Hi, there! What a great start to this room and a great friend you are for helping this gentleman. 1) I agree with what others have said about placing the two sofas facing each other perpendicular to the fireplace, with the coffee table in between and turning the rug. 2) I also agree that the artwork is what should go above the fireplace, not the tv. Then I think the tv could go on the wall opposite the fireplace, if there is enough room. But if placing the tv in the room with the artwork above the fireplace is difficult, then the tv could go above the fireplace. 3) It's hard to tell where the chandelier is located, but if possible, I'd swag it to be centered over the coffee table and centered with the fireplace. 4) I'd place a large tufted bench with roll arms and small side table or floor lamp in the bay window. This can easily be moved aside or in front of the fireplace during Christmas to make room for a large Christmas tree. 5) I'd go with a medium to dark grey on the walls, leaving the moulding white and LOVE the idea of the accent color of purple on the fireplace wall. I'd also paint all the radiators in the same color as the walls to "hide" them a bit. (You can also have boxes built around the radiators to make it look like a piece of furniture.) 6) If you move the artwork, you will have a blank space between the wall sconces. If those are permanent fixtures, you could place an assortment of mirrors on this wall arranged like artwork. 7) I would find a nice buffet (maybe something like this: http://www.westelm.com/products/parsons-mirror-console-g199/?pkey=cconsoles-buffet-tables&cm_src=consoles-buffet-tables||NoFacet-_-NoFacet-_--_-) to place under the sconces, then you can place the chairs to either side of the buffet. It would be a great counter to have for entertaining purposes, to put out an assortment of appetizers. And a design like this, you don't have to be too concerned with covering up or getting too close to the radiator. And the chairs can be stored to either side, but be brought out into the main area for entertaining. Alternatively, you could place a large decorative floor mirror leaning against the wall between the sconces (with the chairs on either side) and place a nice buffet console table behind the couch across from it. 8) To either side of the fireplace in the "nooks", I would put some wood console tables or cabinets (they don't have to be a matching set) in a deep rich java. On top of those, I'd place a tall buffet table lamp and place either one nice piece of art on the wall above or an arrangement of smaller art. You could also do one piece on one side and an arrangement on the other. 9) I would straighten the back couch cushions to make them look more streamlined and place the accent pillows against the back in somewhat of a line, rather than haphazardly. So, there would be one small accent pillow for each of the back pillows or at least evenly spaced out. Golds and bronzes would also look lovely with the greys and purples and I like the idea above about adding something zebra print, too. You have such great pieces to work it, I think most of it will just take rearranging and adding a few things here and there. Good luck! I would love to see the "after" photos!!!

I'd say we all want to live in that lovely house we passed whilst on the way to go brambling with a jam jar in our hand and high hopes of a good day. Maybe it was the gates, or the gravel driveway that appealed, and it even had stone pillers and Georgian windows . And I'd wait and stare, and wait and stare curious about who lived there and hoping they'd drive out allowing me a quick glimpse of another world. Them. Then I'd feel ashamed stood there in my jumble-sale-new clothes, bothered that perhaps someone might come out and ask me what was I doing. I learnt it was a very rich person home, a shipbuilder who owned a shipping fleet and I wanted to copy him, if he could do it- then so could I. So that man and that lovely house blighted my life for the best, and it still does. I love this house and stop outside it whenever I pass by. I'm heart broken, and I'm a big strong man and big strong men are not allowed to cry. That adopted house is my comfort blanket, my home, and I go to sleep and it becomes mine.This is my lounge, this my garden, this gate is mine, and please come in when you go brambling. Don't walk on by, share it with me, you can adopt upstairs or the fireplaces, or ceiling coving and florals, I won't mind.

While white fencing isn't for me in a back garden, I have seen loads of pics here on Houzz with white fences and, although they mostly seem to be over in the USA (let's face it - they tend to have better daylight in parts of North America than we do in the UK) I do like the look of it, though. I especially like the whitewash appearance if you're going for a Cottage Garden as it adds a weathered appeal. I went for black in my garden which looks pretty stylish, especially with the greens and whites in front of it. I used to live in a house with a roof terrace and we were advised at the time to not use white on the inside of the parapet walls as it would glare too much. The chosen option for the wall was pale grey (before it was fashionable) and it worked really well. For this reason, I wouldn't have gone for white fence or white furniture.

Thank you everyone for your advice, I travel a lot with work so it's been very hard to keep on top of this, I'm home for a few months now as we are supposed to be getting other work on the house done, although I may have to put this on hold until the beam issue is resolved. Chief-brody, I have tried contacting the original structural engineer many times, but a formal registered letter is a good idea. Jen P, from the new structural engineer's report, it looks like the original one recommended the wrong size and yes, I am getting no where with the council, although they were very happy to take my money! Jonathan, my plan is to contact my insurance company, as this has gone on too long and I really need someone on my side! Gemma, I am hoping I don't have to go through the solicitors route but fingers crossed my insurance company can point me in the right direction even if I'm not fully covered. Waiting to see if the original builder turns up today!