Well, first of all you are a purple person so you are my friend. I have never seen a chair rail that high, so I need to think. Pull the furniture away from the walls and onto your rug. Put the sofa and chair up closer to the fireplace. I need to think a second. People will chime in.

Do you like the sofa and chairs themselves and just don't like them in the room? Given what you have, I'm not sure what to do with your cute window area. Where is this? Reminds me of San Francisco.

The proportions of the room are strange with all the cut outs and ceiling height and molding up high. You need someone who really understands how to deal with these proportions.

If you hate it, you should go with your gut unless someone here can tell you what to do that makes you feel way better. What is the thing on the ceiling? Some sort of fan? Give us a good picture. Will they take the furniture back?

Can your built ins even out all the cuts outs on the fireplace wall so that you have one straight line from left corner by the bay window to right corner and what happens if you take those built ins up to the ceiling and obliterate that molding on one wall? Can you find a curved loveseat size piece for the window area? What are the colors in the leaded glass up top?

If you aren't sure and you can take the furniture back, I would do so right now. Then I'd get the most magnificent built in designed and installed by someone creative. I think you moved too fast in your excitement. I think this room can be a jewel; it will just take some real thought. I wish I had better photoshop skills so I could design built in wall for you. That will be the focal point and make the room. You can worry about color on the walls after that is done.

Oh, you are in Cardiff!! Hello, John Barrowman and Torchwood!!!

I think you just need to reconfigure the furniture...center the rug with the fireplace, float the sofa in the middle of the room centered to the fireplace, facing it, chairs flanking the sides and maybe add a console table/narrow desk on wall behind sofa with a chair next to it (pretty desk chair, not an easy chair).

I would paint the upper space between molding a darker contrast color. I have that and it looks nice. Am I seeing 3 different sets of furniture?

Painting is an inexpensive way to change the look of a room, if you don't like the color. I like the color and thinks it looks nice in the space. I do not like the dark purple rug though. It's too stark for the space. A different rug with a little purple , tan, beige and green in it would be nice if you want to keep the purple. tan or purple panels on the windows would be nice also. The pillows look tired. Replace the purple solid ones with tan and purple in a bold print.Pull the sofa and chairs away from the wall. Are there one or tow sofas in the room (hard to tell form the pictures).

I don''t think your rug is too small at all and it seems you have had it for a while. I like it and think it can work when things are pulled forward onto it.

Hi Ramona,

Thanks for the prompt reply! Yes, I love purple (you should see my bedroom) and like the sofas - just not happy with the feel of the room.
The room is rather small, having stuff away from the wall it would make it impossible to pass. The house is a 1890s build in Cardiff, UK - Victorian bay windows are the norm around here. The moulding and skirting boards are within the keeping of the house; we had them restored after the originals.
The light is my (very expensive otherwise) Artemide Pirce lamp - had to use a lot of persuasion (of physical nature :-p) to convince my hubby to buy it! I just loved it and wanted it! I know it's not within the keeping of the room, but it makes a nice conversation subject!
The room is extremely asymmetrical (bloody Victorians!) and that's adding to the difficulty.
Donald, I've tried different arrangements of furniture - so far this looks the best, I think.
Julia, the sofas are part of the same suite, just in different fabric.
Thanks for your answers guys

The lamp is wonderful. Are you sure that getting rid of all the small tables and plants, etc. and pulling the sofa and chairs into the center wouldn't be okay? You spent all that money for the lamp: you need to show it off by painting the ceiling and upper part of the wall a color. How about the new purple greys being used as neutrals? That would make the light pop. I still think you need to spend money on more than shelving. You need a sophisticated built in which cleans up all those angles, leaving the nice curves of the bay window as the focus. I like the moldings, all of them, was just thrown off by the placement. If you like the furniture: keep it. I see nothing wrong with those pieces and especially like the sofa and chair in the window. Not so much the bigger chair which really might be limiting your furniture arrangement. Maybe take that bigger chair back and get a nice ottoman which can serve as a coffee table with a tray.

