JudyG – Happy Birthday!! Tras – I had that exact issue with where to transition colors, because my house is open concept. The kitchen & dinette are a pale teal .. but they’re open to the great room & foyer, which are peach. I paid the color expert at the paint store for a consultation, and we talked about how far towards the blue I really wanted, I could go in the kitchen/dinette .. leaving a medium green ceramic backsplash, and where to transition colors. We also talked about light & warm colors to replace the dark colors in the main bathroom & finished basement. It was worth the $125, and I didn’t have to wade thru 100 conflicting comments on Houzz! Darzy – I so agree with you, about the scope of fixes some posters recommend. If I asked how well a fabric I was considering for the couch went with other furniture already in that room, I wouldn’t appreciate people telling me to paint the walls, change the windows, replace the flooring, and change the stone on the fireplace! Another subject for us OLLDs to chat about – Consumer Reports magazine/website – are they really unbiased & even handed? Do they have a bias against high-end manufacturers or products?

Ok thanks for the great additional info! I know the Jasper is hard to work with in a small space but what a beautiful, big comfy couch it is! Perfect for everyone to kick back on. I'm not sure what your budget is suttons06 but these would be my suggestions to create a space that functions a little better and frees up floor space for you. Your room needs a focal point and we can give it one! The large wall with the one artwork on it is our saviour! So, what you need to do is shift the Jasper onto the window wall. This will free of valuable floor space by removing the TV unit and also open up the doorways by having the chaise up against the wall (not hard up against it but aesthetically up against it). Of course you'd leave enough room to operate the blinds. This will stop glare on the TV and give you a nice large wall to hang the TV (on a bracket to rotate it in the direction of the viewers). The chaise section will block the other doorway but not as much because of the larger wall it would be up against. This setup will allow the TV wall to be the focal point of the room, anchoring the space with a purpose and focus which the room is lacking now. Either side of the TV, I would place artwork and family photos, framed in dark wood (same color as your new pendant, let's call it walnut for argument's sake) with white mats on floating shelves. You can also decorate with vases, books and sentimental items. The white will add a crisp, fresh neutral to an otherwise warm palette, balancing it out. I've attached some photos of similar layouts for you. What do you think? Then I would invest in a modern coffee table in the same walnut. A place for your coffee cup, some magazines, kids books and anything else you like to have around you when relaxing. The last thing I would add to complete and modernise the space would be artwork on the other blank walls (or photos) and new Holland sheer blinds (if privacy not an issue) or blockout blinds if it is. I hope that gives you some ideas to work with. Don't be afraid suttons06, just do it! If you don't do it, you'll never know. And make sure you have fun along the way. I love your bright colors and they tell me you have a bubbly personality so enjoy, experiment and make it yours. Good luck! Sense of Style Interiors xo

Thank you everyone so very much for your responses and advice. I liked the idea of having a bold piece to tie the church in but like a few have mentioned, something simple might be nice to not overshadow the pieces we've collected. The Nick Cali nesting tables might work quite well, simple but still have the raw wood and we can move them around. I also like the idea of a round table. Annb1997 we actually looked at the carved coffee table, it's super cute and pretty it's a shame that it's just a bit too low to be functional with the sofas. We are probably looking at something around 45 cm in height...but we might still get it anyway and add it into the library nook. We move at the start of Dec, will post photos :) Here's one of the current owner's layout. Thank you again everyone you've been amazing!

Hi CP and thank you! Your comment and suggestion is not controversial at all, but raises interesting design points. They are not shutters, but timber louvres. They can be raised and lowered as 1/2 panels- 2 per each window. When they are “open” it’s straight out to the deck and the elements. IE no glass Windows behind- just screens to keep out the insects. As the home is in the tropics, and currently it’s steaming hot and the humidity level is sky high too- in order to keep the room fully Air Conditioned (for now) it’s necessary to keep the louvres fully closed. So- it’s “either/or” with this window style, as they are not “traditional” windows. That’s why there is the glass door to the balcony and the skylights in the ceiling- to let in natural light in the summer steamy season. The only months we don’t need A/C are winter months here, which is June- September aprox. In those months when excessive heat has gone, I can open everything and there is a beautiful view out to the tropical rainforest vegetation and trees. Then, it indeed looks as though there are no window “treatments” as I can raise all the louvres. I once (years ago) got a quote to put in more normal windows, but the cost was exorbitant and besides, I felt it was ultimately the wrong thing to do as it would take away the unique character of this pole house. Tomorrow when it’s light, I can post some photos of all the louvres raised just to give you an idea.