The beams need to be believable and in the correct places to appear as if they supported the structure or they then become the odd looking items if just thrown in where convenient. Having a cable supported pendant passing closer to a beam is just a reality of working with structural support that doesn't line up with interior features. Perhaps if everything was designed from scratch you could have perfection. If the breakfast/dining area was pushed out you could make the island longer or scoot it over. Not likely right?

Why thank you! We pulled up that carpet about 2 hours after the tenant's last walk-through. It was one of those moments where you just sorta say "wow" quietly...and then rush to the other room to rip up a corner of carpet in there! It's been a ton of work - much of it redundant or unnecessary as we learned - but very rewarding. I'd guess: 2 hours to rip up the carpet 2 hours for the tack strip 8 hours (?) for all the staples - God, the staples! 4 hours to reglue the loose pieces of inlay 4 hours to cut new pieces for the missing ones 2 hours to cut and place plugs for the larger holes 30 minutes to do it again with white oak 8 hours of sanding with the big-boy sander 3 hours of hand sanding under the rads 6 hours of applying finish Somehow, 39.5 hours doesn't seem like enough, given that it's been a 6-month process...I guess when you isolate just what went into the floors, that's about right, though. MPEDrummer

Wow, lots of great suggestions! Responses/clarification: gwbr54, does your suggestion include just a single panel per window, pulled off to the side? That's what it looks like in your sketch (thanks for that btw). I won't have room for art above the TV, as it's quite a large TV. I do want to get a nice wide canvas above the couch however. I was also planning a barstool at the bar area. I like the idea of a console table, or I could also fit a couple of small colorful ottomans between the window wall as suggested by some. Not crazy about turning the rug though. sueb20, I could probably paint that wall in between the brick. I can always paint it back if needed when I move out. What color were you thinking? mclarke, yep, those are small radiators under the windows (very common here in NYC). If I were to cover them, I'd almost need to cover the entire opening from the window sill to the floor I would think. Where do you get perforated metal like the picture in your post? I kind of like the idea, but I'd need a lot of metal and would have to come up with a way to make nice cuts and mount it properly. Not to mention, there's a knob to control the amount of water being fed through the radiator and I'd be blocking access to it unless I came up with a design that allowed for easily removing the covers. pricklypearcactus, the only opening to the room is a wide opening from the kitchen from where the pics were taken. There isn't much more room for anything but the couch and floor lamp I already have on the couch wall. I could probably fit an end table if needed, but it would be cramped and my coffee table is probably sufficient. I also don't want to put the couch on the opposite wall, as it would look funny b/c the center wall (white wall) between the brick juts out about a foot. I'm guessing there used to be a fireplace there or something. htnspz, I'm worried that 2 leaning mirrors might look odd. The room is small and I wouldn't want to be able to see any possible reflection of myself while seated on the couch. The room already gets a lot of light during the day and the mirrors would also block a lot of the brick which I like. General comments (in response to items that have been suggested a few times): There's really not room for a chair in the room - it would be really cramped between the coffee table and the wall. I could however fit a couple of those small colorful cube ottomans that I've seen at stores however (or one slightly large one). I also don't know what kind of effect blocking the radiators below the window would have. Also, I have a hanging lantern (asian style) floor lamp in the corner. It looks more like the "sun" in the pictures I posted, but those pics were taken at night. It seems like everyone likes the curtain panels idea, so I'll do that. Do I need 2 panels per window or just one hanging down on each end of the room like in gwbr54's sketch? I'll also definitely be getting a large canvas above the couch and I like htnspz's idea of going with something abstract and organic vs. harder geometric shapes since my rug already has plenty of that. Something similar to the picture teacats linked to (which I like), but longer/wider and on canvas. I also like the idea of a colorful bowl with pebbles or something in it for the coffee table. Now, the big question is, do I go with 2 small cube ottomans on the window wall, a bookcase, or a console table? I probably need something to bring some height into the room more than I need the additional seating an ottoman would bring. I'm already planning on getting a bar stool over by the bar and in all honesty, I probably wouldn't really have more than 1 other person (i.e. a date) in my place at any given time and we can both sit on the couch. So, bookcase with storage vs. a leaning bookshelf (no storage but I like the look) vs. console table with something on it to add a little height (maybe a plant on the table since several people liked the idea of a plant)? I could probably do a bookshelf or console table AND a couple of small colorful cube ottomans to block the radiators a bit as well if need be. Thanks again for all the suggestions!!

Ditto what Annie said. You are talking about the structural integrity of your house and it looks like you have a second story, and you probably also have a basement. By removing the wall, the beam needs to support the floor above and the roof. And if you're in a "snow zone" that has to be factored in as well. Another thing, walls are distributing the load from above to the floor or foundation. When you remove a portion of the wall, you are creating point loads on the floor or foundation, which may require additional work to your foundation in the form of footings or additional beams below. These are examples of how removing a wall can get complicated. Maybe you are already aware of this. I hope so! Edited to add another thought I wanted to share regarding openings to let in light. You're only going to get sunlight during the daytime. How often are you home during the day when you can benefit from the daylight? Painting the paneling and better lighting in the family room will to wonders for making the room look brighter. Also, consider replacing the back door with a slider. That will allow more light into the family room. This advice is coming to you from someone who is considering taking down walls to let more light into her dark family room. :) But I've been in my house a long time whereas you haven't even moved in yet.