you could leave the bench there and do a little coat hanging thing above it. for the larger space, you could do a more significant builtin w/storage, cubbies, hangers for school items, etc.

It’s a little hard to tell from the angle, but the trunks seem too small under the mirror. I think whatever you put under the mirror should be at least as wide as the mirror. Which do you like better, the mirror or the trunks? I’d start with that area and then see how it dictates what happens with the art on the opposite wall. Right now, the art to me is fine...not wowing me, but fine. I’d probably be more inclined to have one larger, more colorful piece there. Love seeing pics of your pretty house!

damiarain: We use the nook just for group milling, and often flip the counter stools that live at the kitchen peninsula over to the counter on the pony wall... this works well for parties or TV viewing or casual just-us dinners... or laying out a buffet or appetizers. But I've always thought it was a waste of space... it's not a very big area though... not big enough for furniture other than stools. But the pony wall and the multiple entrances really break up the space. We were not planning on changing kitchen layout. It works well, just needs a serious cosmetic facelift... too beige & faux-Tuscan. I prefer contemporary and clean lines. Also the travertine floor tiles are super cold in the winter. So we'll install hardwood floors that match the rest of the 1st floor. I'm trying to talk my husband into painting the cabinetry (which we'll keep) but so far he loves the wood look. The bay windows are 22" from the ground on the inside. We can't extend the FR to include some of living room. These rooms are on opposite sides of the kitchen so not contiguous at all. Did you mean the nook area? The FR is sunken because of the dropped ceiling. so it's hard to integrate with / extend into anything else. The LR is a wonderful room in the front of the house with great light... somewhat of a large formal LR which is less practical these days but it's a very sweet space that looks out onto the view. We always try to move guests into that room but everyone congregates in the kitchen/nook area! Swapping the FR and DR is an interesting idea though I think the DR is too small for a FR... it's narrow, opens up to the LR and is dark. You couldn't watch TV in there, as no wall is far enough away for viewing... my husband LOVES his TV;) But it would likely make a really nice kitchen.

alex9179: I like your setup very much! I don't have trouble with asymmetrical things when they're done by someone else. I just have a major problem creating the setups myself! I'm going to keep playing around with the arrangement, but in the meantime, I do like the vertical version much better. Thank you thank you!! =o) hollybar: Yes, the table is directly across from the door. This is why that vertical rug orientation is definitely most practical (and suits the size of the room best, as well). Part of the reason I love the black tones there, is because I know a light rug wouldn't stand up to constant shoe traffic. But yes, looking at a poly rug for sure! As for why the folksy pieces... nothing wild: We like farm animals (hubby loves chickens, I love cows), we like the blue (our dining room is blue and is visible from here, I thought it'd be cool to tie that in), we like the black frames (seemed to make sense to add some black because of black table), and we couldn't find other pieces that we liked, which we believed would work with the arrangement. Clearly, these don't either, but we didn't realize that. I'll see if I can find something else! Thank you!