I don’t do many interiors, and I am not happy with this one, it looks very CG. How can I make it better?
People? Some movement?
Hi Bobby, there’s quite a lot in there that’s not helping to sell it.
The lights hanging from the ceiling don’t appear to be on and yet there’s a very diffuse glow where they attach. Also the reflections on the shades themselves don’t seem natural for the scene.
All of the shadows are really crisp, which never helps - especially if you have multiple lightsources.
The lights above the pictures and along the back wall seem to be coming from nowhere.
Table in the foreground looks as though it’s being lit from a source behind the camera - like a window or open door. While not necessarily incorrect, it jars with rest of the lighting in the room.
It also doesn’t help that the palette for the room is essentially various shades of brown/beige - although I’m sure that’s out of your control! 
All of the shadows are really crisp, which never helps - especially if you have multiple lightsources. How would I change that?
Table in the foreground looks as though it’s being lit from a source behind the camera - like a window or open door. While not necessarily incorrect, it jars with rest of the lighting in the room. Yes. big windows, I’ll turn off the light source I have there
It also doesn’t help that the palette for the room is essentially various shades of brown/beigeArchitect
Poeople
People are difficult for me, but I’ll try
Comments:
Composition - 1/4 of your image is this table, with a bland boring chess set on it, and the texture of the table looks like dead wood. Whereas your other wood textures are warm and inviting. I would definitely work out the texture on the foreground table and completely reframe the image. Make like 5 more cameras, and render them out quickly without AA and we can pick on.
Soften the shadows - depends on your light source, for a vraylight just make the light bigger, large lights produce softer shadows, for a spot separate the Hotspot/Beam from the Falloff/Field.
-Colin
thanks Colin, I am on it!
That is at least 3x better!!! However I laughed out loud at the old guy. Who looks like death ;). The unified wood looks better. Burnout on the chairs in the front.
At the moment the composition is a bit weird with the TV so bright and cut off of the screen. I feel like this shot wants to go wider.
I thought the guy blended well, he is a 3D model. I’ll widen the camera… I wanted the TV to glow so I can paint the glow on the guy, to make him part of the scene.
I am going to darken that back hallway, too. It is competing, I think.
i didnt liked the wood texture you have used.. is it very low resolution? also i think if you can do little uvw mapping on wood to make it look more natural ( door texturing etc).. i mean direction of wooden grains should not be even like planar mapping. Also, are you using AO? if so , you shd lighten the effect because i feel this is making it look more like 3ds max scanline, skylight type rendering.. I agree with colin, TV is too bright! .. but your second rendering is far much better thn 1st one!
I’ll spend more time texture mapping… do you have any good wood material library’s you can point me to? I actually used a small swatch the architect gave me and I was surprised how good it actually turned out, considering the low-res.
If you have a tool to make your own textures (ex. PixPlant) there are some good resources in this sticky from the OT section:
http://www.chaosgroup.com/forums/vbulletin/showthread.php?30335-Free-textures/page4
Arroway Textures have never disappointed me.
Hey. I like the old guy. Looks like he came with the place.
You can use arroway free texture..they r superb! Also cgtexture.com is a nice site for free texture resources
Hi Bobby,
the images remind me very much of the renders from good old Lightwave 5 
Enough has been said here about texturing and material work which in my opinion sells the most in general.
The main problem of your image is the project itself…eldercare interior will never look inviting, unless the architect/designer makes it inviting.
The concepts of eldercare homes in Europe are much less traditional…i think its the traditional style and used material colors that dont really add to the image.
Just bring this somehwere where you (and client) re quite happy with it and forget the project some of my stuff never makes it to my portfolio just because of architects, designers and customers are making up crazy things :)))
Just my few cents…
EDIT: hope this doesnt sound rude…surely its not meant to sound like that!
Bets Regards
Better yet. A bit too much ceiling maybe, and a bit too much table :). Also, get the glow of the TV blue on the old guy’s face a bit, he doesn’t belong yet. Also the Jesus on the right looks a bit wide. Overall, needs a bit more light now (post is fine). and I liked the hallway lit up personally. It added to the feeling something was back there, whereas now it’s dead.
Looking good Bobby.