1) I would get rid of the armoire/cabinet. It has a lot of bulk with very little display space.

2) Build out a wall right in the middle of the arched space. This will give you a wall on the kitchen side for art and a wall on family room side for the TV.

3) On wall where you had bulky armoire, get a long narrow console and hang several pieces of art above to make an art gallery wall. OR do shallow shelf units to display collectibles, books, nick-knacks, etc.

You will then have a lot more flexibility on your seating arrangement.

I agree with @chispa but for get #3

just add a large piece of art and more furniture.

cozy up the room by pulling the pieces closer together, facing the fireplace/TV

Omg this room has so much potential!!!! I’m obsessed!! Such a cool space. I’m sure your house has so many charming features… love it 🤎🤍

In the living room. I’d remove the built ins. Unless you really feel you like them… then, I’d fix them up and remove much of the detail and repaint them ….

I’d put a lot of focus on the fireplace wall. Either close it in. Or open it up.
And stucco or go with something simpler instead of the stone…

Then I’d get a new mantle and have the TV over there. With a big cozy sectional facing the fireplace.

I’d leave the wood ceiling.

Replace the light fixture.

Beautiful home! I’d go in a lighter direction for the great room..I’d paint the coffered ceiling the same white as the trim as well as the cabinet in the arched area. I’d make the area under the arch a cocktail/coffee/dessert bar. Then place a new lighter sofa/end tables/lamps on the large wall with two pairs of chairs in different styles between the sofa and the fireplace, with a round cocktail table in the middle. I’d tuck a “large as possible” tv on a small media cabinet in the space to the right of the fireplace. And yes new drapery panels at the windows.

Agree with chispa's assessment and Susan's idea for painting the ceiling (inside of the coffers at least.) I suggest you try this arrangement with the new TV/FP wall as the focal point and the art gallery/console wall behind the sofa. These are all swivels, and you could go for a 3-seat sofa instead of the two-seater shown here. You may have room for a nice family game table too.

Kiawah Family Home · More Info

Thank you for your responses! The pictures make the room appear bigger than it is so at most I could fit is a sofa and two chairs. I do not see me getting rid of the TV armoire unit. It is a very expensive Habersham piece. Unless someone wants to give me $$$ for it😬. There is a lot of display area/shelves and they are adjustable. I love the idea of changing the mantle out even though I like it, but definitly needs to be lowered. There is NO wall space except the wall that unit is on. The arched pass thru next to the FP is a bar cabinet and on the kitchen sode has wine rack and more liquor cabinets. That countertop has to go as I jave never liked that.

Thinking you need to keep something just because it is, or was, very expensive can really stop you from moving forward. I have Habitat restore picking up a great leather sofa next week that cost around $10K. I just don't have room for it and the color doesn't go with changes we have made. I hope someone else will get to make use of it and enjoy it. It did take me a couple of months to call to have them pick it up. Good luck with your project.

Sorry…when you originally said the Habersham Unit was deleted, I didn’t realize you meant its depth was deleted from the overall measurement, I thought you meant it was taken out of the space.

You say the room appears larger than it really is. Could you provide measurements?

May we have a picture of blueprints for that room or a hand drawn sketch with the measurements of the room including the French doors. That sure would help a lot. Glad you let us know that the Habersham unit is not being removed. I have to agree I thought the same thing. Best wishes.