Here is your color for ceiling and high walls

houzz=]

@ decoenthusiaste - great suggestions! I love the lamp and ottoman - I would have to look for something like that in UK shops. However - bling?!? I don't think that's going with our 'grown-up' theme.
Anita, I have two other rugs big enough for the room, I should probably play with those as well.

I love this room! the few things I would change would be rearranging the furniture so the space feels more open. I think browns other than in floors feel dull, so I would paint one wall the color of the rug, and the rest a really light grey. Also, add a very modern coffee table, and be sure the top part is glass. As for the windows, I would remove the blinds(the more light in the room the bigger and happier it will seem) and do a bench under them; something like this (except purple of course):

What a beautiful room, and windows! I'm so glad you aren't covering up that wonderful stained glass. I love the choices you've made! Maybe just a little tweaking will help.
Try to center your rug in front of the fireplace. Pull your sofa away from the wall so the front feet are on the rug. Try the 1.5 chair in the bay window, and put the front feet also on the rug. Try the smaller armchair on the opposite side of the room, almost on the rug, with the small glass table to the right of the chair. This will give you a beautiful conversation area.
Are you planning on getting a coffee table? Something brass & glass would keep it "light".
I love the artwork you've chosen. Although i really love the picture above the fireplace, I wonder if the black framed picture might fit that vertical space better? The purple vase is lovely; could you try the 2 candlesticks on the other side of the mantel?
Try this for a day or so, send a couple photos, and we can have another look at it....
the only thing that really bother me is that the wall paint doesnt go up to the ceiling molding. I would definitely move that picture railing to about 2" below the present molding, and paint white only that picture railing, the ceiling molding, and the 2" in between (all around the room) that is one of the gorgeous features of this room, the high ceilings! You really want to emphasize it!

The rug is floating all by itself in the middle of the room. The furniture needs to at least have the front feet on it. You need a bigger console for the tv, it looks a bit silly with the tv hanging over the edge. And the pillows that came with the furniture need to go. Get some that show your personality. I'd put the larger striped chair in the bay window area. Tables will definitely make the biggest difference in the space, it just looks a bit unfinished.

Many thanks again for you help! so many ideas, need time to process... Maybe I did panic for no reason and I should have waited until everything was in place and then decide. We have a carpenter / cabinet maker coming second week of February to build whatever we want - and I love Ramona's idea of the 'sophisticated look', just not sure how to achieve it. If you have any suggestions I'd be very grateful for any help. We had something built in our last house, but it was a different setting and I'm not sure I want something similar again. (see attached)
And yes, I could return the furniture, it was delivered earlier today, but the man of the house says it stays and I guess it does and I'd have to make it work somehow.

PS: Ramona - I am grateful for your help, but not that grateful to share John Barrowman - he's mine!

If you hate the new furniture, send it back. Ask for an exchange.

It is hard to pick out new grown up furniture when you are used to the old black squashy comfortable stuff. But you clearly have style (light fixture, painting, end table) You just need to find new furniture to bring your style forward. Collect some sofa/chair idea photos and take them to the store.

If the furniture cannot be exchanged because it is custom made, then I suggest you find a new purple-based rug, or pick up the purple tone in the paint color, as a lavender or lilac. Yes, it's annoying to repaint, but you've already done the prep work so it will go quickly. The new furniture looks more sleek than squashy.

You do need a bigger rug.

I would swap the striped chair with the TV, then center the rug with the couch and chairs to that end of the room. pull out the couch a bit stick palm plant behind---dump the door, do you really need it? get an ottoman and a more exciting tv stand add a bookcase or built ins each side of fireplace...just a thought or two! good luck!

Your lovely room has a lot going for it...high ceilings, unique bay window and hardwood floors. Your new furnishings have a versatile transitional style, but I do agree that the small rug throws your design off. A larger area rug like this subtle Oriental from Home Decorators should be centered on the fireplace to create a sense of symmetry and balance. I like the suggestions for lamps and a coffee table from decoenthusiaste and would add a closed TV cabinet to conceal cords, cables and components. Don't get discouraged. You have a great start.

