My better half (Kelley) loves everything that interior designer Candice Olson performs. I just ran across one more example of a family room she designed which I have included directly below.
Key point - lighting is one of the most important things that you should not overlook. In this room it highlights the texture in the wall, brings the warmth of the wood media cabinet out and creates subtle reflections on the metal storage boxes. The space would still be nice, but not nearly so dramatic without it.