Color. Don't just follow these blogs and think, "gray walls because I have seen that everywhere", think about your space. The room looks like a meal with just meat on the plate, you need some veges, a salad, dessert.....know what I mean?

It's a good room The furniture looks well proportioned and laid out for the space. The overall feel is tranquil and soothing. The wall color, however, seems to zap any sense of natural light. I would probably repaint using a full spectrum paint in a creamy palatte. try a couple of more lamps at various heights and bring in color through art work, accessories and pillows.

Everything seems pretty matchy-matchy. Maybe some personal pictures or something else that gives a personal touch. The fish is a great start. Maybe some more pillows, a little bowl on the table or some coasters. Just personal touches are missing.

Hi Tania - at first glance I think the room could use an accent colour. My favourite to go with grey is pink or purple, or anything in between those colours. Best of luck!

I think it could use a convex mirror ; )

You have a really well done set of neutrals, but I agree with adding color. I would try tall green plants near the windows (with brightly colored pots?) and bright aqua blue pillows, taken from the lower paintings - but brighter!

I like the room too - it's clear you put a lot of thought into it. :) I agree that the easiest and most effective way to bring it to life is to add colour in the form of plant pots, a throw, cushions, etc. Or a rich-coloured rug?

I like your quote-thingy on the shelf - I've pinned it on Pinterest - did you make it? :)

I definitely think the wall color is taking away from the space. I would do a light tan color to make the artwork and furniture pop. I would also bring the artwork down a little bit closer to the top of the sofa. It kind of looks like it's floating away. Also, adding some window treatments would really complete the room.

I think the rug is too small . . . I would suggest a rug with a more graphic print. Make sure furniture touches the rug. Lamps! Choose a statement color and add pillows and lamps in. Right now its kind of bland.

I think the rug is too small . . . I would suggest a rug with a more graphic print. Make sure furniture touches the rug. Lamps! Choose a statement color and add pillows and lamps in. Right now its kind of bland.

I think the rug is too small . . . I would suggest a rug with a more graphic print. Make sure furniture touches the rug. Lamps! Choose a statement color and add pillows and lamps in. Right now its kind of bland.

Your furniture is great and the room is very nice, however, it looks a little like a showroom to me -you need some color and a few accessories to personalize and make the room look lived in. For example, a nice colorful quilt (handmade by Grandma) would fit all of that criteria. Or swap out the artwork for some pictures you took.
Some real plants would look nice too.

I agree with needing more color. I'd love to see a paler shade on the walls, and a pop of color on the ceiling to highlight the beautiful trim. With those big windows, it seems like you get a lot of natural light, so the room can even handle deeper, more dramatic colors. The art above the sofa is rather staid. Instead of replacing it, maybe rearrange the pieces to create some asymmetry. Have fun with it! Be whimsical and adventurous.

Agree with EdmundD...you need pops of colour and texture. Room looks very nice but orange, turquoise, yellow or red would all work well with the neutral furniture and the pictures you already have. Maybe use cushions, drapes, vases, a bright coloured lamp, even a cool retro candy dish on the coffee table. Consider using texture too...another rug layered under the existing one in a rough textured fabric would look great and give dimension.

Beautiful room, but it kind of reminds me of a hotel. I think it's the somewhat neutral abstract art + gray walls. I'd take down the art and get a big, striking photo...something that reflects your personality.

20x200 is a great source for affordable art, and they have some really beautiful and unique pictures that would spice up the room a lot.

http://www.20x200.com/

since you like the big items, how about just playing around with the small, like having more colourful cushions - red, orange or even turquoise? -, a bright throw and perhaps a big green live plant where the white vase with flowers is? art is very personal, but just maybe something a little less structured, and with more white? grey needs a lot of white to make it work, i feel. good luck!

I would add something to make it look lived in. The furniture is great, but it doesn't look like a home, it looks a little bit like a waiting room or hotel lobby. Maybe something fresh... like living flowers or green plants different from the ones already there. Something inviting on the tables like books or candles. etc. Maybe a throw? I also agree that a pop of color would be great!

I think the color scheme is too monochromatic. There are lots of browns and creams blended together. Accessories are scarce. I don't think you should change the wall colors though (I love grey!); there are lots of other ways to bring in more color. Try throw pillows, blankets, books, bolder art, side tables for the couch in deep colors!

There's a lot of promise in this space, and you should be able to punch it up to a level you find pleasing fairly easily. A splash of coral trending toward rust hues, and then plants for more color and shape.An overdyed rug, if it's in the budget, could shake up the space as well. The room needs a rule-breaker for visual interest in a space that's minding its good-taste Ps and Qs a little too much. Also height--an interesting tall lamp or something suspended from the ceiling, perhaps? I agree with LBoyes that the wall color, handsome on its own, flattens the upholstery's impact. Good luck, and do come back with photos of the space when it satisfies you!

Love the furniture and layout but it's too matchy. I would change the wall color and perhaps change the paintings above the sofa. The sofa is already dark so you need art with brighter colors.

