Caligal, yes that cottage looks great. It is actually smaller than my house, listed at 900 sq ft. Here's another shot of it: Another thought is my neighbors turned the entire front of their house into an open porch, but they kept the enclosed area. However that's another project for another day (year?)... Loretta, I think your porch looks great especially since you use it regularly. In fact, I actually considered doing something similar- transforming my porch into part of my living room. But then I decided it was just too small to be worth the effort/expense. Marti8a & ellendi, yes that is the main entry way. I have a back door but I don't use it unless I'm going to the back yard :lol: I think I am going to open it up. Put some columns at the corners. Another note too- my front door I don't think I'll be able to replace it without tearing open the porch anyway. With the side lights it's too wide to fit through! Add this project to my to do list- tearing it open should be fun! Hopefully it won't cost too much or take too long to do (famous last words...)

Cute space with tons of potential! I would totally flip this room around. -Couch comes away from the wall, perpendicular to fireplace in order to 'define' the living room space as separate from entryway. -A shelving unit (looks like you could use some storage space) and a side chair or two in front go where the couch is now. -Get rid of those Ikea tall lamps. If you need lighting, consider something overhead, maybe a side table with lamp beside accent chair. -Desk comes away from the window (there is way too much stuff on it, looks like a dumping ground anyway) and gets put against the wall with the staircase. That way you also get a little defined work area over there. Bulletin board over desk and a filing cabinet in the corner can help to keep things organized. -Under the front window, add a bench with seating and pillows and storage for all those shoes. Get rid of your current shoe storage as it doesn't really work. -Get rid of those curtains on that window. Add a roman blind instead. Pretty pattern or white. If you are worried about privacy, consider window film for the window. -Add a small side table where the current shoes are for keys and mail. You would have a small area there to keep one or two pairs of shoes that get worn all the time, the rest get put away. -Get rid of that coat rack in the corner. Pair down coats according to the season and figure out if you can put some in temporary storage. -Add hooks to the wall on the other side of the door for purses and a few coats. -The other drapes in the room should reach the floor, not the end of the window -I'd put a pretty rug big enough to go under the front of couch and chairs and coffee table. -Take a few things off that mantel as it looks cluttered. Keep mirror (or change to piece of art), keep flowers on one side and two or three photos in frames arranged together and not spaced out.

There really is nothing farmhouse about your home's style. The roof is Spanish. From the front, the board and batten and casement windows are contemporary. From the side, the house looks like it was a Garrison Colonial with the overhang filled in at one point. The solid wall makes it feel more contemporary. The extra trim around the windows look like they were added on at some point. This is a good example of an authentic, typical farmhouse. If you were to remove the front porch, it would be a typical Colonial with an addition on the back. This shows the overhang of a Garrison Colonial. Here, the entrance is in the middle rather than on the side. If you're curious as to what your house was look like when it was originally built, perhaps you can get a copy of the plans from the office that issues building permits in your county. You would more than likely be able to find elevation drawings that shows how the house was meant to look.

I'm back and am sorry to have deserted this post after receiving such great feedback. Our family was out of town for a bit, and then we had school prep for kids, etc. I finally managed to rearrange furniture and have posted some photos here with my comments below them. As always, I *really* appreciate feedback. I'm ready for new furniture so I can post "after" photos! Thanks in advance. Current sofa - centered in front of fireplace. I DO love the symmetry this provides. It's a little more cramped near the entry than I'd like (see next photo), but might be okay. Still not sure how I would configure other furniture though. Space between centered sofa and corner as you walk in through foyer. Disregard furniture in the background. :) View of entry from great room. Sofa in the window. Nice to use that space, but I'm not a fan. It exacerbates the asymmetrical shape of the room, blocks the view, and isn't very functional. Centered sofa and chair and a half in front of window. The chair is too close to TV here, but this configuration might work with smaller, cleaner-lined furniture. Or possibly a sectional with short section in front of the window? From foyer. Sofa is pulled back as far as I would want without making the walkway behind it too narrow (see previous photos). View of chair on short wall with centered sofa. Note: I can't have two chairs opposing each other, because even if this chair was moved all the way to the edge of the wall behind it, the opposite chair near window sit right next to the TV corner.