IMO kids toys and games need to be in their rooms taken out to play with and put back. How often do you need the desk or can what you bedone at the table or on the counter in the kitchen.I would need to see what the kitchen is like do you have an eating space in there too. How old are the kids? I see what looks like closets in the hallway what are those doors? IMO start with the TV and the seating for that since it is the base need for the LR. The DR looks like it can handle a bit bigger table maybe a rectangle or if the table you have has a leaf then you don’t need a new table. Ikea does as ystem called Besta it is made to customize for your space and can hold the TV give you storage and even a bit of display if you want it. As for the kids school space can you get 2 kids to share a room to allow a bedroom to be used for this purpose since they all need a space and all the stuff you need for home schooling takes up a ton of space for 3 kids. I think moving the DR toward the LR might allow for school space where you have the dining table .Then the TV on the pony wall a sofa and at least one cahir in the LR space .

I'm not a professional but suggest that you should get area rugs to define the different activities you need in that space, i.e., eating, TV space w/seating, etc.

Agree with Patricia on every point. Kids toys/games need to be out of this space. Virtual learning environment in different space as well (bedroom). Otherwise your kids stuff will overwhelm the entire house (happened to me).

Unfortunately there are really no other spaces. The bedrooms are tiny and already shared, the kitchen is tiny and does not have room for an eating space. We recently had flooding in the finished basement that will take us a long time to repair, so this is what we have to work with for the time being. I figure if people in tiny apartments can come up with clever uses of their space so can I? (Turns out I am not that type of clever, unfortunately.)

On the living room seating/tv: I struggle with this because the tv really can only go on the half wall or the wall opposite, but then the couch seems very far away from the tv and I seem to lose room for other things. If I try to float the couch closer to the tv it cuts the room so there’s not quite enough space to do anything with the leftover.

From what I can see the best potential spaces for putting a few desk is either along the back wall of the dining room or the half wall of the living room. I was thinking that moving the dining area to the center of the room might help because I’m never sure what to do with that “dead zone” in between.

You might be onto something wirh moving the dining up a bit. If you do then you have the rear wall to use. Even if bedrooms are small, kids are small too! Playtime can be in their rooms, school time on the dining table. Use the space under beds to store toys in tubs. Kids can get things out to play with, it doesn't need to be available all the time. Not knowing how much is needed for homeschooling, I can only suggest a set of drawers which have some depth, one for each child, where items can be stored when school is done. If this is the only item on the rear wall then a play space could be a rug along this wall. Europeans do compact spaces very well, by having spaces multitask and not having designated places for one activity. So your desk would be the top of the drawers, not a separate table. I have noted that it works best when items are returned to the designated spot. So at the end of a schoolday... away it goes. Same with toys, done playing ... return to the bedroom. You might have to give yourself time to adjust to the TV being a little further away from the couch, so the floor space remains available.

Yes! Thinking about this more, I could use the dining table for remote learning for the older girls as long as there was a well/designed space to put all their stuff afterwards. I struggle with creating homes for things like that, leading to a cluttered look that really results from lack of planned storage. I‘ve been wondering if some library shelves might work with a small round dining set centered on that long boring wall. My kindergartener could use a large coffee table for her workstation as long as she could sit with her legs underneath.

Then the back of the room I could design almost as a continuation of the kitchen with a long counter, and storage above flanking the window, for doing projects, puzzles, etc. Only issue is the window is too low for something counter height.

I‘d love to see some suggestions for seating and tv area. I have a lot of trouble with that because when I position things for good tv viewing it seems to close the room off too much and lead to traffic jams.

I wouldn't be looking for open shelving, because that will only become messy and continue your cluttered feeling. If looking at open shelves, then ensure you can fit closed boxes or baskets on the shelves, and any storage should fit well, not leaving large gaps between the top edge and the shelf above. Too small and it will be counterproductive because one can see the odd and sods within it. Another thought is you could place a long desk under the window which fits between the storage for schooling and keep the dining table for dining.

These are beautiful, concrete ideas. Thank you. We actually have a small th console quite similar to the one you pictured, but it never occurred to me to flank the picture window with desks. I‘ll have to mull that one over!

Just move yourself, your family and your furniture into the house and life will dictate how you want to use the space. Let it flow in a natural direction all of its own. Let it become where you do your living. If you predesignate, you will find yourself conforming to the house. Live there and let the house conform to you and your family. It will speak to you, over time.

It looks as if you have many possibilities and that you are thinking outside the box. Good for you. It looks like a nice big space to do a lot of family living.

I am finding that things like desks are a hot item at the moment and are getting hard to find.

What is that brick business in the corner? It is hard to see what it is.

I agree with one poster who advises you to store sundry games and art supplies and such behind doors. Those are the things that contribute to a cluttered look if there are too many of them.

1. Long wall cabinet on the longer wall facing stairs. Lots of shelving and drawers etc. to store things and wooden baskets above cabinet.
   L- shape sitting area in front of this.

Next to this small desk /work station for the adults.

2. In dining area facing kitchen . Two Billy type bookcases (from Ikea) on either side of the window for all kids home schooling etc.

Large dining bench type table with benches so after meals can be used as home schooling area.

3. Near lower wall of stairs place tall plants to prevent smaller kids going to that area. Plus, it will look nice.

Other ideas : if space, place a console table behind the L shape sofa ( if you decide on one) or whatever.

Add rugs to define living room space.

Best of luck!

4. Brick area, not sure if this has a purpose? If not consider adding shelving. Use for either decor or extra storage space.

Which way are you envisioning the l-shaped sofa? One “arm” along the window with the other on the side near the short wall? And the adult desk area on that short wall? I like the division of space you’re talking about, just unsure of the arrangement.

And yes, that brick area had a stove once upon a time but apparently it wouldn‘t be to code to replace it, so it’s just a weird space. I have a small shelf there now but am considering adding better fitting shelves there

I would have the pony wall wired for TV. You have 19' there, so a chaise sofa and 2 small swivel chairs could float in a "U" in front of TV. Center them with the window and ground them with a large rug. Here's a cool storage coffee table you might use as an alternative desk. Behind the sofa, put a large/tall closed storage piece on that wall. On the wall space between the TV and dining areas try a pair of desks for the older girls. Then outfit the dining room for meals and occasional projects that have to be laid out to work on. A round table will be more favorable to family conversation. Put the keyboard under one of the dining area windows.

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Nesnesis Modern Round Lift-top Nesting Wood Coffee Table with Drawers, White/Black · More Info