…….to counteract the cabinet’s size, would you consider re-hanging the images in a more linear pattern? The top images are too high to appreciate, and a more horizontal layout would seem to make more of a statement on that wall. Cabinet would remain.

Wallpaper could help make up for any blank spaces on the wall . This has a navy background and I suspect would compliment the design of your carpet

https://www.amazon.com/NextWall-Morris-Flower-Botanical-Wallpaper/dp/B094174Z9Q?source=ps-sl-shoppingads-lpcontext&ref_=fplfs&smid=A2O539QJPAGO9I&th=1

I think the gallery could be more attractive if you re-arranged the photos. Wider and not as close to the ceiling or the cabinet. Maybe use the 3 tiny pics on the cabinet.

I would consider painting the whole room a dusty blue from the pillows.

Keep the white fireplace, curtains, trim

I do love the wallpaper background, but worry it would be too busy with all the pictures?

I like the dark wall but not with that dark furniture next to it. I am not a huge lover of gallery walls but i think yours is nicely done and the fact it is not people who live in the home is great . I think the rug does not work with the pictures they seem to be 2 very different styles. Could we see the space maybe that will help me visulize the wall. Post the pics here in a comment no need to start another post.