I see starfish in the windows, a sailboat on the hutch, and a picture of a lighthouse on the floor. It would be so nice to have a home that has the ambience of a coastal retreat. The long white TV cabinet in your idea book would be perfect, and would go nicely with your white chair with the curly arms.

You may wish to re-post and be a little more clear about your question.

I'd try and see if you can come up with tables that aren't a set. It makes it more visually interesting. Also, think about doing a round coffee table instead to break up all the linear. This is a livingroom I helped a Houzzer with that I think is somewhat the style/vibe you are trying to achieve? Note the round coffee table. We started from scratch with everything and the rug was the 1st thing we focused on. Then we built the room from there. So I would also tell you to focus on the rug before the tables right now. As if we bought the tables and they were wood before we selected the rug, the rug would not have worked. And look how great it looks in this space. The deer head though ended up in the stairwell-lol. Have you checked Craigslist and Facebook Market Place? You may find some great finds on those. Especially if you are in a market where there are a lot of 2nd homes.

May I ask why you want to eliminate the higher level? My experience in several houses with kitchens and family rooms that are open to each other is that a visual block to prevent a view of the work counters is a great feature. I’m a pretty neat cook, but there is an advantage to being able to sit in the family room without seeing the makings or aftermath from a meal from a package of thawing meat to dishes that haven’t been put in the dishwasher yet. This is an especially nice feature if you have guests or family visiting.