First of all, your color scheme is perfect for a reading room. I say that because that is almost exactly the color scheme in DH's man cave, and it's cozy and inviting. Have you considered shelving on brackets for the walls flanking the fireplace and the short walls perpendicular to those walls? That will give you plenty of bookshelf space without conflicting with the mantel or heating vents. You could put a door stop on the French door to limit the swing. How often do you use the French doors to the living room? Can they be blocked with easily movable furniture so that you can make use of the space in front of the doors but allow for the doors to be opened without too much of a hassle when needed? Here's a suggested layout. I included two Leathercraft chairs and ottomans that are comfortable and small scale enough so that you can fit two in the room. They're not cheap, though. But fhey do have wheels, so they are movable.The H&M reading chair and ottoman are much larger, and you could only fit one ottoman with two chairs. Here is a link that might be useful: Leathercraft chair and ottoman This post was edited by suero on Fri, Feb 21, 14 at 12:12

I prefer the more squared seating that I suggested, in part because then a majority of the seating is facing outward to the view. In the angled seating, the two chairs have their backs to the yard and are facing the house. I think it also gives a more open feeling, and eliminates that 'seats around the campfire' feeling of one seat on each side of the centered table. However, everyone knows my mantra is "your house, your choice'. You live in the space, and you have to love how things are arranged. If the angled seating works best for you, then that is the way you should use it! Just wondering, leaving things angled as they are in the last pix, could the square table fit flat against the railing between the two chairs? Or is it too large? That might open up the seating - you could add a side table at the end of the loveseat if needed.

How fun - I actually really like the layout, and think you can absolutely make it work :) Do you particularly want a separate living and family room section? If you don't frequently have guests over to watch movies/sports, you could easily put a tv on the wall where the red leather chair is, and make that your living/family room. Then you could slide your dining space over towards the "family room" area on your diagram (Unless the hard floor vs carpet makes this too awkward.) I bet you could add a lovely reading nook in the corner or desk/workstation (by the window next to their tv station) while still leaving plenty of room for a dining area. If you have to leave your dining where it is because of flooring transitions, or if you want separate living/family room sections, I'd still put the tv in what's labeled the "living room," while in the "family room", you could have an L-shaped seating area in the corner with the seating against the wall (instead of curling in the room middle like their white leather sectional is). That'd open up the room a lot, leaving a good walkway into the "living room" Seating in the "family room" - Like this, without the chevron chair

Patricia Colwell Consulting: Floor, Mannington "Century Pebble" LVT, needed to be rigid core. Looks like terrazzo, light gray/tan. Thanks for reminder about "stuff". We are wanting to keep the space fresh. Getting new furniture, decor is taking weeks, even months these days. Only piece I'm emotionally attached to is table from family but that will get update. The space out door will have a deck, then be integrated into green space, plantings of perennials (pinks/whites), trees, bird baths/feeders, open country, sunsets. New fire pit. Privacy isn't a huge issue but will want to have an option. It's also NORTH exposure/back yard, gets mid to late afternoon sun. Trees and distance to the neighbors. Room is for relaxing, decompressing, restoring, staving off winter blues, enjoying a meal with nature. I want to read/art/music, my guy wants tv (I don't but I won't win that battle). It will have a Tiara II Heat N Glo direct vent gas stove in the corner. It is very comfortable.