Ok I am back..... Wow, I just read thro' all the responses and you guys rock !!! I love this forum :))) So far the consensus seems to be to open it up. To answer some of your questions.... oakleyok: The rooms are small. LR is 13 x 18 and FR is 11 x 18. So if we open it up, it will prob. be around 24 x 18 which I think is a nice size....Not too big nor small... bumbledoodle & jan in wisconsin: Thanks for sharing :) I am glad you love the openess....Its very affirming. We currently have a full set of furniture in the LR(Sofa, loveseat, 2 chairs, coffee & end tables). In the FR, we have a loveseat, 3 accent chairs and the TV which is currently on a console. One wall in the FR is dominated by a brick fireplace, similar to the inspiration photo that I linked. So I guess we will have two separate seating areas, even if we open up the rooms. Prob. one will be near the fireplace and another TV watching area.... lynninnewmex, nanny2a & bronwynsmom: Yes, I def. plan to check with an architect if its a load bearing wall or not. I've read (in cote de texas's blog) that if you put in a doorway, it wouldn't cause an issue to the structure as opposed to removing the entire wall. Is this right?? palimpset & pps7: Thanks for letting me know that traditional homes have open architecture...I never knew that. I didn't grow up in this country, so a lot of it is new to me......Now I feel better that I won't be really messing up with the integrity of the house :) Scanmike: Thanks for sharing your pics. You have a beautiful home. I really love your sunroom..I wish I had one and also some new kittens :) susanilz: I think we'll be here for atleast the next 5 yrs...Maybe 10 yrs...I don't have the energy to move anytime soon...So I guess, it makes sense to make it into something functional for us.... vampiressrn: We don't entertain a lot...But def. a few times a year, we have large gatherings for 30+ ppl....Maybe we'll be more prone to entertaining with an open area...I am feeling really pressurized cos we're having a formal gathering of nearly 50 ppl...Its a prayer meeting, so everyone will be sitting together in the same space unlike a party where ppl can move around... Initially, I was considering putting in only a regular doorway (with a french door or pocket door). But after committing to hosting such a large gathering, I am really at a loss on how we're going to accomodate everyone. This was the trigger to everything..... jamaraz: Thanks for sharing your experience...I am scared about the unknowns...Sometimes I think I am opening up a can of worms :) monablair: I am not sure it would work for us. Like I said, the FR has a fireplace and has a very cozy vibe..Maybe I could place some seating around it and have some bookshelves against the adjacent wall to create like a reading/library room (similar to the little reading nook in Somethings gotta give)....I love my books :))) awm: Thats exactly the look I wanted initially. But somehow DH is against the idea of french doors or pocket doors. He wants a more open feel I don't know if I should really listen to him. He doesn't hang out obsessively in design forums like I do, KWIM :)) He's pretty clueless when it comes to design..... How wide do you think that opening is in the pic?? I initially did want doors. But I am not sure how wide the opening would be if we put in doors(like I said, we're trying to accomodate nearly 50 in one space) Also, with french doors, I am thinking if it will hamper the space/furniture placement when we open the door. tomorrowisanotherday: Yes, I really don't want to lose real estate value...I will have to somehow figure this out and make it work.... dlm: Thanks for sharing your pics :) Your french doors are so gorgeous...I don't have any in my home and I really love the look of one :( teaforwendy: We do have a door connecting the FR to the breakfast nook & kitchen. Its not as open as I would like it to be but I don't mind it too much for now...Maybe it could be a project for the future...... kjmama: Yes, we did talk before :) Infact, I searched and pulled up your thread yday to get more ideas. How's the doorway working for you?? Are you done with decorating? Any pics to share :) Please keep the ideas coming...Right now, I am def. leaning twds putting in a doorway...Our "handyman" is coming to take a look tomorrow...But I need to check with an architect about the load bearing aspect of it before we start on anything....Will keep you all updated and will also, try to figure out how to post pics meanwhile..... Thanks once again :)

Pricklypearcactus - that is a pretty sofa. Were you thinking that I'd put the long part of the sofa down the wall opposite my currnet sofa and have the chaise stick out along the kneewall? dd50 (and everyone else) -- I'm glad you all agree that this is a tough room - I was afraid I was just missing something obvious. I think maybe (maybe this weekend, if I can sweet talk the hubby into helping, LOL!) the best thing for me to do is drag the chair and ottoman out of the room (not so easy, as the chair folds out into a bed and is very heavy!) and try putting other stuff into the room -- I can borrow the sofa and chairs from the formal living room and play around to see what looks best. I wish I had the ability to picture stuff in my head without actually having to see it in front of me, but I just don't -- I have no spatial visualization skills whatsoever. (Anyone else have this problem?) I've tried and tried with floor planning software and photoshop and cardboard boxes and painters tape and still, it always looks different (and usually worse!) than I expected in real life. So my only choice is playing dollhouse with real furniture, which my dh hates. But I just remind him that it's cheaper/easier than having me buy the wrong size furniture over and over. If I do get the chance to rearrange, I'll take pics of the different versions and you all can vote! Oh, about the TV. It's relatively new and not a flat screen (the built in area for the TV is taller than it is wide and most flat screens are wider than they are tall, so in order to get the most screen size, we went with a regular TV -- we're possibly the last people on earth to buy a new non-flat-screen! I've considered putting a flat screen TV above the fireplace but a) the fireplace is very much a 1700s colonial farmhouse style mantel and a big flat screen would ruin the look and b) the woodstove that's tucked into the fireplace pretty much heats our entire house all winter, so that mantel and everything on it is boiling HOT for half the year -- I have heard that so much heat is not good for electronics although some sites I've seen say TV's are ok above working fireplaces, so who knows?? I assume though, that our woodstove probably cranks out a lot more heat than a regular fireplace for a lot longer period of time (we'll burn it for a couple months straight without letting it go out), and that just seems like asking for a fried TV set. I did think about getting one of those slide-out swivel mounts so we could pull the TV out a bit and swivel it for better viewing on the other side of the room -- that would solve the TV viewing issue, but I know that the TV would always stay pulled out -- we'd never slide it back in cause we're lazy like that -- and I think that might look bad. Also, I was worried that with the TV slid-out on a mount, it might be dangerous for my kids (they could pull it down on themselves) but now that they're older, I guess that's not a concern anymore. So maybe I will also look into one of those -- anybody have one or know of good place to find TV mount type stuff?

Since you have the header, it'll never truly be one room anyway and so husband's fake beam idea will work. But don't think of it as fake beams. Do skinny walls on each side, each just long enough for some artwork--about the same size as the header. What texture goes on the new wall? Uhhhh let hubby figure it out.

Not understanding the "half wall" comment -- hard to give advice without knowing what the rest of the layout looks like. Right now the wall and doorways control the flow of traffic in a certain way. If/when you remove the wall, what will traffic patterns be like? Let's assume you can successfully relocate the heating and solve the flooring issue...appears that you have pretty large rooms, and will have the opportunity to arrange and rearrange until you find a furniture layout that works for the space. You might consider finding an on-line app or use a furniture store's app that allows you to put in a room's dimension and then put in furniture and move it around -- it's kind of fun.