This thread might do better on the Money Saving Tips forum.

I've enjoyed this thread so much. (Well, except for all those 'annoying' football comments. I mean really, let's get the over hyped Super Bowl out of the way so we can get on to the real sport...BASEBALL! Go Rangers! lol Auntjen, we are neighbors as I, too, live in the same county as Jerry World.) ahem...back to decorating. I'm a new real estate agent and one of my fascinations is seeing the inside of people's homes. I held an open house this weekend at a charming home. Talk about beautifully decorated! I so wish I could have taken photos just to show you guys the decor. (The RE photos don't show the decor like I'd like to show y'all.) After two hours of 'living' in the home, I was ready to go back to my more rumpled and comfortable home. lol I know the owners have 'staged' the home to be very, very nice looking and they are getting the right kinds of comments. I just know that for me and mine...we go for that 'creative' look. lol My goal, an ongoing, ever-ellusive goal, is to create a warm, inviting, and comfortable place to live that still delights my eye and artistic sense. That's possible, not perfect...and when it comes together, it is PERFECT. ;0)

I really am thankful for everyone's comments and I'm trying not to feel too overwhelmed. For me the kitchen remodel seems easy compared to this stuff! I'm taking your advice and slowing down a bit because I don't want to make a costly mistake. karen.iz: With such a large, out of scale sectional in the room now, I admit I'll need to double check going with the 97" sofa. Especially since we don't have end tables or ottomans in the space today. Luckily we get to check out the exact sofa for comfort in person in a few weeks when the sample gets back to the only store that carries the line within a 2 hour's drive. I'll also tape out the sofa and end tables on the floor before we decide to order. hollysprings: I really appreciate the built-in may not maximize the layout opportunities of the room, but its location works for us. Plus DH reminded me that he doesn't like sitting with his back to the door which is another reason for its placement. I truly appreciate everyone's comment that the built-in needs some work, but I'm going to take advice from joanie30's, camlan's and others and leave the built-in alone for now. Come back to it when other elements of the room are done and decide what needs to change. camlan: Chairs on casters is a great idea. I was sitting in the den last night and I completely forgot about needing floor space for our 2 large dogs to hang out. Plus I think less furniture is better for this room and for the transitional style we prefer. So I'm leaning towards only one chair in the room on casters. To your point, I can put a second comfy chair on casters in the entry way or LR so we could easily pull it into the den when we need it. Problem solved! 90% of the time it's only DH and I in the room so we really don't need 2 chairs. Also, we'll have ottomans in the space that will provide additional short-term seating. I like your idea of a shelving unit on the other side of the FP to balance the window. I like that idea because it gives us display space for family pictures. joanie30, andee: You really hit the head on the nail about the TV so thanks for articulating it so clearly. I've decided against dark walls and leaning towards sticking with the colors on the paint strip. Once I find a rug and the exact fabric for the sofa, we'll decide which color works best. On the layout front: If we go with one chair, where would you put it? I like the idea of a shelving unit on the other side of the FP to balance the window and for display. What would you then do with the storage chest? Here's an inspiration shot from houzz. Should I be looking for a unit like this? I like that it's open on the sides and back so it doesn't look so heavy, but will this be too modern next to our very traditional FP? [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/modified-telluride-by-candlelight-homes-traditional-family-room-salt-lake-city-phvw-vp~384294) [traditional family room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-family-room-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_720~s_2107) by salt lake city general contractor Candlelight Homes So what do you all think of these chairs? They're all from MGBW so I can get them in our inspiration fabric. Am I even close? Chair 1- My favorite but does it look too much like the sofa? Chair 2- Close second favorite Chair 3- I like it but it seems "short" for the room

Beverly – I hear you and respect your opinion. That is the long term goal but reupholstering the chairs was an easier fix and believe me the previous fabric needed to be replaced….it was a good first step. Hoping to stain paint both pieces eventually but I have just too many projects going on at the moment.