Going with the theme your are trying to achieve, I would add a black leather ottoman to replace he white table. The built in shelf I would remove and sheetrock over it or paint in a matte finish black. Before you paint in black be sure your have accessories such as silver or reds to put in that space to set off the black background. You can put a series of pictures with silver frames or art objects of silver , red or combination. I love your table and chairs.

Have you ever thought about floating shelves? I think pairing a few floating shelves together would look great and would free up space in your living room. I really like the Eugene floating shelf from Bryght and I think it would compliment your existing pieces. http://www.bryght.com/product/160/eugene-cocoa-shelf

Tsilanko, I would always recommend professional installation where needed. But what I am doing here is suggesting that WHEN you are planning to build or renovate, to consider how your plans will affect you in 20 or 30 years time. Split levels are very hep when you are young. A kitchen 3 steps down at 30 is rarely a problem, but might be a hazard at 60, or, as Marjie1059 suggested, if you break a leg. ... All my parents' homes were terrible for old people. They were forced to move to a bungalow in extreme old sge because the location and design of their home was more suitable for an active young couple with a large family than for an elderly couple with stroke disabilities. I would not want to move again, so my present home has features built in that make ageing in place simpler. Mostly small changes, like grab rails, and lever handles on doors and faucets. A major disability suddenly suffered requires major changes if permanent. I did look at this because it came up in the discussion, but if you look at the heading, Planning for Disability, it means just that. Plan ahead so you don't have to make expensive changes later on. But thank you for your advice, yes, major changes are not in the DIY domain.

Reupholstering furniture is expensive. Do you think Red + Mustard or olive would be okay ? Should i add neutral colors in the place surrounding the sofas (like rugs, curtains, wall pieces) to minimize loudness? I'd flip this around. Go with neutral furniture - - bring color and texture in with area rugs, draperies, accent pieces...