The short answer is that you should not modify a manufactured fireplace. It is designed to work safely, and tested by a laboratory to verify that it works properly. If you make changes in it, you can create safety hazards or cause it to quit working. As a fireplace repairman, I have seen this many times. It looks like a very attractive fireplace. Don't screw with it. Seattle Pioneer

Occasional visitor to this forum--AND, I can't write a short post! This one is VERY long!: As work-in-progress asked: Where do you usually put your tree? If you use one, that item needs attention first. Where does it go? What do you move/get rid of to set up your tree? I agree w/ everyone: lose/move the Armoire. It could go in the basement or upstairs, either forever, or at least til after the holidays. Hire some local high school boys to move it for you, and you'll have that chore done pronto. Or else, re-sell it on Craig's list and let someone else worry about it. Craigslist and regular retailers are full of alternate (and possibly cheaper) storage pieces. If you move it upstairs or down, you haven't lost the piece or the storage, you've just moved it elsewhere! Something I don't think anyone's mentioned yet is putting the sofa on the Armoire wall, (w/o the Armoire, of course), and putting the yet-to-be-bought table-top flat screen tv on one of the low double shelving units I've seen at Pottery Barn or Restoration Hardware, IN FRONT OF the Windows. Glare aside, it at least gives you a different option. When my kids were small, I once moved our round kitchen table OUT of the breakfast nook, and into the immediately adjacent living room. My toddler twins could better play w/ legos/building blocks on the flat kitchen carpet (egads, but eventually removed), and I could SEE them from my work area in the kitchen. The table ended up just a few feet away from the nook area, in front of the sliding glass doors, and w/ visibility to the TV. Soooo, you may want to do something WAY out of the box, somewhat like one of Mile's drawings: put your dining table INTO the living room!!! Move the sofa into your (former) breakfast area, facing the kitchen bar area. (It looks like there's enough room). Let the kids have some of their toys in the breakfast/kitchen area, (but like someone above mentioned, put/keep most of the toys in their rooms, or give some to charity). I've seen homes (much bigger, but still) w/ sofas in their kitchen/eating areas and it is SO coooool! Guests and family can sit in comfort and watch you cook/serve. (or panic, depending on your cooking/hostessing skills & prep!) I was even able to do that in my previous home. Looked great. Put the (hopefully small) Christmas tree in front of your living room windows. (if you haven't put the tv there.) Center your table in the living room space, and place it perpendicular to the Fire Place wall. (short end of table parallel w/ FP wall.) Starting at your window wall and coming into the room, it would be set up as: Window, then tree, then narrow walkway between tree and DR chair, then DR table, then DR chairs on the opposite side of the table (aprox where Armoire is now), then narrow to slightly wider walkway behind those chairs. Once Christmas is over, you could push the table towards the solid wall. For daily or Christmas meal eating & floor protection, throw down some shower curtain liners under the kid's area! (Not pretty of course, but WAY practical!) I do understand that putting the table AND tree in the living room might create narrow walkways, but for Christmas, at least, it's not permanent. I've been to or seen countless Christmas/Easter functions in TINY dining rooms w/ very narrow walkways, and the guests & family all do fine. If you've bought and installed an over-the-fireplace tv by Christmas, then guests can sit at the DR table & watch the TV from there. Clean off the dishes and they can have coffee (or other beverages) on the table. Those that don't want to watch tv can come help you in the kitchen or sit on the sofa in the nook and visit while you clean. If you have counter space, (and budget) buy an inexpensive counter-top TV, so the ones in the kitchen can watch the same or different from the other tv fans, but in the semi-privacy of the kitchen. If there's a cable/antenna hookup in the basement, let the tv watchers go down there w/ folding chairs to watch games. You could even move one or more of the recliners down there. Football fans won't care if there's clutter and limited seating, as long as there's a working TV! And, for REALLY OUTSIDE the box thinking: consider buying one of the outdoor propane heaters and putting it on-in what looks like your deck. Make that deck be a part of the Christmas entertaining areas, too. Add a tree, some lights, some folding chairs, and the heater, and then there's at least a few minutes worth of alternate space to use for you and your guests. In general: Until you can move or enlarge your home, you can't afford the space-taking-up-ness of large furniture (and big toys for the kids). Just because you bought it (even at a bargain, or at full price luxury retail) doesn't mean you have to keep it. Ikea was mentioned as a place to get smaller furniture, and stagers/designers for small size show-homes get their small furniture from somewhere, so start asking around for ideas. Think in terms of the Japanese or Shaker ethic. NOTHING in the home, (it seems!) and work up from there! (Says one of the original clutter queens!). Imagine what you'd toss if you had to move to an even smaller place, and get rid of those things. Inspiration and "Ah HA's!" will strike at the most unexpected moment (hopefully well before Christmas!), and you'll have the perfect answer for your situation. Good luck and HAVE FUN! Unless your family includes Martha Stewart or people like her in your family, then I'm guessing most families will be thrilled w/ paper plates and an empty spot of floor. susiq

That's a great skirt. My immediate thought when I saw it was a simple, slimmer cut, lace top or a silk buttoned shirt w/ French cuffs (probably easier to find in a color, like pale blue, which would be spring-like) The winged taffeta shirt, the ALC Talia lace, and the Y.A. 2 tone off the shoulder are probably the closest to what I had in mind. I love a cardigan with a skirt or slacks, but it although it would work and be safe with this skirt I think you could do better. However, the idea of a cardigan with the bling buttons I like! Don't care for the pink embellished one at all. How about a cardigan or silk T with a bling belt and some great earrings?

Did you look at BM historical colors? Have you looked in your closet for colors that you feel good about and get compliments when you wear them? Another direction would be to just work with lighter and darker variations of the gray you're already happy with. What other shades are on that color strip card? Most decorating projects end with the paint selection because it can be custom blended to work with your fabrics and textiles which are set in stone. Best way to test colors in a room is to paint a large square of each color you're considering in the center of a big white poster boards. That way you can move each color from wall to wall to see how they change with the different lighting effects including rainy days, sunny days, night, with your lighting, etc.