I think you solved your problem, don't buy any house plants, because if you neglect them then you are not enjoying them. Plants in-doors and out, need a good parent. I only have one plant, a small one on the coffee table in my living room, we get along fine and I take the time to make sure it gets what it needs, water, light, good soil. If you don't have time, no problem........just buy something else interesting for you home. Its OK not to have in-door plants. A lot of people have mentioned MILT, but I don't like them........If you must have a plant, just buy some flowers at a local market that are in season, then when they fade away, wait a week or two and buy another bunch and enjoy. Just try and stick with Local in Season fresh cut flowers. Its August not much blooming, but a few tree's have lovely Autumn flowers, and of course, gourds and a pumpkin will soon be available.....Mix up your need for a plant with these ideas. Good luck.

This appears to be a high traffic area. Consider replacing the rug with bamboo flooring or even wood look vinyl -- something much easier to clean. You have a brick ledge on the right side. You might consider adding a 1"x4" horizontal trim board -- think chair rail - level just under that ledge and under the windows and along the left wall. Before you add the board, mark the line where you'll be putting it and and paint the wall below that line a darker color and the wall above it a lighter shade of the same color. Repaint the ceiling and the door and door frame and the window frames a really good washable white. Lose the fabric window treatments; add white mini blinds for both windows and the door. Would you be able to build a couple of plywood boxes open on the front side and have them facing each other -- and put them on wheels so as to be movable as needed -- and with the top of the box just barely under the new horizontal trim board -- and with the width of the box the width of the glass panes in the windows (not the frames). You could then put your baskets , shoes, etc, in the boxes in a way that's handy but out of sight. You could either paint the plywood boxes the same color as the bottom half of the wall if you want them to visually disappear or you could stain them for a wood look or go bold and paint them a bright cheerful color of your choosing. As to furnishings, the tiny lamp doesn't seem to fit; could it and the small rolling barrel be repurposed to a corner of a bedroom needing just a bit of mood light. Do some shopping at your leisure. Check used furniture stores and/or the Habitat for Humanity Restore Store and/or church sponsored thrift stores in your area and any Good Will and/or Salvation Army stores until you find a tall lamp or a pair of them for atop the boxes.

Oh that carpet--must go STAT! For a cheap floor? Plywood! All sorts of possibilities for that. Cut it into planks and make your own "hardwood look" and sand and stain it the colour you like. Or whitewash it for a more farmhouse or casual look. Or use squares of plywood and make a pattern. (Ever heard of Pinterest? ;-) Add some area rugs from Ikea or similar inexpensive store. Another option for temporary carpeting is diy carpet squares. Paint out the bricks and fireplace surround and pipe and cabinet. Paint them all one colour-the same as your newly chosen wall colour ;-) Add a moveable metal fireplace grate surround as well. Any place that sells fireplaces will sell them. Anchor it so your babies don't try to pull themselves up by it when learning to walk! Add in some Ikea floating shelves to the area above the cabinet and use for decorative items, or a few books. Or hang a picture rail for placing of art/photos. The Ribba Frames at Ikea are great for making your own mini displays or shadow boxes! You could also add in a couple of Ikea feature lights for inexpensive focus above them. Or hang an Ikea cabinet the same width as the cabinet above it. You could use the cabinet to keep dust off your things. Pick one with a glass front to show off your pretty items. You could keep the fan and just paint the blades the new ceiling colour white and switch out the shades. Check Habitat for Humanity's Re-Store shop, Home Depot or Lowe's clearance section or a home salvage shop for inexpensive shades. You may decide you want the fan come summer ;-) Set your total budget for the room and be creative in how you go about it. You could do a lot with $1000. if you budget carefully and make wise choices!! Save your money for a big reno down the road!! Just make a few simple and basic cosmetic changes to make it liveable. Some designers will always tell you to change every last thing (including how to fold your toilet paper), so ignore what is costly and impractical and not necessary. A couple of nice houseplants and pictures from Marshall's or Home Sense and some inexpensive window coverings and voila!

Your gutters are in place, in the photos, and that is good. The amount of run off from a metal roof has more speed falling, than off an asphalt shingle roof...not that you need it, but with less than 1/2 inch of rain, a 5 gallon container on the roof drip line will fill up more than one time. Than, you have free water to keep the palms and flowers and indoor houseplants very happy(and makes the pet hair very shiney, toooo! IDK why, but the dog loves it, LOL!..The rain is good for everything!) Since the rain comes off at a faster rate, we do note the uncovered concrete porch surface are wearing in the dripline area several years after metal roof conversion.....so we are considering gutters :( might be the best solution long term. More to maintain off the ground...We are right on the line of a subtropical/semi arrid region of rainfall.