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.

this is a narrow patch of lawn on which I have not been able to grow grass since the area is under shade of tall trees. How can I do it up with tiles/ slabs/ pebbles

Hello Sir, For an apartment building, mold shall not be much of an issue. If it is done properly and the gaps are closed then even insects/cockroaches are not a problem in the brick walls. In fact they become more beautiful after some weathering and exposure. The man-made alternatives to actual brick finish are, brick tiles, brick wall papers, brick design laminates and MDF sheet. They are a close replica but personally we prefer actual bricks for the exteriors. Thanks, Nitin Cornerstone Designs Bangalore

mostly Indians uses brown varnish paints for their main wooden doors....I even don't know why they didn't use other colors...even in my house doors are given brown color wooden texture...