The arrangement on the wall over the sofa starts too high up; The whole thing should be lowered; it would add intimacy. You also need colour....
Franzel

I agree that the rug is a bit small. If those are FLOR tiles could you pick another (more vibrant color) and run them around the outter edge (or put them in the center and reuse your tiles as the outter edge) to add color. Then pick up that color with accents. It would give it a bit more visual interest with the two colors too. I love your pillow for the pattern but it seems like you are missing an opportunity to add color there too. If you really love the grey walls I would go two shades lighter with them...it does seem dark in there. Good luck! I wish we could get follow-ups on what the person decides to do!

I would add plants, a mirror, and another light source. Maybe put some floating shelveon the wall with some small plants set on them. Also add some bright mustard yellow natural silk pillows to add color and texture. Everything seems to have a matte finish in this room.

I agree that the rug seems too small. But its the artwork that's bothering me the most. Its nice and inoffensive, but maybe impersonal. It reads "showroom" or "hotel." Am also wondering if its hung too high?

Hey, I think you're on the right track though! Good luck!

The room looks great but I agree with the others that it does need a pop of color, personalization AND especially TEXTURE! Why not try some super funky throw pillows or perhaps a leather shag rug (instead of the FLOR one)???? Try Overstock.com...they have wonderful and affordable things!!!! Just have fun with a couple whimsical pieces...you'll be shocked at the difference it'll make!

Sea Salt by Sherwin Williams might be a nice wall color... and a few accessories in colors that make them pop a little. A unique mirror on a wall that will reflect back into the room... lately I'm into silver-leaf frames. You've got a nice tranquil room.

Maybe try moving your sofa to face the windows. Your two club chairs could move to the wall, lower your art work and place a table between the chairs. Your white accent chair could be angled slightly toward the two club chairs and moved toward the left side of the left facing window. Or move the club chairs to the window wall, again slightly facing one another and table between. Move the accent chair to the wall, slightly angled toward the club chairs. Line your art work vertically to the right of the accent chair....small table. Try moving the furniture away from the walls, give a bit of space between furniture and walls.....White throw on the sofa, to match accent chair and a few more pillows, and pottery for the coffee table, in shades matching your art. You have wonderful pieces with mostly straight lines, love the way you chose to use a curved coffee table. Continue that direction by adding round pillows....this will also draw attention to your beautiful curved windows

I think that the colors in the room are all the same tone, so it all blends in together. Especially since your ceilings are so high, but almost everything in the room in in the lower half of the room. The easiest way to fix this would be to add some full-length window dressings in a light/bright color or pattern. Also, I'd change out the art above the couch for something brighter. If that's not enough, try a few throw pillows in colors and/or patterns that compliment the drapes & new art.

I'd love to see how it all turns out! :)

Two things here are making your place look like a hotel. The sofas and chairs all appear to be part of a set which does give the place cohesiveness but also gives it a blandness. Also the place has no personal details which gives any indication to the person who lives here. There are no magazines or books. I would try to get art that is unique and really speaks to you, even if it is just a blown up photo. Your typography piece while neat also has a generic quality to it. You have a good start you just need to make it look lived in.

Focal point? Nice elements but one element does not grab my eye.

I wouldn't bother repainting, I think the grey is nice. However the muted colors in the artwork look drab against the grey. I would swap that out with something bolder, and also add bright pops of color for accents - pillows, a throw, etc. You did the right thing picking neutrals for your furniture - they will last as your tastes change. But for now be more adventurous in the accents!

Congrats! Your space is beautiful.

You have a great neutral space to work with. It seems that the accessories are all that are needed to take this room to the next level. In my opinion, the artwork above the sofa and the rest of the room are clashing.

Since your walls and sofa are a neutral color I'd brighten up the space with throw pillows and accesories in colors pulled from the art above your sofa. You have a great palette to work with. The yellows, teals and oranges would look gorgeous in small accent pieces throughout the room.

If you'd like to keep the room neutral, I'd change the artwork above the sofa. Something like this may work. Good Luck!

http://www.art.com/products/p13463930-sa-i2619986/john-seba-cherry-blossoms-ii.htm?sorig=cat&sorigid=0&dimvals=23945&ui=ef3a904e833f47f89f5d225cda7272ca

It's actually a nice area, but a bit too somber; the yellow pillow appears to be the main bright spot. I agree, there's insufficient lighting; the vase arrangement is nice, but you could use better lighting in that corner. The wall art over the sofa should have been lower, but it's tough to suggest 12 new holes in the wall. A lighter paint color would also be good, but that's no small project either. The fastest and maybe least expensive change would be to improve lighting and add a few colorful accessories to your nesting tables; Like the yellow pillow; the other two, not so much. Let your $, effort and time budgets determine where you're willing to make changes. The room is nicer than many I've seen.

