Decisions, Decisions...Help!

First, I just had to share this photo. Last night my youngest started playing, well, banging actually, on the piano. I put him up on the bench and he looked so darn cute. Once there, he started gently playing and was so delighted by the sound. I had to get a picture!

Okay, now for my plea of help. Because I am not a trained designer and because I have to make a design related decision, I wanted to ask for your advice. We are getting ready to paint our living room and I am in a dilemma over color choice. Our home is a center hall colonial so when you walk into the front door, you're standing in the foyer and the dining room is on one side and the formal living room is on the other. As the name implies, there is a center hall that leads into the kitchen and great room. The kitchen is red and the dining room is red as well (same shade). The great room off of the kitchen is painted in a taupe color and the hall and foyer will be painted in the same shade of taupe.

Here is the red that is in the dining room and kitchen.

Here are a few shots of the great room off of the kitchen.

This is the look that I want in the formal living room as well.

I want it to be casual and comfortable but elegant and timeless too - all with a French flare of course!

So here's the dilemma. This is the living room in it's current state:

I have really grown tired of the yellow and the whole room seems kind of outdated to me. Or maybe it's just because my tastes have changed - I don't know - but I do know that I want a change.

What color do I paint this room? I want it to blend with the taupe and red colors that are currently in the other parts of this level of the house. I'm not sure if I should just use the same color again because that is easy or go with something different. This is where I'm stumped because I'd like to go with something different but I don't know what color to use. You can see this room from all of the other areas of the house so it has to coordinate really well without being too busy. When you walk in the front door, you can see the colors of the kitchen, great room, dining room, living room and foyer all at once. I want everything to be balanced without being too matchy matchy and because the house itself is so symetrical, I don't want a wrong color choice to make one side or the other too heavy. Help!! What do I do?? Am I being too picky? HaHa!

Thank you for your help - I can't wait to read your ideas! Have a fabulous week!

xo,

Kathleen