Is it possible to get photos of the space from further away so we can see larger portions of the walls?

You've achieved a calm and welcoming ambiance here, but a couple of things feel off. One is that the rug, and consequently the seating, are offset from the fireplace which is your natural focal point. I'm not sure this can be remedied considering where the doors are, but if you could get a wider shot of the area, maybe we can come up with something better.

Your mantel needs restyling. Right now, it's just a bunch of disparate elements spread out with no connection to each other. You need a bold piece of art in the center and fewer objects to tie it all together.

The TV is way too high, both aesthetically and ergonomically. It should come down to eye level with a console beneath that is longer than the width of the TV.

I think we need to see the dining room portion to help. The logical thing is to center the rug with the fireplace. I'd rather see the chair in that corner where you have the undersized lamp and table, with the sofa floating to face the French doors, dividing the living and dining areas. Another good rule is to pull the rug under the front 1/3 of the sofa and have a foot of it extending past the sofa ends. I don't think your rug will do that. Can you provide a measurement for the sofa? Your dining table and benches could be replaced with a drop leaf table that backs up to the sofa to give you more living space and an expandable table when you have guests. You could use an arc floor lamp to hover above the coffee table, or turn it to work above the dining table when needed. Art flanking the French doors and above the mantel would be a nice addition.

Living Room · More Info

Contemporary Dining Room · More Info

Contemporary Living Room · More Info

If deco's arrangement above works and gives you enough clearances with doors, you can mount the TV on an articulating arm so it can be pulled out from the wall and turned to the best angle to watch.

Let me go on record as opposing removal of the dog bed and toys. In fact, pups needs a larger toy basket; that little thing is pathetic. ;-)

As you just got the rug, work with it. To do so, get some accent cushions in the colors of the rug and sectional to tie the space together and a throw for the chair. As for the coffee table find a nice combination of metal and glass, maybe 2 round ones in different heights and repeat that pattern for the tv stand (yours is too high anyway) and a huge mirror framed with a distressed wooden look.

Would love to see you try Deco's arrangement and art over the fireplace as well as Grover's t.v. recommendation.

Thank you all so much! I attached 3 additional pictures giving a longer view of the room and the dining room and kitchen (with dog photobomb - don't feel too sorry for him, he has 2 other beds and giant toybox in the basement! :). The couch measurements are 7.5ft long by 5 feet wide on the chaise and 3 feet wide for the rest of it.

Mantle is definitely temporary stuff for now with our thought to try to get something large above, I like the idea of the large mirror. And I really like the rearrangement of furniture as suggested, will give it a try and push husband to lower the TV.

Before you put a mirror over the mantel, ask yourself what it will reflect. The doors? Do you really want to see them twice?

Some of my best tricks to make a room bigger:

1. hang the curtains floor to ceiling and about 6 inches past either side rather than just above the window

2. place things in odd numbered groups

3. use mirrors to create dimension

4. display landscape photos

5. choose a dark color so the walls seems as if they are receding