[Nik333]

It's nice in an austere way. Do you like color? Are you going for a Hemingway look? Leather, stone, tropical? I really like the brown leather, stone, brass. It seems you have the right idea.

Who is criticizing your taste? it's up to you what you like to live with.

I usually pick out a painting whose colors I really like & decorate off of that.

I just googled Hemingway look & got this furniture. Thomasville is a good brand. Take a look at the living room set with the brown leather couch, down below in the link. Do you like that? It's a little warmer in color than your's. ( I'm not a decorator. I think I got the Hemingway term from a safari trip I saw called a Hemingway & some lines of furniture in the past.)

http://www.ernesthemingwaycollection.com/products/home-furnishings/thomasville-furniture

Pinterest also has a lot of Hemingway style ideas although some have it mixed up with Aspen.

 

[Nik333]

Well, wall the photos go with the cool look. Cool as in not warm.

Have you looked at actual metal sculptures for the skylight walls? They don't have to be expensive. A giant metal spider web. . . just kidding.

I think your place looks nice & I'm more the comfort type. Tell whoever criticized that you're into textures. That's what my engineer cousin calls it.

 

[Nik333]

Apparently, "decorating with texture" is a real thing. Try googling it. ( Btw, that cousin I mentioned is wealthy & probably hires designers. Their home has a lot of textured items)

You did mention orange but can't help you with that :wink2:

Koa brings Koa wood to mind. A gorgeous wood.

 

[Nik333]

That seems kind of harsh. He's not asking much and it is on an Interior Decorating site.

If you notice, it's usually guys asking. Women tend to nest more than men. Men don't necessarily cart sentimental items with them when they move.

Everyone's taste is different. I actually wouldn't want someone else to tell me what to do. I have a lot of items that have come from traveling or diving. Some like my taste, & some don't.

I once had an 1864 cannon ball surrounded by three feet of coral. With gunpowder still! My EOD tenant had it ID'd for me & found it no longer explosive. Things like that are from your own life & more meaningful than a vase a decorator picks out. It looked good on a rattan bookcase among the books, colored glass bottles, old seashells & old shells ( WWII bullets) & of course, flowers.

Then there was the Octopus (Tako) lure, DIYed with a Cowry shell & lead, I found while diving.

 

[Nik333]

I appreciate everyone's suggestions. If I had a GF I'm sure that'd be of some help, but as many have suggest, it's my house and I need to be happy with the end result for myself. With that said, I have attempted to do so to this point, and that has resulted in expensive mistakes because my vision did not translate to anything workable. Interior designer is an option... do any of you you have internet suggestions? Also, I live in the SF Bay... know anyone local? Thanks again!
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Again, I think it looks nice. You just need accent colors, pictures & some items that reflect you to tie it together. Too much is "de trop."

(I did grow up partly in Hillsborough, in a designer themed house. It's overrated.)

 

[Nik333]

New developments:

I've been advised to switch around the couch so the back of the couch is to the center wall. That would make the fireplace more the center of the living room, as it should be, per many sources I've read from internet (and I'm totally expecting a comment or two about not believing everything you read on the...)

I'm also thinking of buying a couple concrete tables to line the back wall with (120" worth), and accent by setting a slab of beautiful rich wood across.

Here are some new photos that may give perspective.

(Concrete tables will swap locations with couches and couches will line up with the wall where you see the small black table)

I didn't see your post until today, thanks to leenabug. I think the texture aspect is interesting, so I'm sure the concrete tables will look good with wood. It just seems to need color.

It's hard to imagine the furniture rearrangement. Is that for Feng Shui? The photos before showed the details, better.

What have you decided to do?