les917 - thank you so much! I appreciate any and all suggestions. I am always unsure about where to place furniture, etc. After the flooring is installed, I will post a pic with some various arrangements and hope you and others will give me some more advice on how I can move things around. I've always wanted a small desk in that area where you mentioned. I'll post a pic below of the part of the LR you were curious about- the wall area behind the couch towards the window area. After seeing this pic, you may have some more good ideas to inspire me. My concern is, if I move the couch, etc. as you suggested, that opens up a huge blank wall that goes all the way to the ceiling.. Good, bad? natesgramma - yes, I think area rugs will be helpful as well as always mentioning the step to new visitors. groomingal - that's a very creative solution. Other people have mentioned lighting. I should look into this "built in" lighting idea. bodica mentioned rope lighting, too. cliff_and_joann - sorry to hear your father broke his arm. This is exactly what I am trying to avoid. I can picture wrought iron that tied in with the same wrought iron on the fireplace as being a good solution. lukkiirish - your holiday is next..St. Patrick's Day! Maybe, you're a Notre Dame fan? We're on concrete. I do agree for asthetic reasons it's better to keep the wood all in the same direction. Why did the designer or builder of these homes in our area (So. Calif-1980's) ever think these one step sunken rooms were the way to go? Your idea is another creative one that is going on my list of options to consider. Dh does all the work and I get the hammer,saw horse, hold the tape measure,get the level, plug in the extension cord...etc. When you installed your flooring, did you glue down, float, nail or staple? Dh is still not fully decided between glue down or float. marybeth1 - Thank you for the link. I read through it and it confirms ideas about lighting, furniture & rug placement, possibly a railing or bookshelf install, and visual cues to warn people of the change in levels. Wall behind couch in LR Vier of LR from DR Beam on LR ceiling

I love the high ceiling, it is a very dramatic space and I think a large chandelier/pendant light over the sofa/coffee table area would look great. I don't see an existing electric junction box in the ceiling in the photo. If you wanted to have one installed in the ceiling, it might be a costly project since they would run the wiring behind the sheet rock on the ceiling and need to install a switch somewhere in the wall. In addition, if you have popcorn ceilings (can't really tell from the image) and they need to cut away at parts of the ceiling to install the electrics, you will never get an exact match of the ceiling texture and you would probably need to have the entire ceiling painted. An easier and cheaper route would be to go with exposed conduits, which is probably not the look you want since it's not an industrial space - also whether or not this violates construction code in your area.

I like them, keep them.

What do you need to make it more functional? It's difficult to tell from the photos how much room you have to work with. I'd definitely want a small table near the door. Some people want a bench and place to stash shoes and coats. If a mirror would make it more functional for you, I wouldn't hesitate to hang one!