Well I have read all your comments about the rude DIL. The mother that said "have patience"....I've been patient for 10 months now. My grandson was born last October. I welcomed my son's girlfriend in my home 2 years before she became pregnant (living with me). I think I have a great relationship with her personally. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to come to the hospital for the birth. I respected their wishes because they wanted it done this way. No one to be there so they could relax and bond with no company. Her mom did not respect this and showed up anyway and stressed her and my son so bad by being there (constantly talking, laughing, etc) all day that her labor became stressful. My son was so upset. Finally they booted her mom out. Again I'm saying, I respected the wishes. My DIL breastfeeds and she claims he won't take a bottle. I say she's wrong. A little bottle manipulation will take care of that. Mfg. companies do not make the nipples wide enough so not enough milk comes out. (I breastfed my son but pumped so my parents could feed and bond with their grandson--I had to have the nipples opened a little more so he would take it). I feel she doesn't want me and my husband to feed him, which is a bonding experience to grandparents. When I told her about this trick, my son was excited to try it because he too wants to feed his son. If I'm giving to her (money, gifts, going out to eat, etc.) she comes over and stays for a good while so I can play with him. If I don't have anything to offer, I never see her and she's always busy if I want to go over to her house. Her mother and family dont help them out or see the baby but once a month, but when there is holidays, her family gets first dibs on the visit. Me and my husband are always last and the baby is tired because they get to my house so late. His first birthday party is being planned around her mothers schedule, not the grandparents that have literally spent out thousands of dollars to help with their bills and baby items. (they have asked and I have offered). Yes, I am expected to help her out with buying decorations, food, and the rental space at the park but me and my husbands schedule didnt matter. I, too, have taken care of many babies and know what I'm doing. She won't let the baby out of her sight. She's always "right there" and seems she wants him to always want her or cry for her when he sees her so she can take him. I feel I haven't got a grandchild or bonded the way my parents bonded with my son. I've respected their wishes since she gave birth to him. I've only babysat 20 minutes a couple times. Although one time she and my son was doing some delivery work to make some extra cash and left him with us for 3 hours when he was 5 months. I insisted on them not to ride around that long with the baby in the carseat. They agreed reluctantly.....Believe me, by the time they got back, my grandson was not happy. He wanted food that I couldn't give. Did not have a bottle because i was not allowed to feed him. So needless to say, I dont watch him long periods like that anymore (with no bottle). She pumps but claims she doesn't pump enough. He feeds and within an hour he's hungry again and she feeds him again. Seems like she's breastfeeding constantly. Like I said, I feel I'm being used and I have to "pay" to see my grandson. When hes out of the baby stage, boy, people will be getting some good deals at my yard sale because everything is new since I see him maybe once a week, sometimes once every two weeks. I've tried everything. In my opinion she's too too too overprotective. I'd like for my grandson to grow to be a tough playing little boy not the opposite. I need that bonding experience. Yes, i have tried to talk to both of them and theres always excuses that doesnt make sense. I do want you to know I love my DIL very much. I just want to feel I've got a grandson and feel the baby stage experience... not blink and he's a grown boy. Any advise, please help. I've done everything I know of and now just being unemployed, I'm short on money. Makes me feel I'm being used. My husband is upset, too. HELP!!!!

I am a little concerned because it sounds like everything in the room is going to be brown. Current brown leather chair, new brown leather couch, brown wood entertainment center, bookcase, striped chair... For sure I would be looking for a rug to bring some color in the room. Your artwork is colorful, but having some color in the rug, and perhaps valances on the windows on either side of the fireplace, would help enliven the space. Since the tv is the focal point, I assume the couch will stay roughly where it is. I would move the couch to the right a bit more if you can, and move the barrister's bookcase from that end wall to the corner spot to the left end of the couch (as you look at the space). It looks lost on that end wall. Instead, I would love to see a narrow console table there, with a lamp, , and a mirror over it (maybe round for some interest) to bounce more light to that side of the room. Keep the leather chair where it is. Get a nice floor lamp/table to sit between the couch and the chair, which will be in front of the bookcase in the new location, but shouldn't be a problem. Something like this would be nice. providence glass tray lamp Perhaps the metal bench by the window could be used somewhere else - maybe as a cute plant stand by the console table on the end wall? I would take the striped chair and put it angled by the fireplace in that area. I would also consider a larger coffee table, depending on the size of the new couch. Or, in the alternative, if you are going with the leather couch, consider an upholstered ottoman, or a pair of glass-topped bunching tables instead. I think when you paint, you might consider painting the fireplace wall a deeper shade or an accent color. Right now everything at that end of the room is so light that it doesn't seem to work with the rest of the space. A darker wall color there will give you some weight and accentuate the light fireplace, rather than having it fade into the wall. Take all the small accessories down from all the shelves, top of the entertainment center, etc. and look at them. What feels like it belongs grouped together? Things in groups have more visual impact that a bunch of things scattered across a space, which is kind of what is happening now on top of the entertainment center. I would be sure when you buy a rug that the fringe runs the other way. I think it would be better to have the fringed ends at the fireplace and by the single chair, rather than under the couch and in front of the entertainment center - it feels like it is running contrary to the flow of the room, and to where you want the eye directed. Get all your major pieces settled, then worry about your accessories and artwork. And, have fun with it!

Congratulations on the new home! This is probably not a suggestion you'll like, but... :-) Have you thought about trying to sell your entertainment center on Craigslist? You mention that TV watching is not the primary use of your room. You also are going to have a fireplace and I think you'd want to make that the focal point of the room and have the TV be secondary. With that entertainment center, it will probably be the focal point, fireplace secondary. If you sell the piece, you may be able to recoup some of the money you spent and have a piece custom built to fit the room. Since you said TV is not your primary function, you'd probably appreciate a piece with doors like in your picture from Houzz. We've found that many times a carpenter can build a custom cabinet, to your specs, for a small cost while they're building the house. If you just try to hire someone to do that while you're not building it can def cost more, but usually when they are already on-site those types of built-ins will cost less. Lastly, think about whether or not that piece of furniture is something you imagine being in your family for years and will never want to replace, and also won't break at any point. If it's not, I would be a little hesitant to build a room around it. Just a thought :-)

The "tone-on-tone" isn't going to happen for about 8-10 yrs. I plan on changing out all the draperies to browns/creams and repainting all the walls a beige color. The red pillows are a temporary fix until I get the rug replaced. I ordered a 9x12 seagrass today and am hoping that it will add the needed texture in the room. I've refocused my energy on decorating the Princess Suite and ran into the exact same rug problem. The rug in there is similar to the LR and my MIL bought us an expensive Horchow bedding set a couple of years back that clashes with the rug. This time, I decided to work around the bedroom rug and ordered new bedding in in blue/cream jacobean bird print that worked off of the rug. The bedding just arrived and I really like it. I'll need help decorating my walls in that room so I will post pics under a new thread.