Raj - What you say is true that a lot of interior design's margin is in furniture. I will not sugar coat it. And many designers may seem to be more interested in that when you bring them in. But I have had several clients call me over the years saying they are building a new home and would like to consult primarily on layout. When you speak to someone is tell them you are not ready to order furnishings or window treatments, but that you would like a contract that focuses on layout, planning, and interior detailing (i.e. doors, trims, floors) - i.e. the bones of the house. What I would suggest is when you call for a designer, you be prepared to pay a good consultation fee. A good rule of thumb is that you can expect to pay between $3-$10 per square foot of your home depending on the area of your country and the expertise/experience of the designer. If you are not averse to paying this type of fee, and communicate to the designer that your interest is in getting the best solutions, not in purchasing furniture at this time, I'm sure you will be able to get the level of service you desire. If someone you talk to doesn't seem thrilled to provide this kind of service, move on to the next person. Don't rely on "fame" or how well known someone is. They may be well known for doing show houses or just because they've been in the field the longest in your area. Not because they're the right fit for you. You could also check the Houzz directory for good designers in your area. The difficulty is that there are often decorators whose expertise and focus is really just on furnishings not so much on construction - and they serve a purpose for their clients. But there are other designers who provide more of a wholistic approach and have more familiarity with building a new home. These are the people you should seek out. Houzz is a fantastic community - and as I said you may get good advice here but there's really no replacement for someone to work with you in person. Sorry for the super long post but I feel passionately about this and I think this advice will best suit your needs.

There is contrast between the traditional furniture and the focal point of the floor which pops, draws attention. I would recover the sofas in cream colored soft fabric - suede. I would leave the curtains grey, and put down a large neutral area rug. The edges of the room would show the pattern of the floor. I would color the wall and add texture to it, but not too dark as the room will appear smaller. Add a picture and put a nice plant holder, large vase in the left corner of the room - an oriental-style vase. Or, a cream-stripe fabric on the sofas. You could go soft or bold in this room - depending on your taste.

OK... but the wire wont be lower as it is fixed now. The wire in the pics below is the wall facing each other. They were leveled on equal height but the beam on one wall makes it seem a little above. But i think you guys are absolutely right that up and down lights wont look good there. I think you are right about down lights lessismoore. Would it look good if i go with two different lights on opposite walls??? it would look odd right.

11' across x 14' can be a decent conversation zone. You have a nice window without too many privacy issues - good natural light, nice view of tropical foliage. The higher ceilings seem to be one of the things that will help the room feel larger - here's a completely different approach for you to consider . . I would instead make the beam a feature - wrap it in stained wood boards (that match or just a 1/2 tone darker than your entry doors) to make it seem a real beam - the small beam that comes out to meet it might be painted black and some faux black bolt heads and plates applied to get it to feel more rustic industrial / loft - afraid a fake ceiling is going to look cheap. The wood and black above will work with the off white walls. Consider instead of texturally painting the tv wall - let the "canvas" of all the walls stay uniform if you want this to feel large. The back wall is not the best for television anyway, if you want the room to feel large - the wall to the left of the door - (no window there, eh?) is the right place for a large flat screen wall mounted sort of center in the room (that appears to be the non-operable side of the double entry, typically unused) . Do a narrow console table underneath with drawers and lower shelves for the cable box. That can also be your laydown space and the rest of the room starts to live larger. I would run a large sectional in the beam recess area with the short end coming back just to become a lounge under the window (hang a stained board on angle brackets as a custom sofa shelf on the wall in the recessed end to fill it and provide a place for drinks) - the "beam" will make seating feel sort of sheltered there. It will work together . .you have a good long run nearly 8' there. If you want the room to feel big, a long sofa with a turn so many can gather for conversation is the best approach. Split the power for the television into two (easy 1 hour of electrician), patch this wall and hang wall mounted black iron sconces above the sofa back at two locations designed for the length of your sofa. Use a round iron and wood table at the sectional and a pair of great, small scale modern chairs facing the window set on the opposite wall. Consider a large scale modern abstract over the back of the sofa, and a gallery of black and white graphic photos framed in natural wood with black mats around the television on the tv wall. To the left of the window, hang some black iron hooks on a wall mounted wood board. With the wood, white and black iron, select your accent color carefully - neutrals for the main pieces - maybe some saddle leather for the chair pair. Color only in art - play off the green and white outside