Nadine -- I think the cabinets will look great. What about cabinets with doors below to hide the toys/games and open shelving above for books? I thought I would throw out a couple of other storage ideas from one cluttered toy mom to another BTW -- THANK YOU for posting the honest pictures of your room; it's so helpful to see that other peoples' houses also look like a toy factory exploded in the living room. :) Storage furniture that we have in our living room: coffee table with baskets that we use to sort and store various toys, including Mr. Potato Head + accessories, furniture and dollies from the Loving Family (Or something like that -- the dollhouse thing with the twins and multi-racial families) series; ABC blocks, small cars; Soft bowling set. Ikea pine coffee table Baskets that hide the toys so it looks like a nice pine coffee table instead: Ikea baskets This table is chipper chicken but it's a work horse. Looks nice and nothing kids try to do to it hurts it, and it holds a TON of toys. We only bought six baskets to fit in the table, but it could easily hold 12 (I always wanted to go back for more, but DH never got around to it). Cleans up easy peasy with dish soap or even soft scrub (for those bigger oops moments). We also went with a TV unit that includes two side units with storage doors and bookcases above, plus we had a separate console built for underneath the TV that holds more baskets of toys (it fits the same size baskets as fit in our ikea coffee table). Here's a picture for inspiration: I know entertainment centers are generally pretty $$$, but the reason I was showing mine is that it was actually an entertainment center for our old projection screen TV, which they don't make anymore -- plus a console we had a custom cabinet maker build for us to match. A lot of people are getting rid of their old 3 piece entertainment centers that were made for projection TVs -- you might be able to find something on Craigslist, ebay or a second hand store that is good condition for a low price, which you could then modify by adding a console (also fairly inexpensive through local custom cabinet shops). :) Notice in the picture the giant laundry basket full of balls and the smaller lined baskets with books and other toys. Baskets are KEY. I keep them sorted by type of toy so that it's easier for the kids to find what they're looking for. Those baskets came from Michael's and I only buy them when they're 50% off + the coupon. :-) I like these baskets because they're sturdy, but look really nice and the liner is totally washable. Here are the baskets from Michaels: So I don't have much to add for your fireplace, but there is a lot you can accomplish with some minor furniture redos.

Agree with Rawket Grl and Patricia, remove all the shutters. Here are two links to articles showing you why: Shutters vs Shudders History of Shutters Just because someone was too cheap (builder usually) or not knowledgeable 50 years ago, doesn't mean we keep the too small shutters on the house today. It was an error originally and best corrected now. Take a few minutes to read each of the articles so you have a fundamental understanding of where and when shutters are the right thing to do. You will never look at homes with too small shutters on the wrong size windows the same way again. That's a good thing. I like the pic Rawket Grl shows you with the charcoal/black roof and no shutters. All you need after you remove the shutters is great landscaping and a nice open wide walkway to the front door.

@cat_ky Thank you for the input. Yeah, the room is TERRIBLE when it comes to light. The only window (a glass slider) faces N.E. so, natural light is pretty minimal. I have another thread going regarding how to go about figuring out the best way to get the room some more light. I've explored all the options on my own, but I really think I need to bring in a designer to weigh the various options vs. their costs and then go from there. This room is also open to the kitchen that will need a reface as the very least, so there's certainly plenty of work to do and to figure out to help out this space.

We need to see pictures of your home and where you'd like the extension. I see many brick homes that have had extensions and have used wood siding, or Hardie. I would never use vinyl, but depending on the pictures you post, wood or Hardie could be an option.