What kind of rug you have and what's on the floor ? CAN you add shots as well .

I'll add shots ASAP. Warm oak floors and a blue floral rug. I would like to get a new rug though.

Ok , lets see what all you have ?

Taking a look at the photos shown below it becomes obvious that a brown sofa can lead an exciting life if surrounded by the right colors and accessories. I've chosen 2 photos showing a brown sofa mixed with blues and another showing both lime green and blue.

You won't have to repaint all your beige walls, but you might want to add an accent wall or two to start your project. We houzzers are here to suggest colors if you'd like. Settle on what color you want and ask for our suggestions.

It would be helpful if you would go to the Photo section of houzz and enter " brown sofa living room". Then print out some pictures you like to take shopping with you. Go to stores such as Z Gallerie, West Elm, Pottery Barn and Crate & Barrel. Show the pictures to the salespeople. I bet they'll help you pull things together.

Great ideas Carolyn!

Blue is an obvious consideration since the brown/blue palette is popular, but that lime green is another neat idea! I always kinda like pink & cream with chocolate too if you want another choice.

Good idea, Lanie! Makes me hungry for strawberry ice cream with hot fudge and whipped cream on top!

I like brown, white, teal, red, and yellow. Just treat the brown as a neutral and do whatever color you want. Also, I'm a sucker for brown and red.

I like eoakes' brown & red also. Lots of choices! What do you like, kloscalzo? What kind of flooring in the room?

It has taken FOREVER, but I finally have pictures of my sad, sad living room. The Ikea beige couch obviously has to go. The coffee and end tables were made by my dad so I feel a little guilty not using them, but I think it's just too much wood. The room is very brown/beige and just sad! I really like the Sandberg Home that Dytecture posted, but not sure I could pull that off.

Yes you could pull that one off! Start with that rug. Ikea has a very similar rug, as do other companies.
The pillows are huge ones, so I hope you know someone who sews. Z Gallerie has a similar white garden seat: http://www.zgallerie.com/p-5674-palmer-stool-white.aspx Select your blue velvet for the pillows first and have your paint company color match the color but in a lighter shade.

Instead of blue life savers on the wall, you can use art pieces. Choose something that has some blue and select large white mats to go around the art . It's the white that will give your art the pizazz it needs.

Hi there - I would personally like to add, that I do not like the bulky looking shapeless leather chair i& sofa n the Dyetecture photo - just a little too heavy for the room - what about something with LEGS? I would make your room look lighter.

Everything is not lost here:
Fundamentals:

I would definitely go with a MUCH larger rug, for 1.
Can your husband Clean the soot off the fireplace?
Can you replace the wood on the TOP of the fireplace with a more substantial DARKER stained plank? I think this would add some contrast and bring focus back down, in addition to adding balance to this side of the room.
When you can afford to, I would suggest adding some deep profile crown molding to your room. Not only does this add a truly finished touch, it will make the room look larger. Yes, go ahead and paint it white.

Would suggest getting the sofa OFF of the stair wall - what about putting a lovely little chest there with a lamp? OR an open faced storage unit, with baskets where you can put toys? everybody needs storage and I see you have a child.

IF you can get new drapes - try placing a more substantial rod nearer the celing - this will also bring height into the room - and balance out the heaviness of any bulky furniture.

Since the living room looks longer than it is wide (dead Ikea Sofa area) - to bring the room more into visual focus - find the color you like (like the blue in the Dyetecture photo) and paint this wall at least 3 shades darker than the color you have chosen OR perhaps a deeper contrasting color of blue - I just found a BEAUTIFUL Indigo Blue - in the "new colors for fall" section of HGTV paint colors - just posted today. This will visually SHORTEN the room and make it look wider - yes? On that Ikea sofa wall - what about adding something will a little piazz? Some silver glass pieces on staggered shelving. Find an old yard sale desk - repurpose paint it a beautiful apple green for contrast - providing a work area? OR if you want to keep it formal - find an old chest-of-drawers, take all the OLD hardware off, fill in the holes,
and paint it bright yellow - or WHITE? Be sure and paint the insides of the drawers a different color like hot pink, or a beautiful soft, soft, blue?

The Home Store, TJ Maxx, Target - all have lovely things you could just get to put on your shelves. You could even go to Ikea - and get a bunch of frames all the same size and put prints in them you find on the internet - or just some old botanical prints you find at a flea market. hang in groups or architecturally?

What ever you decide - it should be FUN for you. I would just make sure to have my rug large enough to cover at least half-way under the sofa feet. Don't like the tables your sweet Dad made - stain them to match a bolder deep color to match the new mantle wood?

Find old and interesting lamps - that are FAT and grounded for your tables - to balance everything out.

Let us know - but definitely lighten up the visual by adding some less heaving looking pieces that are grounded to the floor. My thought. :-)

Love the stone fireplace! I'm back to my recommendation for blue accents.

You can pull off the Sanberg home! Give it a go. The graphic rug and white accents is how you can pull this one off!

I have living room, dark tan walls, with brown leather couch and chair, gray trellis rug. Can I add a black short storage unit to room ??

This is an old design dilemma from 2012. You should not attach your question to someone else's dilemma. Instead, you need to start your own. Photos will help you get better answers.

I have a brown like chocolate sectional couch with beige walls an white trimmings to pull it together I have one wall with double windows on each side of my patio doors I have burgundy drapes . Plus wall to wall beige pepper brown in it . In the living room I put a red rug down with a gold glass coffee table an roses an some gold an burgundy lamps. Plus my dining room area has gold an brown in the table cloth so now you choose my couch pillows are burgundy gray brown. See if that will work for you.