I think this would be a great spot for a gallery wall, with different sized frames.

I would do a gallery wall, too. But I wouldn't load it up so it's really busy with many pieces. I wouldn't do family photos, either, for I think you need some color there. Your furniture is dark, and you need some texture and color above the sofa. You don't want the art to "fight" with that bookcase wih the interesting shape cut-out. By the way, I'd style those shelves with some objects and plants along with the books.

I might put about six framed prints above the sofa, and I would see if a confined "box" shape would work, instead of staggered shapes. For some reason, I'm thinking "neat" instead of "willy-nilly" for the art work. When working with a space like that, I have often traced and cut my shapes first from Kraft paper and taped them up, playing around with them until I get the best formation.

I would put something else above that little plant stand to the right of the window. A similar print, a small round mirror above the framed piece, a little plaque, a plate...something. I think the one piece looks lonely by itself and needs to be part of a duo. That framed piece seems to be hung too high, too. I'd bring it down even with the window bottom, and hang something above it. Maybe even two things for a trio. Play with area, too, and see what you can do.

I think you need a little more color on the sofa. I'd add a colorful throw pillow or two. First pick out your art work, then pull from it for additional throw pillow colors.

I agree with the gallery wall. Also, maybe bring some more round/organic shapes into throw pillows/print and art? Every single shape in that room is straight angles. even the couch and rug are straight lines. It comes off a little boxy/harsh.

How about a big, loose tree behind it in the corner? Maybe a fig? The irregularity of the tree will fill in the irregularity of the wall.

pam h in dc
howtorunyourlife.blogspot.com

Hi Robin -- You have a decorative window on one side of the sofa and a recessed area on the other side. Maybe just use a narrow sofa-height console table behind the sofa and place lamps on each end with plants and large decorative items across the back to keep the importance of those architectural elements. If not, then a symetrical gallery wall of large pieces is a great idea so the eye has a place to rest.

My first take was to put a big tree on the right of the window and to hang two large, colorful horizontal pieces to the left, kind of like duplicating the shape of the window and frame.

Another thing that might work well over the sofa is a big tapestry.

Definitely stay away from lots of little things.

Another thing I've made work in non-symmetrical walls would be to treat the wall as a whole and almost ignore the sofa. How high is the ceiling? Can you place art over the window, too?

I believe in adding organic elements into a room to help bring it "to life". Try a tree branch or something with flowing edges. Everything else in this room is neat, angular and quite lovely. Adding 3 dimensional wood pieces or plant life will help perk it up a bit. See the example below.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/5293762353_ee4e70eb43_o.jpg

I agree with doing a gallery wall. I have one in my living room and am also working on one for my bedroom. Ikea has some great frame options with mattes if you're going for a uniform look. That's what I did for my living room. For my bedroom, I went to Goodwill and purchased a variety of sizes, shapes and colors of frames. I got several frames for around $20 total. Not bad! Don't be afriad to try different colors and types of artwork, you can always take it down if you don't like it.

I would center it between the lamp and the window like you centered the other piece between the window and the corner. I would go for a big piece. And watch with hanging something over the floor lamp. It might cast a bad light on it. I'm notorious for hanging things and then the light looks wrong and it's back to the drawing board.

I see you like seahorses...I love this Etsy shop and some of the pieces are quite large(and beach-y!) with custom sizes and colors...

https://www.etsy.com/shop/SlippinSouthern

I would pick up the red in the rug and it would go with the pink in the window, too. Or maybe white? I love your arched shelves, btw! Congrats on your new place!

NO to lots of little things. Yes to one bigger object that is round and so interesting that nobody is worried about where you center it. However, centered between the standing lamp and left window frame makes sense to me.

What a great room. Spectacular floors. I agree with the advice that you need a bit of color in your sofa pillows. I think it will for some reason also help you feel less iffy about how to center artwork on the wall. I think it will give the sofa an anchor. Maybe pick up on the pinks of the rug?

I can see why you're having a hard time! The window and sofa are competing to be the focal point.
I like the idea of an organic, dimensional element like a tree/branch. It wouldn't compete with the window, but would complement it.
I also like the idea of a gallery that would expand beyond the sofa, making the entire wall the focal point of the room, not just the space above the sofa. Some pictures could align with the edges of the window. This would make the window part of the gallery. Some pictures could go to the right of the window—like the little picture near the plant. (But lower that little picture to align with the bottom edge of the window.)
You might also try bringing more symmetry into other parts of the room. For example, do you have matching lamps that could go on either side of the sofa, or lamps that are closer in height?
Let us know how it develops! It's a wonderful room.

One more idea: it might be fun (and a lot simpler) to put just one small picture about a foot or so above the left side of the sofa to balance the big window. It could be bright and maybe have a white frame, like the window. That's all, nothing more. And remove the little picture above the plant. This might create a whimsical balance and a touch of humor. And if you do that, keep the lamps as is because the tall and short play along with the off-balance effect that actually feels balanced!

I'd switch the floor lamp and the side table/reading lamp first.
Then I'd step back and see if the space is more balanced.
With the dramatic window and book case, I'd leave the wall bare.

Love the dog!!

Try variations by cutting out poster or paper in different sizes and tape them to the wall to see what works best. I have a similar, tho much smaller issue in my bathroom. I opted to put a large lightbulb decal in the center and put a set of cascading bronze bells to the right. It actually worked to focus on the center and then work on the balance afterwards.
I also think it would be interesting to put a large art piece towards the left side of the sofa and then balance it with a trio of something smaller to the right. I like playing with balance and finding ways to make irregular spaces become balanced without forcing it.

