I would appreciate some suggestions for colors and arrangement for my living room and bedroom. I have a house built on a hillside. The house slopes down hill with a sharp angled roof and so the living room has a very high sloped ceiling. Size is about 24ft x 12ft with the slope beginning about 2 ft from the floor on one long side and sloping at about 45 degree angle. Floors are a light ash wood and walls are currently white. I have a large oriental rug in pale blue, rose and cream white that takes up most of the room. The couches (cream/white) I have now are far too bulky although there is plenty of walking space, and there is one very tall, narrow oak bookshelf which looks extremely out of place as the highest object in the room. How to fix this? I want to buy all new furniture for the living room, and get rid of the book shelf and couches. The rug I would rather keep as it is a very good quality wool rug, but then if it compromises making a happy living space then..... I have been looking at a smaller, cool white leather sitting group (curved couch and single chair) thinking maybe some colored pillows on it would brighten things up. I can't imagine what to do about replacing the bookshelf on a triangular wall. Or if I should use the flat, rectangular wall side of the room instead. And then what color for the walls, or just leave white? The sloped ceiling is a bit of a problem. The bedroom is a normal square bedroom without a sloped ceiling. However, the ceiling is quite high still. Right now I have a single chipendale style rosewood dresser, a huge standing closet built on two walls and also of dark wood, light ashwood floors, sheer white curtains on brass hangers, and a huge king sized bed without a frame. I do not want to get rid of the huge standing closet as it was custom built and too much cost to replace. The dresser could be replaced but if it can stay it is better. But the bed goes. I want something smaller and lower (it is very high) since it takes up so much room. I looked at a dark, almost black copper frame bed with those bars or whatever you call it, thinking the dark metal would go with the dark wood yet not be so heavy as a wood bed frame. That with matching night stands. However, the room (approx 215 sq ft) will continue to look dark perhaps. Any ideas? Would bright, cheerful bed linens fix that and look nice? Or do I have to go to extremes to make a cozy sleeping area? I guess my favorite look is the light and airy look but it doesn't look possible with what I have now. Would another style of bed, or color of bed frame make the difference? And what to do about the walls which are currently white? The predominant theme in the house is bright, shiny brass at the moment. (brass door handles, brass window hangers, brass ceiling lamps)

We have a house in the country that has two living areas and a dining area with large expanses of vertical tongue and groove from ceiling to walls. I would like to modernise the whole look without going to the expense of removing it so was thinking along the lines of a light colour wash to maintain the wood grain. Has anyone out there got other suggestions or tips towards the colour wash idea?