I love your fireplace. I would not alter it. The door and the floorboards draw your eye straight to the fireplace. I wouod definitely alter the light fittings. I would have the tv on the dining room wall to the right of the arches. I wouod have one lounge on the window wall opposite the tv and a chair in the corner if there is enough room. I would have an eyecatching wing back chair to the left of the fireplace opposite the dining room and white lacy soft curtains softening the window wall. To the left of the fireplace near the dining room arch you could add some interesting decorating piece. I would concentrate on making the fireplace wall the focal point of the room and the tv corner a secondary focal point that is soft and relaxing. You could trow down a couple of beautiful, thick, soft floor mats to soften the brick and provide a texture contrast. Overall, I love the room, it has character and strength, its not boring and mundane. Good luck! I hope you find something that suits both you and hubby

Hi Jasmine almost impossible to give you accurate guidance without room measurements. However a layout similar to below could work with the right size furniture & the TV mounted either over the fireplace or close by. If you got 2 backless bar stools at the kitchen bench this would give you added seating as people can turn around & face the lounge area & be a part of the conversation. This layout also keeps the walk way free to the deck area. A rug would anchor the area. However again I can only say that without room measurements it is difficult to give you the best advice.

given you're already playing with changing window size I'd go much narrower. we've added 1m wide window which is opaque for privacy and full height - its actually comprised of 2 awning windows stacked over a fixed pane window. Mind you we were replacing a sliding door. Remember it's easier to go smaller and add wall rather than bigger and remove wall. The other option is to have a higher window and put toilet underneath.

Thanks once again oklouise for your comments. I have already been told by the draughtsman that I cannot put in skylights. No idea if this is true but he seemed quite sure and it was he who 'designed' the layout of said ensuite with what I consider a too small window because of ease of plumbing and drainage. He says that can be changed...............Supposedly only put like that to get the oversize plan in fir consent. This department is only interested in the outside view and the effect on the neighbours, which I actually dont have any. The positioning of the ensuite and WiR has changed too from the first plan as I had to come 'out' of my bedroom into a corridor past the WiR door and then into the ensuite. Technically they were both in my bedroom as had not entered the hallway but did not seem like it. So the wall you have now suggested for the door is a small lobby to the bedroom and I had planned to put furniture on it and a full length mirror. I will now look again at the whole space with three zones to see what can be done. I used the word solar tube as I thought that was the generic name for the 'tube' installed which reflected light into a room. Do they cause draughts? Have had no experience of them but will probably want to install one in my scullery (or Butler's kitchen) but am going to work in it a few months before deciding that. I am really quite a novice about function of installations and of building code.