Thanks Patricia for taking the time to read my post! I agree with the built-in banquette seating. My finance is pretty convinced that it's a great idea for big family dinners (which is funny since most meals we eat out OR eat in front of the TV since we live in a condo and it's only the 3 of us). As for the pictures, I took these with a wide angle lens, which unfortunately distorts the edges of the pictures (ie like a fisheye lens, but less severe). I took them like this to fit more of the room into a single snap shot. While the drawing isn't 100% to scale, it, for the most part it shows the correct scaling of the walls, nooks and crannies. We're mostly hoping to have general furniture layout suggestions to keep the room looking not awkward, with clean sight lines from walking up the stairs, out the patio and from the kitchen (far screen left in the diagram; it's cut off, but will be a full kitchen that has a pony-wall overlooking the stairs).

Once you have furniture in your space the chair rail will not be noticed on that side. It will not be the focal point. Your furnishings and artwork will be what people will see. Also, spaces that are completely balanced are not nearly as interesting as having a little asymmetry here and there imo.

So part of the appeal of RH style for me is they incorporate rustic, organic, industrial, or antique elements into a space that is mostly monochromatic but full of textures. Some characteristics of their style are oversized pieces, as large as the space allows. Large artwork over the sofa, often in black or white or an abstract. The largest rug the living room can hold. Statement light fixtures in every room. Natural fibers and neutral tones. Decorative elements that are large but fewer of them on display, often incorporating wood or metal. What about something like this for a coffee table?

How many people will regularly use the space? Just you? Family of 5? I think that makes a big difference. I lived 15 years in a DC neighborhood where basically every house had this layout, so I feel like I know where you’re coming from 😆 If it‘s usually just 1-2 people at home, a dining room table with one bench and chairs on the other side works really well. Keep it pushed against the wall with the bench underneath, but if company comes you can pull it out and have room for them. Another option would be to swap the position of the living and dining sections. Get a small round table that fits well in the bay window, and then you have the widest part of the condo for you sofa and TV. If you’re feeling handy, or have the budget to hire someone, you could build a banquette window seat into the bay, using kitchen cabinets (I‘ve done a version of this in every home we’ve owned, and I love it). That gets you both seating and storage, and it could look really cute in that space. Good luck!