Hey Tania I quite like the room, I agree with the pop of colour suggestions, take inspiration from your artwork, I'd go for a duck egg blue or a bright splash of yellow, you could introduce the colour with some textiles, I love the pattern on your cushion, maybe a comfy throw or some drapes in something similar? Also it feels like the room is just lacking a few personal touches, like you've finished decorating but you haven't opened the box with your nic nacs in it...small metallic bowls for your coffee table, family photos, a friend for your fish... good luck :)

I agree with the height of the paintings. The room is missing something "ugly" or "different" Every beautiful room needs something that doesn't go with it. I know that sounds contradictory but it works.. For your room I might suggest something round or textured.
I love minimal/clean but that doesn't mean you can't layer items.

Add a a few books, a fiddle head ficus tree in a ceramic or metal pot and you need something whimsical and antiquey on the window sill, such a printers block. Put things you love in the room and over time, it will look great.

Don't worry... it's an easy fix.

Living plants. Red or hot pink pillows and colorful artwork above the sofa. Otherwise, it is a nice room. It just needs life.

Is that a FISH in your glass/aquarium on the shelf? If it is, it is a really bad idea. For the fish. If I am not mistaken it is a kind of fish that requires a heated aquarium. It is really irresponsible to stick a living creature with needs in such an environment just because it looks pretty. I hope you can take better care of it.

Compared to the vast majority of spaces that people post questions about, yours is fantastic. The furniture, rug and tables are all working. I agree with other posters that the things that aren't working are the accessories - the rows of paintings, and the topiaries. The pieces are good choices in themselves, but they look too "off-the-shelf", like you picked them out from a big retail store instead of finding pieces that spoke to you personally.

The grid of paintings is appealing and you probably spent a fair amount on them, so I would start with the accessories on the tables first. On that coffee table, put some of your favorite coffee table books, and a ceramic piece or 2 from an Etsy artist, not the mall.

On the wall shelf, I would get rid of the matching topiaries and do one tall plant and one handmade object.

Try Etsy or an art fair to find a few pillows and throws that don't look like they came from a catalog.

All the room needs is a little life.

All of these suggestions are sound; you might want to think about using a combination of all the ideas that have been offered. I noticed that you a yellow pillow on the chair; yellow usually goes well with grays/neutrals, that it does nothing here to lighten up the room says to me that you have a sense of what to do. You just need to go further. Add several pillows and a couple of throws, not in the same shade of the same color, but along the same part of the color spectrum. Plants would help; not one plant, but several of different heights, varieties, etc. You'd be surprised what a large plant like a yucca or a shiffleura (sp.) can do for a room. Do you travel? If so, put up photos from your travels. Or put up family photos. To be brutally frank, the artwork looks like it came from a big box store--personalize the walls, which is essential with gray walls to avoid an institutional look.

I agree with all the comments that the colours are all too similar, and the wall colour in particular is swamping everything, it's much too dark.

One thing I notice is it's not a room for relaxing in with other people. Each seat, even the two-seater sofa, has only one cushion. The coffee table is too far away from every seat to be handy for anyone to put a drink down on (there are no useable end tables). And no two seats are close enough together for two people to have a cosy chat. I normally stay away from the rug-size debates, but here I do think a bigger rug would help bring together all the pieces of furniture. If you do replace the rug then it would be a good opportunity to bring in both colour and pattern (but please stay away from the grey/browns, as you already have enough of those).

I also agree that the minimal decoration (art, plants) are very generic looking. I think this is why it looks like a luxurious waiting room. It definitely needs personalisation - a personal photograph or two, books, magazines, maybe even a small collection of things. There isn't even a remote control visible! I think if you put something on the coffee table (they're called "coffee table books" for a reason!) and move that huge vase of flowers onto the floor to free up the end table it might break the ice for you.

lamps. Colourful floor lamps, table lamps. and plants.

The room is beautifully decorated, but does seem a little cold. I think adding more layers --pattern, texture, light --would really help. A larger rug with a pattern of some sort or a lot of texture (like a shag rug) might help warm it up and create more visual interest, plus maybe a few more accessories. Consider finishes that are different from the ones you currently have --for example, something shiny or fuzzy, for contrast. A throw on the sofa, and some interesting objects on the coffee tables to draw people in. Books are always great for that. But you're off to a great start!

a red oriental rug type of pillow on the sofa.

Agree with most other commentors - you are off to a great start with this room, but it is a little cold.

I would replace the branches with a gorgeous, lush indoor tree. You have wonderful, tall ceiling and windows, the perfect spot for a tree.

I think those windows need drapes.

The sofa looks lonely - maybe a side table and lamp in a bright ceramic finish.

The chair in between the windows looks strange to me. I would remove it, OR give it a side table.

I also think the rug is too small - and a little bland for the space. Something with color and pattern would ground the space - just make sure it's large enough for the room. I do like to have at least the front feet of all my furniture touching an area rug.

Now, why can I do this with someone else's room, but come up with nothing for my own living room - which needs a lot of help?

