NCMaggie: The chair is from Love Decades furniture (made in NC, great pricing, and they have another chair named Pegeen that is the bee's knees when it comes to reading). Their furniture is made by The Comfortable Couch Company (you can buy from them as well). Lynxe - yes, the fact that I'm asking is a clue that I am concerned something is missing. I think part of the struggle is that the "neutrals" aren't all really neutral. The printed fabric background is a plain linen color - sort of grayish beige with a tinge of warmth. The wood floors are oak, which has a tinge of orange in it (50yr old oil based polyurethane). The fireplace might become whitewashed, but even so will have some color contribution. Drapes are a lighter linen color, and sofa will be leather (and therefore pretty expensive by my definition). So I feel like I have all these colors to work with (orange floor, red fireplace, undertones in linen fabrics and leather). But I don't have much in the way of real color that jumps out at you. Dee & Tuesday ... You know, that gold is growing on me. Tonight when I got home I caught a glimpse of it and said, "Hey cutie pie, you don't look that bad after all." The frame around the door to the woodstove is silver, though which I think clashes with the gold. I could consider painting the silver parts black with high heat paint, and replace the coiled handle with one in black. Something about the cool tones in the marble seems to fight with the warmth in the gold to me. I may need to think about this ... I wonder if silver leaf might be the answer? Still a metal color, still rich, but coordinates with the fireplace metal better? Snookums - the chair fabric does seem more gray in this picture, in real life it is linen colored and the writing is charcoal gray. It has a little bit of warmth to it (just a teeny smidge). I am staring to think that I should consider a rug for the space. Maybe a casual Persian style that pulls in some of the red tones. Aside from the red lamp I have 2 small red side tables I could use and an old seachest that was painted a deep red (almost barn red, but slightly brighter). It has woven rope handles on it, too, which would tie in with the linen of the curtains and the chair. I could use the chest as a coffee table if it fits. I appreciate all the feedback, you guys are so helpful and generous with your insights. You rock :)

It's so easy to misjudge exterior color. I spent weeks painting swatches of color on our siding, but it was early springtime, overcast and on the east side of the house. I thought I was choosing a dark green gray. Well, it was more green than gray and unfortunately, in the summer afternoons when the sun was orangey-er in color, the west side of the house (our back yard) took on the nastiest greenish brown color. UGH! It really bothered me for the first few months in the summer, but I eventually didn't think about it anymore. sherwin williams has a handy app that allows you to take a photo of something and use it to find their paint colors to match. If you'd like help with your sidewalk/front step project, you might start a new thread with photos focused on the walkways. Personally, I like concrete sidewalks I just might replace what you have with wider paths.

I can't really answer you questions, but I love your wall color. It's very similar to my living room; I find it relaxing and refreshing. Grey paint would be so depressing, especially with the brown floors and furniture. I would move the chest of drawers away from the radiator, maybe into the closet if there is no where else to put it. To me that looks like a spontaneous fire waiting to happen. I love the room, the floors, the woodwork - everything. It's going to be grand with just a few tweaks. Of course, the bed mattress needs a bed and headboard to get up to the correct height. With the right curtains/drapes/sheers, whatever, on the windows, I think the bed, with the matching end tables would be wonderful. Of course, if you use grommet curtains, you'll have to pull the bed forward a bit if you plan to close them and expect them to hang properly. You could try a traverse rod, or ring hung curtains.

Take your wife to a showroom that has a working bridge faucet on display. Then imagine you are trying to rinse a chicken, and you have to turn the horizontal spokes of each tap with your chicken-y hands. Or hamburger-y hands. In fact, every time you have to turn on and off the kitchen faucet (how many times per day?), you have to turn each of those spokes. On. And off. A single handle faucet is so much better. Check out the Kohler Artifacts kitchen faucets. A very traditional look, single handle, and the 3 spray settings are fantastic (one of its spray settings is in a fan shape to rinse a dish with one swipe). Ask any plumber and he'll tell you the sidesprays cause more problems than integrated sprayers. Also, you have to keep your thumb holding the side spray to keep it spraying, an annoyance. As for insta-hot for tea, note that the water never gets hot enough for proper tea. It is hot, but not close to boiling. And, the insta-hot is just one more thing to break. https://www.build.com/kohler-k-99260/s1220223?=undefined&intcmp=recs~item_page.rr7~AdvancedMerchandisingStrategy~Kohler~kohlerk99260&uid=2916367