It looks very formal. The space is great. I would lean to example 2, above. Maybe look for more streamlined pieces. You might be able to keep your coffee table with newer, simpler upholstered pieces. Your torchiere is giving me funeral home vibes. I'd also take down the curtains and just go with a nice roll up blind or something else that is just mounted inside the window. I like your wall color as I lean toward the warm tones, but once you pick a new sectional or couch/chair combo, and possibly a new rug, you might lighten up those walls a bit.

I agree it is too formal and that is one of the reasons we need a change. What color furniture do you envision?

How many people are together in this room at the same time? What kinds of activities do you do in here? How often do you use it? Let us know more about the function and we can give you a better idea of what furniture to use and how to arrange it.

Also, while you are open to new styles, this room is visually connected to the dining room. Do you want the dining room to remain the same?

I will not do the dining room now. The living room is mostly a non used room. We live in a retirement community and rarely have children here. We use it for cocktails before dinner if entertaining. Or visiting if others are busy watching TV. Reading some times. We have a full family room. Mostly it’s an extension of the foyer and I want it to look nice. The main focal point is that it looks onto the outdoor covered patio.

Both of BeverlyFLADeziner’s layouts look great. I’ve overlayed a photo onto your room with a color palette that feels like a breath of fresh air. It looks like it would work great with your floors.

Considering this is a room that you rarely use and you want it to go with the dining room vibe, I would keep the sofa that is against the wall, get rid of the one across from it and get two chairs that are not over stuffed! Get new lamps. Then give me the white chair because I'm in love with it.

One of our favorite artists is Diana Madaras who has a gallery in Tucson, as well as online. One of her pieces could be focal point and starting point for your redecorating.

Kendrah, I was surprise by your idea of keeping one sofa as I thought the style might be unacceptable after 18 years.

Show us photos of the family room because you want all of the spaces to relate to each other.

What about creating sort of a lounge? Like 4 swivel chairs around a coffee table instead of the sofas?

As requested, I am posting photos of the family/great room adjacent area.

You can lighten up the living room in myriad ways. Here are a few photos of “traditional” living rooms that feel fresh and new.

Some more.

Thanks for the extra pics - the perspective from other rooms helps. I’d suggest trying this simple rearrangement while pondering new furniture. The view through the doorway from kitchen / family room towards front door is ’blocked’ by the back of the loveseat & makes the pathway look cluttered or crowded - though it likely isn’t IRL. But, move the loveseat to the position of the white chair, facing the patio window. The sofa may need to be moved towards window if there’s space. Take out the torchier lamp as suggested. Put the white arm chair where the torchier was. I think the space should look more open & easier to get into + the window will be the focal point. I like the idea mentioned earlier of using swivel chairs to create a conversation area. You could take out the love seat & white chair & add 2 swivels - one facing window & the other facing couch. I think your couch / sofa fit your home decor but taking the love seat out would break up the overstuffed look. Maybe take a pillow or two off the sofa / loveseat too.

@Snow Bird since you use the space for cocktails and visiting, what about an arrangement with four barrel chairs around a Cocktail table? I think I see you have that outdoors, so you could bring some indoors to try living with it. If you like it, then purchase indoor versions like the ones in my picture. There are lots of contemporary barrel chairs around, and lots of gorgeous coffee tables. What do you think of the concept? Is it absolutely off the table? Or a possibility?

@Snow Bird as for color, I see mostly neutrals in your home now. The closest I see to actual color is a golden beige wall paint and spice-colored patio furniture. Are those the colors you love? Oddly enough those contemporary chairs in the picture have those colors. The black is ok with them too. I would choose a lower larger coffee table though.

Sorry, got off topic:color. So in the desert it might be nice to have cooling colors to compliment your spice and beige. I think pastels won't look sophisticated enough, but something like this area rug, which comes in different shapes and sizes shows the colors I am thinking might work. What do you think?

@Snow Bird so I was thinking navy/indego and white in small doses might cool things down just a little. Indigo trim on the draperies, area rug, art you probably already have... If you like the idea, just keep an eye out. If you don't think it suites you, that's fine. Just say what does and what things need replacing.

Another thing I like about those barrel chairs in the picture is they are leather, which is clean and cooling. And they have mostly smooth rounded lines, not overstuffed and not squared off which could hurt as someone navigates to a far corner.

“Kendrah, I was surprise by your idea of keeping one sofa as I thought the style might be unacceptable after 18 years.“

No style is unacceptable. It is all personal choice. It is not my taste but it was yours at one point and it matches the dining room. Now seeing your great room I think that too looks very early 2000 but in a contemporary way instead of the entry room which looks Tuscan-Versailles.

What matters is what you like, and a sense of cohension because all of these spaces can be viewed from the front sitting room. Perhaps use as a guide furniture that bridges the dining room look and the great room look.

Beverly gave you a great layout. Assuming a lighter colored sectional, here are three photos that my help you visualize your space.

