What colors?

ok so i have a spacious living room. it has off white walls, wood trim, grey carpet, (booring) and we have a big circular sectional that is a rich red, faux suede couch. We also have na ugly burgandy fireplace that has some weird paint effect.. Anyway i think we should paint the room. im 15 and first, i need to convince my dad to let us paint. we're also thinking about selling our house and i think if we give the living room some life and character then it'll be more appealing. Right now, it seems a little cold and very boring! Basically my questions are: how do i convince my dad to let us paint? (my mom wants to paint as well) AND what color would work with the red couch and still be apealing to buyers(no bright colors, more neutral tones)?