Try this. Hang the television to the right of the wood stove on the wall opposite the french doors. Use the wall with the high windows for a looong sofa and add two chairs across / angled slightly - low back so you can look over one to television. use console / sofa table on entry /bed door wall just past where entry door opens so you have a lay down surface. Forget glass, it isn't for this era and won't make it feel bigger. Paint ALL french doors inside and out and small windows and entry door same color and trim same color too. Try a charcoal rather than a black - something in the blue-green-gray shades like new providence navy. do all the walls in kitchen and living in a warm white - this tone has the wood as an undertone - http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/woodash then, for the cabinets . . do a bungalow thing and go deeper on the cabinets to a classic drabware tone - with the wood walls and floors / try bm bracken biscuit http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/brackenbiscuit these will all go together like gangbusters, keep it light and bright but interesting and work with a new blue green gray back door in a tone like bm beach glass http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/paint-color/beachglass templeton gray as a counterpoint on some craigslist piece of furniture . . add warm undertone tan and oatmeal nubby tweed upholstery to start . . the teal navy gray will work with the black iron stove and accents without going black. start keeping the left door to the kitchen closed and get a door stop to hold the other one open permanently . . this will work because you need a little more wall to make the tv work well - in the kitchen, pull your table away from the wall just a tad - consider a padded bench on the wall to provide a kind of sitting space in there and put the chairs across - if you shift your television to the wall (high enough the heat is not an issue , you can still have big speakers work well - and remote the media equipment - run the wire and patch the holes. Hang it mid-height - eye level when you sit plus 15 degrees . . check out the amazing sconces you can put on the entry wall - shades of light petersik pendant with home-made trim wood brace to pump it out from the wall since the power is high? over the console? round wood table in middle - even a hd butcherblock round on a painted drum base in trim tone? With those tones - teal gray, biscuit, creamy off-white, muted blue-greens - paint your white chairs and a hand me down bench wythe blue and find a graphic sunbrella print with a little blue green, chocolate and orange for cushions and pad skirts with velcro at the table . . make a galvinized pipe leg / plank 1 x 12 / clear finish console for behind the door . . now you are cooking with gas . .

Hi, We have recently renovated our kitchen, and have had the idea to turn our living room into a dining room. The idea is, that we would have some really comfy chairs and would be able to relax while sitting around the table; so the dining table wouldn't be only for meals. Then rather than having a dining table, we would have a bench with bar stools on the kitchen/living room wall. (nb the wall is load bearing and cannot easily be removed so this isn't an option). The other option is to keep the living room and set it up with a sofa, coffee table and a couple of occasional chairs. Dining wise we would have a smaller dining table in the kitchen. The living room opens on to the lounge which is set up as a TV room. There is also a guest bedroom and bathroom downstairs; the family bedrooms and bathroom is upstairs. We will also have an outdoor dining table in the undercover area outside the kitchen. I look forward to your thoughts and ideas.

I'll start with what I personally don't like , but obviously some people do -- The two couches look like they match ( which is good ) and in a green leather ( again good ) , but the browny olive carpet doesn't really work . Than you have a green fabric rolled arm chair , that is 100 years old in design and fabric design -- just because it is green , doesn't mean it works with the couches , because it doesn't . The chair that does tie in ( the green leather one ) is in a funny spot , but I also think it would look funny between the 2 couches . Then you have a nice armchair 'up the top' , and I think/hope that the fabric matches the dining chairs ? Then the TV area looks 'busy' . Probably the least of your worries , just an observation . SO -- I'd move the rolled arm chair right out of the room . The couch along the window I'd move around to beside the other one , and then the single green leather around by the window , so you have a green leather semi-circle . Personally , I still don't like the leather and the the carpet 'clash' , so I'd like to change the carpet ( or the lounge suite if you are wanting a change there -- although you'd have to go maybe that 'shooting lounge' aged brown leather if you want to keep the carpet ? ) . 'Up the top' by the bookcases I'd try and get a second chair the same as the other wheat/grey one , and add a coffee table -- so you have a conversation area , and a lower lounge/TV area . If it was me , I'd probably remove and wall in the 2 'left-hand' side windows -- the one that the blind is closed and I suspect is closed most of the time , and the one behind the TV . I'd then wall mount the TV ( if done professionally , you get the power and aerial all hidden ) so it cleans up that area , but that does start getting costier .

I think you are wasting money . I'd leave the columns , do a couple of bi-fold aluminium doors , do a nice leather corner suite , and artwork , a Tv , make it more livable . I'd do a glass balustrade on the small stairs , 3 or 4 creeper type potplants and a couple of 'objects d'art' along the solid balustrade . Do you have another dining room ? If yes , make part of this an office/study ; if no , then a nice table and chairs . Right now , it looks unloved -- make it easier to fall in love with it , and you will !