This really depends on your tastes. If it were my room I'd say the couch is too meager. I agree too the gray looks washed out and odd with the brown. I'd paint the walls a bold, warm color for Fall. Get chunky big couch (hopefully reclaimed wood or second hand!) and rug. Big chunky umber table. Would look much cozier and modern if that's what you're into. And I'd get one big painting too.

a bold area rug

-Larger rug
-Side table and lamp by the sofa
-Art or mirror on the wall between the windows (art would be better to add color and since the windows already bring in light)
-1 or 2 colorful throw pillows to rotate in with the more neutral pillows

I also have grey walls, and darker furnature. Instead of changing my wall color, I painted my coffee table a vibrant yellow. It gives that added pop of color without requiring me to paint my walls again.

The artwork is hung too high for gallery style and you might want to put a single painting there or mix it up and move the colored abstracts somewhere else--they match the color of the sofa almost too perfectly. For interest you need to mix things up, not hang pieces that match directly above the sofa. It's a lovely sofa and would benefit from a few more pillows (a pattern and solid, different sizes, usually groups of three). Also, a funky lamp--either a large task floor lamp or something unusual to contrast with the simplicity and clean lines of the furniture (something more sculptural). Some interesting coffee table books on design or art are nice to look at and make the table look less naked. Good luck and have fun with it! On hanging a cluster symmetrically like that one's eye should fix on the vertical center of the entire square of art (for a single) and in this case for a group that are related (group as one).

Nice start. Fabric layers, more lighting, large plants (particularly in the corner), personal objects - the artwork is fine but could be in a hotel or other neutral place, larger rug, drapes. A little more contrast. I agree the walls could be a titch lighter. Even though it seems you want a calm vibe, some pop of color here and there would be interesting. I am not in love with the display of topiaries, etc. You have concentrated your embellishments all on one shelf. Spread them around and let them be personal to you.

plants. something with BIG BRIGHT green leaves. it will bring a LOT of life to the room i promise :)

go for philodendrons if you aren't a green thumb... they start small, will grow to be as big as you want or don't want, and you practically can't kill them.

good luck!

End tables. All seem to agree that some personal accessories, plants and lamps are a must; but you need somewhere to put 'em! Get ye some end talbles!

Everyone should have a place to put their glass and a light by which to read.

Love what you've go thus far. Thanks for posting.

It's a good start, there's nothing wrong with it, but it's just not finished. It needs more texture or pattern, color, maybe a throw or two. It also needs some reflective surfaces, the only one you have is the lamp. Maybe some lucite, glass, ceramic or metal lamps on end tables by the sofa, or a glass/ceramic vase with flowers on the coffee table. The yellow from the top row of art would be a great accent color - a shiny citrus ceramic vase or two, or lamp base or throw or another row of flor tiles in yellow, a book with a yellow cover etc. Mix it up, make it a little imperfect and more personal. Some softness at the windows would help, too - simple white sheers would work, or a sheer with a simple pattern in it.

I agree that the rug could be bigger and the wall art is too high. In fact, I would play around with the wall art, maybe put the top three at the bottom, or middle. Maybe not use all 9 of them, and add something else that's a different shape to the mix.

It needs another layer - throws, more cushions and pattern - and better lighting. A lamp at the end of the brown sofa furthest from the window would warm things up. There's a lovely shade of blue in the artwork, I would pick that out.

I would put the two matching chairs, side by side facing the sofa. Then I would put a table or something in between the windows and hang some nice art or a mirror above the table and fill the table with books, personal photos, etc.

I agree with what a lot of the comments have indicated - accent color! I'd also seriously consider adding a large plant of some kind in the corner between the sofa and the window. And CURTAINS!!

The balance of warm and cool tones is off. The vignette with the topiary works because the tones are balanced. The golden baskets provide strong warm tones, the green leaves strong cool, all against a more neutral background. More rattan or baskets would help with both texture and tone. You could also replace the art (while hanging it lower) with something with clear, fresh colors and swap the arrangement in the white vase with a messy green plant. You can use other things (clothes, towels, colorful plates, etc., to test out colors that you think might improve the balance and, if they do, look for pillows, throws, etc., in those colors.

Not just adding light sources, but also something that sparkles, gleams or shines in those light sources - a mirror or pillow with a metallic finish, some glass or crystal, a candle in a pierced tin can. Think of it as as adding cufflinks or earrings to an outfit.

This room has great potential, but it looks a little generic. There are a few fixes that would make a big difference. First, the art is the soul of a room.

The piece over the couch is hung too high and seems to want to blend in shyly with the furniture, kind of bland. Get some real art with some real colour and hang it with the centre of the image at 56".

The rug is too small to pull the room together and a rug should be a great opportunity to introduce pattern and colour.

