Thanks so much for all your kind comments! Jesemy-Email me directly for the Seagrass Rug info. The company is in Dallas and the rug is really really soft - not at all like regular seagrass. Finally!! I am so thrilled with it (and so are my husband and kids) Goodbyekitty - My floors are a combination of Minwax stain Special Walnut and Dark Walnut. My floors are old oak so they are very tightly grained. We mixed up a batch until the color came up the same as the original floors. slateberry51- My windows measure 40" moulding to moulding. Each curtain panel measures 40". I installed the rods 3" past the moulding on either side so the curtains really only cover the 3"moulding and the wall. I was sure not to block any light! My seagrass is not custom cut, but I measured and had a rectangle made to size. The company is in Dallas, so they couldn't measure it for me and I was too afraid I would mess it up. I agree Joni is the best! She is so talented and so willing to share her experience. We are lucky to have her as such a wonderful resource! pps7- My wall color is Benjamin Moore Muslin - washable flat. Finally I also posted my Conservatory and my experience hanging a series of 9 framed intaglios. The room connects to the living room if you are interested. Thanks so much for all the kind comments. xxxx-Willow Here is a link that might be useful: Willow's Conservatory

It was a lot of work. I prepped by lightly sanding and cleaning with denatured alcohol and then priming with shellac primer. I quickly realized it would need caulk and spraying of the paint for a great finish, so I hired a painter. He came out right away and caulked and sprayed 2 coats (and cleaned up well) for $350. The room is 18x27 with 10’ or11’ walls, so I thought it was a great deal. I prepped for the stain by lightly sanding and cleaning with denatured alcohol. It took 2 coats of gel stain (with drying 72 hours after each) plus 3 coats of clear topcoat with light sanding and wiping between each topcoat. It took about 3 weeks total while working only weekends and evenings. I know now lots of people are against painting beautiful wood paneling, but I really didn’t like the orange-tint of the wood and it really didn’t go with the floors or any of my furniture. I waited months to see if my opinion would change and did a ton of research before biting the bullet. It was the most economical solution that I would also be happy with. This isn’t our forever home or our dream home, but it’s perfect for us for right now.

Wow! That looks great Peter! You really warmed up the space. I do tend to agree that the mantel pics are a bit high. Have you considered putting back the pic you had in the before pictures between the lanterns? That might fill the space nicely and you could leave your other pics where they are. Like this:

Looks beautiful! Can you tell where the counter stools are from? Thanks