This arrangement works much better, but some adjustments are needed to make it work. First, the fireplace grouping needs to be tightened. It crowds the dining area and you need a passageway behind the couch. Turn the rug lengthwise, parallel to the fireplace. Pull the large couch about 2 1/2 feet closer to the fireplace, and place the two chairs and loveseat on the ends of the rug, and pull them closer together. This will give you a more intimate conversation area, and not impose on the other areas of the room. Remove that floor lamp from behind the couch. If you need the light in that area, put it by the fireplace. Also, the stereo system on the mantel needs to find another home. Maybe it can go IN the fireplace instead. At the other end of the room, I think the arrangement would look better if the seating were rotated 90 degrees. Keep the rug and coffee table in its current configuration, place the sofa either facing the window or with its back to the window, and put the two chairs opposite it. Finally, the dining area. Now that you've moved the big leather chairs, you should have enough room. Your rug is too small. It should be big enough to give you at least a 2 ft. border all the way around when the chairs are pushed in. And it's a really beautiful table; please uncover it. I can't see what kind of lighting that area has. It really needs a pendant or chandelier hanging directly over the table.

On your paint problem I can't be much help. This usually happens because of damp -- please get a damp expert to make sure that there isn't any damp lurking in your walls. I had this once when I had pipes leaking inside the walls. I didn't know that. The other alternative is something like painting before the plaster is dry or some kind of chemical mismatch. I do know you will have to scrape all the mucky powdery stuff away and start again, at least on those areas. Don't try to seal and prime and repaint until you know exactly what the problem is and how to fix it.

OK... but the wire wont be lower as it is fixed now. The wire in the pics below is the wall facing each other. They were leveled on equal height but the beam on one wall makes it seem a little above. But i think you guys are absolutely right that up and down lights wont look good there. I think you are right about down lights lessismoore. Would it look good if i go with two different lights on opposite walls??? it would look odd right.

How do you decorate your place, what kind of style, colors, and feelings? That will greatly influence the type of door you might want. Also, think of your budget, and whether you want to install it yourself or hire a professional (you don't need to tell us, just keep that in mind). Then look around Houzz, in the products page, they have lots of interior sliding doors and hinged ones, from elegant frosted glass in a dark wood frame, to rustic reclaimed wood planks. You may not want to purchase that exact model, but it might give you a better idea of what would fulfill your airflow needs without sacrificing style.