Your drapery panels should keep a nice drape even when closed. I doubled yours. I moved your pendant to the center of your dining table, enlarged and lowered it. I removed the head chairs. (They are a great addition to my own dining room; thank you very much.) I chose simple black and white prints for over the sofa so as not to compete with your fabulous canvas.

Can you stand at the French door and take a picture of the side that we haven't seen yet? In one picture I see a shelf of sorts to the right of the dining table. Can the whole dining table be moved to the right? Or, can the dining table be turned so that the short side is actually touching the wall, with 2 chairs on either side? Remove the shallow buffet against the wall altogether. like this. I also have a long narrow dining table, and I often move it this was for parties. table against wall ideas

I would relocate the TV and sectional and embrace a play room/dining room.

Glad you like the idea about rotating the toys! I find that even smaller toys and especially books benefit from rotation. The smaller out-of-rotation items can just go in a bag under a bed. And I find it works best if the items disappear during sleep times. Otherwise it can be stressful for a child since they don't yet fully appreciate that these things will be returning.

So is this sitting area not the main living area and perhaps was originally the dining area only? And thus the reason the pendant is off center?

Is this where you mainly watch TV and hang out?

Now that Hubby has agreed to put the canvas in the dining room, I hope you can get him to change his mind back. ;-) The art really is spectacular in the light, and it fits OK over the sofa. I will find you something else for the dining area wall.

Regarding arrangement, I don't mind the sofa pushed against the window as long as you leave space for the curtains to hang. It seems to leave enough room (barely) for the head dining chairs, which looks better than three chairs on each side.

I think it's time to invest in a new dining light and swag it over to the center of the table.

Now here's an idea: can all or part of the kitchen island be used to hold toy bins?

I have a rendering for you, but Houzz will not let me upload. I'll try again later.

Grover- I've been having similar problem today and yesterday. I'm able to post product out of my Ideabooks but not Sketches nor will it allow me to do a Sketch. Houzz must be messing around with "things." I guess they don't understand we are still "working" here and need our tools :)

Ha-ha-ha....

Like what you did to the place, Grover... Perfect!

You could make more effective use of the space in this room, if you changed the swing of the French doors to the living room. You need a really wide corridor to include that space. Could you have the doors re-hung so they swing into the living room? Then you could move your dining area closer to the living room, and leave plenty of space for play in the nook between the sofa and the dining table. Or, you could keep the dining table close to the sofa, and use the space closer to the living room, for play. It might not be a bad change, because you have more space there.

We changed a door swing when we reno'd and it was not a big deal. It might be easier than you think. It would be worthwhile to "enlarge" this room which is doing triple-duty for you, at relatively low cost. If you change the door swing the dining table can go fairly tight against the radiator, and be pulled out a bit when you have guests. Or, do you really need the doors at all? Maybe at this stage where you need a play area in close view, you can remove the doors and replace them in a year or two.

I have found that large canvas bags work very well to store children's toys. I use the kind with handles, that have a zip across the top. They're often sold as beach totes.

It's also easy to clean up because you just pop everything into its
proper bag. I stuff the zipped-up bags onto a shelf in a closed cabinet in the living room. I had the idea when I was looking for boxes to fit exactly into the cabinet, and couldn't find them. I can fit the bags in any old way. It turns out another benefit is that they don't take up any room in the play area when they have been emptied out, as a box would.

I have one for books, one for stuffed animals, another for misc toys, one for blocks. beach tote

I like the idea of removing the two end chairs. Like Cheryl, wondered how it would work/look if you turn the table. Your space is really nice, but it's the little bits of clutter here an there that is making me wonky....and I'm not a neat freak by any means. I think clearing away any excess will make a big difference in your tight space.

ETA: taking a look at the pics again, I think I like the table as it is but removing the two end chairs. I think if you turn it will stick out too much, but I think I'd try it anyways and just see. You can always turn it back.

I missed that the island is moveable. That creates some interesting possibilities, for sure! I don't think there is room for it to be a free-standing island, but how about keeping it attached to the wall where the clock is, but turning it so that the doors open towards the living room. That takes away a bit from floor space in the kitchen, but only you can tell whether this is a workable solution. It takes that space and gives it to the middle part of your room, the play area. Then you could put the play kitchen in the play area.

I like your idea of snugging the dining table closer to the living room.

I wouldn't keep the play desk in front of the French door. You can't see it from the kitchen, and it should be in the play area to define that area, and to keep the kids stuff from spreading everywhere. I think you have room if you remove 2 of the dining chairs. You could try turning the table either way, with 4 chairs, to see what looks and fits best.

Speaking of defining the play area, do you have a rug or play mat that could go there?

As far as your original idea of having a radiator cover/TV unit/toy
storage, now that you have changed the location of the play area, and
found toy storage in the island, do you need to take up floor space for
this? If you don't build in a unit, you could put one or both of the
dining room chairs beside the TV, to make more space for play. If you
have built a deep storage area, you may not have room.

To make the TV wall look attractive, add a shelf that's about a third wider than the TV, then hide the radiator with a simple ventilated box that is painted the color of the wall.

Keep an eye out for a child size wood desk. It would look better, fit the space, and meet the need. Ikea $30 for table and 2 chairs.

I would be interested to know if the table itself, without chairs on the short ends, would block the walkway. I agree with Cheryl that sometimes you have to experiment a bit with layouts, and get used to them. Tweak if necessary.

I prefer your art over the dining room table. The warm colors work better with your table than with your sectional.

Don't hang any art until you have explored a few different arrangements.

How does it feel in real life. Too tight?

I think I would leave the play kitchen where it was, to the left of the TV, and put the desk against the wall in the play nook. Then remove one of the 3 chairs that's beside the play area. Those changes will make more play space. Or could you put the play kitchen between the French door and the other door, facing the kitchen? Not sure if there is space there.

Good idea to put the larger piece of children's furniture in the nook, and find another place for the smaller one (the kitchen). Looks like it fits to the left of the TV just fine.

The shelf below the TV (which could be separate from the rad cover, or part of it) should be at least 1.3 times the width of the TV. This one is custom. But you can buy them pre-made too.

For single play, try this layout. When friends come over, you can move the play kitchen out of the play nook and put it beside the TV if you need to, to allow more room.

Since the dining table + play area will likely be changing over time, I'd put the large piece of art over the sofa, where it has the best light. For the dining + play area, I'd suggest installing a picture rail at ceiling height, then hanging the pictures from it. That will let you move things around as your needs change, without filling your walls with holes. Maybe row of black and white photos, not too small, would look good across that wall. You can buy all sorts of systems and hooks. https://www.decoraid.com/blog/best-picture-rails

There's a nice spot for the toy bags to the left of the desk.

Looks good. You'll be making small adjustments as the children change their type of play and type of toys.