boopadaboo, for sure there is no rush on their own rooms. All our kids have slept mostly with us for a few years except #5. She does not sleep well with us (took awhile for me to figure this out) so she is mostly in her crib. But as others have said, most kids do not spend tons of time in their rooms, esp if you live in a 2 story. I also think room sharing is fine-- or it better be because most of my kids have to share. :) My objection with the original room was more of a worry of the future, LOL, that it seemed like it was trying to appeal to adults. Sometimes children are seen as small adults (and then unrealistic expectations are set). A room does not have to be garish to appeal to children-- on the contrary. I am assuming unfairly, however, that these parents will view the child as anything other than a child. I' m still worried about that mirror, though.

LONG POST! I am so glad this topic is here. I have a split-foyer home and am always looking for ideas. Mine is a little different from oceana's in it only has the front door not the glass on the side and at the top. I have lived with this over 30 years and have updated it in many ways over the years. I am about to do it again. Right now, it has a hardwood floor and a wooden decorator door with the oval, beveled glass. The door and my stairs are the same color. I have used a decorative cut glass type film to block out some of the glare and provide a bit of privacy in the door. I am planning to add tread/stair brackets to the sides once it's painted this time. The only thing I want there (you know how small it is), is a silk or live tree and a fountain. Haven't decided if it'll be a wall fountain or a floor one. I removed the carpeting sometime ago to reveal lovely hardwood stairs. I have faced the front of the stairs with a lightweight Luwan material that I plan to paint white. I will then add WORDART to the risers going upstairs. The wall leading upstairs has 3 pictures that I have stairstepped. I like the tapestry that another poster had and will probably opt to try that look. Will try to match the tapestry to the round rug that I will use in the foyer to pull it together. I won't finish until sometime in August and will post before/after pictures at that time (have to read how to do this). I will be painting it in a butter cream color to complement the LR/DR colors. I also love the idea of using wainscotting and will ask my painter what he thinks. It will give the area an entirely richer look. I have a ceiling fan with a light there now. This will be replaced with a traditional foyer chandelier or a pendant lamp. I have seen some do Photoshop. I am sure this is a software package that might be pricey. Is there something out there that can help an on-a-budget homeowner see what her foyer might look like before I do it? Thanks for reading. Sorry to be so long. Peachie!

I have trim very similar to yours throughout my downstairs. Our home was built in 1908. I've tried the grey-blues so many times w/ so many high hopes but it always left me feeling flat. The best tones & ranges that I've found to compliment warm wood tones like ours are mid-range colors & warm colors. Green is a fantastic color choice w/ trim like ours - it blends so effortlessly w/ wood & really showcases wood. Think about it: it's the color of nature! Ellen Kennon has a color called Peridot & in it's description it is mentioned that shades of green are often used in French antiques shops throughout time as it shows the antiques so beautifully. Not saying that you should do Peridot - I'm just making an argument for using green. I've used both bright greens & 'dulled' greens w/ much success. We just painted our DR BM York Harbor Yellow & it is smashing w/ the wood. Below are pic's of the good, the bad, the ugly & the okay: RH Silver Sage in office - it was OK. It is now being painted Eddie Bauer Alabaster - much better: RH Blue Sage in DR - bad & dungeon like in our house: The Good DR now (wall just painted - still decorating): Some great greens: SW Tupelo Tree (love this color): BM Flowering Herbs: BM Baby Turtle: Hope some of this helps!

We had our first real freeze last night. Crap. I wasn't expecting it and didn't move the house plants back inside. I moved them once when we were supposed to freeze but didn't really...not completely anyway. But we did freeze last night--water in both the dogs' bowl and chickens' waterers were partially frozen. Sigh. And it was the plants we received when my mother in law passed last February. And the watermelons that are growing right next to the house froze too. Yes, I have "bush" watermelons growing in a narrow bed right next to the house on the west side. It's weird, but weird is what I do. And I"m trying to be okay with that. How many eggs per person do y'all use each week. I'm curious. My sister and niece were out tonight and as it was getting dark they were looking in on the chickens who had put themselves to bed. They were peeking into their window. As soon as I came over to them and started talking the chickens all came down their ramp. They (sister and niece) were amused that the hens know my voice. It was warm today so we put the outside lights up. My job was to put those plastic hanger things on the light bulbs (Yay for not have to staple strands of lights to the roof [Clark Griswold]) and the chickens kept pecking at the red lights...I was sitting on the ground and they couldn't resist. They've been obsessed with the front yard lately. I was just glad to be home. I love being home. And I even baked cookies while my son and daughter played Christmas music on the piano. Could life get better?