Thanks folks! All good input. I just emailed my brother, who's an architect, and his suggestion is: Keep the built-ins ONLY on the long wall. Don't wrap them around on the short wall flanking the wood stove. He would like to see bare wall there (with a firewood bin on the right and the chair/ottoman on the left of the woodstove.) What do you think about that? Regarding door hardware: I was thinking no hardware, actually... just those push-to-open thingies :) Color: my brother suggested stained or painted almost-black (playing off the slate woodstove wall). Palimpsest suggests wall color. I would have done white just cuz its my fall-back. I will have to think on that! Depth: The built-ins as drawn are about 11" deep. We don't have any A/V equipment deeper than that, so no need to bump any part out. I'm also not a huge fan of bumped-out cabinetry in a more modern setting. I know I said I wanted to keep it cottage-y, but it still has to work with my modern furniture :) I could probably be convinced if there was a really compelling argument, but my druthers is for simpler, usually :) Height: I considered varying the height (taller on short wall, etc) but I felt like going taller made the already small room feel a lot smaller. DIY- yes, we're building these ourselves :) .... although I think we may buy the doors from Scherr's. We have a really long project list to get through this year!

Just some pics of other flooring in the house (all of which was recently redone). Mostly laminate, with exception of the family room, which is hardwood, and the obvious few spots of carpet.

I would suggest looking for a beautiful rug that you love--it should have at least some of the colors you have already used in your rooms. Use the rug as in "inspiration" and tie-together piece. From your description, I think using your ocean blue in the kitchen area would be nice. What color are the existing walls? You would have to figure out if there is a good stopping point to switch paint colors. Good luck, and we DO want to see pictures.

Thank you for your comments - the space is now strictly a living room/family room. Aside from the kitchen, this is the only place where we can hang out. We've been thinking of setting up the guitar on a stand near the piano and a chair. Both of my kids play often. The speakers on either side of the piano are non-negotiable. They are my husband's pride and joy. So maybe that end can be a music kind of space. 100% agree that the TV needs to come down. Just not sure where to put it once we bring it down. The lawyer bookcase under the TV can be moved to our office. That doesn't need to stay. I really love the fire hydrant lamp but also not sure where to put it. What would be a good storage cabinet for a receiver, turntable and records? Once I move that off of the speaker, I can move the trumpet lamp on top of the speaker? My husband moved the recliner across from the chairs so he can open it properly. The two chairs, recliner and sofa area doesn't all seem to fit. Agree that coffee table needs to be replaced. My husband is reluctantly willing to get rid of his orange recliner but it would make the whole family sad. And thank you Susan for your comments on the painting. We love it and the colors as well. Definitely like the idea of using these colors as inspiration.