Center the rug with the fireplace. Take the bookcase out of the left corner of the room and put that in the space between the kitchen and FR, where the console table now sits. Move the sectional down toward the fireplace, (after centering the rug), add an end table to the outside of the chaise part of the sectional. Someone sitting there wonâÂÂt want to move to get a drink off the coffee table. Be sure there is a lamp there as well, to light that corner of the room. Move the armoire to angle in the corner where the sectional was sitting originally. Use it for storage, perhaps add shelving or even a pull-out shelf for a computer center which can be closed up and put away. The piece is very nice, and gives good height to balance the fireplace and high ceilings. For now, try the console on the wall to the right of the fireplace, and place the new flatscreen on that. Later you may prefer a more substanial cabinet, which can hide other components and store DVDs, etc. If you do that, then try the console table behind the part of the sectional that has its back to the kitchen. Add a comfy upholstered chair in the corner, a bit closer to the fireplace, where the armoire was, along with another small side table and lamp.

Georgia, we ended up doing Latte throughout. I love it. They are finishing up the painting today but I'll post pics tomorrow after the chair rail is done. We also did red (SW Bolero) in the art niche and beneath the chair rail in the DR. We left the kitchen color the same since it goes with the Latte and is a bit lighter. I plan to get some very colorful window treatments and window seat cushions and pillows to make the kitchen nook pop more, rather than doing the kitchen in a different color. RG at 50% was pretty light. It was very similar to the Blonde, but with a slightly different tone to it. It also looked lighter than Blonde to me. I hear you about repainting. I'm kicking myself for paying another $200 to get the LR repainted just a week later LOL. But I would rather do that than hate my LR, KWIM? Good luck!

Beautiful home! The set up you described from your friend would be my obvious first thought. It's classic and I think would be very versatile. However, to me, that fireplace just calls for two oversized squashy armchairs angled in front of it! In that case I'd want a shared arm table of some type between them. If there's more of you (I see baby items) you might consider a smaller U shaped sectional with the fireplace at the center point. In that case I would add a console table behind the back of the sofa towards the dining room entrance since a coffee table would be harder to fit. I also believe you need some type of console table or cabinet along that wall opposite the fireplace. I don't think seating would work there so I think it needs to be cabinetry of sometime. As far as sizing, there is no substitution for mocking it up. Use masking tape or old cut out old wrapping paper into the size of some furniture you are looking at. Practice walking around, view it from different angles, etc. As far as what color for any arm or console tables and whether they need to be dark like the dining room, I don't think you need to match the dining room. From the photos it seems that it will read as a separate room. However, with how much light colors you have on the walls and fire place, etc, I think I would still gravitate towards a darker table.

As far as arranging furniture with the columns, I would tend to ignore them and group seating around the fireplace. You are always in good company with a more flexible 3-seat sofa and two upholstered armchairs (or swivels.) I think a sectional will just add another complication to the space. What is opposite the fireplace? Are there any floor outlets near the columns or actually in them? Is there any electrical wiring in the bulkhead above them? They might be interesting if lighted. You could also install some glass shelves between the two that are near the exterior wall. Lighted from the top, that would be a great display for something like colored blown glass. As for the lighting, you can find less expensive variations on those. Scaling them for your room size will also lower the price somewhat.