Everyone was so wonderful with all of their suggestions I just thought I'd share an update. I decided to do a trial run and see if I really wanted a wall there. I was sure I did, but so many people had questioned it, I figured better safe than sorry. So, the other evening I drug my old long skinny table top (which is 30" X 72") from the basement and propped it where the wall/divider/whatever would go. It wasn't what I wanted of course, but I figured I'd live with it for a day or two and then see how it felt. I loved it. It wasn't quite wide enough but it did a good job of making the south side of the room feel more private. I moved it away from the wall 8" and that was just about enough to make the other half feel more private too. So, I set out to find the right divider. The day I was set to actually plunk down some cash, I woke up with a migraine and couldn't go. A few hours later, the realtor called. You see, I'm living in this apartment because my beautiful, wonderful, grand house is for sale. It's been on the market over a year without a single legitimate offer (there were two low ball that weren't even worth negotiating). The first few months I lived here, I didn't want to do anything because I just knew the house was going to sell and I'd move. Eventually I came to the realization that even if/when it sold, we'd had to come down so much on the price that by the time an offer was negotiated out, I probably wouldn't be able to buy anything livable with the proceeds and I might as well make this "home". Well, if you wanna make God laugh, tell him your plans because as soon as I planned to fix this apartment up and stay here, the house sold for our full asking price! Ok, the asking had been reduced, but still .... So, I've decided not to buy anything for now. I'm still going to continue with projects I have started (such as my half painted bathroom and my half-done-trying-to-build-my-own-faux-fireplace-project) but I'm not starting anything new or buying anything. In a couple of weeks, if the deal is still looking like it's going to go through, I'm going to start house shopping!! I've already done some internet shopping and have found 3 in my price range that I could really see myself in. None are any where near as nice as I've had, but it will be MINE again and I'll be free to do as I choose instead of having to make everything I do temporary and in accordance with coop rules. So, stay tuned for house shopping and then decorating! I'm excited; can't want to have a new project to do, top to bottom, any way I want!!!

columbusguy1, thanks. I too am thinking I will not run the closet over the door. There is another door just across the corner from the bath door. So would be difficult to run the closet around the corner. Does that make sense? Also can't afford to lose that much space from the room to run another closet on the other wall. moccasinlanding, yes there would be enough space. The wall we intend to build it out on is at the end of the bedroom. Have measured it out and would still leave plenty of room between the end of the bed and the closet. Probably even enough room to have a bench at the end of the bed. This first picture posted is from our laundry/mud room and that closet if full already! Quite a few rooms away from the guest bedroom, so not an option to convert it to a guest closet. We really do need the extra closet storage space, as our home was originally a school house and there are no built in closets. So all (3) closets that exist are built out style closets. The ones below are in our bedroom, and they are just not enough. So we would use most of the space in the guest room closet as well. Would leave some for guests, but only have weekend guests a few times a year. Our bedroom closets...

jan s - Thanks for the link. I believe the 4th photo is the kitchen I posted earlier that antss said won a contest. It looks much better in the larger photo. I'm glad you all are enjoying the album. I haven't had the time to look at these closely. But there were a couple that caught my eye. msrose - I replied to your email. I hope you received it. Do any of you have the rough edge treatment that this counter has? Is it difficult to keep clean? CC

The origin of the word "pantry" meant "bread room", which even in its origins meant other things as well as bread. Roots, apples and other long storage veg would be in a root cellar or similar cold, damp room. Anything canned or preserved would be in a "still room". The "dairy" itself was usually an outbuilding where the butter was churned, etc. There would often be a stream through it for chilling and storing the dairy products. Meats were stored in the "larder" (think lard, or lardon (French for bacon)). "Stores" were storerooms where casks and bags of all kinds of stuff, from grains to candles were kept. Casks of beers and similar, as well as wine, would be a store called the "buttery" (room for "butts" or casks). So the kinds of things that might be in a pantry would be bread, pastries, possibly cooked meats or other dishes (i.e., leftovers), and other production of the kitchen. The pantry was an "office" or room assigned to a particular job/jobholder. In a grand house, the butler was originally in charge of the wines (as well as spirits), which were often one of the biggest assets in a household, and one that needed protecting from thievery. The word comes from the French for "bottle". At some point the butler, or perhaps a second butler, was put in charge of the silver because it was highly tempting to thieves as well. Eventually that expanded to include all the fine tableware. A "butler's pantry" is a Victorian kind of room, in a smaller than estate sized house (i.e, upper middle class), that could support a couple of servants, but not a whole flock of them. It's the place where the fine tableware is stored, and may also have a sink so the butler (or mom) can wash and polish the good stuff and put it away without endangering it in the hustle bustle of the kitchen. And a modern pantry in a modern house is a large closet or room for holding whatever needs putting away. A built in pantry is less expensive to construct, and often bigger, than a pantry cabinet. My own pantry is a grouping of four cabinets which holds beverages, wine, pasta, grains, sauces and condiments, canned goods, extra wraps, less used kitchen serving pieces, paper goods, etc. Some people put their small appliances in their pantries, as well as their roots, and breads. I haven't seen the one I had in mind. I really think it looked like I described it. The one Maggie linked, the Sweet Savannah pantry that Boxerpups also showed, has a lot of the same feel to it. Combine most of its depth with the doors on the first brown one Red Eared showed and make it gray and you pretty well have it.