If you want to do the tone on tone neutral thing, I think it works best when you work with layering lights and darks, warms and cools, and texture. It's usually easier to go with more graphic colour and patterns in your art, rug and textiles to get the interest. Otherwise, you need organics (wood grain, stone, real plants), soft and fuzzy, hard and shiny (metal, glass), rough and smooth. Cool grays, warm creams etc. Old and new. More than one pillow. Maybe a throw. Those black and cream pillow shams from ikea (the sort of tribal looking ones) would give you some graphic pow.

You can introduce any colour scheme, the art and will determine the range (the current piece has you on a tight fear of colour leash). My advice is, find some art work (check your local art schools, ask friends there is always great work available for a reasonable price, trust me, I'm an artist). Make sure you love it and build the room around it. So much more powerful than the other way around.

Best of luck and thanks for sharing!

I would definitely invest in some drapes with pattern and color. Some good accent colors would be saffron yellow or shore blue. You might want to think about a double curtain rod with a nice white sheer behind your patterned drapes. It will ad some depth. I would suggest hanging the curtain rod just below the arch. This way you can just buy standard curtains instead of custom. Also, how about a bookcase? You can bring in a lot of interesting pieces and accents to a room with some bookcase shelving.

It needs some life.
To me the room looks like a nice, sterile showroom in furniture shop - just for looking, not for living in it.
Add some color, a plant or two, something that says "I live here!".

I see something like an Arco floor lamp to the right of the sofa

This room is SO close to being awesome. Don't repaint, accessorize. Make this look like a living room instead of a waiting room in a posh doctor's office. A brighter throw pillow for the couch. Colorful work of art on the wall, . Some coffee table books. A vibrant green plant in a pot whose color picks up from the art on the wall.

Easy, fun touches a lot more fun to execute than repainting. (Ugh.)

@LoveFromSlovenia, I think that's a Beta fish, a Siamese Fighting Fish. In the US, at least, they are sold in and maintained in small containers which appears to be all they need. I think it seems cruel, too, but it supposedly works out just fine... people have them for years that way.

I just wrote a post but it didn't post. The most original component of my ideas is to paint a color block behind the art, floor to ceiling, a bit wider than the group. (And lower the paintings half a painting's height.) The color block could become a new accent color (coral, pale yellow, whatever) or just be a couple of shades lighter than the walls.

I agree with everyone else on the wall color and the matchy-ness of the sofas.. Also, maybe it's me, but there is too much seating. Remove the one between the windows and put a little console table there. That will break up the lines and it won't feel like the sofas are worshipping your coffee table.

The colors are fine -- one person's "too somber" is another person's "calm," so don't worry about the color.

You say you want the "wow factor," and that would be best achieved by replacing the art above the sofa, which looks corporate and mass-produced (the brushstrokes seem to be identical on every panel in each row, which makes me wonder whether this art is from Bed Bath and Beyond). Art usually has something to express, but this art is saying "I must not risk offending anyone, and there's no point in looking at me for more than 5 seconds." For what this is, you have hung it beautifully; it fills the space, which seems to have been the main goal. Lowering it to "gallery level" would not make it more interesting to look at. If you can afford new art for wow factor, consider size but not color -- it's OK if the art doesn't match everything else in the room. A splotch of vermilion or lemon yellow or purple wouldn't be fatal.

But what you need isn't "wow factor"; it's "personal factor." Accessorize with SOMETHING that has some faces! Photos, coffee-table book covers, portraits. Human faces or animal faces. This whole place looks too much like "here's what I think I'm supposed to like" instead of "here's something I couldn't resist because it spoke to me so strongly." The ready-made "forgive them anyway" placard is not your friend; it's just another way of saying "mass-produced sentiment is good enough for me!" Give your visitors something to talk about, something that reflects your own specific experience, something one-of-a-kind, something they couldn't possibly have predicted.

@Lovefromslovenia well spotted. Yes, that's a betta fish. Please buy a 5-10 gallon heated tank for him. The pet store lied to you - in Vietnam these fish can survive in low levels of dissolved oxygen, but that's like saying you can survive without food for a long time. Put in vases like this they die at a very young age.

(The fish advice was for Tania, obviously).

I think you need some more pattern. Personally, I love how your grey walls work with the beige and brown in the room. I would add a large piece of art - possibly something graphic and type driven to go with your smaller piece of type art. A large print graphic wall paper might help to break up the room as well. Check this link out and see if it is at all your style (the patterns and artwork might not be to your taste, but it might give you a good idea of how different patterns could work together):

http://i261.photobucket.com/albums/ii41/kat_erin/room.jpg

Your room looks very nice and well put together! It does however seems to want to please everyone instead of pleasing you.

I think that, in general, personal spaces benefit from colors that complement the natural light coming into the room, life and at least one thing that is a personal choice, not a 'safe choice'.

