Please read the following recall before you buy EA. Ethan Allen "American Impressions" and "New Country" rectangular dining tables Could collapse and cause injury. Products: 7,071 wood tables sold from 8/03 to 1/05 at Ethan Allen furniture stores nationwide for $1,069 to $1,199. "American Impressions" table bears model number 24-6414; "New Country" table, model number 33-6404. Model number is stenciled on underside of table. Hazard exists because table may be missing some of the eight small wooden blocks that are supposed to be located on its underside to add stability. Ethan Allen has received 33 reports of incidents in which tables may have collapsed as a result of missing blocks. No injuries have been reported. What to do: Inspect underside of table for stability blocks. If there are fewer than eight, call Ethan Allen at 888-339-9398 to arrange for free in-home repair. For information, go to www.ethanallen.com or e-mail company at recall@ethanalleninc.com. Ethan Allen says it is sending recall notices to all known customers who bought the tables.

I vote for hardwood or engineered wood through the whole space, including the kitchen. Opening the wall would be nice, but I suspect your appliances are arrayed along that wall? I'd paint the wall the same pale color as the living space, and hang a really big mirror on the wall if you can't open it. Then you open the wall visually, and reflect the light from the sliders back into the space. (I know...me and mirrors. They are great manipulators of space, particularly when you commit to making them big!)

Here is the furniture from a picture of our old house. Is this hopeless with the style of the light over the kitchen table? BTW, I love the rose bushes idea and could put them behind the safety of the gate in the front courtyard. I will ask at the garden center what they advisee to put in front of the concrete wall because we have a nightly herd of deer out front. It's so much fun. And I know, it's wonderful to have those kinds of beautiful, happy dreams. I have never gardened much but can see how great it might be. The house can be beautiful. It's a little cold looking now, and I havent hot much talent in decor, but I think it could be warmer and more inviting. I would like to have a welcoming home.

If a small table is good for everyday, there are workarounds for occasional family get-togethers. Reading Sarah Susanka's books may give you some ideas for having your spaces live large. For example, she suggests 2 smallish tables that are the same height, that can be put together for occasional larger dining needs. For large meals we split people up between the kitchen and dining room tables, and the rule is that mid-meal you shuffle places so you have different dining companions for dessert. For holiday meals my MIL used to put tables end-to-end that covered the full length of living-dining room, such that the people on the far side needed to crawl under the table to get there. Obviously that was for the younger more nimble people. The kids loved it and still talk fondly about diving under the table. If your need is for a more elegant dining experience for couples, that obviously won't work LOL.