I'd also switch out the floor lamp with something hanging. Then you could pull the hanging lamp to the right, over the sofa, and balance the remaining space with art. It would also free up the space in front of the shelves. Right now it feels like the floor lamp is blocking that view.

I vote some sort of mid century wall hanging. Either in metal, or spray paint it white or pink. Try and find more organic shapes, not rigid. Examples:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shop1848/5661351745/

http://www.etsy.com/listing/122463856/vintage-peacock-metal-wall-hanging-pair?ref=similar_items_sash

http://www.etsy.com/listing/121781471/vintage-gold-metal-butterflies-wall?ref=sr_gallery_30&ga_search_query=wall+hanging+metal&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=vintage

http://www.etsy.com/listing/125336689/brass-leaves-wall-hanging?ref=sr_gallery_1&sref=sr_dd17160546490d7909a56e0f527ee7550c567c6d821b19625a7bf2cd6f9a6131_1362493933_14124937_mid_century&ga_search_query=wall+hanging+metal+mid+century&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=vintage

Agree with Babbette, who talks a lot about BALANCE. Whatever you put there it's visual "weight" needs to balance with the squarish window, and to a lesser degree, with the bookshelf.

I think a gallery wall would definitely be an option. If you're not sure, do a mock up with paper and painters tape. If you have a bigger piece of art that is about the same size as the window, that would be an option as well. Whatever you hang, it probably should not be centered over your sofa, but play with it to make sure. Centering it, I think will throw off the room.

Relocate the little piece of art to the right of the window, That corner should be art free.

I also vote gallery wall :)

See, now I have a different idea altogether - try floating the sofa out in front of those funky "gothic" bookcases, and then see where the other pieces fit. Then you can play around with artwork.

Not lots of stuff, no gallery. 1 larger piece, or two mid-sized ones, side by side. centered between your window and the floor lamp. And since that is close to being centered above your couch, and would look best if it was centered above the couch, move the couch and lamp a few inches, so that they will be centered above the couch, and centered between the lamp and window as well. that way you will achieve balance.

i know what I'm talking about. I had a couch, with two end tables with lamps on each side, end tables being of vastly different widths. An open doorway just past the side of each end table. So the couch was not centered on the wall. And I didn't want art behind the table lamps. So I centered three medium-sized paintings above the couch (it was a longer couch and wall than yours - two is the most you can fit here.) The were centered with respect to the couch below them, but they were not all above the couch - the edges of the outside two were a bit beyond the couch edges. What mattered was that they were centered with respect to the couch. (They were not centered on the wall, but were balanced on each end by the table lamps on the differently-sized end tables.) Looked great.

Just don't hang the artwork too high like everybody does. Hang the center of the paintings at or very close to your eye level. I found a great tutorial on this site explaining just how to do that, and it worked. (It also works for hanging things next to each other that are of different heights - my paintings were not of the same width or height, and I think it looks better that way than two exactly the same size frames, if you do two.) If there are two of you, take the middle distance between your two eye heights, I'd say, or slightly lower if one is much taller than the other.

Right now, every single item is at a different and distinctive height - couch back & arms, window ledge and glass, standing lamp and table lamp, built-in bookcase base and shelves, plant stand, side tables, small picture. This room needs horizontal harmony.

Try running a piece of painters tape along the wall, just below the height of the couch back (or the base of the window, or the top of the built-in cabinet doors.)
= Mark the major horizontal Line.
Then add two dark (or visually heavy) items that touch the Line -- put a pile of books at the back of the side table, get a taller and heavier plant stand whose base hits the Line, hang matching lamps above the plant stand whose bases just touch the top of the Line - whatever :)
= Establish the major horizontal line.
Remove the painters tape.

Second - the plant stand and picture need to have more visual weight to balance the couch, lamp & shelves. A wider plant stand, or a large and vividly colored hanging lampshade that echos the shape of the light between the couch and shelves.

Have fun!

Robin here - thank you all for your thoughtful answers! This was really helpful. To give you more background, right next to the arched builtins is an 1800s Victorian marble fireplace. Definitely a focal point in the room and I should have included a picture. Also the plant stand and picture to the right of the window are temporary; the kind of thing you put somewhere when you move in without thought, just to have them somewhere.

In any event, I am dying to try some of the ideas here. First and foremost I am going to use Kraft paper and painters tape to try a couple of the ideas (gallery wall and two bigger side by side pieces centred between lamp and window). If those don't seem to work I'll keep going. Since posting this, we've hung a large art piece with pink in it above the fireplace to pick up the stained glass, painted the walls white and removed the rug (to be replaced with something more neutral, maybe sisal).

Thanks for all the awesome advice!

I hate gallery walls - nothing can be appreciated because everything is in competition - exception granted for large pictures/maps framed separately to be a gallery. Anyway, do not recommend that for this space. I like the idea of organic elements too.

I'd do a large tree (faux probably) between the window and bookcase. Eliminate that little plant on the stand and hang a vertical line of strong art/pictures on that wall. Please move the floor lamp to the end of the sofa where the too short and off center white lamp is sitting on the table (that bugs me).

Playing with the paper shapes is a great idea! What I'm thinking to balance that wall is a mirror the same size as the window. If you find a picture frame with the right dimensions, maybe at a thrift store, you could paint the frame white and have a mirror cut to fit at a glass store. Then that wall is balanced and symmetrical, and couch could be centered between the real and the faux windows. But if you have a fireplace focal point, I'd float the couch facing that baby!