Living room

The living room is elevated by about 3 feet and open to the rest of the house.  It is long and rectangular, about 220 sq.ft.  The north wall is brick with two huge windows and 3 wall sconces with two light bulbs each.  Right now Brett's messy desk is blocking one window.  Between the windows is a big old black particle board entertainment center with a broken door and games, game systems, and DVD's spilling out of it at all times.  The 55 gallon aquarium is on top of it.  moving to the right, in the corner is a 30 gallon aquarium on a small cherry wood table.  To the right of that is the banister that overlooks the dining room.  Then the stairs leading down toward the kitchen/dining room.  The south wall is a half wall just short of 4 feet tall with an oak cap piece.  There is a ratty pink lazyboy covered in cat fur.  Then a rickety magazine rack end table with a lamp attached.  To the right of that is the most uncomfortable and ugly couch ever.  Orange velour.  Then to the right of that is my desk, which is relatively compact, but very messy.  Then I have a pile of papers and slides that need to go back to Thom's.  Then there's an oak file cabinet that fits under a desk that's in the basement.  after that is curved stairs that lead to the entry.  Then there's a door that leads to a little porch above the garage.  Then the big wood stove.  Then a little window, and the corner that takes us back to the beginning.

When people walk into my house, the first thing they see is the arch.  If they look to the left they see the wood stove and Brett's desk in front of the window.  Then they see down the hall into the kitchen.  Everyone comments that the house looks like a castle.  I want to keep it that way, but also have a contemporary feel and efficient use of space.  

Here I will post living room photos from before we moved in (If I can find any).

And here are some things I'm considering to improve matters...  Photos are stuff I've found on CL and haven't bought yet.  Starting from the northwest corner of the room...

• Need to find a new place for our computers.  They collect junk.  One could go in the kitchen and one in the laundry room.  Or BOTH could go in the laundry room.  
• Build a better aquarium stand to hold the 75 gallon and a new flat screen TV - build in storage for the games and/or movies if possible.  Reclaimed wood with big details would be best.
• Move 30 gallon aquarium into another room.  Laundry room?
• Get huge round swivel chair, big enough for two, to put by the banister overlooking the dining room.  There's one at Spencer's but it's around $400.  It's really perfect though.  It can swivel to talk to people in any room.  And it's low and off to the corner enough that it wouldn't obstruct much of a view.
• Put Iron lamp against low south wall, overlooking big brown recliner I loved at Mor (around $500)
• Put ornate end table to the right of that