In your case, you might want to consider the use of a warm neutral on your wall rather than a cool neutral. I personally would choose a cream color because that seems to work well with the beautiful light in your room. But if you prefer gray, there are still plenty of options to choose from! Bring in some plants; color, life and natural shapes to complement the clean lines of your furniture all-in-one move. You are even lucky enough to have the option of choosing just one or two really large plants which would act as a sculptural element as well. The personal choice could be anything; accent colors like many have suggested or using different tones of just one color (I think turquoise or yellow could work really lovely with wat you have), (add) art that might be a bit more out there for some people but it's your space so I'd say display what you like! Displaying objects that hold emotional value for you other than because they are aesthetically pleasing in your room. Sometimes an element of 'imperfect' can make the whole come to life.

And please, consider putting your fish in a larger tank and placing him/her somewhere they can't be knocked off of...

What others said: Rug should be bigger and run at least partially under the furniture; paintings hung too high, needs personal items and accessories, which could also function to add some needed pops of color.

The photo of the shelf and everything on it has the most personality to me. The room is attractive but lacks personality. What the room is missing is something that says who you are.

1) Lower the art hung over the couch. It's too high.
2) A larger rug. Your furniture should anchor the edges of your rug. Right now it looks like it's floating.
3) A bold accent colour. I like bright yellow for this space, but your colours are so neutral that you could really use anything.
4) Personal touches. It looks like a showroom or hotel because there's nothing in there that says someone lives there.
5) I'm not loving the configuration of your furniture. It looks like a giant square and may make for awkward traffic flow. Try putting the armless chair on an angle beside the couch.

For a great discussion of the idea that a home shouldn't look like a hotel room, see http://moreintelligentlife.com/content/lifestyle/bringing-hotel-home?page=0%2C0 -- "We expect a hotel room to be cleaned as thoroughly as if a corpse had just been hauled from the bed. (In some cases, this will actually have happened.) The domestic interior embodies the opposite idea: it is a repository of memories. The story of its inhabitants ought to be there in the photos on the mantelpiece, the pictures on the wall, the books on the shelves. If hotel rooms were people, they would be smiling lobotomy patients or plausible psychopaths."

Bright Orange (pillow, picture, flower arrangement etc. -- whichever you like) as my choice for pops of colour in your beautiful room.

I know you said you like the rug, but it seems a bit small - something larger in with bold pattern would help anchor the room. I like the deep neutral color scheme, so I'd avoid a blast of color, but something that brings in the muted greens and blues from your art would be good. Also, I think floor uplights in the colors would add interesting shadows and warm the grey walls. You have an excellent start, great choices of pieces. While a pop of brilliant color is one way to go, I think pattern and a muted color scheme is more in keeping with the style you've established.

Honestly, it doesn't look lived in. It looks like it was put together for a photo shoot or purchased from a furniture showroom. You just need to add some life to it with personalized art and framed personal photos, books, plants, a cozy throw strewn over a chair, etc. These would all go a long way to transforming your room. Add some funky, eclectic throw pillows that don't necessarily "match" and add a few unexpected pops of color and texture.

Yeah I agree with the colors all being too matchy. Too much gray? I would add a white crisp wall and some more color with art or pillows. nice you already have a neutral base to start with re: furniture that is great.

Bring some of that pale yellow from the artwork into the room, along with the clear blue? My impression is that the room has gone a bit muddy and needs brightness. To my eye, the rug is too light and too small. It sort of floats up instead of grounding things. A larger and more interesting rug -- one with a pattern, or striated color to echo the artwork, or a border -- would do a lot for the room. I would put down a thick, organic feeling Tibetan rug if this were mine, but the DWR Manuscrit rug would also rev up the space in an entirely different way. But then, it's hard to know another person's budget.

For me, it looks really nice, but like a really nice hotel room. It's missing that open, organized chaos feel of a living room. I agree with the "matchy-matchy" comment above. Maybe lighten the walls and then try adding pieces of art, accent pieces, books, etc... not because you think they match and work well with the room itself but JUST because you like them. Move them around and see what works, until it becomes a better blend of the "nice" look it has now, and the vibe of who you are and what you want to feel every day when you come home! Any pieces or accents that you didn't put in the room because you didn't feel they would "go", try out anyway.

Metal accents like a bowl, and some ceramic pieces in bright colors.

I think your colors need to be a bit brighter. A gray paint job will really suck the life out a room if you let it. Gray walls go wonderfully with bright enamels.

I love gray walls with that bright white molding, but take a chance with some ultra bright colors, or even white, textiles. In that image, the white vase is popping the most, a sign that the room needs some brightness.

I agree with MandaPanda you're lacking CONTRAST. That doesnt mean you need a pop of bright color, unless you want it. Some of the best rooms are monochromatic, it's variation in Contrast and Texture that makes them great.

Add pieces in very light/white/warmwhite such as window coverings, an interesting side table, lamps or art, and pieces in very dark tones like a deep charcoal or black. Chrome or a mirror would also give the space some life. OR you can pick an accent color or two that are opposites on the color wheel - orange (salmon, coral) and blue (navy, robins egg, cobalt etc), yellow and purple, then use one in very light tones, the other in very dark tones.

