Hi Lindsay, Do you have any photos you could attach to get a better idea of the space you are working with?

Photos? Floor plan? Style you like? Stuff you'd like to keep & arrange? Look through Lauren Liess' house 4 ideas. She has a split level, and some good ideas for beautiful arrangements. She's a designer on Houzz. http://purestylehome.blogspot.com/2010/04/just-year-ago.html

I couldnt get these to upload from my ipad, heres my space.

Your tv isn't one of the super huge ones, so I would head over to consignment furniture stores and find a nice armoire to hold it. There are so many of them for sale right now as so many folk have gotten the very large flat screens.

I would also look online (Home Decorators, Rugs Direct) and around your area for an area rug that appeals to you. One at least 5 by 8 feet to have your furniture around. That will give you a palette of colors for walls, accents, etc.

to start with the window should have shutters and a nice floral pattens cusion, you need a lager area rug, the sofa shuld be where the TV is and the TV should be on a nice long table where you can make also display your fotos and ornaments. the chair should be on the corner next to the long sofa your living area will look biger and open. the small lump and table on the window.

What are your desires for this room? What would you like to change? Not sure I'm seeing the colors correctly. Could you comment? I see dark brown or black leather (?) sofa & chair (is the leopard fabric on those a throw? pillow? or the actual seat cushions?) A few black painted tables, something black under the coffee table. Natural wood dining room. Purple curtains, red accent wall and red lamp shade. A floor lamp between the sofa and chair, the other sofa table has no lamp, 2 small-ish curio cabinets, TV. Your room is warm and inviting, but I think you need to edit some of your items. Put some away and bring them out at a later time (rotate). When you have empty spaces, the items you love will show to their advantage better. Clear off the coffee table and place the red floor vase on the right or left or middle (see what looks best to you), without any dried sticks in it. Clear off the half wall ledge. Put the small curio on the left away for a while or try it lying on the half wall ledge. Put the curio cabinet on the right under the iron art (move the iron art up slightly) & remove the photo from the top of that cabinet. Remove floor basket. I agree with pcmom1 an area rug might unite the items in the room.

I have a few questions and answers for everyone, first and foremost, Dolly, where should I put the TV? The wall the couch is on is a half wall would it be distracting to have a long table and that shelf together? I always flip flop the room in that way and neither way seems quite right. That table is too high for the window is that a problem? These are all things I have been battling with.

J222b I have dark brown furniture with throw pillows on it that our children tend to throw all over the place. Under the table are bamboo floor mats since the dog in our house find other uses for the rugs, enough said there. The curtains are actually red and brown striped. On the right of the couch in the corner is a well hidden dog kennel.

I'm loving all the input! Please keep it coming!!

You have a nice space with comfortable furnishings. I agree that the space would benefit from editing as well as a different furniture arrangement. It looks like you live in a split entry home. When you walk up those stairs and take a right, think about how it would look to be greeted by your comfy sofa instead of the TV, curio, table, etc. Much more inviting.

So, I'd switch the TV and sofa. Above the sofa, I'd treat the wall as a gallery wall - with your nicely framed photos and art. I'd get longer curtains in a light color and mount them to the ceiling. It'll give the room more visual space. Before the window, I'd place two upholstered arm chairs with a table between them. Now every seat has a view of the TV.

A long, low media console would be a good platform for the the TV's new location. The curio can go to the right of the window with the iron art above it. The floor lamp can go to the left of the sofa. The table with the lamp on it can go to its right.

A couple of floor cushions in colors to work with your decor will be nice for TV watching from the floor.

Rearranging furniture is the cheapest way to switch up the feel of a room. It's free! So, try it and see if it works for you. I think you'll do just fine - and we Houzzers are always glad to help. Keep us posted.

Hi Manon!

Thanks so much for all the great suggestions. I love them all! The reason I had the couch on the half wall is because we use the side door, not the front door and I didn't like walking in and looking at it. That being said do you think I should still switch it? Thank you so much for everyone's help!!

Just understood the comment about the rug with the dogs: bad puppies! I wonder if there is a way to create an area rug out of a variety of carpet sample squares. Buy extra, and, as "nature" dictates replace with a new one!

You can actually get outdoor rugs in lots of different colors now if you are unable to use a regular area rug. These can be hosed off outside if needed. A beautiful color or patterned rug will add a nice focal point and give you some colors to work with. Check o.co for some great examples.

The drapes might look better to the sides, not tied back, maybe with a nice valance or cornice across the top. Does the dog mess with the drapes if they are hanging down in front of the window?

I agree with those who suggested putting the sofa against the full wall. That wall can take the weight of that dark sofa, while the half wall setting looks a bit unbalanced. The low media console Manon Floreat shows against the half wall with the TV and maybe that colorful vase on it would really look great.