• Ok, I really appreciate your comments. I rearranged some pieces as suggested, removed pillows, etc and took a few photos. Of course I could place the loveseat on the other end of the sofa, but wated to test it by the window. I really think we need new furniture as I am just tired of this look. So what I really need is a clear solution to the furniture arrangement before buying new. We did look at sectionals the other day, but not sure if that would work and how to place it. Do you think a sofa and two chairs would be better as in BeveryFlaDeziner second example, or a sectional. I do like this more open arrangement, but I also notice that the view from the sofa is of bar stool legs and other things.

My vote is a strong No! to a sectional. I do very much like the open feeling created by moving love seat. And, I get that your view is legs everywhere. Mostly iron legs but lots of wooden legs too. It’s often suggested to mix up skirted seating with pieces with legs just for that reason. Your family room has a nice mix with the no legs seating & big box coffee table. They balance the side tables with legs + bar stools + dining set. Maybe start with changing out the console table directly across from the LR seating area & also the white chair. Do you have any pieces elsewhere in your house you could swap out with them just to get a better idea of how that small change would look? Changing the love seat & white chair & adding 3 swivel chairs for a conversation grouping would lessen the impact of all the legs too

I dont really have aother piece to exchange for the console table. Another question. When looking at new furniture, do you think leather is an option or is that too much leather in one house?

Yes, I do think leather is an option. For this seating area I think I’d look at lighter colors for a softer look & of course smaller profiles than, for example, your family room seating. I’m looking at the new placement of the loveseat - is there room to angle it a bit - slide it towards the opening so if I’m sitting on it I can converse with people sitting on sofa a bit easier? Try same with chair - angle towards sofa & pull back towards opening. I’m thinking the small position changes soften the room - not so linear & lined up soldier like.😊 If you have the handy dandy sliders to help, you could try the family room coffee table in living room just to see how fewer legs ’feel’

I moved around a bit. I do have sliders!

With table in corner.

Can you draw a little diagram with the measurements of your wood flooring area? Your current furniture is large and the area look small but hard to really know.

What about a long sofa under the window and two chairs across from it with a round coffee table in the middle? It would change the orientation of the seating and I'd love something round in this space. I would not go for leather. Too much in your home already. And, a lot of oversized furniture in your home and on your porch, which is visually connected to this space. So I would think of furniture that makes sense size wise for these floor measurements.

Snow Bird, How does the new arrangement feel to you? Looks more conversational to me. The love seat maybe needs a bit of tweaking moving closer to wall but you need to walk around in the space to figure that out. I don’t disagree with Kendrah about the leather for any new furniture even though I said opposite. It just depends - if everything was upholstered is that too much fabric? Only you can say. I did say lighter color of leather partly because all the wood & leather you already have is dark. But, that’s the purpose of moving your existing furniture around - so that you can really decide what you like & what to change before spending buckets of $$ on new pieces. One thing I got for sure from your feedback is that you should have fewer iron legged pieces (console table / coffee table / end table). Do you keep the sofa but take out love seat? Swivel chairs? The arrangement you’re trying out is similar to both of the floorplans @BeverlyFLADeziner posted for you.

Here are other photos of a sofa and two chairs arrangement.

@Snow Bird I don't see where you ever said if the idea of 4 barrel chairs and a round cocktail table would be of interest. Maybe I should infer that, no, it is not? ☺️

^ My parents had that arrangement, with a square coffee table, and it worked out really well. Visitors liked it, probably because the chairs swiveled. You could turn around and see who was coming through the door, without getting up. And there was a lot more room to walk around.

@kelli_ga yes, I think one of the most useful aspects would be the swiveling. And I could imagine a square table working too. If there was a holiday need for extra dining, I could see getting an adjustable height coffee table that would raise up to dining room height and then go back down to coffee table height most of the year.

KL, I do like the looks of the four swivel chairs, but not sure if is right for here because we have both an informal dining table with chairs and formal dining room and a large bar with stools. It seems like lots of table style areas in a small house.

But, LR style swivel chairs are different looking that your dining & bar swivels. No legs showing on LR swivels but the same great functionality.

@Snow Bird thanks. I can understand that. Helps to get your feedback. Balance is important in a space. On the same theme, I understand your caution about too much leather. I have a room with all leather and another with all fabric. I'd like to break up both and have some leather in both and some fabric in both. And I know what you mean about the table and chairs right next to the kitchen island/peninsula. A lot of people have that, but I can see how sometimes it might not feel right. Im sure the pros already know how to make the combination more comfortable. Sometimes I think you have to actively work to get contrast. Like fabric barrel chairs at the table and rattan stools at the peninsula/island... Something like that. Or come and leather stools at the island/peninsula with rattan and fabric chairs at the table. This is why THEY are Pros! ☺️ They actually KNOW!

I like the love seat at the angle but something seems a little off. As suggested, move it back some, maybe the couch down the wall to the left?, and remove the heavy (literally and figuratively!) picture. Go for something lighter, brighter, and more modern when replacing it.

I don't mind the loveseat in front of the window but the oversized flaired arms make things awkward.