Sister's Living Room

My sister and her husband bought a house in Charlotte and have been in the process of moving/unpacking/decorating.

Sister sent me some pictures of their living room and asked for my advice/opinions/help on decorating it.

The room has huge potential.

The floors are in great condition and they have a pretty blank slate to start with.

The fireplace is a bit awkward but long term plans are to carry the brick across and have custom built ins flanking both sides. I think?

Sister and husband plan on painting the walls and are considering painting the brick (my vote).

Sister is in Seminary so they are working with one income and are on a budget. That being said, we are working with the furniture they have. The couch and chair are in good condition and are luckily pretty neutral.

Here is the "idea board" I came up with for them.

I suggested the seagrass rug for texture and to quiet the room a bit. The area is on the smaller side so they won't need something too large and therefore can save some $$ there. Their coffee table is also in good condition and they both like the dark wood.

The TV stand was handmade by Danny. I have suggested sanding and staining to match the coffee table. I also think they should either add two more doors and some neat hardware or take the doors off completely.

The main color will come from throw pillows, drapes and then their accessories.

I happen to have a lot of different fabric so that saves $$ and pillows are so easy to make that you can change your mind and switch them out whenever you want.

The plan is to keep it neutral and calm with pops of color and pattern that can be easily changed downt he road.

Thoughts?