Doh! Just saw your BR study pix! I wouldn't personally want to repeat the same area, but if you love it, you can. I'd want art. Even black & white art or photos. Something that speaks to you personally so your home doesn't look like a showplace - but like your Home! lol My only other thought is that you don't want it to look too safe - like you couldn't make any decsiions so you just did everything in either black or white. You want the design to look purposeful. Search Houzz for black & white living rooms & you'll find lots of inspiration (which you probably have doen already!). Just for fun, I've attached a couple of pix of an arc lamp we have in our apartment. The globe is glass & my DH hit his head on it & broke it once. That's why it's not really properly placed but is too close to the wall! lol Live & learn! That's the only way to make it in life!

If you do put can lights in, put them on a dimmer switch. Take into consideration if you want to hang pendant lights/chandeliers somewhere. Maybe not now, but in the future? What would be a logical place for electrical points in the ceiling for those. Another thought, the beam that's running under the strip of windows (above the half wall) would maybe be nice to put uplighters on? Like in the pic below: An ideabook about lighting (there are more interesting ideabooks about that subject on Houzz), follow the link under the pic: https://www.houzz.com/magazine/5-questions-to-ask-for-the-best-room-lighting-stsetivw-vs~8362447

What a great room - the potential here is endless! The curtains definitely need to come down first, they completely overwhelm those stunning windows. I'd go for super soft white, sheer, floor length curtains, and the walls would look beautiful in a beige color with white ceiling and trims. Can you afford to replace the blue lino? Even if it's just a different colour lino in a neutral shade like cream or beige it would make a big difference. The tablecloth could be replaced with nice placemats (white or natural fibres) or if you really love tablecloths go for one that is a bit more neutral like white or beige and have a nice centerpiece ie a small plant, vase, candles or similar. Also add a few decorative items to the sideboard on the right - a lamp (with a WARM white bulb of course) is a good start plus provides lovely mood lighting to dine by. Good luck with your makeover and happy decorating!

@Aimee, I know this dilemma was never about your layout and only about the "style" but sometimes it's easy for us readers to digress a little but it does help the author, you, to have a good look or a good think about it, leave no stone unturned so to speak!! This kitchen whatever the layout, only needs to suit you as the cook in the home. My kitchen is being designed exactly the same way, for me and not hubby or anyone else in the family as I'm the resident cook too. If for example, I placed the microwave in the usual spot above the oven, now seen in almost all modern kitchens, then only hubby could use it, as I'm terribly height challenged ha-ha.....but I'm having a wall cabinet placed far lower down on the wall, thus suiting both of us!! Again I'm not having any overheads, well a few slimline cupboards but they are like half the height of a standard overhead, so I can still reach the shelf but I'm not having any normal overheads, as they would be useless to me and I'm building for me not for anyone else, so if a future buyer wants overheads, nothing will prevent them from doing so. I see you have no overheads in your pics either, perhaps height challenged like me?? Currently, we're living in a tiny home (7sqrs) whilst building our dream home, my fridge isn't even in the kitchen, I have to take about 5 steps and travel through the lounge and into a back room to access it and I have lived with it for several years now and it's no bother at all but I must admit, it will be nice when it's back in the kitchen where it belongs, it's simply too big for this little home. Good luck with your reno, it sounds very exiting, I wish I was as advanced as you were!!! Finished pics would be lovely. Cheers, Barbara