Here is my advice, even though I'm not really in a position to be offering anyone advice since I've been in my "new" home for over a year and a half and still have only made significant progress in decorating about half of the rooms. Anyway, I would suggest that you do one of two things to play with ideas: 1) use an on-line room planner (available from many furniture store and home websites) or 2) actually mark out areas on your floor with tape or cutouts. I have poor spatial reasoning and have found both approaches really helpful. My personal opinion is that a single sofa and two chairs are a better option than two loveseats. Loveseats are awkward seating for two people who are not a couple. Also, I assume you were planning to put the two sofas perpendicular to the fireplace (facing each other) or have one facing the fireplace and the other perpendicular to it, but having the sofa facing the fireplace with chairs on the sides is another option that might work. Also, I've seen some "apartment size" sofas that are slightly smaller than a standard sofa but larger than a loveseat. The configuration and size of my family room and kitchen are similar to your space, but my breakfast bar and fireplace are in different positions. Good luck with your decsions!

I think that a dining table should have comfortable chairs. Benches are the worst! No back support, you are sharing with other people so you can't pull the chair to your comfortable distance from the table. PLEASE consider a set with comfortable chairs, or purchase them separately. Many furniture stores sell them chairs separate from the table, find a table you like and then find chairs that go with it. Make sure there is room for the chairs under the table if the table has a drop underneath. Dining should be a comfortable experience, not a torture chamber, even if it is just for the kids! I am with Kswl on every point, including the black for the color.

I think I would also be like you and need to paint while the house is empty. I think the suggestions above are good ones. Also look at Revere Pewter, a Ben. Moore color that is very popular. It's a warm grey and you can do a search and find it here. Also, a neighbor of mine just painted her living room and hall a color called Dune Drift in the Seaside Collection by Valspar paint, sold at Lowes. It's a very calming color that is a neutral greyed green. A great Ben. Moore color that a few friends used and I love (and wish I used it in hindsight) is called Bamboo Shoot #1529. The other colors on the same strip as this that are deeper in color are also beautiful (Ocean Pebbles). My daughter just painted her bedroom BM Coventry Grey,a beautiful grey (cooler grey with a trace of blue). She says she feels like she is living in Nantucket. Beautiful with white molding. I have seen photos of most of these colors on this site. I don't like how the colors show on My Perfect Color, so don't check them out there. Sorry, I don't know any specific colors by Behr, but they will match anything because the color formulas are in their computer.

Ok I'm convinced to a 60" round, hopefully with drop in leafs for extra seating. I spoke with the table maker today and he's on vaca until Saturday so we'll touch base early next week and finalize plan/start the actual build. After all the recommendations I'm thinking too that I'll only purchase 6 of the chairs and use my existing wooden ones for extras. We aren't big entertainers and would mostly have just another couple to host but this will provide a slightly more cost effective solution for when we do entertain more. @maggieq & @cyn427 @jjam - thanks for the chair info! Yikes about the experience with the Hudson chairs, esp for how pricey they are! I've heard such mixed reviews about the overall quality of RH, either wonderful or awful, but I've been coveting the Martine for so long that I'm cautiously willing to give them a try... And hope at worst I could have them brought to a re-upholsterer for future modification over buying fresh set at that time. Thanks again everyone, this has been Hugely helpful! :-)