I like the lighter one on the rightand I also think the smaller rug idea 24x59 works better for the space. 21 sf should be plenty for a rug and the niche, or possibly the rug and the shower floor, but as you said it is cutting it very close. You could do a border out of 4x12 or even 6x12 around the basketweave in the shower.. mimicking the main floor, then you might be able to put it in the niche as well. L0astly, I would not mix the two. It might look like you ran out of one and had to get another.. KWIM?

OK, the ceiling is about halfway down and the wood is not coming down without a fight. The contractors are being as careful as they can be, but still the wood is cracking and chipping. I could try glueing and puttying it back together, but at this point I'm thinking that painting is going to be easier and much less risky. And as far as the fireplace wall goes, Les, I almost always agree with everything you say but the photos don't really capture the true hideousness of the color. There's some kind of varnish over the top so I can't even restain because it won't take. Also, there are many cracks and gaps in the fireplace paneling that allow cold air in - part of the reason for painting that wall was so I could caulk the heck out of those gaps without the caulk being noticeable. (I used clear caulk on some of the biggest cracks a few years ago but it is very noticeable since the caulk is shiny.) The guy that built this house was apparently striving for authenticity, right down to the draftiness and lack of insulation of a 200 year old farmhouse. So, assuming that I'm going to paint both the ceiling and the fireplace wall, what are your opinions? I was thinking of choosing a colonial color and going for the look like in the links that reeree posted. The only thing is that I don't want to commit to colored trim throughout the house - I don't mind it in this room, but would have trouble figuring out where to transition it back to white. I could easily do the baseboards dark in that room without a problem, and could do the windows as well, but could not do the posts or the trim at the top of the stone half wall without connecting directly a room with white trim. So actually, I was thinking of a dark dark reddish brown - something like BM's hadley red or townsend harbor brown. I was thinking of putting it on both the ceilng and fireplace wall. But I'm worried that this will look too imposing, especially if the rest of the trim is white and the walls are light. I do like the look of the blue and green as well, but after 10 years of blue sofas, I'm a bit sick of blue. The green is pretty but since I have no idea what color I'll end up with as far as sofas and rugs go, I hate to commit to a definitely color - I'd rather stay neutral. I was also thinking of a dark gold color like BM Livingston Gold, Blair Gold, Summerdale Gold, or Yorkshire Tan. I think I'd rather stay away from painting the ceiling white because of the soot/dust from the stove. We have another beamed ceiling in our breakfast area that is painted white and it looks kind of blah. I'm considering rehanging only every other beam to keep the ceiling less busy. It is a small room, maybe 13 x 15 (in fact, when I'm ready to ditch the blue sofas, I'm going to be posting for room layout help - it's such an oddly laid out room that I can't figure out what type of furniture I even need in there!). But because the room is open to the kitchen and foyer (where the photos are taken from) and because the ceilings are high (they are about 10.5 ft) the room doesn't feel claustrophobic, so I'm not afraid to put a dark color back on the ceiling. So at any rate, assuming we're painting the ceiling, beams, and fireplace wall (and assuming the walls are going to be a yellow-ish cream), what colors would you suggest? What about the baseboards and windows? Thanks for all the advice!

I am in the process of staining our honey oak doors with General Finishes gel stain. I love the effect I am getting with just one coat--retains the grain and provides a beautiful finish that will be topped off with polyurethane. I tried Minwax gel stain and would recommend you don't bother--you might have to order General Finishes gel stain, but it's well worth the hassle.

Hi all, Thanks for the replies! I went to order the darker hex and lo and behold it’s out of stock across the country till late February. Start date is January. So bummed! Ordered a sample of the lighter stuff but not feeling crazy about it. I had my heart set on hex, but should I just do a dark gray rectangle tile? As for the vanity, yes it is not my first choice. I have looked at everything out there including pedestals. I am picky! I was about to have one custom made, but thought this is a bathroom, how much do I want to spend on a room I spend the least amount of time in? So, now I’m just not sure.