We moved into this house 5 years ago and have always been a little stumped with the living room. So many doors/openings! How to work with the spiral staircase! We ended up getting a cheap 'temporary' rug for when the kids were spitting up and in diapers, but now they are reasonably responsible. I know the current rug is too small. All of the lamps are from my grad school days; we have stopped noticing that the couch pair are uneven and dingy. All this plus the french doors (east-facing) and the fireplace make it a bit of a puzzle.

Probably we will soon put an upright piano on that wall by the Norfolk pine, to replace the kids drawing table.

What happens in this space - the kids will get out legos or other building block things; we read books. TV is in another room.

Any advice on rug size and placement is most appreciated! I feel like some color on the floor would be welcome with all the grays of the couch and easy chair. Likewise, lighting - there is no wiring for overhead light (we have an A/C vent smack in the center of the ceiling. Today is a very dark rainy day and the pictures are adjusted a bit to seem brighter, but it is generally quite gloomy even with the current lighting arrangements. Behind the couch is a small Ikea 'persian' rug that covers lamp cords on their way to the wall outlet.

Photo 1: facing south; entry foyer is on the right; french doors on the left.

Photo 2: facing north; entry foyer is on the left; french doors on the right.