Lukkiirish, yes I suppose you would say it's a bilevel. The main entrance is 3 steps down from the living room... You can see the steps on the left of the second picture. Down the curved staircase, which you can see straight ahead in the first pic, is the basement. The first picture is the view directly coming in the front doors. Bronwynsmom, I adore mirrors and have seen so many that I love. My only hesitation is that there are double mirrored closet doors in this space (you can just see them in the right of the second pic). I just wonder if another mirror would be overkill? I do like the idea of going bold on the large back wall... Perhaps a large piece of art? And I definitely need to put something large-ish on the smaller ledge, as whenever I've left it empty, it's become a drop zone for my kids various junk :/ There is up lighting above the area on the right of the first pic, and above the closet. The light fixture is a hanging fixture, so I'm thinking a mobile probably wouldn't work. Fwiw, I would probably describe my style as transitional. I plan to stain the maple hand rail etc, when we replace the floors with a darker hardwood. Thanks so much for the ideas!

Oh, great ideas! I have some fairlylarge paintings I'm not using, but they are all landscape orientated, not portrait. I have a very large mirror - blfenton, I'm usually the first one to say "mirror is a canvas, whatever it reflects is the art on it" -- so what would I be reflecting? The "formal dining room" (turned home office) and DH pounding away on his keyboard. :) I like the idea of a trunk. I have one that is just sitting somewhere, but it's not large enough (think more the size that you'd keep to the side of a sofa). I will have to keep my eyes open. Do I use faux greenery - yes. A lot. Do I like to admit it? No. Do I really think anyone really believes I keep that pothos perfectly green in a bathroom with no natural light? No. :) Lazy Susans are very 80s to me...but so are tv trays and I certainly have a stash of them! Functionality knows no decade boundaries. :) I saw some interesting candleholders at TJ Maxx today in colors that would go with my overall decor very well. Not exactly the right style, but probably about as close as I will get. I'm finicky. :(

oh, ok, that's better. yeah, I'd incorporate the entire space and build up underneath the stairs. do a nook or desk area for the kids. why don't you look at 'built ins under staircase' ideas and look at all the pics? you could easily enclose that one side that steps down. bring up a wall and have all sorts of things. imagine this one wall going up to the stairs and now you have this enclose little bench/reading spot I'd probably remove the step up altogether and take it down level w/the floor. you'd still keep your step at the beginning of the stairs, but this one portion, make it like shown above this make sense? extra storage if you level that 'stage', then you could do something like this w/pull out drawers and a little play area so many cool ideas. but definitely remove the step-up

Measurements of the hallway…add another photo which includes the front door.