maybe a better question would be: what design "styles" does this 'vanilla' house lend it self toward? If we stain the porch wood, we're craftsman which seems to not fit, right? man, i thought we had an idea of style, but this choice has thrown everything for a loop.

A 55" TV is only about 48" wide. I really think the sofa should go on the wall and the TV should go above the fireplace. Otherwise, you have to choose between awkward TV viewing or an awkward sofa location. eta: I just read that you never use the fireplace. You could put the TV on a console in front of the fireplace (gasp) I know. But I think you could make it work if none of the fireplace was visible.

@Tammy Baker: wow. I really like that red color. That's exactly what I want to do with our entryway! I'm going to be painting that this weekend too and have been looking for something just like what you shared! Please share the source of the photo (I need more photos of colors that go with stained trim) if there are more. I have this stained wood trim all throughout the house and I agonize over color choices because of it. If the trim were white, picking colors would feel less daunting.

Realty photos are always a little stretched to make spaces seem larger, so it is difficult to get a sense of the room's scale. Is the front entrance in the stairwell area opposite the FP location? I'd say the light/wine rack area was originally designed as a dining area near the kitchen. Do you need to use it that way? For a family friendly corner, it could become the spot for a game/snack table or bookcases/rocker/reading lamp for baby time. Have the light moved or removed to your liking while you reno. You haven't mentioned or shown us your furniture, but a 3-seat sofa and two armchairs are a good foundation for any living room. These arrangements could work well around the FP, leaving the TV where they have itm as these are all swivel chairs. In the 4-chair group, you could do swivels only on the TV side of the grouping.