The lights! Not to my taste... Then the pale timber cabinetry, this is a great alternative to boring laminex! & it looks good with the brushed stainless. I wonder if it would show fingerprints... my greatest bugbear in the kitchen

You have made some good improvements thus far. I agree - you need to add some colour. Firstly a rusty orange or mustard cushion onto your green chair. Definitely not white. Choose a throw the same colour for the couch. I would look at patterned cushions for the couch - There are some cool bringing in all the new colours. I am wondering how a muted cobalt blue would look as an accent with the rust and olive and mustard. I would consider a rug change if you need to once you have finished. I would look for a recycled piece you can up cycle in a bold colour to go on the wall with the word art. [ not sure it really works go for print of some type or a mirror ] This could provide some storage with drawers etc. If you want to keep the cane - paint it in a colour possibly the same colour as a new piece for the end wall. You could use this wall as a painted or papered feature wall. I would look at reframing your pictures in white - different sizes and textures. I agree about the tv cabinet- take your time to find what you like to upgrade.. It looks like there might be a lot of dead space between the living and dining - it may not be possible but if you could move it all a meter or so towards the dining room may balance things a bit. All the best it's amazing how each little change adds up to a completely new look.

@basilsmum, I might go a bit against the brief here, but I don't think you should focus on "brightening up" the room. Why? Because whatever you do (unless you add a skylight or roof window), it will never look really bright, due to the fact that it only gets filtered afternoon sun. But do not despair! Your room has a great asset - it looks (and I am sure it feels) cosy and peaceful! It looks like a room where I'd like to sit down with a good book, or sip tea with a girlfriend and chat about love, life, and everything in between for hours :) So personally, I would focus on maximising your room's strength - the cosiness - as opposed to try to fight its weakness - the lack of light. How to do this? I'd start with window treatments. They don't have to be super sophisticated or pricey: good quality see-through white curtains (hung from the highest point on your wall and all the way down to the floor) will not block the light, but will give it a soft radiance, while adding texture to your room. When pulled to the sides of each French doors, they will frame your doors, giving them more visual strength and they will also balance the space a bit better. The blank space between the two doors will look smaller, and in return, the doors will look bigger. I would also consider adding a rug. Firstly, it will bring the elements together, enhancing the so-called cosiness I keep referring to. Secondly, if you choose a rug that is a lighter colour than your carpet, it will "break" the grey-on-grey mass currently created by the combination of sofas and carpet. I would chose a neutral colour though and, if you want a pattern, I'd go for a discreet one. A large rug can be a bit of an investment, and opting for something means that you make like it for longer (you can still jazz things up with cushions, artwork, vases and other decorative accessories) What else? Yes to the greenery! With your limited natural light, search for indoor plants that love low to filtered lights. With pots and planters (or to conceal the pots), think black, dark grey, rattan, green marble, or even brass, which would work nicely with your gold frames) A large mirror (we're talking approximately L100 x H70cm) above the sofa that faces the French doors would reflect the light coming into the room. This would help with maximising the natural light, and will also add depth to your space, making it look bigger. So that's a great point! No need to have a gold-gilded frame though - it may look too "heavy" for your room and unbalanced with the sofa. I'd probably stick to a more discreet frame. You can add touches of gold or brass via decorative items (plant pots as mentioned above, table lamp, etc.) Now, what about paint? A coat of white paint (Dulux Natural White is a great recommendation from @Style Precinct) would definitely freshen up your room and make it less "drab", but it will not make it look much brighter. It might even look a little sterile, unless you add layers and layers of decoration, which is doable (hello gallery wall behind the second couch!) Alternatively, you could go for the opposite and elect to paint your room in a much darker colour (and keep the doors, the trims, the skirting boards all white). Any colour you would subsequently add to the room would pop! It is not for the faint-hearted but it could work beautifully. As for patterns and colours, and even style, it's entirely up to you, to what you resonate with, to what makes your heart sing, of course. But you are blessed to have a house that seems to have a lot of character (period house, no?), and I think that, again, it's best to embrace that, as opposed to try to make it look super modern. Your choice of furniture is brilliant as it is both contemporary and classical - clean lines, but not "cold and edgy", it's inviting and timeless, but not outdated. I also personally really like how you mixed your furniture with the antique artworks. I would really recommend you to keep it along the same style by mixing contemporary pieces with a timeless appeal, a few trendy items (not too many because trends come in and out so quickly that by the time they make it to your home, they will no longer be trends :) and a couple more "antique" looking pieces. As an example, I'd put a fairly large side table (round or square) with simple, clean lines, at the corner between the two sofas. As it will be partially concealed by the seaters, no need to have something fancy here. A glass top would be ideal as to not look too heavy in that corner... I would put a large plant on top of it, and a table light as well. The light had to be a bit tall (no smaller than 45cm), or quite "fat" at the base, and if it had some brass or gold, that would be awesome. On the other side, you could go for a funky side table (like West Elm Martini side table in brass), and a very simple, but taller than what you currently have, floor lamp. I'd combine your existing artwork with other artworks (framed black and white photos would work too) to create a funky, not-static gallery walls. This will add vibrancy and rhythm to your room, and will be a modern twist on a classical display. With cushions, I'd do a mix of plains and patterns. I would not go for very contemporary patterns or super bright/tropical colours, for the reasons stated above. But I'd play with textures - linen, cotton, velvet, etc, and add some strong but natural colours. My palette of choice, for your room, would be the grey-browns you have, some touches of black, white and gold/brass, and some dark green. Touches of mustard would also look good (and would be perfectly on trend) And did I mention white hydrangeas or peonies in a clear vase on the coffee table? ;) Sorry for the long ramble. Your room inspired me and I felt compelled to write. Good luck with it all, and keep us posted! PS: good example of a contemporary classic style: And some visuals that might help: Window treatment Lamps: OR (shade can be replaced with a white one) Side tables Accessories

Your lounge chairs before were too chunky for the space so the backing and arms on the tan couch were good for your room. Having a corner lounge only gives you the one option of were to place it and depending on the length it might be to big. Take the rug away and move everything out and mark out a floor plan with painters tape. Those two wing arm chairs are lovely and you should try to utilise them in your layout. You need something on the window wall to balance out the room, I'm not saying a couch but maybe the armchairs or an ottoman or a hall table that has thin legs and the light still passes through. Most photos pictured above are of large rooms and trying to replicate it in a smaller area is hard with the limited furniture options we have in Australia within a reasonable budget. But having anything within that area that is too chunky will look cluttered and claustrophobic. Measure your room and buy pieces according to how you live. If its a family only room fill it anyway you want. If you are having guests, personally I hate sitting close to others so a sectional wouldn't be ideal as I know I'm not the only one who doesn't like sitting with others too closely.