I live in a town with a Shaker Village which I've visited many times. My memory is that the dwelling areas didn't have electric lights, but that some or all of the work areas did. In the post linked below, there's a photo most of the way down the page with the schoolhouse interior that includes a pendant lamp. In the same blog, the "Moses Johnson, master builder" entry has a photo of the round hanging candelabras in one of the meeting houses (not Canterbury.) Here is a photo of the lamps in the Canterbury meeting house: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/files/2014/02/DSC_0321_tonemapped.jpg Many of the lights are hanging bare bulbs in work areas such as the syrup shop: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/files/2014/02/DSC_0276_tonemapped-Copy.jpg flat steel light shade in another work area (with a bare hanging bulb by the door) and in the laundry: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/files/2014/02/DSC_0291_tonemapped-Copy.jpg http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/files/2014/02/DSC_0252_tonemapped-Copy.jpg deeper metal shade (dark green) in the room with the knitting machines: http://blog.lakesregionhome.com/files/2014/02/DSC_0235_tonemapped-Copy.jpg Hope this is helpful. Here is a link that might be useful: Canterbury, NH Shaker Village

@lynartist - I like the chandelier but still prefer glass shades to lamp shapes. It does look great in your dining room. Beautiful room. @pinkmountanin - I didn't mind the dark with light table, I just didn't like those chairs with the table somehow. Now I am thinking of darkening the original chairs. Yes, easier said than done. It will have to be done overtime. Maybe even two-tone them so the design in the middle is still in maple. More so because it's more work. Something to think about down the road.

Me again, Tammy. Thanks for sharing all the photos of your cozy home. If you like it the way it is, just enjoy it. If you're wanting a more modern look, start two Ideabooks on Houzz, one "Transitional" and one "Modern Farmhouse." Save photos of houses you like that seem realistic with the style of your house--the "bones" of it, and what you already have. Look up something called "negative space." Here's an article on it in Houzz. It's about the nice sense of space and flow you get when your eye can rest on empty space. Not every wall has to have some little object on it. More space means you focus on a few nice pieces, an art work, some photographs, plants, etc. so your eye doesn't get too overwhelmed at taking in too many small things. That's why I suggested removing your metal shelves in the dining room to focus on your lovely hutch, whether it has a top on it or not. [https://www.houzz.com/magazine/the-power-of-negative-space-in-interior-design-stsetivw-vs~97343035 [(https://www.houzz.com/magazine/the-power-of-negative-space-in-interior-design-stsetivw-vs~97343035) Consider removing nearly all of your "signs" -- not all of them -- and other objects from walls, cabinet tops, etc. Put the stuff in a box for a while and see if your rooms seem simpler and spacious. Comments on your photos: --The bathroom is really nice--great paint choice; not too many knick knacks; nice shower curtain. --Sun porch: take off everything from the walls behind the corner wicker chair. If you want, add a little modern-ish reading light over the chair to suggest a cozy reading corner. One pillow--tops-per chair! How can you sit down otherwise? --Daybed/office room. If budget allows, a simple blue tailored print or solid cover would work better than the ornate spread on there now. Get a nice horizontal painting for over the daybed and remove the other little painting entirely and take off the metal thing. --Bedroom with brown tufted headboard. Hang the mirror and get yellow and blue curtains with coordinating yellow and blue shams and bedding. --Den with big brown couches. Move the sofas about a a half foot from the wall to add some visual space to the room. Move the the horse art to the window wall with nothing else--zero. That way, they'll be the first thing you see when you enter the room. Get a ledge shelf for the other wall and arrange JUST A FEW PIECES YOU LIKE ON IT! Negative space is a positive! Get a round tray for the ottoman in an accent color and leave it empty for people to put down drinks, food, etc. No pillows would be better than the floppy oversized ones on the couch that just look kind of sloppy. Less is more. --Fireplace room and everything that can be seen looks nice. If you have doodads hanging elsewhere in that room, take them down, so the focal point is that lovely fireplace. --The big bedroom. Move the mirror elsewhere. Center the dresser. It'll have more impact by itself. Again, doodads off the walls. Remove the little chest from the window. It's just another piece of visual clutter. You want a sense of the windows and light uninterrupted by that piece. Get some great curtains for this room and bedding that goes with them. With all the bitty things removed, these full curtains, hung very high and right to the floor, will have an impact. So will your nice bedroom furniture.

I'm glad your friend is not going totally 1950's Retro with sparkly Formica countertops with metal rims, with ribbed vinyl inserts! Of course, in the 50's all appliances would have been white, but I do love that big red refrigerator. I inherited my parents 1943 GE refrigerator when we bought our first house in 1969 and spray painted it Avacado Green! I would use Glacier White Corian for the countertop, and do consider an integrated Corian sink. I have the Number 881 huge single sink and I adore it - best kitchen sink I've ever had and I've now had it for nearly 16 years.