A mad idea from a crazy friend - to swap the kitchen sofa with the ones in the living room. What do you think?

certainly you could break this one up, combine with striped chair and have some fun with the shape
you have some great "bones" to work with i love the floor and lighting in this room too!

You have a beautiful space. Love the tall ceilings and fireplace and the stained glass windows are wonderful. Love the vase and the skirting and moldings.

There is a lot of color going on in this room. Besides the purple and gold, there's black, white, gray, teal and two wall colors and a brown floor. That's 9 colors or 8 if you consider the floor to be gold. If the man of the house says the chairs stay though, that means you are working with the chair color--is it gray? and purple. The stained glass windows look like they have some teal in them (can't see for sure). So purple, gray and a splash of teal. That works. I'd dump the gold except keep the picture over the fireplace. Can you turn the picture so it's vertical instead of horizontal and put a wide white frame around it? Paint the ceiling the same color as the rug-exactly. Paint the upper crown molding and top wall down to the second smaller molding gray. Paint the smaller molding the same purple as the ceiling. This scheme would really show off your showpiece--the light. And it would pull in the gray from the chairs. The rest of the wall from the molding down would also be gray, although you could go with a different shade.

What color are the built ins going to be? I would envision white, like the trim around the windows.

The space behind where the couch is now could use a picture grouping of some sort.

I think it's an idea worth trying, re: the switch of the kitchen and living room furniture, although not sure of size, the colors and style might work better. Would definitely take the color on the walls all the way up to the ceiling. Think you could use more interesting patterns and fabric and color, other than the stripes on pillows, and other decor.

I think you have a beautiful space and agree that only slight tweaking is needed. The rug needs to be bigger or you need to pull the furniture in. Even a few inches off the wall will make the room feel bigger. I think you need a different tv stand - it doesn't fit. I would also try for a day putting your chair and a half where the plant is to create a conversation set up.

I am looking for built in examples for you, but having trouble as your style is modern and the home is Victorian and I am not sure how you want to mix them.

Most of the built in photo examples are of traditional. I really like the idea I am seeing of surrounding the tv with dark so that it blends in and think that can work really well with your modern style.

[houzz=]

The second example would need to be modified for your space.

[houzz=]

I can't find pics of anything remotely like what I am imagining. I checked out your ideabooks and love what you have done with your home although I am not into modern for myself.

two chairs flank the fireplace, center the couch, move the tv to the entry wall opposite that great window. Don't freakout, this is a great room!

all for the window seat too!

Okay, so i just joined this website and i love looking and reading all the ideas. Here is mine. The entire wall needs that lovely paint that is on the walls. That huge white part is off. Trim lower down on the walls is okay, just make all the wall the same color. Sorry, but i have to agree, get rid of the dark rug, too harsh. Put the purple into cushion color accents, etc. Go neutral on the floor and bring in the furniture on top of the rug. The furniture seems fine, just soften it up some. The palm tree does not work. Don't put any pics on the walls until you feel you have the furniture correct. That pic by the palm looks too small. I do like your furniture, I do not like the rug. Go with a pattern that is easy on the eye and does not show stains.

If you agree that the rug needs to be larger, you could always take it to a carpet sales store and ask them about putting a border around it.

I absolutely love the mix of Victorian and modern!! smashing job!!

I think the Shutters will really help I was gonna suggest them to you . I also think that by adding some modern pillows in different colors and shapes will really help finish the look.

http://www.blindsdirectcanada.com/shutters-toronto.html

The solution is easy:
First: get a new lighter-colored larger rug in front of the fireplace and center the carpet on the fireplace even if the edge of the carpet goes under the furniture. The purple/mauve color is really sucking the zip out of this nice room. (there's a reason why Edgar Allan Poe's favorite color was mauve/purple..) Then, get new throw pillows that are also lighter in color.

