let me begin by saying that i've lived in this apartment for almost a year now and have another year to go (grad student at duke! :) ) and i have tried every single layout i could come up with. i've never stuck with one longer than a month and none of them have worked, so after googling and printing out every idea i've seen on the web it's time for some actual input! anything is appreciated and would help :)

below is the approximate layout for my apartment ( the walls actually aren't quite right as the window is a slight bay window in the living room, the foyer has a wall making it more like an entry way rather than a large room, and the back part of the living room also has the wall come in after the window - so the dimensions aren't exactly right, but will give you an idea) (also i tried to draw over the layout with the walls lol). the issue comes with the large room you walk into that's divided by a built in shelf, the fact that there's a fireplace across from a huge blank wall, TONS of windows, and the fact that i essentially want to fit in a living room area (focused at a TV), a small dining room area (30 by 30 inch table that has 2 chairs), and an "office" space where i can organize and hold my books and stuff that would include a small desk that i have at the least.

the entry room which is by far larger than the "dining room" ideally needs to hold two of the three spaces listed above - and no matter what it is awkward in every way that i've tried. i can buy other cheap furniture if needed, but ideally it would have to be like a bookcase/console table or something inexpensive, or an area rug, not another couch or super nice chair.

here's the furniture i have (i'll include my current layout below :) )

- stars are floor lights/important lights (yellow)

living room: coffee table, couch, papasan chair, side table, stool/ottoman thing (accent table? idk i'll include a pic), real ottoman

office area: ladder bookshelf, desk, desk chair, printer (currently on the built in dividing shelf), and i'd love to put my external monitor somewhere more permanent than the floor under the desk where i move it every time i use it and then put it back again

dining area: 30 by 30 inch table, 2 dining room chairs

i have lots of lamps because my apartment has no lights in the first room except for the small entryway and my bedroom, but they also always feel out of place and not in the right spot. i have 4 floor lamps - a large regular floor lamp with a stick base, a 3 neck lamp, a gooseneck lamp, and a paper column lamp from ikea, and probably 5 or so table lamps that i've acquired (3 are classic type lamps and 2 are for tasks) although i currently have 3 out.

anything helps! i am going crazy at this point because i've tried everything i can think of and haven't been happy in any of them :( want this to actually start feeling like home!

** also i've included some pics and please don't judge the mess - i decided to post this only after starting for the 10th time to move furniture when i decided it wasn't worth it). also sorry this is so long! clearly my writing is as frazzled as my brain is.

*** i found pictures i took right when i moved in that i'll post below! this is before i had a dining room table and bookshelf, but i liked this much better than where i'm at now. also, i don't want to just throw my desk out, but i could probably survive without it as long as i have space to keep and organize my school life and my desk has a home/purpose somewhere else in the apartment

blank layout here-