Can you open any wall so that the walk through part is not through the middle?

Dianalo
We are not in a place currently to be doing construction and need to work with what we have...

Very pretty room! I like the color and the trim is very nice :)

I think your french doors are your natural focal point. If you're thinking of using a game table, I would center this in front of the french doors and swag the chandelier over, so it hangs above the table.

On the wall to the right of the french doors (on the wall to the bedrooms) I would put a hutch/storage for games, books, office supplies, anything that you would want to have by the game table.

In the corner, between the front living room and the kitchen, a couple of comfy, upholstered armchairs might be nice...with a little table between them, in the corner. The perfect place for a cup of tea or a game of chess.

On the opposite wall, between the french doors and the kitchen, would be a good place for a desk, dresser, maybe even a place for a small TV, depending on how you wish to use the space.

Hope this gives you some ideas :)

Thank you for the great ideas. I will give it a try. Anyone else want to chime in on an arrangement?

Could you please stand in the center of the room and take a pix of each wall? It really would help a lot to see the whole space, rather than just a couple of views of the center.

Also, what furniture do you have that you want to stay? Are you in a position to add pieces, or is it strictly working with what you have? Are there pieces in another room that might come in to work here?

From the look of the sketch, it seems that your main seating might be anchored from the corner which is the top left in the drawing. Perhaps even try the couch at a diagonal across that corner. A round rug to break up all the rectangles in the space, a pair of chairs opposite.

The desk where you have it now, with a floor lamp and chair that can be pulled out for extra seating.

On the wall opposite, either an entertainment center if you have tv in the space, or a game table with another pair of chairs.

Well, I'd like the loveseat and little soft chair to stay. I can't buy anything new really right now, but am open to future ideas. I do have some dressers, little tables and a couple of desks I could play with, all inherited:) The dresser I was thinking to add is wide and counter height. I thought we could put art supplies, games... in it.

Thanks for your thoughts.

OK - Here are some pics:) I did a bit of playing last night

From couch looking to kitchen

Now back towards the hall

From center looking towards front living room

Had to step back from couch, but looking towards the outside wall

Two diagonal:
From hall down to bedrooms

From opposite corner, kitchen side

As Les said, the best wall to work with is to the left as you enter from the LR. Start by placing the sofa on an angle and work from then.
From the location and access to the kitchen, it looks as tho this room was meant to be a formal DR. Do you have a DR elsewhere?

Send more pics after relocating the furniture.

Can you take try the loveseat on an angle (in the corner between the kitchen and living room) so we can see if it will fit?

I think annz makes a good point, that this may be your dining room. Where do you have your dining table, now?

Would you be willing to paint a few things? It's always hard to tell from photos, but the desk and desk chair don't seem to match the other wood tones...they look much more orange. Also the "hutch?" behind the loveseat might look better painted. Again, hard to tell from a photo.

I like the brown upholstered chair and the two wooden chairs. The sewing table is a neat find, too. What's that piece of furniture, behind the other wooden chair (in between the living room and kitchen)?

First of all, forget the idea of a 'focal point' for now. See other threads, especially Magnaverde's post, about focal points.

What you need to do is find the arrangement that is best for the way you will use the room. Also be flexible with the furniture you will use in this room. I see some chairs in the LR, could you put the loveseat in that room and use those chairs in this one? Or make other substitutions that may work better than what you now have in the room.

If you need to use the loveseat I suggest you try it on the longest or 2nd longest wall. IMO it just looks weird in the middle of this room. While I actually like floating furniture this room is too square and too small to do that. Once you've established a good place for the loveseat then move on to the second largest piece and find the best place for it. It may not be the 2nd longest wall because there may be other requirements. Just do the best you can, there are few perfect rooms or perfect arrangements in this world.

Once you've found an arrangement that works for the room's function and is fairly well balanced you can move on to wall decor (which can improve balance) and at that time a focal point may be obvious. Please post pics at that point for further help.

BTW I love the color of the walls, care to share what that is?

You actually have two spaces/areas to develop. You living room -- and this area too.

