From your description, I'm not clear on the layout at all...when you say put the tv in the small back room are you talking about the area in this room by the sliding doors? A sketch of the room with dimensions would be helpful, esp for you as you try to lay out furniture and need to decide what fits and what doesn't. I know you said you want a more formal area for when you host guests, but I think, given the toddler, you should start with function first. IMO, a house should give the most space to the maximum utilization. So if you will be needing play space and tv space which will be used on a daily basis, then that should take priority over a formal seating area which may be used less frequently. Rather, there are ways of combining both functions...keeping a play area with toy storage, perhaps by the slider and then incorporating seating and family TV time and entertaining around the fireplace. Regarding the windows, I would suggest that you treat the lower windows as you wish and ignore the upper windows. The vaulting in the ceiling has some odd shapes and some of the window placement is awkward, so I would ignore them ... pretend there is line going around the room where the lower ceiling is and don't decorate above it.

I am a fan of neutrals, but in the case of this room, you need some color. I would find a rug with gray, beige and .....pick a third color. I would find an area rug to place over the carpeting. Gray can complement a variety of colors. Then you can pick up the third color from the rug and start placing it around the room. If possible, I would move the big recliner elsewhere. It throws off your seating arrangement. I don’t like of mirrors over a fireplace. For me, mirrors should either reflect a view from outside or serve a purpose such as placed where you to see yourself like in a front hallway foyer. Art over the fireplace, and a more substantial end table.

I'll be decorating a newly built craftsman-style home with an odd-shaped entry hall due to the room configuration on the left side. The floors will be a medium shade of hardwood. The hall is 8 feet wide at the entry door, widens to 12 feet wide where the guest bathroom, den, and guest bedroom create a half-octagon on the left side of the hall due to an indentation, and then narrows again to 8 feet after the guest bedroom. I will put a table on the right entry hall wall but the hall still seems too wide for standard runners. What width rug or rugs to use? Do I ignore the half-hexagon shape? How many rugs for such a long hallway? I would appreciate any help offered because I'm really confused. Thanks in advance!

Your dilemma reads like a math story problem!!! (I was horrible at them!). Please post a floor plan.