If the other side of the room is for dining, then is this a formal living room or for TV watching.

I think we need to know the dimension of the wall before you reach the opening.

Sofa and chairs near the fireplace. Table near the kitchen.

Tell us why that doesn't work, and provide us with a floor plan with measurements, and photos of your furniture in the space.

Paul F’s changes plus partim’s furniture suggestion! 👌

I would paint the fireplace the wall color vs. dark because the room is already quite narrow and, at a distance, it could look like a dark tunnel.

The beams that run the length of the room are way too skinny. I'd either remove them or paint them the color of the ceiling to make them disappear.

I agree with tozmo1 - the beams are skinny for sure. They must be cosmetic and certainly not structural. I'd find a way to been them up, if possible, or replace them with larger beams if your structure is able to support them. Good luck!

what if you switched LR and DR spaces so your dining table is in front of the fireplace?

Thank you all for the suggestions. I was hoping I could just work with the orange so I wouldn't have to repaint the brick, but I guess it's just too odd. I'm not really in a position to make big changes like redoing the beams, the house had termites and major termite damage that was not disclosed (OpenDoor owned the house). The inspection company didn't catch it and when we brought it to their attention all they did was offer us a limited time discount on termite treatment. We tried to find a lawyer but I guess no one wants to go up against OpenDoor. So we've already had to completely demo and rebuild two bedrooms and the laundry room, the kitchen is next. Our savings are wiped out. Priority after the kitchen is replacing the poorly installed floors as they are now breaking apart from being walked on and my elderly mother has fallen because of them.

Bummer about the termite damage. What state are you in? When we lived in California we purchased a house that turned out to have major termite damage, not visible to any inspections. We contacted the seller who told us she had always done an annual termite treatment and basically said, "so sorry, not my problem." We contacted a consumer protection agency in California who contacted the termite company (it was a national one). After some discussion between the two, the termite company agreed to pay to repair the damages since clearly their work done for the previous owner was faulty and did not prevent termites.

You may not need a lawyer to get some resolution. It really depends on the laws in your state. If you haven't already done research with previous owners, see what you can find out about previous termite treatments.

All the best to you. I know this feels defeating but hang in there, at least you were able to purchase a house and hopefully can build that savings account up again soon. Take a break, enjoy the outdoors during the summer and get back to painting in the fall.

Just a thought about flooring. Not sure if you have made a decision on what to replace the existing with but I saw some vinyl sheet flooring that looked absolutely fantastic! It looked so much like wood, I had to touch it at the "seams" to make sure it wasn't. It was at my veterinarian's office which has a large open waiting room. Even in that setting, it looked like real wood. My point is, don't discount a less expensive intermediate solution that is not a trip hazard just because some folks will say it's 'cheap."

You gotta do what you gotta do as you renovate your dream home. Keep Momma safe!

Save up and deal with the safety things first, then work on a floor plan. A floor plan would have to consider your lifestyle. You might want to flip the living and dining areas. A table near the fireplace might be nice. I have my dining room table near a fireplace and I often sit there to do jigsaw puzzles.

Sorry to hear about your termite troubles. You have to deal with the structural issues first, which I am sure you are doing. I understand how the fireplace bugs you though, that orange is terrible. You will feel much better when you fix it. All you need is some paint. If you still have the wall paint just use that and erase the orange. Or go get a gallon of an off white or neutral paint and do it. It will take a few hours of your time but you will feel so much better!! You did something about it and you see progress from your own hands: exhilarating! If you can dont stop at the fireplace, paint the beams as well so they dissapear. As far as furniture placement, mssg a sketch of the entire main area with measurements and pics of the available pieces to work with for more help.