Hi all Just thought I'd give an update. Even though hubby and I discussed with each other that we will wait til we move in to get a dining table. Hubby went back to the store where we bought the sofa set to buy something, then he went ahead and bought the matching dining set because he got a good deal for it. Oh well. Thanks again to all those who helped me with this :)

Hi B, I used to live in a "tall and skinny" and the challenges were plentiful, but it was fun to decorate. Check out my artwork for ideas on your walls. Large art can help you visually separate your spaces without having anything on the floor taking up space. I have many originals, and hundreds of configurations of canvas prints that I can print to the size you choose - some of them very large. I ship outside of US on rolled canvas in a tube to manage the cost of shipping. http://www.etsy.com/shop/katshoa Enjoy decorating!

Thank-you both for your input! I think I'm tossing up between putting the chairs in the nook or against the long wall. If chairs go in the nook, it's cosy and there's more walkway space as you said, Luke, for beanbags etc. However, what would I do with the 2m wall near the entrance? Would seating there be a bit odd? However having the screen in the nook would allow for a longer row of seating I think? So potentially more people could fit in, although those sitting near the door may have an obscure view of the screen. It seems like both options have pros & cons! We don't have anything that needs to go in, so to speak, although plenty of seating options and tables for drinks etc would be really great!

We built our house in 1975 and had a similar problem; A teeny tiny family room with too many doors. After several years of squeezing ourselves into this poorly functioning excuse of a "family" room, which has entrances in every corner bar one, plus an entry into the kitchen and sliding door to outside, in a fit of frustration, I decided that our under-utilised formal lounge/dining would be used as a living room with the TV, although we chose to keep the dining table in that room as it is a long narrow room. I made this change 26 years ago. The family room is now just a sitting area with one 2.5 seater couch and a side table at each end, no TV and is a great space for a few people to congregate in to keep the cook company or just to read. However it would have worked equally well with the dining table there. In any case, because of all the doorways, it is really just a walk-through area, but now feels spacious and "settled" instead of crowded and messy. I can recommend the change.....you will feel much less at "sixes and sevens" with your home.