Wow- OB2B thank you. The sofa is very comfy and we will definitely do it in fabric, not leather. Actually the orangey fabric we looked at is a Crypton fabric so very durable for family room. RE the males going shopping, I was physically present, I just got told to 'deal'. I do really like the choices they made, I just find them a little scary. Of course I also got reminded that I got pretty much all my decisions honored everywhere else in the house so I am 'dealing'. I will definitely not be adding more blue to the room,and had been leaning toward a sage/olive green or a warm white. Once the rug and chair are here I will paint out samples of those two colors. KSWL I appreciate your concern about my lack of a plan. Honestly I don't have a 'vision' for the room unless it is to have a more comfortable space, comfortable in terms of seating. It's not going to be a 'public' space it is our den where we veg, and snuggle.

Thanks, Tinker! I think i remember your kitchen too, and the cherry green and white wallpaper --- you bought this home recently, yes? A lot of us thought the kitchen looked pretty nice, but i think you said the cabinets were in sorry shape. As for colors, I did my kitchen about 9 years ago now, so I have no idea. The cabinets were Rutt, and it was one of their colors. I basically walked into a showroom and said "i want those cabinets". That was when I was a normal productive human being instead of TKO. The color was pretty buttery though, almost crossing the line from cream to yellow. Reminds me of FnB off white (misleading name) Here is a link that might be useful: creamy yellowy white

Thank you all. Either painting the ceiling or the cabinets would be the easiest way to avoid too much brown wood everywhere. (I actually rather like modern high gloss lacquered cabinets.) White paint with a slight blue tint on the ceiling with walnut stained beams sounds quite pretty. However, my DH hates painted wood. Given the choice, he would much rather go with tile floors than paint the ceilings or the cabinets. The wood ceiling doesn't look too bad as is in the photo I posted. I like the depth of the color it is now - not too dark and overpowering - but the tone of the color is the problem. At certain times of day, as the light changes, the ceiling takes on an unattractive pinking or yellowish cast. One of our big problems in the house is lack of lighting, so we are adding as much as we can during the remodel, including cove lighting on top of the cabinets (we can�t do any recessed lighting because there is no space between the wood ceiling and the roof), so the wood ceiling will become more of a feature with the lights aimed at it. Our contractor is supposed to do samples to see if we can dye the ceiling to a more neutral brown shade, without going much darker. We could try to do a greyish tone, like driftwood or aged teak, but that will probably be harder to achieve successfully over a large area than a brown tone. There are little wing walls that separate the kitchen from the dining/living area, so we could do separate flooring in each space. I do not mind using tile in the kitchen, it is the living room that concerns me. I agree that the trick to using multiple woods in one space is to vary the tones and textures, but they still must be complementary. We could leave the ceiling lighter, like it is, and use darker wood floors in the living room, but the furniture in that room is a mix of pecan stained cherry and teak, with medium-dark brown leather couches. I will buy a new contemporary styled rug in lighter tones (creams and blues most likely) no matter what we choose for flooring. In the kitchen, we are using white quartzite counters, stainless appliances and some glass doors in cabinets, so that will break up the brown wood. I still think wood floors in the kitchen at least will be too much with the cabinets and ceiling. I am really torn between lighter or darker walnut cabinets because I love both looks. Black walnut from Smallbone (not sure if this is stained or natural): Sanjuangirl, we are south of you, in San Diego.

My favorite white by Sherwin Williams is "Pure White". It has a little bit of warmth but not yellow or creamy. I feel that the "High Reflective White' is too stark and has an edge or blue cast to it. The "Pure White" will look good with your gray walls and your flooring. I advise you to go with "flat" on your ceilings. It doesn't need the sheen or the washable factor that other surfaces need. It will brighten up your space.