Finally, frame the picture over the fireplace correctly. By that, have the matte around the picture be at least three inches. Or, better yet, swap pictures--put the black-framed picture over the Fireplace instead.
Good luck...

Hey all!
I can't thank you enough for all the great ideas you'd suggested. I did need cheering up and you certainly managed to do that!
I agree I might have exaggerated a tiny weeny little bit, getting in a panic within the hour after the furniture was delivered. The shock of the newness has passed now, I think the room is not that bad, it actually looks quite ok and definitely would look even better after the shutters and shelves are installed. And maybe with a different rug. And different cushions. And paintings.... hmmm I promise to post an update when everything's done.

Now I only need advice on how to finish the stairs to the loft (I'll post a new thread when I'm ready to tackle it), my office (I absolutely need advice about that - the contractor made such a mess of that room) and the hallway (see photos). But that's for another time - I apologise in advance for being so demanding (or is it needy...) but I really don't know anyone around here who I could ask for professional advice. Many thanks for your time and suggestions again!

Luciana

you're welcome...enjoy!!

Take everything out and add one piece at a time. If something does not feel right, remove it and try something else even if you need to borrow from another room. I agree moving the furniture away from the walls would cozy up the room...you may be trying to fit too much of the wrong kind of furniture in. You may want to leave a sofa and two chairs, then add a sofa table with some ottomans that can fit under it--for extra seating when company arrives. A console with a couple cushioned dining chairs also could be added. You probably don't really need two sofas. Good luck.

Here is a picture of a livingroom like yours with a piece of molding on the wall and a different color above the molding.
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201543264527/
Here is another you might find interesting that shows the walls and ceiling the same color. The dark shade on the ceiling works because it is such a tall room.
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201543281596/

Thanks, eagledzines, we are debating changing wall and ceiling colours. I've started looking for photos with painted ceilings and white cornices.

This is my brother's San Francisco living room-- looks very similar. Maybe consider painting the same color above the picture rail as you have below it? In other rooms he actually does hang pictures on wire from the rail

Here are some I've collected

Painted ceilings
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455698562/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455988976/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455717549/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455405736/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455146572/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455105098/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455104880/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455097680/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455085552/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261454220398/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261454220493/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261454220342/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261454220349/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455717483/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455988895/
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455982737/
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201542487394/

Crown molding painted the same as the wall
http://pinterest.com/pin/87820261455988778/
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201542329490/

A similar mirror would look nice over the fireplace:
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201542544790/

Two tone walls:
http://pinterest.com/pin/132082201542490103/
Notice that the darker color is above. That gives the appearance of a lowered ceiling.

The molding a couple feet down from the ceiling isn't called a chair rail. Chair rails are the height of the back of chairs and are meant to prevent the wall from getting marred by the back of the chair. This molding offsets the height of the ceiling and was often done in Victorian homes with high ceilings. Painting it darker also makes it appear the the ceiling is lower.

I've read some of the comments so someone else may have suggested this, but, I would get a new cabinet that is taller or book case for the tv. A window seat in the bay window with lots of cushions.

This is a lovely room to work with. I do think the rug is too dark for the room and I would change the wall colour to tone better with the furniture. I think when you get the built in shelving on either side of the fireplace and the shutters on the windows it will make a huge difference. I wouldn't change too much more, swap the artwork round until you are happy with it.

Here is a picture showing gray, silver, with mirror, rich dark purple, turquoise, and what looks to be a gray grasscloth wallpaper.

Okay, so I looked and looked for built ins which were something like I see in my head and no luck.

The picture below is one of the most popular houzz pictures of last year. It illustrates how darkening the area around the tv makes it recede.

But what if you reversed the color scheme and put a purple/dark grey on the surrounding shelving where the tv would go (on the left side in this case) You could then leave you fireplace white but maybe add a dark stone face above the white fireplace. Since the inset around the fireplace is dark, the mantel would pop and keep the focal point as the fireplace. From the beginning, I saw a dark wall here, but just can't find pictures. I would also err on the side of traditional in that I wouldn't make the shelves floating, etc. If you found the whole thing too dark, you could paint the back of the cabinets dark and use white shelving. I am not into dark spaces, but something about this space screams: make it dark and dramatic at night. We already talked about a darker ceiling to show off the wonderful light. I am dying to see this room go to the next stage.