Also agree the rug is too small. Luckily layering rugs is in, so you could get a seagrass or jute larger rug and put that under your smaller area rug. Area rugs should always extend at least under the front feet of the upholstered pieces that frame them.

I agree with all the other commenters here. You've got a great start, but the room lacks personality.
I don't think you need to change paint or add color, you just need visual interest in the form of texture and contrast. Eliminate some of the "sameness."
Replace one of the sofas/chairs (I'm thinking the one between the windows) with a console table or side table. Get a larger rug that either has color or texture. Replace your boring hotel art with something more personal, and hang it lower on the wall, so it relates to the sofa. (Artwork doesn't need to match, colorwise.)
Also, maybe a larger coffee table?

It looks like a sitting room in a hotel, kind of lacking personality. Which is fine if you don't have one. ;)

I love the gray. What the room needs is a little more life. Get either a large plant or a cat.

I would add some sort of colorful window treatment in a really great pattern...not curtains necessarily...maybe roman shades.

The other thing I would probably do is rearrange the furniture. It looks like you have some sort of sitting piece in each direction forming a square. I think that sort of closes up the space and makes it feel less inviting. Maybe experiment with grouping two of those pieces together, or making one diagonal...And if you decide to do this, I don't think you need to worry about the coffee table being in the exact middle. Pick the pieces that you want to be the focal point (couch, loveseat, or whatever) and give the coffee table to that piece or pieces. Right now it just seems like it's floating out in the middle of nowhere.

OK...my last thing is that I would probably get rid of the cherry blossoms (or at least get them in a different color--maybe a vibrant red or something). They just seem kind of random, as if they're an afterthought...Overall, I really like you're space, though! You're definitely on to something!

You are seriously lacking textiles and personal touches. Beautiful ceiling to floor draperies will help your space 1000%. (Look at The Shade Store or something like that for ideas.) More pillows, throw in some color and pattern. The art over the couch is too high and too spread out. Don't center it horizontally. I'd put the panels very close together, much lower, and mix them up or alter some of them. They have a sort of hotel lobby vibe and don't look personal.

I'm a bit late but here is my two cents. Your windows are imposing and whatever you put in this room should have enough substance to stand up to them. A lot of the decorative elements seem either too small or scattered and they lose impact although they are beautiful. Double the size of the flower pot or try a very large plant - tree size - in an extra large pot on the floor, and regroup the small table with the others. Again, the cushions could etither be larger or regrouped. Your wall art composition is nice but it seems like it is missing a frame. Painting a large bright rectangle behind them would bring them together, give them more impact and brighten up your gray. A puchy colour - I like chartreuse - would be awsome but any light shade of what you find in the art, or a complementary colour can do the trick. Good luck with your project!

The art is too high on the wall. I wouldn't center it over the furniture; move it to one side and balance it with something large (a print, a large plant, a print and a large plant, a side table, etc.) on the other side. You need a few slaps of color. Beautiful room.

books! books add instant warmth and color to any room. as is, i think it looks too much like a catalog photo from overstock.com. i really like the detail shot of the shelf because it has some things that are specific to you. a coffee table book, a fruit bowl, or even the morning paper would warm up the room. fresh flowers and potted plants work wonders.

from the pictures, the grey seems to be a cool (blueish) color, but the furniture looks like earth tones. i'd warm up and lighten the wall color. a "mature" light pink could be really unexpected & upscale, but it could be tricky to get it right. a glowing, warm yellow to absorb the natural light would be nice too. or, if you're so inclined alternating ecru strips of flat and high gloss could be a really chic show stopper.

and i agree with many of the others who suggested window treatments. the texture of some fabulous drapes would make a big difference.

The architectural details of your room are magnificent: I'd give my right arm (or a part of it anyway) for those massive windows and the beautiful cove moldings. Your furniture, however, is dwarfed by the room's details, and the brown-gray combination does not work (in my opinion) and makes everything look muddy and somber. And the accessories, I'm sorry to say, look contrived.

As others have said, you need to add some vibrant colors and a touch of whimsy. Maybe do something creative with the art. Rather than aligning them in the grid formation you now have, how about placing them throughout the room, maybe at different heights or even at an angle. If you can paint, do it. Adding window treatments would emphasize the beauty of the windows and create a different focal point.

If the room is, as you mentioned, on the small side, I'd remove one of the chairs, and also place the white vase on something taller, possibly a pedestal. I also agree with the person who said that the fish in the bowl needs to be living in a better environment, or else it won't be living for long.

everything in that room is gorgeous. you have great taste!! I love the coffee tables and the couches and the wall color... but you're right, all together they don't look stunning.

I'm not really digging the wall art, but I think I just don't like it with the wall color.

i would paint just one wall.. maybe the one behind the couch, a subtly different/lighter color. You could even keep in the same palette (lighter gray?)

those windows are gorgeous! I think maybe floor-length curtains would add *something* to the room. and you don't ever have to actually close the curtains... (i think pulled together at the top then tucked to the sides with those curtain wall hooks a little lower than half-way down would create a graceful angle)

Thank you...I love the quote too...I bought it on Etsy.

