Holy cow what a makeover -- I was expecting an update on just the trellis structure. Beautifully done. I liked the original brick but your makeover is stunning. Love the trellis lower and dark doors/shutters. Amazing. Thanks for the blog link too -- interesting to see the progression. Enjoy your "new" home. LOL.

I don't disagree but assuming I left everything as is - I think the budget on a project like this would be more than I was willing to spend...I never realized how much split level homes irritated me until we moved here lol

I would wonder first if I wanted to match the white paint as in the kitchen (white?) also, if I love the wood of the kitchen cabinets and hardware to be able to keep a uniform base for the rest of the home. You have white trim, okay, great start to be able to open the space up. Rugs: runner at the entry, at least a 8x10 in the living area, and at least a 5x7 for the dining area. How about coordinating curtains for this space. Is the dining room a sliding door? Because the hanging blinds in the livingroom suit more a sliding door spot. Rather have blinds or shades paired with curtains if both just windows. Rods and knobs in a coordinating finish as the kitchen knobs. The round table in the rectangular dining space seems off. Would love to sneak a peak at your lighting fixtures. Your entry table setup looks nice, what is your style, the table in the dining space seems cottage, the sofas heavy, could we get more of a view of the other corner of the fireplace? How about a curio on long wall in dining area. A table with a bench on the kitchen side would be nice.

Your first photo is typical of how one must arrange a narrow room. A chair could be placed on either side of the fireplace, but the center of the room needs to stay open. Put an etegere in the corner where the chair is sitting. If you want to use this room for dining, put ONLY a dining table and chairs here. Your second photo shows that a dining table with a sofa makes for a cramped space that is no longer easy to walk through. How wide is this room from window wall to fireplace wall—10, maybe 11 ft? Sofas and chairs are around 3 feet deep. Their width starts around 25 inches, but arms can add 6 to 12 inches extra to the 20 inch average cushion size. Always take a tape measure with you when furniture shopping to make sure the piece will fit where you want it. Your description makes me think this room is seldom used. Perhaps 2 chairs facing each other in front of the fireplace with a small coffee table or ottoman between them. Place a chaise in front of the window. This might cause the path to meander just enough to avoid a bowling alley feel. For more possibilities, draw a floor plan where 1 ft equals 1 inch on paper, and place doors, windows and fireplace as accurately as possible. On a separate sheet of paper draw the outlines of furniture you want to place in this room. Label each piece and cut them out. Set them on the floor plan and move them around until you are happy with the placement. HERE is a site that offers a printable room grid and furniture pieces.