I like your bedside tables but they are too big for the current location. They feel too visually tight and the one at the door overlaps the door frame - against the visual rules, looks weird. I agree with DM. It looks to me that the wall to place the front of the bed is the one opposite the closet/bathroom door wall. I cannot tell if you have enough room at the end of the bed to do this. It need not be a full wall of solid fabric draperies. It could be translucent fabric. Check out The Shade Store or Smith & Noble Draperies. Or there is always IDEA for a really cheap solution. It's ok if you see the door through the draperies. That should do the trick to pull the room together.

Leave the mantle as is and put a tool set (or plant) at the left of the fireplace, as @palimpsest suggested. You could even mount a fireplace set on the wall using hooks or some other arrangement. That gets the tools off the floor and less likely to be knocked into (and knocked over). I mounted this set on our fireplace (43 years ago); I bought tools without handles and made wooden handles, then mounted them invisibly on protruding nails that I inserted into the mortar.

Is that a windowless kitchen? Don't let their furniture arrangement stump you. Think outside the box. Could your table go at the window with the heating unit? How does that unit work? Lots of people build something like a "topper" for radiators; would that work here to convert the heater to more of a buffet? Then place TV on the opposite wall with a four chair grouping out in front of the porch doors. Swivels would work well. Widen the bar at the kitchen for comfy stools. Ignore the fireplace this first year and see if you really need/want it. Maybe removal is a better option for you. Maybe later on, something like this would work for you on that other wall and the current fireplace could be eliminated.

I u sweat and why you want to take that piano wall out. It could be a game-changer in terms of expanding your layout options and being able to add an island is definitely worth serious consideration! But as other posters have pointed out, it does have some drawbacks. You are smart to listen to them all and weigh these drawbacks. The best advice is living in the space for awhile before making major changes. Think about what happens on each side of that wall and how you will manage without the wall there. If there are cabinets there, will the storage space you lose in those cabinets be relocated elsewhere, like the island? Will the type of storage function similarly? Island storage is low, and generally not as easily accessible as wall cabinet storage. There are pullouts and organizers that help improve function, but they only go so far. We’ve been in our home for 34 years and just recently (finally!) remodeled our kitchen. Our peninsula countertops had a stepped up design that I wanted dropped down to one level. I had to weigh the pluses of chopping that wall down: more open feel in a fairly small footprint, better use of space and more prep & serving area. The drawbacks: the stepped up area provided a spot for the coffee maker and other small appliances, had the disposal switch and two pairs of outlets and yes, did hide food prep messes and dirty dishes from view in the family room. I had to rethink where I would relocate the coffee maker and other appliances and how I would address the kitchen messes being more visible. And weigh each thing on MY scale, according to priorities. Ultimately I decided the more open feel and improved function of that work area was most important to me and I worked to resolve the issues that taking that wall down created. I have edited down the “stuff” I used to keep on my counters. We went from a double sink to a larger single bowl to have a better landing place for dirty dishes. Ultimately, after about 4 months time we are very happy with our decision to lose that wall and open up the space. Good luck with all your figuring and planning. This is such an exciting time!