"we use the side door, not the front door and I didn't like walking in and looking at it"
You don't like looking at the couch when you come in? or the TV?
If the couch and you like it the way you have it, by all means leave it that way, it is your house after all. If the TV, you could get a closed cabinet that would hide the TV. Check credenza at o.co for some examples. It just has to be low enough to fit under the half wall and high enough to hold the tv inside it.

How would the dog feel about a small rug? One slightly larger than the coffee table, to tie in colors and add some softness.

What about a sisal area rug? It might register to your dog in the same way as the bamboo floor mats.

I was thinking that the TV when we walked in the side door was distracting on the half wall, however, if I do put I on the half wall should I place anything on the ledge itself?

I also love the idifferent ideas for the rugs! You guys are awesome!

You might want to give us other views of the area. When you refer to the side door, perhaps we don't really understand where that is. From the pictures you have sent, you do have most of the weight in the smallest area, so I have to agree with other Houzzers about reversing the plan. You mentioned, however, that you have tried both ways, and neither one seems to do the job. Let us see all the angles you have not shown us and perhaps there might be another solution.

I am swimming up stream here: but I think putting the tv in an armoire (consignment store!) in the corner next to where it is now (where small curio cabinet is) would look the best and make the most sense. I don't think tvs are very attractive, and if you can hide them away when not in use, well all the better.

I would have the armoire at a 45 degree angle and float the sofa in front of it. That way you can sit on the sofa, see tv and look out the window. The matching chair could go in the corner where the sofa is now. (Floating furniture in middle really requires an indoor/outdoor puppy proof rug!)

And the tv a little higher, and at that angle, means you can also see it while sitting at the table in the other room.

Guess best thing is just get some towels to put under your furniture and slide things and try out the options!

Here are some more pictures of our entry and what you see when you come in. My frustration has come with it being the entry to our house as well as a room. (Hence the table near the door). Thanks for all the help everyone, its really giving me some great inspiration!

The sofa / chair can be on either wall. It's not "wrong" to place a sofa on a half wall (see photo). You've balanced the sofa with frames over the TV, or as said a tall entertainment center would balance. Do you have 2 dining room sets there? Try red candlesticks on coffee table.Floor lamp seems in competition with the hanging lamps. How 'bout 1-2 table lamps on each side of sofa (as photo)? Walk into your space with fresh eyes. Open the door as a visitor & see what guests see. Tiny entry is fine (less to clean). I think guests first see the dining room table. See photo: table runner and plant.

Lindsay, what is to the left of the doorway? I have a similar situation and have placed a small table with a big picture and a coat tree to the left of the doorway to make an entrance. The table by the door is about three feet away from the sofa end table. It works for me because it is not adding to the living room setting so much as sitting separately by the doorway. If I put anything tall on top of the table, my menfolk would have it crashing to the floor in no time with their coats or elbows or something they were carrying, so all I have on it is the dog's leash and a basket with pick up sacks in it. LOL you have an intransigent dog and I have guys with big elbows.

Thanks for the additional photos. Yes, I think Manon has the right idea with switching out your pieces and finding a long, low console to house your TV. All good suggestions, Manon.

Here's what you see when you just walk in, dont mine the untidyness of our Saturday here! :)

One more..

Added photos help. Can you find a different place for all the coats and shoes? Can't imagine you want to sit down to a meal and stare at them. Even on the other side of the door would help some. Get them more out of your face!

If you did end up floating your sofa in the room, as I mentioned above, then the addition of a console table/shelves along the back of the sofa would provide a good "drop zone": have small baskets to catch the keys, mail, magazines, etc.

You do seem to have a lot of small things scattered around the room. Find a spot and take all you can move, out, all wall hangings and art also. Just get the big items settled first.

Your place is very cute, it is just hidden under too many little things!

Very cute place. There are people who have no good ideas and there are people who have too many good ideas. You're one of the latter. Take some of your good ideas down and store them.

Obviously, you have a house full of men! :) Do you have a place outside the kitchen door where you can hang hooks with a wood chest underneath...one for coats and the other for shoes and boots. My brother did that and found there was no more tracking of mud, dirt, etc., into the house, as socks came through the door rather than shoes/boots.

As for comments about all the pieces of art/pictures, etc., you have displayed throughout your house is something you had mentioned in your first line to us, and I quote, "I love art. I like having things that mean something.". That says a lot about who you are and that you want to surround yourself with everything and anything that is meaningful to you, speaks volumes about what is important and what is not. Life is much too short to eliminate what matters. You may want to go through and in your brutal best effort (which will be difficult for you), eliminate any and all items that don't fit in the category of meaningful. Your home must always support who you are. Good luck!

I like the entry support to the left of the doorway as that is the way it opens. It does add a lot of busyness, though. How about a smallish built in between the window and the door, like one section of this unit, to kind of organize the incoming stuff, then you could lose the entry table on the other side of the doorway, too. You could add a matching unit on the other side of the window for dining room items, and put those photos over there. Can't believe the kids and menfolk haven't blasted those all over the place like they do in my house!