Thanks to all of you for your suggestions...some of them I will take into consideration..I don't like the grey color, especially with brown...but I do agree with many of you that the grey and the art does not go together...the art is just not doing it for me. I do have a shelf on one side with nice pictures of our family. The fish is a beta and was just given to me that day...it actually came on that bowl, right now the fish is in a fish tank...not in my house.

Thanks to those who tell me to make the rug bigger...I am adding extra FLOR tiles to enlarge the rug in the same color (like neutrals and modern) and I am removing the art pieces, adding 3D wall tiles to the entire wall...I will post "after" pictures soon...thank you!!!!

If you like that artwork, loose the gray walls. You might try some warmer colors in paint, additional flor tiles around the rug and pillows and textiles. If you are changing the artwork to something bolder and more colorful, then just put some warmer accents in the form of pillows and ceramic or pottery pieces. Nice room, has good bones.

@Tania after pictures, cool! Look forward to those!

Your fish's fins aren't supposed to droop like that, PLEASE get a proper tank for your fish, with at least a plant and an air stone. Even a 2 gallon tank will make a Betta healthier than sitting in a wine glass :( They make stylish, compact tanks now and days: http://goo.gl/1b9LO

This room is 80% there - but needs a few tweaks, IMHO. First, I would lower the artwork over the sofa a little bit. Cut the distance between bottom of first row and top of sofa by about half and lower rest accordingly. Go with a warmer color on the walls. And make things a bit less symmetrical. You might find this helpful for choosing color: Choosing and Using Color in Your Home and for general advice, I like How to Transform Inferior Decorating: Identifying and Correcting Decorating Mistakes. You've got a wonderful space -- whatever you decide to do, hope you'll post an "after" picture.

I don't have the fish in my house...the fish was given to me that day in an event, but I did not keep the fish....so the fish has been gone since the following day. Thank you for the advices on fish tanks.

Thank you for those links..I will read them.

I like everything in the room but the wall color and the art on the wall. I am thinking of painting in a warm neutral tone and then use bold art on that big wall behind the apartment sofa or maybe buying the wall flats and painting just that wall behind in a nice bold color....the color on the walls was already there and even though I like grey as a color is just not doing it with brown and white.

Thank you, thank you!

Miss. Waverly,

Thanks for your comment and suggestions. I agree...I love my furniture and I love modern, simple....the wall color is not helping...it is a beautiful shade of grey but does not match the furniture and just darkens the room and makes it look dull.

I will post "after" pictures.

Thank you...I have been thinking about a creamy color too...the furniture is dark, so a light creamy color on the walls will do and maybe what you said bringing more light and accessories. Thank you!!!!

Thank you so much...I am visiting the link right now. What do you think about 3D Wall tiles?

I almost hate to post - your head must be swimming in all these comments!

I like the wall color with the furniture. I would do 3 things -

1.) Replace the art over the sofa with a collection of mixed frames and pictures, second hand or flea market finds so its not expensive.
2.) Add more pillows in patterns you love to the one lonely pillow on the sofa - and dont match them
3.) Add one 'found' piece of furniture that you love to add that look of evolution over time.

Your furniture is really lovely and so is your paint color- its a great foundation. I just think it needs another layer of inspiration on top of what you already have.... A layer of pattern, art, objects that says "this is who I am and this is what I love" to add some visual interest and make the space softer and more homey.

Most importantly, enjoy the process.

Thank you!!! I appreciate your suggestions...I want to enjoy the process.
Thanks again!!!

You have dark grey walls, and dark wall art on top of it, and it really sucks the light out of the room. You have those beautiful windows, so you need something that maximises that light.

Also, a splash of colour somewhere would do well.

Keep all the basics. Change your art and accessories. Go for graphic punch and whimsy with those. It doesn't even need to be colorful. Just funky and unexpected. All this room needs is a sense of humor.

everything is well-selected, colours are good. placement needs tweaking: the furniture looks like it is placed too far apart. the rug can be snugged so that the front legs of the larger couch rest on it & the smaller pieces can be brought into the room so those front legs also rest on the rug, then rug area = conversation area. move coffee table closer to serve main couch, side table can be pulled between two other sofas to hold drinks for user of either, lose tall vase as that should not be focal point & it is. the 12 pics can be dropped down so space between the bottom row & couch is 1/2 the space between the top row & ceiling. move tchotchkes slightly in front of quote so eye goes across shelf as one continual read of scene or move fish to coffee table, lower level. can keep symmetry in one direction & go 1/3-2/3 in other direction & that one pillow is the bit of surprise no-symmetry, which is why it can work.

Thank you...I think like you, that all my pieces are fine is just the way I have put them together, definitely the paint color needs to change. I appreciate all the replies I have receive...I will be sending "after" pictures soon and hopefully it will look much better. Thank you all!!!!!