I have a major design dilemma. I have a side entry house built in the 80's, and the front door opens literally into the living room, which features an angled vaulted ceiling that goes from 10' on the low side to about 19 feet on the high side. The back wall of the living room features a massive brick fireplace that goes all the way up to the ceiling. I'm about to embark on a moderate renovation to try to breathe some life into this cavernous, cold space (read: I'm working on a shoestring budget), and I'm trying to figure out what I can do to create some kind of entry area. The door is only 3 inches from the exterior wall, and on that wall is a tall window (71") only 4" from the floor. You come into the house on this step / platform that extends all the way to the wall, and then have to step down into the living room. I'm thinking of building a pony wall (as you'll see in the screenshot) to create some division between the two spaces and to make that area functional so that I can have a small entry table when you walk in and on the other side in the living room have space for a chair and small table. I'm also trying to figure out what I can do over or with that window to make the space more functional, as the window literally only looks out onto the empty brick wall of the neighbor's house. No landscaping, nothing pretty. I'm thinking about partially blocking it off so that from the inside it just looks like a higher window. I thought I might do some kind of treatment like you see in mud rooms with wood paneling and hooks to hang purses, coats, backpacks, etc. I have no idea what to do here, but I hate everything. I'd tear the whole dang house down and start from scratch if I could...