Dividing the room into different use areas is a great way to break up the space. Obviously a fireplace is a great focal point. Keep seating in front of it perpendicular (i.e. sofas facing each other with ottoman or coffee table in between) or L-shaped. Don't forget to put a small table at each end of the couch/love seat with table lamps and space for a drink and a book.

Next, create a gaming area either for board games or cards. A square or round table with 2 - 4 chairs and a pendant light/chandelier is all you need. Add a floor lamp nearby for more ambient lighting. If not for games, how about adding a bistro set for light dining or morning coffee?

I would take advantage of windows and their light by building or improvising a window seat. Use a large bench or settee or even a loveseat right under the window. Add a long cushion (you could even recover a body pillow!) and some coordinating throw pillows, and your reading spot is ready! Keep an end table and lamp close by for additional reading pleasure.

Fill in the corners with a screen and/or tall plants (can be silk). Don't forget to uplight them with canister lights for dramatic effect. You may even have room for a writing desk and small bill-paying center. Use your imagination, look at designing magazines and go for it! You'll be glad you did.

Happy decorating!

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Lisa DeClue

Lisa DeClue was raised on Long Island, NY, educated at U.C.S.D. & now resides in the Midwest with her husband & two sons. She is active in Women?s & Children?s Ministries at their church & is hopelessly caught in the fun of Scrapbooking.

Lisa has loved decorating since she was a little girl & is an avid fan of most of the shows on HGTV. These shows are popular because many people just don't know what to do to decorate their homes. They have ideas, but need a starting point & some direction along the way; but they really do know what they like & don't like. HGTV?s programs help guide them along the decorating path. They have increased the awareness of do-it-yourself possibilities & really opened up the desire for professional help, thereby adding to her business. She has learned through the school of hard knocks & has been around the ?home d?cor block? several times. Lisa offers her friends & customers an almost free "Decorator on call" service with a sliding scale: anything from a Diet Coke to lunch!

Lisa worked in marketing & selling since she was out of High School & was an Executive Secretary for over ten years. When she & her husband became pregnant, she suddenly found herself without a job, thus forcing her to be a Stay-At-Home-Mom. After their youngest was born, Lisa wanted to earn a little extra income & to keep her h& in the business world. A friend was having a Home & Garden Party & gave her a catalog. She was so impressed with the product & the fact that HGP is a Christian company from the top down that she signed up! Nowhere has Lisa ever worked with people of the high integrity & Christian values as the men & women of Home & Garden Party. It is so refreshing to not have to worry about any of the corporate world?s shifting values. Thanks to Home & Garden Party, Lisa has been able to put God first, Family second & Career third. She can augment her family income while she puts Brian & the boys first.

She is a Designer & Team Leader with Home & Garden Party. She is the owner of Decorating with HGPgal, an informative resource site for home d?cor, decorating tips & accessories, collaborative articles & a DecoForum. Lisa publishes a monthly decorating ezine with prize drawings & writes d?cor- & organizing-inspired articles. Please contact Lisa at Lisa@HGPgal.com & visit Decorating with HGPgal at HGPgal.com - your source for decorating information & beautiful details for your home at exceptional prices!