Caminne, that is a BRILLIANT idea, because I definitely need as much bookcase space as I can squeeze into every room, and at the moment there are no built-ins. Now, les917 cautioned against putting something just to the left of the door as you come in (i.e. on the living-room side of the door), to avoid cramping people (or dogs) as they step around the door, which I think it good advice. But if you look at my floorplan, you can see that there's quite a bit of space between the front door and the front wall windows. Floorplan: I think it should be possible to put a bookcase so it more or less lines up with the left side of the entrance to the dining room, which is about where I'd want the living room rug to end and the entryway rug to start. (Not describing this too well, but will try to photoshop a furniture-arranging floorplan soon.) In any case, I think that would leave plenty of clearance to get around the door - more clearance than you'd have in the entry to most historic rowhouses around here, anyway. That would preclude using the big desk as a sofa-table-type room divider, but I think it would solve two serious storage problems at once. I wonder if it would even be possible to have two bookcases back to back, with one facing the living room for books and the other offering baskets for leashes and mittens and whatnot on the door side. I'm thinking maybe about 36" high - high enough to make a divider, but low enough not to block light and to make it easy to put things down on top of. Hmm....

I have anew gray currently in my bedroom on the walls and alabaster on the trim. I think it would be beautiful to have the trim and perhaps the door also sw anew gray and the walls alabaster. Another look depending on the height of your ceilings, you could paint the ceiling anew gray with alabaster walls.

groveraxle Thanks a lot!! You are so skilled with editing! I think you should get paid by houzz since you're giving an awesome contribution to design dilemma discussions. :) Although I like how the 2nd and 3rd look, I think I'll go with the first option - for the convenience - it's easier to open/close that doors and in summer I can leave them opened and turn over curtains to have protection while opened. I think I'll try to extend it out of frame despite that nasty beam...funny thing, a year ago I would put curtains as low as I can because I haven't know better, and now when I do know, I can't, lol :)

It's a great space! Have you thought about finishing the ceiling? That would certainly make it feel cozier, though I know there are lots of logistical and economic reasons that might prevent this. I'd divide the space in two and make one end into a family room/home theatre space with a big tv and comfy sofas (maybe one could be a pullout as an extra guest accommodation spot?), and keep the other end as the kids' free play area and your gym area. I'd probably get some shelving/cabinets for toy storage so the kids can use this as their space to really make a mess with toys and then have somewhere to tidy them into. In my home I need to use the basement for misc other storage (eg camping gear, tools, out of season clothes, rarely used specialty kitchen items), so if this was me I'd set up a storage area as well. As your kids grow up, a basement is a great play area and teenager zone. A perfect place for your kids to have their friends over to watch movies, hang out, eat chips, practice for a group presentation, host a rock band rehearsal, plan a sleepover... all while staying out of your main space and minimizing mess in the "nicer" areas upstairs. We have an unfinished basement and plan to dig it down and fully refinish it by the time our kids hit their teens for exactly this reason (we've got time though, I'm currently pregnant with #1). My husband and i both lived out most of our teen social lives in our own and our friends' basements, and have fond memories.