This is a dilemma indeed! Posts in the middle of rooms are always a little difficult. It would be helpful to have pictures of all four walls to suggest the best layout. From what I can understand of your dilemma, I've attached a layout that may work based on your description. It features a defined entry. So when you walk through the front door, you will see a console table with a couple of ottomans stashed beneath. They can come in handy for extra seating. In front of the console are two arm chairs, followed by a modular sectional - they make up your main seating area. To the right of the kitchen door is a TV console. Behind the sofa is a bookcase and to the right is a round table with a couple of chairs for games, paper work or what have you. You don't mention any windows. Is this the case? If so, we'll want to make sure you've got adequate lighting and colors that will work with the limited light. Hope this helps!

Depending on the budget, you could hack a portion of the wall "closed welcome passage" and put up a wall horizontally by the main entrance (creating a passage way to the living area. The window there should be able to shine a bit of light into the house. Replacing the wall between the living area and garage with Large glass panels would also help brighten up the house. At the same time, will give your house the elite concept (of having a vehicle in the living area) http://homememo.files.wordpress.com/2012/09/kop-properties_sky-garage.jpeg Hope this helps. :)

I own the 1st floor of a 2-storied building. The ground floor being occupied by one of my close relative. We had been sharing the same entrance to the house till now. But due to some personal problems there has been a need to change the entrance to my house (i.e. the 1st floor). I have to construct a staircase in the front side towards the left side of the building. I am also planning to extend the existing drawing-room ( to the extreme left side of the building, as seen in the Photograph, attached) filling-up the open space, as seen in the photo. Please help me out to redesign the entrance and the extension of my Drawing room.

well for the garden, you'll have to wait till spring but, put some tall plants/flowers near the building and smaller ones near the street. Ex:lots of lilies(orange and yellow) near the building, then candytuft in the middle of the garden and finally some Thymus lanuginosus near the street.