Okay, let me see.......where did I file those pics of the pics.....duhhhh. Yaya, I will put my peabrain into gear and see what I can find. I did upload an album for the HouseMA, which means Massachusetts, which I'll link to below, but there are tons of IN PROCESS photos of the various rooms. But of the small parlor/living room, with that row of pics....which I love, BTW, for the subject matter as well as the frames.... I'll look for the best one and insert it HERE. Look for the albums about the Massachusetts Cape @ Webshots. I took the pictures with my digital camera the day we went to Mystic Seaport CT. It was in December, and the place was almost deserted, so there were no folks in the shots. As a boat captain, I knew of Mystic Seaport for many years, and I was in hog heaven being there. So the pictures meant a lot to me. The second image from the right is a bow shot of the whaling ship Charles W. Morgan, before it went on the ways/weighs to be restored/rebuilt. Fantastic and beautiful, a work of art. Then I saw the end of every bowsprit (pointy end of the ship) had a star carved into it and usually painted gold or sometimes blue. This is a tradition with old sailing vessels, a good luck sign, which meant "follow your lucky star," and I'd always, on every boat I worked on, painted a blue star (5 point) on the bow of the boat. It is a sailor tradition. I just love the traditions of the sea. Seeing one from the "old days" was awesome. That is why I love the last picture to the right. And, of course, I took some figurehead shots. You know of course the ancient mariners would strap a live virgin to the bow, as a sacrifice to the sea gods for their safe return. Eventually, they carved and painted wooden figureheads, not all female, as figureheads. I guess they ran out of virgins? If you have a chance to visit the Mystic Seaport, it is a real treat. Here is a link that might be useful: Moccasin's Webshots albums

I'm late to the game and I use Homestyler too. What fun the snapshots are! (especially the 360 panorama) You have some nice arrangements. I would probably skip the fireplace and put a chair there and in the future you could put a TV on the wall with a credenza (where the 2 small chairs are). If you skip the fireplace and do shallow storage across that wall, you might be able to keep a chair in front of the storage shelves. If you want to keep the fireplace, I would move it down toward the door more and put a plant in the corner or maybe some storage. I would skip a chair in front of the fireplace. (Why block it?) I would definitely use smaller scale furniture, maybe even with legs so you get a more open feel. http://www.homestyler.com/designer/251ab2d8-32cc-4a0c-a273-ee33f1fa79d2 You should be able to view this in 3D if your are signed up for Homestyler by copying the layout and opening it when you are signed in. Maybe you don't have to sign up??

@dh an absolute labor of love! Your house sounds like ours - old and beautiful transformed to...ugh. The previous owner bought it in 1990 and didn't update a thing except to add some bright pinky peach paint with a mauve rug. That was only one room but his "style" permeated the house. It was like a time capsule when we bought it! Good luck to you in your adventures...your house sounds wonderful!

Hey Mikeala, while you may have to make some compromises due to space restrictions, you can definitely fit a compact couch in the room. As @mindshift recommends, it would a good idea to keep all your furniture compact and as small as possible. I've made a couple of options for you here. (All dimensions are approximated from the images you have posted) For the first layout, I've eliminated the coffee table and added a slim console by the entrance, a wall mounted TV and an end table. You could also buy nested tables so you could stack them when they aren't being used. For the area by the staircase, I've added a tall bookcase and a couple of chairs for extra seating. adding a mirror would give a sense of a larger space, I've styled this room with modern furniture with a touch of hollywood glam. For the second option, the entrance is more open although the TV unit has been placed on the large wall. This allows TV viewing from both seating areas and yet separates the space. You may prefer this layout if you don't like the idea of having a living right at the entrance. I've styled this room with Scandinavian furniture. Do send us measurements and photos so we could further customize these for you. You could also add/ swap furniture and make your own layouts here.