one thing that often hellps is to eliminate a full fledged dining room, is that important to you?

WOW I am imagining the breeze when/if all those fans were on!! Never heard of fans being taken with the previous owners....

A free standing island will help you immensly. We have a similar kitchen and it's a game changer.

https://m.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/art/60323021/

Alternately you can likely fit an entire kitchen table where the hutch is now. Make it counter height to double as a cook surface.

Don't neglect the need for an entry, you probably need a wall hanger and somewhere to sit and put shoes on.... before you step foot on the carpet. Maybe a little ottoman with hooks above and a shoe tray below? This is how we handled our awkward entry.

we will keep a fan in the living room (not the one that is there) and we plan on replacing the ones in the kitchen. the space is too small for three fans.

The first thing I would do is remove those red curtains and buy some cream-colored curtains of a heavier material which all end exactly at floor level. I can't tell if the white curtains are sheer or not. If not perhaps you can just use those now until you decide on new curtains.

the curtains will be gone. Those are the previous owners. we are dealing with. blank slate. I like the idea of a cream colored curtain. We also plan on changing the sliding glass door to a double french door.

we have 2 dark gray leather sofas that will be moving with us. So we are designing around those and the cabinets.
Any ideas on paint colors and furniture arrangements?

I think the best layout would be to put one couch under the front window, and another in an L shape with it's back creating a hallway from front door to kitchen. Of course, if you need a tv that doesn't work as well. The tv can either go on the wall opposite the sliders (not great for two couches) or in the corner between front window and sliders (not great in general but you could do an L with one couch facing windows and one facing sliders).

For colors you have plenty of options. A midtoned greige (edgecomb gray), or a blue toned gray (gray owl) or a sage green (Halo).

i would put the tv by the staircase and then put an L with part facing there.gray is a type of neutral so you can choose whatever colors you like to go with it. generally you choose your furnishings and rug before you do wall colors.

let me know, i can toss them.

I really like the first and Last rug. I like the blues and yellows. I tend to choose cool colors, but I think maybe with the cherry finish on the cabinets, I need to be looking at warmer colors.

Cool colors are fine with cherry cabinets, it will just be a higher contrast look.

cabinets should not be part of your design element. it is part of your permanent kitchen design element, but your living room is not permanent so you design it around your rug or artwork etc.

sitting at an island and become uncomfortable after a while.

one below is really good it can be pulled out totally and seat up to 10

Carpet.. it has to go! I like the red curtains, since you have the dark cabinets + black appliances.