The hunt for chairs has begun! On our first outing we scored 4 and spent less than $40. I didn't think that was to bad. I bet we sat in 20 chairs trying to find old chairs that are in good repair is not going to be all that easy. We found two matching that are larger with arms that we will use on the ends. I'm attaching a picture of my favorite. I'm not sure what style it is but I love it. Now that I'm going to be forming a small collection of chairs I need to educate myself on the styles. Where do I start?Thanks This post was edited by farmchic on Mon, Jan 21, 13 at 10:49

2-1 sounds good. Thanks! I typically try to work in odd numbers but was having a problem seeing the overall picture since I had so many pieces about. DH said he didn't care if I painted the bookcase. Thanks Franksmom! I'm hoping that the wall color won't be too dark for her tree mural. I don't want to go too dark on the leaves. That bureau looks totally different from when I bought it for $10 or $15 7yrs ago. It was burnt orange w/ big wooden knobs. I bought new glass knobs and glued on the 2 wooden decals. DH found small wheels at his shop and put those on for me to raise the height to a more comfortable changing table height for us. Jerseygirl - well you know the adult rocker needs to have the seat reupholstered and I've been going back and forth between cream or blue. Maybe a print w/ both colors? Her curtains are a natural muslin color w/ pom pom trim and her bedding is almost he same color as the wall w/ a brown toile print and a cream matelasse quilt. Soft pink sheets. Bumblebeez - that is an excellent point about focal points and I didn't want to take away from the bureau by adding too many painted pieces.

Although I do love paint myself, I think painting the woodwork in a Tudor Cottage would be akin to sacrilege. You can achieve a brighter interior by using full-spectrum light bulbs, by undressing the windows to let more light in, by using bright, not necessarily light, upholstery, pillows, and bed coverings. The kitchen cabinets show the jarring effect of trying to change the personality of the architecture. I would do a kitchen restoration . Strip down those kitchen cabinets and stain them, and maybe install a farmhouse sink. For paint, I would try to stay with true neutrals. Since your sofa is charcoal, a cool color, an obviously warm color on the walls would jangle, and a cool color would not go with Tudor styling or with dark natural wood work. Maybe you can find a sort of very pale toasty taupe. And of course you can also post this on the decorating Forum. Lots and lots of very good, very gifted, very helpful people over there. Whatever you decide, good luck and have fun.

I don't know how they do it, but it might be interesting to have the island lighter with the color of the cabinets painted over it, and than wiped off, to just see the dark highlights in streaks? BUT, if having the island darker is your preference as someone said, due to other wood in your home, than when you see the whole picture, and the appliances in play, you will see a different hue in all your surfaces. I don't encourage WHITE OR DARK in a kitchen. DARK is hard to keep the smears and dust off to look CLEAN. WHITE, is going to yellow with time and especially around the cooking appliance where fumes and grease go airborne. So your cabinets are the pERFECT color of a creamy yellow, not a naseous LEMON or an ORANGEy yellow. Light in a kitchen as yours will be very nice and the colors of the walls such as just the right warm taupe color or pale gray, or just the right dusty blue, or even dusty green-gray or gray-green, show you have versatile basics that will stand the test of time as soft good colors come and go, for window treatments and linens. I read somewhere that in paints, the most timeless choices that wear on one to 'live with' long term, lie in the 'dusty' shades family. I think there is some truth to that. Being there in person, you will be able to make the best judge, and you can always ask someone you trust to confirm your decision or guide you to an option you have not thought of, based on all the ideas you have seen here. It's great to have so many options!