Now it's beginning to work! Luv the rug! A few more red showstoppers, and I luv the post about matting your family pic, and larger frame for it. Looks like you might be a bit uncomfortable with the great post idea of moving your sofa out into the room away from wall. If so, could you accept putting it diagonally from the entrance doorway, across that corner where it is, stopping at the edge of your window? That's a bit of a move outward, still can see the fp and tv, and show off your new rug, which could go diagonally in front of the sofa. Then, if you like that, after a while you could move it on out as Deb K suggests. Sometimes intermediate steps are more doable for us than those big changes.Same with painting; if you could first paint just the fp wall, then later paint other walls...seems some color would really make it more homey. Would you cosider a quite contemporary fixture for the light in the center ceiling? Maybe a bit of red could go there!

Start by making a list of what you would like the room to include: size, windows, flooring etc. Then find a trusted architect to do the plans.

Couple of pics would help. As for " keep the smaller window, frost it and have the builder remove the inside trim then completely drywall over the window keeping the look of the window outside but losing it inside? Will it look half ass and dickie?" Yes.

I wouldn't drywall over the window. Take a look at the options for recycled brick, they may match better than you think.