I know you said you did not want to switch rooms; but since you like the look of the sink in the bay (the outside views are awesome), it may be worth exploring. If your DH is like mine, change is hard, but he comes around eventually. Perhaps posting another thread that asks people to weigh in on the two kitchen locations with a mock layout for each might get DH to consider the possibility if he can read what others have to say concerning the positives and negatives of each kitchen location. Many people are remodeling to get a larger kitchen space by eliminating two sit-down eating spaces in their homes. Thus, If you switch the rooms, I do not think you would have to “stage” a formal dining room if the time comes to sell. The larger, well designed kitchen would be a major selling point. Keeping the kitchen in its current location does not gain you a whole lot more space for the kitchen because of the traffic patterns; moving the kitchen to the dining area gains you much more kitchen space. You gain the space for family friendly island seating, and the kitchen does not have to be in a location that “fights” with the traffic patterns of your home. The generous dining space combined with the larger kitchen space would be awesome to entertain in. One negative would be carrying groceries a tad farther but not a whole lot more. ;

I like Manon's layout the best. In your current layout (where you just moved the furniture), pull that chair out of the corner and closer to the sofa so that people have to walk AROUND the seating area instead of THROUGH it. Please do not buy one of those combo TV console/fireplaces. They are truly an abomination. It you want a fireplace, install an electric or ventless one on the wall, add a mantel shelf that's longer than the TV and mount the TV on an articulating arm. If you don't do a fireplace, mount the TV anyway so you can turn it to watch from the sofa.

1) wall may be structural 2) you may have to replace all the flooring if you remove it, unless you have more on hand 3) I'm confused, because it looks like the dining room is already in the main space, up by the kitchen/window where there's a chandelier hanging down. then I see two ceiling fans worth of LR space. the more enclosed room to the left looks like an additional/separate room, maybe intended as an office, or as a more enclosed space (family room) for TV watching. if you open it up, you need to think hard about where you are going to put the TV with furniture facing it, and how you will subdivide the rest of the space. If you can draw a sketch of the floorplan, with measurements, including things like whether there's a closet near the front door, we might be able to rough in some different arrangements to help you visualize what you might be able to do with the spaces. It's a bit too hard in the abstract to tell whether this is all one big seating space, or whether it's big enough for an entry zone or game table and a separate conversation area, and what would happen if you added in yet more LR space...

Not a pro, but I would ask if there is any way to place the TV on the small entry wall? I think with it there you could then rearrange the furniture to still be able to view it well but then it would also eliminate it from being the focal point once you walk in and then you could actually boast the decor upon entry instead of it being seemingly immediately closed off.