After hearing so many of your suggestions, I now know that my concerns about the dreaded wall in my living room were legitimate. I really appreciate all the comments, ideas and helpful suggestions. This site is like having your own private staff of decorators at your disposal. Parma is right, the space was supposed to be for a fireplace, but we decided that we wanted the fireplace in the family room in the basement. Couldn't afford both. Probably was a mistake. I read your suggestions and looked again at my pictures and could see exactly what each of you meant. Things I had never noticed before. 1. The backs of the shelves do need color to make the display pop. Right now everything just fades into the background. 2. There's no cohesiveness to what's on the shelves and there is way too many things. 3. I have already taken down the two small prints on the sides of the mirror. What was I thinking? 4. The jobots are too long. I had never noticed that. Do they need to go to bottom of the window trim? 5. The mirror does not do justice to the space. It may be too small, wrong shape, something's not right. First of all, I really want the upper ledge gone. The problem is talking my DH into letting me find someone to close it in. I love the idea of finishing out the shelves as a bookcase. I think that would look wonderful. Do you think old books would look better in the space rather than newer books? I am a book collector and have many shelves full of novels in various areas of the house. Les917: I really like your idea of the Sunburst Pediment and would like to find a way to incorporate it into the redesign of the space. Any other suggestions or pics would still be appreciated because this project will take place slowly in the spring. Thanks so much in advance.

Okay, here's the Bronwynsmom full tilt more-than-you-aked-for solution. And I confess that I haven't read all the other posts (I usually do), so if I'm repeating, I apologize. Your room needs life, and cohesion. I like the sofa against the mirror, and I like the mirror's effect on the room, but I think the heavy timber frame is too much for the room and the delicacy of the rather slender bookcases. First, I would set the bookcases up on a low platform, so that you can push them all the way back to the wall, and give them a bit more substance - and to get that bottom shelf off the floor. Then I'd choose a rich, beautiful paint color for the room, and paint everything - walls, trim, timbers, and the bookcases - to match the walls. We did the bookcases that way in our den here, and it looks really nice, if I do say so.... I'd add a clip downlight to the top center of each bookcase section to light the contents. Then I'd treat both the window and the mirror as if they were both windows, and handle them in the same way. I'd hang generous, lined floor-to-ceiling drapery panels, in a colorful or graphic pattern you really love, out beyond the sides of the windows, with the leading edges just covering the frames. If you need privacy at night, I'd think about adding simple roman shades at ceiling height. I'd do the same thing at the sides of the mirror, with two curtain panels out to the side just covering the frame. That would pull the two walls together, and make the heavy side timbers disappear, which I think the room needs. I'd add a pair of end tables and substantial lamps, add sofa pillows in lighter colors, move the large coffee table somewhere else, and put a pair of smallish square ottomans in front of the sofa. I'd turn the rug 90 degrees, so that the stripes run across the doorway, rather than creating a runway effect to the couch. I'd add a pair of Parsons-style upholstered chairs, with skirts, on either side of the table in the window, to avoid too many legs in the room. And I'd put a desk lamp on the table, and a floor lamp in the corner to your left as you walk into the room. The result would be a serene architectural background with the books, the wonderful table, the curtains, the upholstery and pillows, he sparkle and expansiveness of the mirror, and that great graphic rug as the stars.

-Valences could go above the doors. Either at a typical height or else positioned a bit higher so that the bottom on the valence only just reaches the top of the door/windows (and both permitting the view of the outside and making the window look bigger) - You could put curtains in between the window/door sections (as though they were curtaining off more window, but really just curtaining off wall). you would need them at the far end also, and would likely need to use smaller supports. You could probably use the curtains you have there now if you loosened the tie at the top of them so that they hang like regular curtains against the wall. -The bookshelves stick out a bit. Perhaps if you painted them to match the floor?

Hi Rebecca! I love Scabiosa as well, they really add to the cottage garden look! I was going to buy a few the beginning of July, but decided to pass until I see how the current residents fill out next year. The corner I'm trying to fill in is all wild bush at the moment! It's the very corner of my lot, and my little ones use the path that goes through it to get to the bus. It's backed by a tree line, and has a lot of shade except one corner, which gets full sun. I'll put a picture in, of the area :) I have a post on here somewhere asking about larger rose bushes that will do in that specific spot (lots of wind, very cold etc) ...I've been given so many wonderful ideas from members I'm having a hard time choosing now! This is the area :) it goes further along to the left, about 15-20ft Where the small sapling is on the right, is where the single rose bush will go. There's a path in there somewhere as well, although it's not visible from this angle :) The lower hanging branches and smaller saplings along the tree line will be removed in fall, along with all the weeds! (Hahaha) To the back, we're planting Annabelle Hydrangeas, Hosta, Astilbe & Ostrich Fern (there's about 4 hours of light there) Next layer in more light (5hrs) will be low growing catmint, lupine, allium, tulips, daffodils, etc. We're trying to fit in a clematis or two, but I'm not sure where yet :) I need some pinks and reds in there.