Thanks for the encouragement! Sochi, I think you're right, that is the quintessential french light fixture isn't it? I tried to mix it up a little with the different pendants over the island, but I do really like the shape of that chandelier. I'm really looking forward to the rustic modern. A lot of the homes close the ski resorts near my home would really do well with rustic modern interiors. I can't wait to see the great ideas.

After a long day of rearranging the LR, hooking up electronics, and being w/o phone/ internet service, I am back!!!! Parma - that's exactly what I envision. Since I do sweep fairly regularly I want to find a real handmade broom to keep in the corner in the kitchen. I'm sure that DS1 would call it mommy's witches broom! Martha Stewart did a segment on handmade brooms one time and I wish I'd have paid more attention. And old flooring - I think the more aged, worn and dinged up it is the better for me! Stinky - Gardener (Great name) -I've actually been buying stuff here and there and packing it away for a few yrs. now. The house that we live in is Victorian on the inside but I've known the house we are moving to for a long time and it's more in line w/ our simple comfort level. There's no way that our current bedroom style would work in the other house but I am very happy w/ it and yrs. down the road I'm sure that it too will morph into a French Country Farmhouse style. For now I just want to enjoy the finished product. Tish - that sounds perfect, European Farmhouse! I will def. have to google that term and see what pops up. I'm thinking that Shabby Chic look too but w/ way less cottage & flower prints and a lot more farm and durability! Kmcg - thank you very much for the link. Guess what I'll be doing during downtime at work today after all of my work is finished?! Polly - that sounds so pretty - hopefully you will opst some pics anyways despite living through a reno. A real nice thing about GW here is that we've seen pics of eachother's homes at their worst. One of my favorite threads was one where everybody had to go take a picture of their kitchen in the moment and post it. It was great to see kitchens in their 'disaray state' that were typically posted after having been 'staged' for their GW photo op.! I really want DR chairs w/ rush seats and a farmhouse table but DH is so attached to his grandmother's fancy set that I don't even want to suggest it. Ronbre - both of your homes sound very lovely. I can see where it would be tough to decorate in the exact same manner after such a horrible event. I'd love to see pics of the man room and your MBR. Tina - right now I have much of the hardwired stuff packed away like my chandeliers and sconces. Most of it I'd pick up at deep discounts when I worked at Bombay. Our storage rm. was laid out so poorly that items would get stuck in the most hidden spots and forgotten about until I'd rip the place apart and find things that had been there for yrs. My 2 favorite chandies were only $59. Currently I visit them in my attic and peek in the boxes and dream. I didn't want to hang them all and then have to turn around and take them down to sell this house and put all of the original stuff back up. If things pan out alright I will take pics of the LR after I have some more stuff done. I def. have to paint again. When DH moved all of the entertainment stuff I forgot that I hadn't painted behind it all. There's a big bright blue patch! I'd also like to pick up a ceiling fan and paint out the ceiling after 9 yrs. here. There are just wires hanging from the ceiling now. Someone here had recently posted a photo of their Baby Turtle walls and Limestone ceiling and it was so gorgeous so I am going to follow suit and do the same.

Wow! Thanks for all the beautiful pictures! CheriPatrice- You have some wonderful inspiration photos! Laughable- That's a nice kitchen, but those windows are lovely :) As for the wood/white cabinetry, I so appreciate all your input. I have not made a decision, but I am trying to find different examples, to make comparisons. I'm pretty set on white appliances and I like the idea of white backsplash tile, with some leaves or vines...and if I have wood cabinets, I would want white countertops. White cabinets, probably wood countertops. I know I want to use some blue and green accents with the yellow walls. I'd also like to include some reference to the brick, without being too heavy. As you might imagine, not a lot of pictures available, but I'm still looking. The only thing I don't like is wood floor with wood tone cabinets. It all seems to blend together, so either wood floor with painted cabinets or wood tone cabinets with a different floor. The lightness factor...that's big! I do want a kitchen that will bounce some light around, but not too white. Sometimes white can actually look gray, if there's not a lot of natural light. That's one of my concerns, too. My mom had white walls in her new kitchen, but they looked gray on cloudy days. She painted the walls a soft leaf green and it's beautiful. What light we do have in the kitchen is not really bright. We have the window over the sink (4' but could be a little wider) and the french doors to the sunroom...indirect light at best. The kitchen window faces southeast, so good morning light, but not much in the afternoon. One idea is to use the wood lower cabinets, with few uppers (mostly plate racks, open storage and a few glass doors or fabric...with only frames of the wood showing. This would lighten up the heaviness, associated with wood uppers and maybe paint the island green. The hutch would be lovely in blue...maybe tie in a few accent pieces too...a plate rack or the niche by the fridge. The table and chairs are also wood, but the chairs could be painted...and I'd like to have metal/wrought iron stools, at the island. Maybe tie it in with some wrought iron on some of the pendants or accessories. For hardware, antique brass and probably the same finish on the chandelier, over the table. I want it to feel like a country kitchen with a french spin, but as Beekeeperswife says, not too theme-y! LOL Now for the floor, I know it's totally 70s, but what about a vinyl floor that looks like brick? I love brick patios and I have some antique brick out in the garden...so I'd like to find something a little more rustic (less red) if possible. Still just an idea...but I'm kind of liking it! Sunroom...I'd like to paint it a soft aqua/blue, very light, to look good behind the plants and look like a warm, sky blue. We have that soft color, in the summer, on really warm days...and it's beautiful. I'd like to find a small settee and some comfy smaller chairs, for this space. Either wicker or small upholstered pieces. The little table and chairs would be more bistro style, maybe with some wrought iron for the base, wood top, iron chairs. Maybe back to vinyl 'wood' floors in this room...softer with the blue. Now, I'm totally digressing, but it's a slow day at work :) Any pictures, input, ideas? Don't be afraid to tell me what you really think...I may or may not agree with you, but it's good to get feedback. And L...the placement of the woodstove will partially be determined by whether we extend the upstairs part way over the sunroom. If we do, the pipe would still have to be tall, since I do know about the 10' rule. I have been talking to installers, but whether the stove is in the middle of the wall or the corner, will be decided by what we do upstairs. There are advantages to the corner placement, but I lose a few windows...but that's the northwest side...so maybe not a big deal :)

I would consider a recessed panel cabinet door, similar to a clean-lined Shaker but with a bit more detail. Then, as others pointed out, accessorize with fabric, wall racks, shelves, and a great hood (or if the budget allows, a French range like a Lacanche or La Cornue/CornuFe). You can see a few examples from these French sources of the Provencal style we typically think of as French country -- a slideshow: http://www.deco.fr/photos/diaporama-10-cuisines-provencales-inspirer-d_3898/photo-p_53387 And more generically, country kitchens that tend to be less ornate: http://www.elle.fr/Deco/Pieces/Cuisine/Des-cuisines-comme-a-la-campagne You can see that they tend to use a lot of glazes and raised panels, but you can also see how a recessed panel and a less glazed example could be used in less Provencal influenced kitchens (in the last example). The cabinet doors with grooves are also used quite often, but that may be more detail than you might want. As you can tell in that last link, the presence of the right hardware, racks, shelves, a great stove, a great hood, and colors and fabrics.