Room by room, function by function

When I imagine a comfortable home, I think one of that functional and comfortable spaces. I think our house is missing a little of that. I'm going to go room by room and figure out what could make it work better for our family.  Again, this is a brainstorm.

ROOM ONE: Living room

Our living room is an awkward shape, long and narrow. The door is placed in the middle of the room, so when you walk in you immediately see the fireplace. It wasn't easy to create a seating area.
What I like: The two couches and chair are a good enough seating arrangement. I like having a lamp in between the couches. I like having a small table by the door, and I love our mantel. I am in love with a curio wall shelf I finally bought thanks to the ladies at Ten Maple in Centerville who were gracious enough to call me when they found one. I like our bookcase well enough, although it always seems a little disproportionate with the couches. I like the framed photos above the piano.

What I don't like: I don't like the big blank spaces on the walls. We need more pictures on the wall.  I don't like that the curtains aren't hemmed. I don't like that the photos above the piano are askew. I don't like the photos on the small table by the door. I don't like that the rug shows every bit of dog hair and gets dirty very easily.  I don't like the empty space in the fireplace. I don't like that the side table is a black hole for books and magazines on the bottom shelf.

What I could do: Find art for the walls.  Get someone to hem the curtains. Vacuum and wash the rug. Get a nice basket to go inside the fireplace. Replace the side table.

ROOM TWO: Dining room
FUNCTION: Eating, storing extra plates/dishes, entertaining
What I like: The black table and chairs. The mirror. The walls.

What I don't like: The gigantic expanses of blank walls.  That drives me batty. Not having a nice tablecloth. The unhemmed curtains. Not having a buffet.

What I can do: Pick out art/ photos for the walls. Hem the curtains. Buy a table cloth.
Buy a buffet.

ROOM THREE: Kitchen
FUNCTION: Cooking, eating, working/playing at eat-in table, storing food and plates, etc.
What I like: The color scheme (even if the yellow is the wrong shade). The plate cabinet. The kids cabinet. The three hanging plates.

What I don't like: All of the other cabinet organization systems. The square table (needs to be round) The old picture in the eat-in area (we've had that cliched thing for 10 years.) The floor tile. The pantry. The mess that accumulates on the counter. The blank space above the computer.

What I can do: Reorganize the cabinets. Replace the table and chairs. Get new art for the eat-in area. Find something to hang above the computer. Get a better solution for the junk that piles up on the computer area. Start saving to replace the floor.

ROOM FOUR: The playroom/family room
FUNCTION: Watching TV, playing, reading, relaxing
What I like: The couch. Being able to store toys in the closet.

What I don't like: THE CURTAINS!!!! The disorganized messy looking entertainment center. The big leather chair. The messy closet. The side table. Having the TV visible.

What I can do: Replace the curtains. Organize and clean the closet and entertainment center. Sell the leather chair and replace it with a smaller chair. See if Ikea carries doors that would be able to cover the TV.

ROOM FOUR: Downstairs bath
What I like: The fixtures, the white beadboard, the shower curtain, the alcove

What I don't like: The blank walls, the empty alcove

What I can do: Hang up some pictures, decorate the alcove

To be continued