I have looked and looked at this room ..... Sooooooo .... I do love the painted room above and the brick fireplace ..... and I would paint out the mantel in soft antique white too so it blends into the whole thing. Do consider painting out the brass on the doors because that shiny brass (although I do like shiny brass) tends to be the focal point of the room. It draws the viewer's eye right to it. And I like the original artwork on the mantel -- although I would hang it up so it gains a bit more height to balance out the really high visual "weight" of the fireplace. I liked the sofa in its original position facing the fireplace. I really did not like the two tiny chairs on each side of the fireplace. The chairs are lovely BUT are way out of visual scale with the fireplace. Next -- I would move the two green chairs to the right-hand side with the small table (and lamp) between them. Play with the placement so that one of the chair "fills" in the area on the right-hand side of the fireplace. I would remove the mirror and chest on the far right-hand-wall behind them IF necessary to make this arrangement work. This arrangement would allow the maximum TV viewing PLUS allow for conversations. Look for a smaller chair to sit on the left hand side of the fireplace OR simply put a large basket filled with throws etc. there for now. For an example of how a chair would work there -- simply experiment by trying an arm chair from your dining room. Just try it to see if a chair would work there! Just some thoughts! Hope you don't mind! :)

Can the fish tank sit on top of the record player? Those could go between the windows. Personally, I would have put the TV on the wall right of the FP where you have the whatnot shelves and would have floated the two loves in an "L" out in front of the TV/FP area. The chair and ottoman would go in the recess by the closet for a quiet reading nook. Add a bookcase and lamp to flesh that out. You can still try that arrangement, but there is not much space for seating within easy viewing distance of the TV when it is high, smushed in to the corner and adjacent to the stair area, doors and traffic path. You might seriously want to reconsider the TV placement for optimal use of the space with your current furnishings.

Hi Nita, For a family room with large openings like this, you might want to consider a circular/organic shaped sofa as a center piece and leave the circulation around it . Because linear sofas are difficult to align with the walls, and they would not be as successful in creating a center place where the family can gather together. Hope this helps!

Yes, the layout RL suggested is best with a sectional. If placed the other way, which you said you liked, you would always be walking all the way around the sectional to sit down. Also, if you don't need the french doors to get into that room, don't be afraid to push the sofa/sectional back, not right up against the doors, but maybe a foot or two away. You could put up fabric on the other side of the doors with rods on the top and bottom. Or use a decorative screen. Or remove the doorknobs and put two pictures up on the doors like they sometimes do in front of a bookcase. Lots of options to gain more room if the doors are not needed. Google for some ideas. Would love to see what you end up doing.