You are all so wonderful! I'm kind of having a bad day, and coming here to 28 responses made my day!! :) Some background I should have included: I am having reconstructive surgery on my knee next week. I tore my ACL skiing this winter...the only trip my husband and I have had together for about 8 years, and look what happens. Oh well! But for the past month, I've been in total cleaning and re-decorating mode. I know i'm going to not be able to do a lot of things for a few months, and so I'm trying to get things done now. Every spring brings lots of projects inside and out, and I'm trying to get done now what I can. Plus, I'm addicted to HGTV, and watching it every day will definitely make you want to get working! By the way, I've had lots of help. I'm able to do a lot by myself, but I don't push it. :) Those light fixtures are from Rejuvenation and were pretty expensive (for me! I saved for all three!), so I don't think it's anything I could replace just yet. I had a chandelier here when I moved in, and I just felt like my house wasn't big enough for one. My house is really small. Well, maybe 1500 square feet with a finished basement, but it's a common 20's foursquare. I have no entryway, for example. Just a big front porch and a door that opens straight into my living room. I will consider moving the table sideways - thanks! And the pics of my babies, I will consider that, too. I will find a pic of the rug and post it tonight. Why I got a dark-colored area rug with two kids is beyond me! :) But it's pretty. Hopefully, this fall, I'll be able to return to part-time work and have some extra cash for accessories. I love this room, but I just felt like something was missing. Granite would be awesome, in my dreams! I never thought I'd forget the details of my kitchen remodel, but I have! I will try to remember the name of my laminate. It really was a good choice, I think. Lots of people think it's something other than laminate, and it's held up pretty well. Some scratches, but nothing major. Here are some more pics of the kitchen until I can get more of the rug. Thanks for making me feel like my kitchen isn't outdated yet! I would love interior shutters on this window. As you can see, I have a lovely view of the AC unit next door. :)

Thanks Karen for your comment, and we ended up following your advice! We're just about done with the kitchen, and here's what we went with: We'll be replacing the dining room table / chairs at some point down the road, and countertops (getting installed this week) will be a white & grey engineered stone. We like the blue!

oh. your trim would work with a lot of colors I suppose. Cream. Sage. Vibrant green(even though I hear you want to move away from green, but as a possibility) . Subtle light blue-or maybe turquoise. Coral. Mustard might work. Wallpaper can be truly fabulous. Depends what feel are you after. What are furnishings in the adjacent rooms, colors there, etc.

Since it is all so open, I would paint the same color in the kitchen, dining and living. Maybe the creamy white of your dining chairs would work throughout. If you don't want to paint the kitchen, you could bring that same color into the dining/living. Or you could take another shade from that same color strip/card and bring that into the living/dining. Other improvements: your rugs are too small, and so are your lamps. Your dining light is dated and your art is dissonant and not hung correctly. The coffee table is too large and heavy, and I would match drapes to the wall color once you figure that out. I do like your red cabinet and blue cache-pot! Have you thought about installing drown molding? How high are your walls? Here's a creamy white on walls (Navajo White) and brighter on trim (White Dove) so you can get the idea, even though this is not the style of your home.