Wow! Lucky you. A fireplace in your front entryway.

I would buy a coupe of great ottomans or a bench for the front of the fireplace.

Invest in some kind of tall storage piece so it can still hold the boots, etc.

What a charming room! The far wall could have a large bookshelf and then a large comfy chair in the window corner with a nice ottoman for enjoying the fire and reading a book. The corners near the door, the one closest to then opening could be a nice walk in the house set up with a coat rack, dresser, mirror and the corner behind the door could have a tall storage shelf full of matching backers to keep all the odds and ends for going in and out (leashes, mail...)

The advice I've read for dark rooms is to apply a saturated color to the walls. White can look flat and soft colors disappear. A floor lamp by your comfy chair, a table lamp on the entry dresser for starters.