Hollybar is correct. It would be helpful if you could give us an idea the purpose of the room and other art, furniture, etc. Consider putting together an inspiration board for yourself so it keeps you focused on what you want to accomplish. It's not just the paint color that brings life to a room. Would love to help. The grey is a nice tone and not offensive. The walls will fall back depending on all the other design elements. From your ideabook, it looks like you like pale blue, which would be a good color to incorporate into the room. What else do you have planned?

The brown paint is too dark IMO, especially with the dark heavy furniture. Coziness comes in through furnishings. Get some drapes, rugs, pillows, art work etc.

"However this is not an option as this is a condo and would not be approved." The roof is a common element but that doesn't mean that you couldn't request a change from the condo board. There are already things that belong exclusively to your condo alone such as vent pipes that extend through the roof. I like the idea of moving the candle thing between the windows where the orange picture is. Perhaps you could paint it a lighter color. As others suggested, I have a large rug (actually it's bound carpet) that covers the living room floor and upon which the living room furniture sits. Not only does it make the room lighter, it gives a cohesiveness to the living room area. Perhaps swap the dark valances above the windows for light-colored ones -- or paint them -- as they do not match the light window frames. -- amateur

Too much dark wood can make a room seem dark. Maybe you could paint the TV stand and the sideboard. And yes, there is too much "stuff" on the walls. I would also not put the words on the walls, it is a dated look. The windows need some kind of treatment as they look unfinished. Sheer white or cream curtains on each side (don't cover the whole window, as it will get darker). When you paint the furniture, just paint the bases and leave the tops in the stain. Annie's Chalk Paint is what has been recommended here on Houzz, although I have never tried it myself. Supposedly, you don't even have to sand or strip the present finish. Also, the Queen Anne coffee table just doesn't seem to fit with the style of the room, and is maybe a little too large. I would look for an oval with simple legs, in keeping with the rest of the style, which seems to be a modern Craftsman. Consignment stores are a great place to look for classic furniture, and a good place to sell any furniture you want to eliminate from your decor.