Karen, thanks! The "drapes" came in these packages for $1 each at the DS. I found that you really need to shop in mid-to-late September to get the best things there. Prosperity: Thanks! I bought those plain white bread plates at GW for 50-cents each. As for the colors, I have to credit all you here for inspiring me on that. OA: no, I just cut up the plastic door cover/mural and taped the pieces right to the glass that is covering the paintings. Luckily all were watercolors and pastels. I used blue painters tape, but would still be afraid to tape anything directly on an oil painting :~O As for my chargers, they're just cheap plastic ones from HL that I got on sale for $2 each several years ago. I had planned on using the spray paint made specifically for plastic, but their purple was too muddy and muted for what I wanted. To use a regular spray paint, you really need to, first lightly sand them, then use a base coat before the color coat; and finally a clear top coat so that the color doesn't scratch off. Lynne, Jane, Punk, Jeanne & Nana: thanks! DG: I took the sticky stencils that Luvs sent me and, first adhered them where I wanted the designs. I then used a long darning needle to peel up the middle pumpkin body part, leaving the eyes, nose and mouth on the plates. After I pounced them with black glass paint, I peeled up the adhesive eyes, etc. and there were my darling little jack-o-lanterns! (Sorry if those directions are as clear as mud; I'm still a novice at stencils!). As for the things I used to make the napkin rings, I sewed elastic, pulled taut, to the undersides of (approx. 7"), sections of Halloween ribbon. I then hand-sewed them together to make the rings and hot glued these 4" x3" cardboard pieces to them. I bought these wall hangings at TJM back in September (for $7.99 or $5.99), to use for napkin rings. I wanted to make my own one of a kind ones. Here's how they originally came: Luvs: thank you for the lovely compliments and for the stencils! I haven't hemmed the spiderweb tablecloth, but do plan on hemming it today before I pack it away . . . just in case. As for the thought process behind the painting coverings, those SW paintings just took the life out of my Halloween decorated rooms, and I knew I had to cover them up with something. I first looked at wrapping paper, but the patterns were all too small and repetitious. I then looked for inexpensive posters, but these days they all seemed to be cartoons and celebrities. Finally, I ran across several door cover/murals at the DS and knew that this specific one (below) would give me the coverage, variety and semi-realism I wanted. It was only $1, too. As you can see, I pieced it to give me four covers, but needed to use the added on cardboard cut-outs ($1 for all six @ DS!!) to a few of the plainer ones (cat, owl & skull). Well, I hope that I've answered all the questions. Now it's on to Autumn and Thanksgiving! Lynn

I think the warmer color is a great idea. But what stands out for me in the room is everything is angular, straight, hard lines. There's nothing soft and curvy (except the archways, which I love). Even your chairs have square backs; the rug has some curves, but overall reads geometric. For me, that makes the room feel stiff and uptight, not a place to linger and relax. Maybe lose the lamp and collection of little stuff on top of the sideboard and put something large and curvy up there--either on top or hanging on the wall behind. That would help incorporate the archways into the design, too.

Thanks for your opinions! My son's room in the house we're temporarily living in right now is actually the exact size we're proposing reducing his bedroom to, so we can now visualize the space (it's oriented differently, but the dimensions are almost exactly the same). It's definitely not a large space, but does not feel too cramped by any means (my childhood bedroom was smaller!) The first thing I did was to go over the proposed new layout with my son and he actually quite likes it (he has sensory issues and always prefers a more enclosed space to a more expansive one, which is why he chose that room as his room), so that part is not actually a concern for us. It also seems like we can widen our master closet without needing to take quite a full 2-feet from our son's room, so that will help. I'm not really concerned about how big the room is relative to the other rooms, I'm more concerned about the size of the room as a standalone and if there are any practical layout or other issues I haven't concerned in the proposed new layout. Thanks!

Pictures?