lounge rooms switch-ups

Our lounge room has had a few changes since we moved in a year ago. We REALLY need some art on the walls, and a new rug. We won't do anything about them until we paint though, and get rid of the awful purple. 
I'd really like to paint soon, but  it's going to be a big job-lots of chipped and flaking paint on the trim, and the walls need some work-some filling and sanding. Being old paint we need to check if it's lead too. 

A big, empty room

Looking back from the window

And from the other corner

 When we first moved in we had the lounge facing away from the kitchen.

I think the cushions were  from Adairs a year or so back, the blanket is a beautiful mohair one that used to be my Mamas, the couch and recliner is from Freedom, my grandpa Maxie made the little bookcase. 

The rug is a hand me down-the only piece of carpet in the house. The chest was a gumtree find-it's beautiful old hardwood, and the tv is on a coffee table that we got cheap from someone who does up furniture. 

Here you can actually see the coffee table/chest

When the kitchen island took forever to arrive we tossed up getting a different one that was a bit bigger, so I moved the lounge room around a bit to make more room. It has stayed like this ever since. It seems more open, even with the island in that gap. 

Before the island went in

 I also got some lovely new cushions-a bit brighter and more colourful. 

We have big plans for this room. Eventually we would like to knock out the little wall (its about a meter wide) behind the small bookcase and open up the lounge, dining and kitchen a lot more. It blocks a lot of light, and I like the idea of openness. I think it will be load bearing though. We are also considering (a long way into the future) of closing up the opening into the hallway, and  putting in low cupboards underneath, hanging the tv on the wall, and having shelving around. That's a long time down the track though. 

We are looking into some floating shelves between the window and tv, and putting some art and photos onto the wall behind the couch. 

What do you think? What do you like? What would you suggest?