I think you're on the right track with a large rug—or even two. Your windows feel cold and naked. I suggest dressing them!

What are the two pieces of paper taped up on the wall behind your television? If they're plans, all well and good, but maybe find another place for them? If they're artworks, IMO they'll look much better framed.

I assume we see A LOOOOOONNG space with two different functions? : )

Draw and measure the entirety of both.

Use graph paper, not all the doors, , every wall, every opening passage. every window in ,,,,feet and inches

Upload that as a jpeg below in comments.

You might want to consider a larger screen TV.

Thanks everyone! I’m attaching a very rough floor plan here. The double windows are the same size, but it didn’t detect that properly. I also couldn’t include the built-in bookshelves or existing furniture. I used magic scan, but it was my first time so if anyone has suggestions on how to do a better/3d scan , that would be great.

Regarding the papers on the wall, those were for planning gallery art wall that is on hold.

You're in good hands with Jan and Beverly here! Good luck with your space!

The floor plan was posted after I worked on my visual. I've moved things around such as having the desk & gym set play area on one side of the room and keeping the other side as a TV room with coffee table. Bamboo roman shades on all windows, a wall cabinet same width as the TV cabinet, a similar rug on both sides of the room.

Since the room will be furnished as 2 separate areas, I would use a rug to anchor each area, rather than one rug for the whole room.

You are on the right track with a low credenza facing the sofa. Slide the TV to the left, and place an armchair where the pink frame is. Pull the sofa away from the wall 6". It will make the room look more spacious, and give you room for simple floor length drapes the same colour as the wall.

For the smaller side of the room, I suggest a round table with 4 comfortable chairs. It would replace all the other furniture in the room. You could do a taller games table, or a lower coffee table height with 4 tub chairs. If the chairs are on casters they can be pulled over to the TV area if needed. Choose a wipable table surface that will allow crafts/games etc. without worry.

With 16 shelves, you could easily end up with 80+ items on them. To make it look less busy, leave more empty space than you would otherwise. Use larger items rather than groups of smaller ones. Coordinate the colours (spray paint things with a good shape but wrong colour). Group books together.

Nice room.

Here's what I'd do about the tv side.

I'd paint the inset where that tv is, and either mount it to the wall (check proper heights so you don't go TOO high) or, get a decent sided console for it to sit on.

this is proper sized w/accessories around it.

I really like this w/the current decor in you room, so I'd do the black vertical nickel gap panels and get the natural color console w/the wicker doors

I'd also paint the back of your bookcases black, and then restyle them w/larger items. too many small items makes it look cluttered.

example

some other console tables and decorating ideas

Room layout. shows sofa, chairs and ottoman. obvisouly your tv is on the other wall

What matters most in any space ? The available feet and inches and where those feet and inches are. What matters is how you move through space., the traffic, essentially

What matters to designers? Accuracy.

To the op: We/you don't need your computer or any program to make a drawing, I haven;t needed one for 34 years. Take what you did below,................

use good old paper, and give all the solid walls, doors, and windows, and the book cases accurate inches: ) That way? We can " detect" the useful space you really have. Upload a Jpeg of an ugly drawing - it is just fine.

Example?

This is a curious space, book ends on either side of the door, but one is smaller? What is a small built in credenza? Adding more is not necessarily the way to go. Yes to hanging the TV, I don' t see the upside of a built in. Once the TV is properly hung a taller media cabinet could be well placed under it. No to black on the book shelves. Why would you want all eyes drawn to your book shelves? Yes to dressing your windows with proper curtains. What is staying what could be placed elsewhere? I totally support lived in rooms but for this to work well we need everything that belongs in a given room for a given purpose to stay and the rest to be removed since it is temporary and not really part of the rooms design or purpose. Given the TV , one side is a living/lounging space. What is the other? An office/reading/library space? I see a desk...

