I read Bill's comments, here are my additions: A double layer of 3/4" ply, it looks like the sheets of ply are gapped, and it looks like they actually held to the proper fastening schedule. That's good. Plus I think the diagonal layout will help since the grout lines will not be parallel to the plywood seams. IF they used a properly modified thinset, which to me is not bagged modified, but bagged unmodified that I modify myself with latex admix, that can help. But to me there's still a HUGE difference between ceramic over ply and stone over plywood. I see this possibly working with ceramic. With travertine I'd not take a chance. With stone it's a crap shoot. The installation can work. Or the installation can fail. One little thing that sort of bugs me is that there is no thinset on the ply where the work has stopped. To ensure full coverage I'll usually thinset just past my grid layout line, then if stopping work, scrape the substrate clean with the edge of the trowel. Which won't be "clean" clean, but there will be a 1" or 2" wide feathered smear of thinset on the plywood where the tile stops. Not a big deal, but if I'm being asked to critique, well, there you go.

She thought the style was too boxy to pair with the drexel chair and that it didn't bring in enough of the french curves she knows I like. The more I think about the whole room, I think these are a better pairing for the rustic quasi-elegant look I am shooting for though. I wish I could see it in other fabrics/finishes.. I am having a hard time picturing it in something other than the striped cheetah (BTW Drexel Heritage has a great program to allow you to change the fabrics/finishes.. this is Hickory White though). I also wish I could sit in them.. they are not on the showroom floor. I do know that I want exposed wood on the fireplace chairs-- but other than that, I am all over the place still. More reason to wait on that decision. I am also thinking that I could use the Drexel chair elsewhere-- dining room or bedroom-- but the new CL chair will likely go to one of those spots (or my office).

I saw this post and felt compelled to speak..lol..type...I would stand in the door way of the kitchen/dining area and the living room...find a color that co-exists in both rooms and paint the cabinets in that color, you would need to scuff the faces on the fronts of the bases and doors, to give them whats called a tooth...just means to make the paint bond better... if you can find a common color between the rooms...it will have a more unified look...also if you were to go all white, they would blend in more with the baseboard trim and door trims, in both rooms...you can't go wrong either way...I would say if you are able to cordinate the cabinets to both rooms and lose the bi-fold doors, now I have a question? is that a dark trim around the top of the living room? I have a disorder maybe it's a matchy matchy thing? but I would match that to the base boards and door trim or vice versa...just my thoughts on your neat little nook...

If you're sticking to browns in the room, I vote for option C. The stripes look to be very close in color and tone to the leather of the chair, but, because they are dark & dramatic against a lighter background, you can see the pillow clearly from a distance. Also, the zebra pattern is bold enough to work with the bold fireplace stone. OTOH, I can't make out what color your walls are. They look beige, but are they pinkish or more yellow? Because the pillow's background color is sort of a maize I think? However, I'm in agreement with the others who suggest adding some more color to the room. Without seeing the rest of the room or any adjoining rooms, it's difficult to suggest choices. Regardless, I'd go a little bold & dramatic, else you risk an over-pale color kind of blending in to the point of being invisible.