ali-b, I used my tomato cages last year as hoop houses. I opened them up and arched them over my potager beds, then covered them with floating row cover. I had greens, lettuce, carrots, and onions all winter long. Our lowest temps were eleven degrees. The greens stood through that without any protection at all. I was delighted and amazed. For your climate, you would want a heavier cover, but the tomato cages worked great as the "skeleton" and the openings were large enough to reach in for harvest. As to size, my potager is just about right for the three of us (DH, mother-in-law, and me). We eat fresh food from it very nearly twelve months a year, and when I have excess, which I have had this year, I give them to a poor family in our church. They are so grateful since their landlord won't allow them to garden and fresh produce is so expensive at the grocery. I have 9 raised beds that are approximately 8'x3.5'. At the west and south corners I have dwarf apple trees. In other areas of the yard I have six blueberry bushes, a fig tree, and two plum trees (these are an experiment). I grow strawberries in two large tubs on my deck. I gardened in a traditional row garden for ten years or more. I hated it. I could never control the weeds and it was ugly (to me). I finally gave up and only went back to growing veggies last year. I stumbled upon this forum by accident and went straight to Amazon to buy books. I just love these little beds. It takes about an hour to clean one out, amend and turn it, replant, and remulch. Because it's so easy, I keep them in pristine condition and continually productive.

Do you want to see/hear the TV, while you're working in the kitchen? That answer would probably help me make a decision. As for dining/study, you could combine those functions without closing off the larger living/dining room, if you do decide to move the TV. If you leave it open, you can expand your dining table for family/holiday dinners and still have room for the study. In fact, if you choose a durable dining table (dress it up with a table cloth) it could also be a craft area for the kids. Some cozy upholstered chairs at one end could be a reading area and homework could also be at the table. If you decide to keep the TV in the 'media room' you could still combine the dining/study area in the current family room. You have two nice spaces, so IMHO you have a lot of options! Hope that helps :)

Ok. Been awhile and I'm making progress. Sorry, we're painting and repairing walls so ignore the stuff around. New nubby rug and a great coffee table. We are planning on ordering the 80" media console from West Elm. For now we've been doing the chair in front of the fireplace but I think it needs to be farther away if we actually have the fireplace on. If they are together by the window, do I need something on the opposite side or do I just move everything farther onto the rug? Did the SW color consult and planned on skyline steel in the entry, office nook and LR nook, with elephant ear everywhere else. Skyline came out horribly yellow up next to the fireplace (the picture is the second color we tried - Stormy Weather from Ace - that also doesn't seem to work). I would love to skip the grey altogether but it's all open and I don't know where to stop as it extends up and down the stairs... I love this new art piece and would love to put a color accent behind it, but that would mean a plain color for the entryway. The bench I bought is too blue-grey but I cannot return. The office adjacent to the entryway is a deep orange-red color. Will the stupid bench look okay against grey once I get some art up? We are planning on a pretty aqua/mint for the backsplash - you can just see my samples on the far right middle. I think it will look nice with the orange, and keeping the dining room the river way or something similar (maybe needlepoint navy). What should I paint the rest of the walls? One grey all around? Grey with lighter accents? Colors everywhere?

Waaay too long. Get a proper sized sofa and one or two chairs. It will look much better and be more versatile. If you want to put your feet up, you can get an ottoman.