Ballard Designs had some huge panel antiqued mirrors a couple years ago, I just looked and they don't have them now, but they were beautiful and I wanted a whole wall of them. If you think you might like to keep the mirror, I like the idea of trying to get the look Ballard was selling, by adding framing (even mullions maybe) to make it look like several tall mirrors, which would give it structure and vertical thrust, and antiquing over the smoked mirror. The ones in Ballard were so heavily antiqued they really didn't function so much as a mirror. To see if you like this, get some brown construction paper (hardware, paint or big box store) and make three big frames, tape them on. You could actually temporarily antique the mirror with some kind of water based paint that would come off easily, in the French dry brush look (paintbrush, dip in paint, blot it off so it's almost dry, then streak the mirror with it, maybe throw on a few flicks...) I do not think the mirror is making the room look cluttered. When you get your new floor in and the kind of furniture you want, if the room is beautiful the reflection is going to be beautiful.

All of the design and decorating kudos go to the GF! My son just went along and paid the bills..lol..she bought some stuff too.. and my DH and I just helped with the free labor!!! She really has decorated the house beautifully and on a budget.. in all areas except the floor they stayed in the budget we worked out prior to the purchase! Here are a few more b/4 and after.. dining room before.. I still have to get a new pic from that angle.. but next two you can get the idea after living room beforeonce again.. different angle.. but LR after - no more french doors, and wider opening master bath before.. REALLY UGLY!!! This is after.. but before the vanity and mirror were put in.. one wall of all subway tile, my husband did!! And crummy acrylic shower was replaced with tiled with frameless door.

Thank you for the suggestions @ decoenthusiaste, @ Momofthree Ma and @ Beth H. We are on a limited budget, so we won't be able to replace the siding. Do either of you have suggestions on the best way to add window trim? Will we need to have someone remove part of the siding and re-flash the windows to do this Also, do you have any suggestions for what we could do with the steps? We don't have a budget to build a porch, but could make some minor mods to this structure. We will be adding some landscaping this fall.

There is no problem having the look you want since proper balusters and newel posts are engineered to be sturdy when installed properly on sound steps. The problem is that your carpenter is not familiar with the technology.