Mary, it has been a while since I read the comments. I think you can take your time with growing with your new decluttered kitchen. It is truly beautiful with just the changes. Don't go spend a ton of money, save it and go on a holiday to a state park or something you have always wanted to do. If your friends that you invite over for dinner don't love ...... well just coming over and visiting,.... then oh well. As long as you are happy, but no need to break the bank..... you did great already. I love it, if you do more, please share though? And to bamamom, I so agree with you! My own, awful, claustrophobic kitchen is LESS than 8 ft x 11 ft... yep that tiny and horrible. I have taken out the nasty, dropped ceiling and have the slightly vaulted original one now, but with pipes showing where the HVAC was put in after and then the repiped ones....... I did not know they plumber would do this, much less the others were there.... gag me. And no money to do it up even decent.

Lots of ideas....couldn't resist adding my two cents. i copied your photos and did a little cut and paste- it's messy, but hopefully gets the main idea across. i'd put your sofa in front of the large book case, chair by the fireplace, tv on the stand on the wall opposite the fireplace - so you can either look at the fire or the tv. Someone suggested using frames of one color for your photos - an inexpensive way to do that would be to spray paint them all a dark color-black goes with everything. Since your shelves are a medium tone wood, display things that are dark or light so that they contrast against the wood. Limiting your display items pallette to a few values usually helps to unify things. (I think that's why so many people want to paint the shelves or put inserts in the back to help your nice things read more clearly...some get lost). If you want to "splurge" -you may consider having a carpenter make a few solid tall cabinet doors to provide a visual break in the shelving. I'm showing 3 doors - 1 on the right side of the fireplace and 2 on the left to leave two open vertical shelves for display on each side - with things arranged to frame the fireplace as the focal point. To add some height to your big vases, consider stacking some books beneath them. Enjoy experimenting untill you get something you're happy with - good luck!

Hello the days are brightening up by now and I'm sure the room is looking less drab for it. However I think furniture rearranging will work wonders. You seem to have nice low window sills: show them off. If the sofa goes to the left between window and built-in unit you'll have a view out to the garden and more light in the room. Equally: can you fit the piano between the radiator and the double doors? Again: more light through the window. Low sills are a god-send, and so many of us are stuck with high ones. The room will feel more spacious with a good view to outdoors. The armchairs then: one to the left of the fireplace and one between the other window and piano. TV then between the two windows. (No shine on the screen) Does that fit maybe? Or do you need all five seats facing the TV? I rather like those stripy cushions. Can you find a striped wallpaper in matching colors and with an irregular pattern repeat for your accent wall? if going with wood floors how about a sheepskin rug for each of your doggies? Black or white. One last detail. A lower table for your side lamps would be good: At sofa arm or seat height. Coffee table could work in corner between window and new sofa position. Btw: I liked the suggestion to replace the cupboard doors above the fish tank with full-height ones. In some kitchen shops you can find ready-painted, wooden, panel doors that might fit. It's a long shot but you could be lucky. It would brighten up the corner if you got a light colour.

Just a quick note to thank you all for sharing your thought, ideas, experience and time. I especially want to thank Bluenan and decoenthusiaste for being with me through the all process for the last 6 months or so..., just wanted to post few photos of the results (https://www.houzz.com/discussions/any-ideas-for-final-touches-to-this-living-dinning-room-dsvw-vd~569586) as I feel it is not only me who created this space but it is your creations as much as mine. It may not be perfect or according to the the "Rules", but it is Me and my family. Each and every piece was chosen by me in different parts of the world and each one of them has a unique story behind. I am very pleased with my space. I love it! I am very blessed. .... and so I am off to my new project now... Back to school.... that's really going to be hard ;) Thank you all, once again.