You have a lovely home and a tricky layout! We have a small space and using two sofas facing each other has worked well.... but in your case it seems too tight, especially with the size of the TV. At minimum, you need to figure out how to widen the space that you've allotted for the living area.

One other point: you need some color! Right now you have dark wood floors, mouldings, and tables, plus dark colored sofas, with what appear to be light grey walls and white dining chairs. The overall effect seems bland. Check out this other thread for some visuals of a craftsman-esque home with great use of color.

Just jumping in the say that my house is set up very much like yours, except that mine is smaller (me entire living room, kitchen & dining are in the 25x12 first floor). Here’s how I handled it, after many permutations.

I love the character of your home, but as with most homes of the pre-TV age, there's little space for it, given the windows, front door, and fireplace.

Since it's one open area ---

Have you tried placing your dining room in the fireplace area? Will your dish hutch fit in the corner where you have art?

In the dining space, is there room for a large sofa along that window wall, including at least one end table? Will the TV fit on the wall where the hutch is now located?

The overhead light fixture and fan could be switched-- but not until you've thoroughly tried living in the new layout.

My first thought was the same as dyhgardens-to switch the LR & DR. It would give you a full wall to place the tv with a console underneath.

Also, you didn't mention this......but, the black trim around the windows & FP seems to chop up your space. Have you thought about changing it to your baseboard color?

Thanks for the helpful responses everyone!!!! promise im going to add color when I figure out the area rug, decorative pillows, and furniture- I dont even have any of our true decorative items out or any other means to make some nice colors pop. I am definitely not opposed to the window frames being white again if it would help, but I do like the doors black- would that still work? Also, I have definitely always thought about switching the setups and yes, the furniture would definitely would switched up. Do you think it’s weirder to walk in to a dining area first then living area?? Or not necessarily? Because I would say that is probably the idea that is resonating with me most right now. Also, any thoughts on the area rugs? Do I need one in both spaces? Or if I switched the spaces, could I do a runner from the front door, nothing under the dining table, and then a colorful oriental-Esque one in the living area? Thanks again for helping me!!

Love your house. I like the dining area switch idea very much. When you walk into the house, your eyes immediately looks to the back of the house. I don't think it would be odd to see the tv area there.

I'd probably do a rug in both places. What you get depends on how you want to place your color and pattern through the space. I think I'd do a natural rug and runner in the fireplace/dining area and the oriental in the living space. The pattern of the rug will help draw the eye to the living area.

Ha! I was going to suggest switching the dining room with the living room area! We did that (house is a different style, but dining room was small for extended, relaxed meals). Love it and love having a fire there when we have people over or if I am just drinking my tea and reading the Sunday paper at the table!

Stay tuned!! I’m going to move some stuff around with the new suggestions and would love a tiny bit more feedback about the new arrangement! I appreciate the responses, again. This has been more helpful than the designer we consulted with a year ago lol

Oh man- switching the two areas was an amazing idea. Don’t mind the mess- I am cleaning the sofas and the floors (parts that have been blocked off by furniture for a while) and obviously still need an end table, round coffee table/ poufs, rug, and to setup my decor etc. but just wanted to show the general outcome. Tv isn’t up on the wall yet but i ordered the nice mount that swivels and tilts. Now I’ve got a nice four foot walkway from the front door through to the back of the house. It looks so much bigger and the living area space is so much cozier. The hutch definitely looked better cornered, so it is blocking some of that window... but I can still access the blinds and it’s a window that faces the spot where we park our cars... so not that great of a view anyway! Haha. I appreciate all the suggestions and am so glad I decided to post on here :)

Can the hutch fit between the two windows, where the mirror is, now?

Carrie it is just slightly too big- so it won’t slide back far enough to fit between I thought about moving the hutch to a space in the kitchen or using as pretty storage/display in the guest room?

Yeah, I would not keep it blocking the window. Even without a nice view out that window, it doesn't work there. I'd move it to where it fits - and you can use the storage.

Everything looks great but I agree with Carrie, the hutch just doesn't work in that corner.

Do you absolutely need a second sofa? I’m not crazy about the sofa facing the kitchen. A couple of chairs in place of the second sofa would also make the area seem more spacious.

I'd angle the two sofas in towards the center, or put the other sofa facing the window, thus opening up your dining area to the living area. Also put the hutch between the two windows to bridge the two areas.

wonderful trade of space. I think if you paint the casing trim around the windows you can leave the doors black. It would help the areas feel as one.

Thanks for the feedback! I’m going to keep working on it this week and will post more updates based on these suggestions!

Lovely space:) Usually with cowhide rugs, you want to support them with a base rug. Can be plain, sisal rugs are commonly used. So that people are not tripping walking by or get caught up walking over the rug. It also keep the rug in place when you're getting up from the table/coming back.

For cozier space you're looking for: add tall greenery in the corner, medium size artwork on the wall by china cabinet on either side to make wall look "fuller". I have a great vendor that sells affordable decor and artwork if you're looking for any. Better selections than HomeGoods in my opinion, although I love HomeGoods lol. Hope that helps!

-Liv.

bbcio, glad you found a solution. I have a similar bungalow, 1910, and my solution was to kill my TV. I have one in my bedroom, but haven't turned it on in a couple of years. I doubt I can even find the remote. ;-)

In case anyone who gave me any previous advice happens to see this, I just wanted to say thank you again! I haven’t posted follow up pictures (but I will)- just wanted to find the right rugs and get everything done first. I work full time so have been finishing the look in my spare time... and absolutely love it. I did end up painting the window casings back to white (but leaving the doors black) and between that and the new layout, the whole area feels so much bigger and brighter and happier. Posting on here was a very positive and productive experience, and I hope if (okay- when) I post again about some of my other rooms, you’ll jump in to give me some awesome ideas!