You've gotten all the choices so far. I can only add one more thing. Can you become very, very good friends with your neighbor? Somehow if she knows you and your cat, the noise won't be as disturbing. I can't imagine your cat running for hours on end. Also, if you get to know your neighbor, you too can be more considerate of distracting your cat when you know your neighbor is still sleeping, or having friends over etc. She too will understand the need for your cat to play, at least sometimes. We have noisy side neighbors. My neighborhood is turning over to young families which is fine. And, I don't mind hearing kids shout while they play. But….it is the dad that is the issue. They play soccer I think and if a kids doesn't hit a goal the dad yells OOOOOOOOooooooo. But in a friendly way, like you almost got it! One day, this went on for two hours. I timed it. There is nothing we can do, and luckily we have breaks when they are not in the yard. It just shows you how one family's enjoyment can greatly be affected.by another.

I’ve been shopping for a desk. Evidently not many furniture stores have a wide selection and they certainly don’t give them much floor space, if any. I also want an odd size, to further complicate things. I would so much prefer to sit at one before I buy it. Finally I had to shop “ backwards “ . I found the desk I want online and then found a furniture store that sells that line. I really prefer to go through a store so I have someone to call if there is a problem. Furniture and rugs are among the things that I want to see IRL, but it sure requires a lot of leg work. Otherwise it is Amazon for me. I do shop at my local hardware and pharmacy for convenience and to support them but for price they cannot compete with the chains.

Have you considered entirely removing the door from the hallway entrance? That gives you more flexibility with sizes. I really prefer "C" but much will depend on what you can find that is ready to go, especially if you're looking at antique rugs. I would not worry if the area in front of the bedroom door were just flooring. Here's a company provided by "This Old House" for a squeak stopping kit. Check it out and see if your husband could work with it. Maybe someone you know could send it to you if they don't ship overseas.

I think both sides might be too much; I like where you've placed the 3 together. It's impossible to know what colors would work since we don't know what you like or what colors are in the rest of your home. I'd probably find art I love, then find a rug that complements it. If you do that, you can post back here for help finding the perfect runner. You can do it the other way around (rug first), but there are a gazillion rug choices. It may be harder to find just the right art.