Living Room - BEFORE

I have to confess that I'm really dreading doing the living room. This is going to be a big job. This is the largest room so far and seems to be a dumping ground and area of general disorder. I do have a vision...SPACE. I want to experience a vast area of carpet when it is finished! So as I specified in this post, I have a process to begin a room...take "before" pictures and evaluate What Do I See? (WDIS)

The pictures are pretty much horrifying and I have an enormous list of WDIS! Here it is:
-furniture, chairs without a home
-fan
-misc boxes full of misc things!
-tote bags full of misc things!
-dirty laundry, socks
-bedroom pillow
-coats(!)
-water bottles
-trash
-dirty dishes
-empty storage boxes (heLLLLOOOO?!)
-box of 3 ring binders
-plush toys
-media (dvds, cds, video games)
-guitars
-legos
-toys
-3 nesting tables
-lego box
-clothing
-blue tub of ??
-books
-yarn, crochet projects
-green basket for blankets
-blankets
-box with old Game Cube system
-mini tv
-cd player
-white trash bag with misc stuff
-mantle has keepsake school projects like ceramics and artwork

I have some serious concerns about tackling the living room. For the first time, I'm going to have to do some purging...there are things in this room that need to be "dealt with" (box of binders, for example). I have a rule that with each room, I can't just "migrate my junk into the next room". We also have a board game issue, not sure how that is going to get solved. I think I'll begin with picking up the trash, laundry, dishes and sorting things by "type" just to get started. Not sure what the next step will be.

Usage...currently, this room is only used for viewing movies as a family on the weekends. Sometimes John will watch or play a video game during the week, but it is rare these days. Wow, a room only used on the weekends for maybe 4 hours total...that is interesting! No, wait, Daniel and Sarah play their one hour of Wii on Saturdays, that counts. The pleasant reality is that once it is clean, the kids WILL use it during the week for projects and play. It is the brightest room in the house and they will enjoy the floor space to spread out (can't wait to do the sunroom, too!)

Thoughts:
-The Christmas tree lives in this room in December, which is just around the corner.
-My first thought is to move the guitars upstairs, but the truth is we don't use them upstairs...well...that's not true, John will grab one and strum for the kids as they get ready for bed. Now that Sarah has repaired her guitar and it works now, we have two guitars again. Maybe they belong at the top of the stairs in a little space by Dan's room...hmmmm. That could work...easy access but out of the path of activity.
-I like the openess without a coffee table, but what if we set up the floor chairs with a low, skinny table? That would be very functional for a little snack with the movie, but not sure there's room and takes away from floor space for kids.

I see the room containing the two bookshelves, the tv, the boxes on either side of the tv with video games and equipment, 2 folding fig chairs, want a new lamp, like the green chair, want to put up curtains behind sofa (or maybe even put them on either side of tv-hadn't considered that until now - that won't work with the bookshelf, must go behind sofa), chair, sofa and THAT'S IT! Where is all this stuff going to go?

Decorating: I want to sell the artwork above the mantel. I have my eye on this to replace it. I won't be the first in my family to own this...my sister has one and so does my friend Michelle! Oh well, I really like it and it will fit the space nicely. The artwork that is currently there just doesn't create a focal point like this wall candleholder will...and I purchased that art for the old house (it looked great there, but not here).

I might need a small table to put the cd player and mini-tv on. Or maybe these items could get stored in the sunroom when we install the counters.

Considering painting the wall between the bookshelves. Maybe pulling the gold from John's chair?

I think the next step is to GO IN THERE and make PILES. Then I can see what I have to deal with and make a plan. Here goes...