Thanks everyone, great ideas! To clarify, the bookcases are the same size. We have a young daughter so that’s her desk and art area, plus she plays in the room and is the one most using it right now. I occasionally get to sit on the couch 😆

^^

Life is choice. There isn't a need for this to be "tricky" or ugly. Your daughter is owning both spaces, and sorry to say, does not need all of both spaces. You need a space of your own.

When you realize that, do a very accurate drawing that includes accurate doors, accurate everything? You will get useful information and suggestions to improve both spaces. : )

I'm all for kids play and creativity......just not the ownership/take over of how a room should live for everyone, including MOM.

It looks like your daughter's creative area is where the desk is, and her floor-play area is (naturally) where the carpet is.

Before you go out and buy new things, you can try this out today.

• Move the rug to the other side of the room so the floor-play area is in the same place as her creative play area.
• Switch out the wing chair with the pink play structure and round floor cushions.
• Move the wood table in front of the window to a different room. With all the shelving, you already have more than adequate space to display decor items. The newly created floor space will be more useful. It might be nice to move the desk to under the window to enjoy the light.
• Make space for toys, games etc. in one or both of the cabinets on the play side. I see nothing wrong with some of this being visible (not behind doors), for example a stack of games and puzzles on the lowest shelf.

If this works out from a functional standpoint, add a coordinating rug to the adult side of the room. As far as the TV, if you mount it on a swivel and move it more to the left, it can be watched from the play side too.

It's worthwhile to set up the house so that a child can play independently and semi-independently, while other family members do their own thing nearby.

Beth and I were born closer to the pre historic days when extremely large creatures roamed free on earth LOL

All kidding aside, and even meant tongue in cheek....." occasionally I get a seat on the couch" falls into the category of "never a word truer than one spoken in jest"

Need not be the case here, or anywhere, jmo. . Post the very accurate drawing, and? while you are at it, show other rooms. You might be surprised by possibilities you've not noticed: )

Show the young lady's bedroom too!

I guess every family has a different idea about play areas. We played throughout the house when I was a kid in the 50's and 60's. I recall the Hot Wheels tracks snaking everywhere! And the adults complaining about stepping on Barbie shoes!

^^

I'm sure you did, as did we, during the daylight hours and picked up and put away before dad pulled in the driveway. Forts under the good dining table , same thing. Toys, bikes, skates in the driveway? Ditto. The difference? There was no room in the house devoted to play, other than your own bedroom floor and even that had an expiration/pick up time before snoozy hour!! Later, if your two wheeler was kick stand down in the path of dad pulling in and you were not on that bike? It hung for a week from the garage rafter, and you were out of "wheels"..

The Dinosaurs among us only argue the devotion of a space needed for family comfort, being an all day 365/24/7 take over - limiting that comfort of the whole family and the looks of the room.

Truth? My design career probably began at age four, as I can recall lining up toys neatly, along the short wall of a tiny bedroom, (8 x 10 guess), shared with a younger sister , eventually also a later sister on a toddler murphy , thus making three in that little room until we moved to the burbs. Think Captain Kangaroo as the only watchable tv. We're all still here- finger paints, Play Dough, puzzles, Betsy Wetsy and no denial of fun and play.

It's a free site, free advice. All one need do is provide accurate information and this below is not, as there is no way that couch fits on the wall as it is noted.........

It would imply that couch sits on a six foot wall next to a 36" door, leaving a mere 72" max next to that door and that seems quite........doubtful: ) given it is three full seats.

This op, should read the thread of a similar mom........despite we don't have feedback from that op.

.houzz.com/discussions/6550030/20ft-x-13ft-living-room-layout-isn-t-working#29731111

Will this den continue to be a play area? If so, whatever you design should plan for that function as well.

First we need a to scale plan but even before that you need to decide the use for the space . I am with Jan on play rooms filled with stuff that might get played with once a month . Our kids had a really cool thing my Dad built . It served as a seat in our very tiny student apt. He built it with 3 drawers undernesth on wheels and at the end of the day those were filled with all the toys and we regained the LR for adults. So you need to decide what you want to use the space for. To syart is this the only TV space in the house ?