Yes, but the new arrangement prohibits the recliner from reclining...
...and both arrangements appear to ignore the fireplace.

I'm curious what's at the other end of the room?

I'd enjoy reading more about the wall finishes too!

Funny, I like the first arrangement better, because the second feels pretty boxed in. I like open space in the middle of the room or I get panicky. :)

the wall treatment is a textured wood panel that is rotated 90 degrees to create the checkerboard pattern. i think this was done a few decades ago... we painted it the same color as the walls.

yes, the recliner can recline if you pull it away from the window a few inches. its not ideal, but it was in front of our coat closet before. we had to scoot it every time we opened the door.

the room is our living & dining room (about 11'x23'), so the other end is the dining area. the fireplace is almost centered (but more towards the dining side), so it makes it a little awkward as a focal point to group furniture around.

check out more photos of the house here, thanks!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dityfleur/sets/72157600282502288/

I love the taupe and soft grey green (the color of my new sofa!)

What color are your walls? I'm looking for a grey/green for my office.

walls: halcyon green (SW6213) from sherwin williams
* i like this color, but the north exposure keeps the room pretty dark, so i might change it up this spring to something brighter.

niche: brainstorm bronze (SW7033) from sherwin williams

I agree with bepsf. Looking at your floor plan, what about putting your dining room where your living room is and vice versa? That way your fireplace becomes more of a focal point for living.

I also feel like the tv space, even though its sunken into the wall, looms in the room esp with the larger dark tv. might make a great built-in china cabinet...

btw, the yellow in your kitchen is fabulous!

Nice home! Have you thought about switching out the dining room and the living room?

i agree that you should switch dining and living room areas.

another in agreement on switching the dining and living areas

I agree with bepsf. And, the room looks like a shrine to the TV.

I like it. I am especially partial to the blue-green you have on the walls and the bright yellow kitchen--very fun! It looks like you're doing well with a small space.

You have yourself a devastatingly cute cottage... with a main-room shape that's hostile toward the existence of furniture.

The current living-room/dining-room split makes sense as-is, especially as swapping still wouldn't allow you to center on the fireplace because of how the fireplace relates to the doors.

While the "after" photos initially made me claustrophobic -- in context, yeah, it makes the room into so much less of a Corridor of Furniture to do it the "after" way. At the very least, it's fun to try it for a season.

I looked at your entire flickr set and see you plan to expand the house. I assume this means you plan to knock down the walls in the living/dining room that create that alcove. That looks like you'd gain at least 3 feet in room length. Wouldn't that be great!

I love your colors, the lived-in, cozy look of your place. I would want to hang out there.

Well done!

Well done. Where did you get the entertainment center that your television is resting on?

OK first off, who cares about the friggin fireplace? Does it have feelings? People really annoy me when they try to arrange a room around a fireplace. It's there to warm the home, it does not need your undivided attention. Say you do have all of the seating face the fireplace, what next?...campfire stories?

The only reason why I prefer the "before" is that the new set up does not allow easy flow around the seating...i.e. doesn't seem practical. I have my living area arranged very similar to the "after" photo but I have enough room to get around the furnishings. The new setup my work if they had at least a few more feet of living space. The room looked perfectly nice and fine before.