I have a black metal word that I found in Sudbury last week to hang on my wall. It says "simplify". Today, as I was scrambling around, being the procrastinator that I am, in an effort to make the living room and kitchen more usable before B comes home tomorrow, I thought of that word. I have no idea where I’m going to hang it, whether it’ll be in the back entrance, kitchen, or living room, but it made me take a look at the living room in particular.

As I’ve previously mentioned, I am planning to put a dining table (once I find a suitable one) on the new framed half-wall once it’s done and painted.

The plan was also for that couch in the left corner of the above picture to be sold as the living room is a decent size but the wall space is broken up by windows and doors and a very short hallway to the bathroom and space is at a premium.

The love seat was pushed in front of the door to make room during my cleaning frenzy.

While struggling to visualize just how to arrange the room in the near future, "simplify" crossed my mind and I had the sudden thought to purge the TV from upstairs, thereby eliminating the need for the cabinet. I like the cabinet even though it’s just a cheap one from Sears. I like the shape and height and without it, the room is all the same height - the height of the furniture. I took the TV, VCR (yes, we still have one and use it), and DVD player downstairs and set it up in the rec room, swapping places with the flatscreen one from down there. The flatscreen TV has a built-in DVD player so, while I plan to make a cover for it and store it under the cutting table in my sewing room, if the need for it upstairs ever arises I’ll be able to just pull it out and plug it in.

Once the TV cabinet is gone (I’ve listed it), the arrangement doesn’t get any easier. I’m still not sure what to do. I know the paint colour is going to change but that doesn’t help the layout. There needs to be enough space around the dining table to not look cramped. yet still give me a living room that looks complete. It needs to be a dining area, not just a dining room table plunked down in one end of the living room.

The second picture shows the armchair in the corner, which had previously been beside the entertainment unit. I absolutely love the placement of the chair by the window. It hasn’t seen much use but I know I would sit in it all the time if it were to stay where it is. It would be the perfect curl-up-and-read spot. I like the love seat in front of the door too, although I would hide the door if I left it there by blacking out the window (black construction paper?), putting  another curtain rod centered between the windows, and hanging first a solid white curtain to cover the door and frame and then hanging another set of panels to match the ones on the windows. I’d then push the love seat back into place. I think. I think it would look okay. I’m not sure whether I’d use curtains to match the existing ones or contrasting ones. It all sounds like something they might do over at Young House Love, a completely awesome design blog by a couple so young, cute, and talented that they’ll make you very envious.

If the love seat stays where it is and the couch goes, I can almost visualize a papasan chair with a nice red cushion in the new reading corner, the armchair pushed down a bit, and a small end table set between the two or possibly a bookshelf to add a bit of height to the room and to house the requisite books. Another armchair could go on the wall where the TV had been, angled a bit into the corner where the end table is in the picture above. Another bookshelf could go next to that or a table of sorts (a low sofa table?) as long as it doesn’t hinder access to the bathroom hall. I’ll need a few surfaces to put the plants on and wouldn’t mind a large potted plant or tree on the floor somewhere in the room.

Decisions, decisions. And oh, the hair pulling! Such a stressful thing, this room rearranging. I welcome any tips or ideas.