I would leave the area empty, if that is you only concern. I will keep the paintings on the wall since it will give an impression of the owner's care. JMO.

Can you post a photo that shows the area in context with the french doors? it's hard to see exactly how big it is and whether the furniture might be in the way.

I am not in Seattle but will be going soon (boyfriend's house).

Here is a vide of of the house if you want to see what is going on. You have to be signed in to your facebook account if you have one. Its a really cool home with a lot of interesting features.

This was taken years ago and its only 90% complete.

Let me know any of your thoughts in general. I will be staging and moving things around.

Thanks!

Here is a link that might be useful: link to house

Here, I snipped from your video to show a different view:

I think I would put a comfy chair in the corner with a floor lamp, maybe stage it as a reading nook.

Perfect reading nook. Same as Weedy wrote.

Jane

Thanks Jane and wanj for the advice.

Weedy..thanks so much for doing that!!

Having just gone through the decluttering, staging and ultimately selling of my house, I had to say that I discovered that there were areas of my house that actually looked smaller when they were empty, than when they had a few (note I said FEW) pieces of furniture or decorative accents in them.

And unfortunately, I find that there are a lot of people who simply don't have the imagination to 'see' what can be done in a specific space. That adorable little area could very easily be perceived as just a sort of hallway to the French Doors.

I'd definitely put something small in that area. Nothing big or overstuffed. Maybe a nice delicate rocker--just to suggest that it actually is large enough for furniture.

I love the idea of a reading nook. Another thought would be a small place for doing a puzzle or game. I agree with azzalea that you want to keep the furniture small.

Thanks everyone! A small reading nook it is!