Hi ajsmama! First off, let me say that I think your kitchen is going to look wonderful once you are finished. I haven't read every single response so someone may have mentioned this already. Have you thought of adding a different light above your sink to add interest and, perhaps, draw attention away from those things you don't particularly like? In our new house, we have a similar set up to yours in that the window over the sink is between two sets of cabinets. We opted not to have any kind of connecting piece. We also opted not to have crown (1) because we were going for a very simplistic/craftsman style and (2) budget constraints just did not allow for it at the time. However, we've since come to the conclusion that we DO want to add a very simple crown when we are able to save up for it. It just adds so much character! With our window, we chose a mini pendant light that matches the ones from our island. I really like the look and I get lots of compliments about it. As for WTs, I hung a valance there and I also intend to put a roman shade behind it just to be able to pull down for privacy and for when the sun is shining in too brightly. We already have it, it is just a matter of actually getting it put up there! I'll post a picture. It's definitely not the best picture but I dropped my camera a couple of months ago while it was on and now it doesn't work. I've definitely got to get some more up-to-date pics loaded. Anyway, whatever you do, I'm sure your kitchen will be lovely!

Paintergirl - The rug is in and it looks fabulous! And it was on sale - originally $100 and got it for $75! *high fives you* Yes- we have a Michaels here and it's pretty close by. The painting is 36X36, so how long would the panels have to be? The drawing looks fab, but the chair would be a lot taller than the panel on the left-hand side. Do we shorten the panel, or would it still be okay? I asked my husband if he could make a frame and he wasn't sure if he could make it perfect. He is semi-handy, but it is not his area of expertise. And I am no help....lol. Lisa - Thanks for all of the compliments. And I am so lucky to have these wonderful people to help me with the room. I never expected this much help and I am beyond thankful! The loveseat is a little longer than the wall, but the furniture is temporary. I will be getting new stuff in about a year or 2. We need the seating since we are a family of 4 and we all like to lay on the furniture. lol. The wall color is Teal Stencil from Sherwin Williams. And there are two chairs - I brought the other one up from the basement. If I can't make the wall easily enough, I may hang "the kiss" on the right side of the tv. I will then have to figure out what to put above the loveseat. lol. Thanks again all! Extra special super duper thanks to Paintergirl! ;-)

Look. This is all subjective. If you sew, you know what can be done for what. You know the market where you are. You know, (WELL!) the clearance section of your local fabric store. And you know the costs of diy vs ready made. Some of us have more time than money and some of us enjoy getting custom for ready-made. Everyone's different, folks. For me, I do enjoy it and I have the time and I will not waste because that's not the right way to live in the world. Occasionally I am forced to get something off the shelf, but I make sure that I can't make it for less, first. Sometimes I do buy from Ikea (in fact I will be for my family room as I'm not looking for anything specific for this room)...I think it's a great resource for large quantities of drapes for very little...but your choices are limited there. jmho

I used wall paint to paint the chairs. I like Behr so its what I used. I think I showed two or three different paint jobs in those photos. The orange one is done with high gloss paint. Its the same paint that is on my bifold doors as well as the same paint that is on the long cabinet in my dining room. Also the same paint that I used for the abstract painting by the bifold doors. The other colors are flat. I simply painted on top of the fabric that was already there. Painting upholstery works well on most types of fabric as long as it isnt saggy or tufted. That chair in your photos could be painted. I dont think its the right shape for the space but as long as the fabric is intact there is no reason why you couldnt experiment with it. Painted fabric is not scratchy when it dries. It feels and looks like fake leather. I really doubt that anyone who has sat on my chairs has had any idea that they are painted. Except for the fact that as long as the person is not blind, if they are in my house they know how much I love to paint so anything is fair game. That would be their only clue. Painting clears my brain and relaxes me.