Fake garland, in fact most fake florals/greens, are not currently considered trendy. Of course we don't have to follow trends. I quit using them, even seasonally, a few years ago as I'm decorating in a less 'fussy' way. And that had more to do with the fact I was tired of cleaning all that stuff several times a year! I have 3 hutches in my house and still have some things on top of them but don't use garland. I do have a garland inside a hutch with glass doors in a guest room as the decor there is country/cottage and it seems to add some softness and more color. The link below discusses this subject altho she's rather arbitrary about fake greenery! LOL However, it's only one person's opinion so we won't worry about it. :D There are many good ideas and pics there tho. I really like the large wire basket in the 3rd pic. Here is a link that might be useful: how to decorate cabinet top

I'm having the same issue. Right now I put 3 plants on the right in a corner, one on a high plant stand and the other two on a small table. A candle holder is yet to be put up on the other side. The TV is on the wall though, all electronics are in a closet behind. I do have a sofa table under it with pillows on it's shelf. Am consdering a bench for extra seating out of the way, but can be moved. Had wanted bookcases too, but the room has enough furniture and big fireplace. Filling up the bookcases felt like too much for my area. Post pic if you can. You will get a bunch more responses.

I would take off the indent above the fireplace, replace the mantle with the same size piece of wood, and update the tiles. Gut the area where the TV is now and have a custom cabinet, flush with the fireplace wall, with an open shelve for the TV just a few inches lower than what it is now. Below the TV two wide drawers, one about 5 or 6 inches deep and the other about 11 or 12. Above the TV, two cupboards.

First, I’d like to say ”thank you” for welcoming three children who needed help into your home. Not many couples are willing to do that— especially when they already have two other children. Five is A LOT of work - you and your BF deserve some gratitude! Hopefully, the foam pieces will move to their new home in the basement soon. BUT - you can still figure out a media center (along that solid wall) before that happens. I’ve never stepped inside an IKEA store ever - however, I have seen MANY items from IKEA used on Houzz + one of my daughters is using their Besta system to make a media wall in their basement. They purchased oak veneer doors for it (from IKEA) + are having a countertop fabricated to make the different boxes look like one unit. I think it will look really nice when finished. They only have a two year old right now - but there’s space in a few of the ”boxes” for his stuff (the boxes come in two sizes - they bought the larger ones + you can add doors/drawers or a combination of both). For the price, it seems to be a good deal (seems sturdy - they have the boxes built - I’ve sat and stood on them - not a HUGE test, but they can handle some weight! - I weigh about 120-125 lbs and they felt SOLID underneath me!) IKEA also has another line (Havsta - I think) - it’s made out of all wood. The pieces are larger (except for the tv stand - but they wanted to do an entire wall) - so, they decided against it. It actually looks nice (online)— but is more expensive + less modular. There are always mistakes made when building a new house - so, relax - you will just need to test out some paint samples prior to purchasing gallons in order to make sure that the color will work with your floors. When I was picking out selections for the first house I built, I had just given birth (already had a four year old) + had just graduated from law school + had started (daily) bar review classes. I completely messed up the wall paint! It worked with the carpet that I had initially selected - but then there was an issue and I had to pick a new carpet ASAP (the week before the bar exam) - and it clashed! Luckily, part of the house had hardwood floors - but there were A LOT of walls that needed to be repainted (including a very tall open staircase). FYI - your walls and floors look A LOT better than my carpet and walls! I prioritized the rooms to be painted IMMEDIATELY (my daughters’ rooms - that hardly anyone saw 😂) - and eventually had everything repainted. It took three years - because I decided that we (= I) could do it vs. hiring someone (even though I was working 50+ hours hours/week as an associate at a large law firm + wanted to be a ”mom” whenever I wasn’t working - not my best decision!) So, I had some clashing carpet/walls on the main floor for awhile - no one cared (except me!) Sorry for the long post - hopefully, you’ll relax + give yourself a break for any selection mistakes (if they were your mistakes - if they were the builders, I’d be making them address the issues - breach of a written contract is five years on average - but depends upon your state of residence). As you’ve already commented, you have a home which is what matters + you’ve also made a HUGE difference in the lives of three children. Messy foam blocks + clashing walls/floors + toys spilling into the living room are all things that can be addressed at some point (fyi - while most of their toys were upstairs, my girls had a basket with some toys down in our living room + a cabinet with toys/art supplies in the “hearth area“ next to the fireplace in the kitchen). When you have little ones, things aren’t always going to look like an “Instagram photo” or photos on an interior design website. I also disagree that the living room is for adults - I think that was the case when people had a formal living room + a family room both on the main level of the home. Most people don’t have formal living rooms anymore (not after the ”great room” concept popped up in the 90s) - so, now it’s a shared family space. If your basement will have a playroom + an area for watching TV, the upstairs living room can then be treated more as the adult space. I do think moving the TV away from the window + having a media console with extra storage will help you feel better about your living room + make it a bit more functional for you. The nice thing about the Besta system is that you don’t have to purchase everything all at once. You can buy some boxes in order to put together a good sized console + add extra storage boxes later. P.S. the foam blocks/pieces look like fun - I can see using some blankets and making some cool forts!