Seriously, Christmas dinner here is the day after when my husband gets home. We eat at dinner time (5 or 6 pm). If you do show up (it is an invitation, after all), be prepared for a rude awakening as the dining room table is full of brug cuttings. You will have to sit in the living room & balance your plate on your lap. Doing this puts it at the perfect nose-height for a 150 lb Newfie (who drools & will steal shamelessly). We consider cat hair extra insulation for the winter & it is applied liberally to every available surface. You will be taking a free sample with you when you leave. Those of you who are "pee shy" had better "go" before you leave home & be prepared to hold it. We have 10 cats (I do fostering & will be encouraged to take one with you when you leave) & no one gets privacy (picture all those cats watching your every move). Also please be aware that homemade means there's hair in it (& possibly worse). In other words, you were warned. LOL Linda

"I encounter silvery areas or dark gray areas that won't come off no matter how much I rub." You may have copper plating and it is simply worn away. The first test would be to see if a magnet sticks.

If you were doing a stainless sink, I would say to do a stainless strainer, even with a copper faucet. But, since you are doing the cast iron, I would match the faucet. I'm not sure if they are compatible, but Rohl makes white strainers to go with their fireclay sinks. You could try that too.

Some thoughts. Layout, not paint colors and materials, should be the focus of your first changes. --Get rid of the sofa entirely since you're going to do so anyway. But don't get another one just yet. --If the oak pieces are moveable, take out the central, computer section and put it against the wall where the lamps are. Group your chairs in a conversational circle around a nice brown leather or colorful ottoman. This idea: --Move your lamps behind one of the big chairs flanking the fireplace. This will light up that end of the room and 'invite" people to take a seat, bring a book, put down a drink. --Anchor your space with a large light patterned rug that picks up some of the golden oak and other colors in the room. --Put some pillows in golds and whatever accent color you have in a rug. --Fill the bookcase with books! --Take down the dark "Home" sign. If the room is homey--and it will be with rug, coffee table, and comfy chairs, and reading lamp arranged in a homey way, you don't need a sign to tell you. Replace it with a large light-colored skyscape or woodlands landscape on the mantel that suggests the sky or the outdoors and opens up the room. --If you don't want to use the office chair as part of your group, just get another comfortable chair so you have four of them. Put small accent tables next to them so people can put down a mug, plate or book. You need to give your room airiness, comfort, and usefulness to make it a great family room. I frankly think a room with the chairs you love arranged conversationally doesn't need a brown leather sofa. I hope you don't get one, but if you eventually do, get one in gold/cambel tones or the whole room with brown floor, dark stones, and wood will be a sea of darkness. Get camel instead. The cozy layout where everyone has a big comfortable chair, centered on a colorful rug with a coffee table/ottoman within reach, a painting, some books to look at and read, and a colorful warm looking rug will create an inviting family room for not a whole lot of $$.