[houzz=]

Another idea is to marbleize with faux paint the fireplace surround either making it look like black marble with gray and white veins or white with gray and black veins.

Hi again Ramona!

Thank you so much for your interest - you have to let me know if you're ever in Wales and let me buy you a drink!
We haven't done anything to the room in the last week; a couple of friends came by and said they like it (and then moved promptly to the cinema room which is much more exciting).
What we manage to do is actually decide on a design of the shelving/ cabinets going in the alcove; that in itself is a great achievement, as I always tend to like at least 2 totally different designs and then take forever to choose one. Anyway, below are two photos of the style we would like to have.



I know you suggested no floating shelves; however I'm not ready to go all the way traditional - I've not grown up that much! I like the clean look in those photos and we would probably go with the black and white scheme. Also, I've decided to use the 'bulls eye' painting on top of the mantel, which would throw out the purple theme and bring a red-orange one! But that is why I prefer the background (walls, sofas) to be neutral - I can then play with different colour schemes without too much trouble, just new rugs and cushions and paintings and you have a completely new look! And that's why I think classic (not traditional, but classic) works best, you can always accessories with whatever's the current trend and then change easily when it becomes dated. I guess living in the UK made me adhere to their way of thinking (although I made an exception with the kitchen!)
The other 'close contender' was this other photo - they also have the shutters we would be getting next week. Apart from the high gloss, that style looks more formal to me because the shelves are 'anchored' in the cabinet, not the walls.


We haven't decide if we're going to paint the ceiling or not - I think you were right and it would create a bit of drama with the pendant - I guess we would decide after everything else is in place.

Many thanks again,
Luciana

Ah, someday I will get to the country of William Blake and John Barrowman. I promise not to hog JB. Thanks for the invite!!

Of the three, I, of course, like the third one. LOL. I especially like how the colors work and the lighted from the side shelves. My second favorite is one but unless you take the unit to the floor, you are going to see all the odd angles on the left of your wall although that might be fine and provide some sculptural interest once you have a straight line across the front of the unit.

Terminology. If traditional means fussy, then I go for classic for sure, it isn't a term Houzz uses. I think mushing a lot of stuff into traditional does a disservice to a variety of styles.

I'm not into fussy at all, nor cluttered.

Good luck and post pictures.

Love your lamp! If the TV stand is going to be temporary, you may want to consider using TVCoverUps-a simple and elegant way to conceal a flat screen television. The television screen is a stark center of attention, detracting from your room's decor and instead lets use the paintings you mentioned as the focal point, until it swings upward to reveal the TV. It can be lifted either manually or automatically via remote control. Every system is custom to some degree, so it is always best to give us a call so we can address your particular needs.

It's not a "chair" rail, it's a "picture" rail.

I love the striped chair and the sofa with the long one cushion. U did fine choosing them. The rug doesn't work for me. Too stark. Same for the cushions Look at the picture over the fireplace and think pillows - teals in blues/greens ? perhaps a deep yellow gold ? Keep the rug neutral but with a bit of a pattern. It could have some black in it. If u r able t purchase a new rug buy it before pillows. I am not a fan of walking into a room and seeing the back of a couch. How would it look on the left side of the fireplace away from the Windows but u can still move around It I think. Coffee table in front of fireplace and stripe chair flanks fireplace and the other chair at a slight angle facing coffee table. U r able to move around the room and furniture evenly anchors room. Perhaps a mirror on wall near door opposite windows to get reflection.

Can we have an up to date photograph please? It would be nice to see how it turned out 4 years on from your original post. Are you still living there? For what it's worth, I thought that the purple rug and accessories swallowed up the room by drowning it in heaviness. It is fair to point out that purple was more on trend back then, unlike the expression 'on trend'!