Therefore -- let's start with function -- and how you want to use the rooms.

TV? Reading? Entertaining? Dining? etc. If you want to watch the TV -- where can it be placed for maximum usage?

Would you be willing to move furniture from the living area to this area? For example ( JUST an example) perhaps move the rose-colored chair into this area to use with the sofa here.

Could you provide photos please of your living area too?

Just some thoughts -- hope you don't mind!

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Thanks everyone!
Luckygal, the paint color is Ellen Kennon Sage. I really, really like it. Glad you do too;)

We do have a smaller dining room off the front living room, but have considered a table, as lavendar suggested, near the doors.... maybe doubling as a game, project, bigger dining when needed table. We don't actually have that table though - lol. The room might make more sense with it.

Jan, I always appreciate your thoughts! I will think about moving some of the other chairs. My hesitation is that the front living room is really our friends and family gathering room, so I was wanting to keep the softer chairs in there. So far, my little family has not used this back room much and I'm hoping to make it more useful. Of course, for a good bit of time it was the box room!

Oh, let's see, lavendar, the desk is kind of orangey. I don't want to paint it because it was my grandmothers. I may just need to find another place for it. The hutch could stand painting. My husband and I found it in the trash our first married year and painted it as is:) Funny memories.

Hoping I answered everyone's thoughtful replies...

Anyhow - here are some more pictures trying out that back corner. Sorry about the blurriness. I think our camera is acting up.... or it could be stress from moving - haha

This isn't exactly right, because I still have the desk behind the loveseat, but it gives an idea:

I like the loveseat on the angle, in the corner, with the little upholstered chair. Do you have a little end table to go between them? Someplace to put a lamp and maybe a cup of tea or other beverage. Eventually, a little ottoman or coffee table would be a nice addition.

I like the desk and desk chair on the wall between the kitchen and the french doors. I think it will be fine, without the other wood furniture next to it.

I still think a little game table and chairs, in front of the french doors, would be a nice idea. Then you could put a dresser or hutch on the wall behind it, for storage.

This would give you three ways to use the room, without blocking any of your traffic patterns. Hope that helps :)

Yes, another vote for the diagonal. Place a rug, a small table & lamp and it'll come together. I don't think the second chair (with wood) is necessary and it could be placed on the other side of the doorway.

I would put the desk/chair along one of the other walls with artwork above it and another lamp.
The sewing machine base could be put on one of the narrow walls, by itself, with a large piece of artwork or mirror above it.

I think the loveseat against the wall and the little brown chair where you have it works. What is throwing everything off is the skirted chair. Remove it and replace it with a different chair. Maybe use the skirted chair at the desk.

Yes -- that corner seems to be just the spot for a cozy reading/conversation area. Consider bringing in the rose-colored chair into this arrangement. Add a small old oval or round braided rug to that corner to bring it all together.

Try flipping the placement of the desk and the taller cabinet (the colors of the cabinet work very well with the colors of the fabric of the loveseat)

Yes -- once you move the desk over the other wall (with its own current desk chair) then take the skirted chair and angle it into the corner on the right-hand side of the door. Add a desk lamp here. Add a large bulletin board above the desk (you could cover it with burlap) for family photo display.

When the taller cabinet is now on the small wall to the left of the French doors -- add cream-colored pottery (check thrift stores) and lots of books.

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

OK, I have no pictures... but here is what I've done:)
I moved the skirted chair to the bedroom.
We tried the diagonal and just could not get into it.... so I moved it to the back kitchen wall and that seems to be a good place for now.
I did move the taller cabinet at teacats suggestion.
We brought a dresser in and put it on the long wall near the french doors.
The little orangey desk is seeming not to find a home.... :( I am debating it vs. the taller cabinet on the wall left of the french doors.

Now, just have to find a table for the near the doors...:)

I did think about Magnaverde's rule of decorating for the life you have, and since we have no table....:) Maybe the loveseat will go back to the middle. Still playing with all this... taking my time.

Anyhow! Thank you very much!