Hi. I love your couch and if light is an issue, I would think about a large mirror because it'll bounce the light around the room (your little starburst one is a bit wasted over there). Mirrors don't have to be expensive - look in charity shops and second hand shops. If you go for a large canvas, make it quite colourful so the boring walls fade away. Again, you don't have to spend a fortune - there are lots of websites with affordable art. A floor lamp would be great and if you get a ceiling light, make sure it isn't so low that it blocks whatever fabulous new item you have hanging behind the couch. I'd see how it looks when you've done this before you paint or also to help choose your paint colour so it goes with mirror/art. Good luck!

Just wanted to add something regarding the steps since I had also asked for advice on them: we had steps installed in slate, but unfortunately they did not turn out to look very nice, so will need to get redone . Was wondering if we should also incorporate some of the bricks seen on the porch, perhaps as risers covered by blue limestone or slate just to tie everything together?

www.visioninteriors.ie Looking at your curtains and curtain pole, in my opinion it is the pole that initially needs to be corrected - it is a nice steel pole,however the importance of a pole being fitted correctly makes a huge difference to the hanging and look of the curtains. the brackets at each end of the pole should be at least 8"/20cm away from each sides of the window, this allows the curtains to frame the window nicely while letting in as much light as possible. The brackets should be 2"/5cm away from the finial ( ball end in this case) at each end of the pole. The space between the bracket and the finial (end of the pole) has one curtain ring only and the rest of the curtain rings/hooks are the window side of the brackets so that the curtains can hang straight. Whether you buy new curtains or hold onto your existing ones check out the fitting of the pole and remedy it - you will be amazed at the difference this can make.

I'm doing something very similar at the moment and I decided to go for a cold ivory colour with the windows divided into same size panels and a grey front door. The frames also have a foil finish that gives them a faux wood texture. I decided against the grey frames, as much as I love them, as I think they will probably date in the same way the pale green ones I see around have too.