Oh, wherever things can possibly be complicated or delayed, I'm sure to find them! I was looking for advice firstly with the right "look". Once I knew what I "should" be aiming for, I figured I could fudge or approximate it somehow, depending on what the contractor told me/was willing to do. If nothing else, I now know what I need to aim for. The black option that I posted above is pretty wide, so I thought that would help give the impression of being wider-mounted, and in fact it's from a line called "Old Sturbridge", which should read traditional/colonial enough for the house. I also thought I had a better chance of using the existing wire hole to satisfactory effect if I got a down-arm or armless lantern. But maybe it's too authentic for a revival house and only really works on 1700s saltbox? The paint is alligatored and we aren't replacing or sanding the siding, so I was going to go with a sort of dark color to try to camoflage the condition. But now I'm rethinking that, in light of Teacat's suggestion that I make the entire surround off-white. I wouldn't want a lot of contrast on the house, so if we do whitish trim we'll go for a lighter colored house. We did sand (with a palm sander!) a house once. But that one was already down to bare wood in some places. This house has been painted at least once since it started cracking; the alligatoring is now effectively preserved for the long run. We are older and less ambitious now.

I lifted this from someone's website. It's good info. Ultra suede microfiber comes in different qualities so that's something to be aware of. It's not costly as I purchase it for $2.99 yd at a local fabric mill/outlet. I'm not trying to dissuade or persuade you but I just wish more young families were aware of this "silver bullet". First a photo of a sofa/chaise in an off-white and then the info follows. So microfiber is a bit of a polarizing fabric. Some love it, others hate it. It is undeniable that good quality microfibers provide the best combination of durability, stain resistance and clean-ability. I’m mainly talking about Ultrasuede, here. It really does feel like suede, unlike some cheaper microfibers. And I’ve heard stories of Sharpie disasters on Ultrasuede-upholstered furniture being averted with a rubbing alcohol and elbow grease. Even WHITE! Want to talk double rubs? How does 200,000 strike you? It doesn’t get any better than this. Lots of color options, too (solids). If you are environmentally conscious, Ultrasuede is a great choice, as it is made from 100% recycled fibers.

I also forgot to say try Oxiclean White Revive liquid. I had some really nice sheets I found in the back of my closet that I wanted to keep but they had an odor and had yellowed. I started to throw them away but instead I soaked them overnight in Revive and followed up with a white vinegar rinse. They came out like brand new sheets. Love the stuff! Lol I cleaned my closet out, washed the walls down and went on a washing frenzy. :)

You will need to bring in your flooring samples into the space. Put down a white bed sheet underneath the samples and leave them on the floor. You will assess the floor samples THROUGHOUT the 5 lighting situations. If you see the same clash as what you currently have them toss that sample to the curb. You are the one who sees the clash. You have to be happy with the floors. A white washed plank might do it for you...but again the cherry dining set is the odd man out in your home's decor. Be aware the dining set is going to be an issue (as it currently is now). I suggest you remove the cherry set until you have found a decent floor option. In fact, I would remove it for now and reassess the clash during the morning hours. Just in case you are seeing a clash BECAUSE of the cherry. It is a simple thing that can remove ONE MORE variable. Think of it as a science experiment (which it is...remember primary school when we found about about light and prisms etc?...that was 'science class' for the day). Remove all the variables until you are working with only one. Then add in variables until you find the 'issue'. Technically your issue is the paint. But you want to keep it so we are trying to find a way to help you. Ideally you would repaint. It is the paint that is throwing the blue/gray...not the floors.