DD, I was thinking the same thing about how well they'd work in a Fall harvest-type table! I'm having fun playing with them. Did a couple more variations yesterday for breakfast again but I had no time to take pics as we were heading out to our courtyard garden to lay more flagstone. OA: yes, we all noticed how lovely the cantelope looked on the cakestand. Thanks again for your input. I think it was spot on and it helped me pull my table together more . . . which it badly needed! Magpie: you have that apple and lemon pitcher, too? Cool! I don't have the watermelon but I was gifted with this tropical pineapple pitcher a few years ago (I have this thing for pitchers of all kinds, too): Do you remember back when painting ceramics was very popular? I made this pear pitcher then and still enjoy using it. This is the cab in my kitchen where I keep them displayed during the Summer & Fall months. Here a few of my veggie and fruit pieces. This cab is usually MUCH more organized, but I scrambled it up when I started searching for pieces to use with my Franciscan Apple dishes the other day: I know what you mean about Franciscan dinnerware prices! It took me quite a while to find my apple plates for a reasonable price. I was not about to pay the high price most dealers were asking for them! As for the flower arrangment, thank you! I saw a similar one on an online fresh flower arrangement site. The shop was in NYC and they wanted almost $300 to send that fresh flower arrangement . . . OMG! I can't even imagine spending that much for fresh flowers! Anyhoo, I printed out the pic and spent a morning shopping for the right pot and silk flowers to duplicate it. I think I spent $20, ten of which was for the pot . . . and it's lasted for three years so far ;^D Mo, thanks! My laundry room was a dump, too, until I decided to make it special for me . . . and to heck with it not matching the rest of our house! It makes me happy to be in there now. Karen, thank you! And thanks for the heads up on the Fourth of July placemats. I hope everyone has a chance to look for them. We leave on the 26th for our family reunion on Lake Huron in Michigan and will totally miss the Fourth celebrations here. I'm trying to decide if I'm going to skip putting up my decs for it this year. Lynn

Going back to Auntjen's comments I find the art of most well-collected gallery walls may have a general theme that reflects the owner's tastes but its clear each piece was obtained on its own. I think your latest post above is too forced and, although the pieces go well together, the grouping as a whole does reflect that you chose all the pieces at once. I do though understand your desire to get it done. I have many half-finished projects around my house that are waiting for me to find just the right piece. When people look at them, they'll never think "she did that all at once" but rather "when is she ever going to finish that?"

I would suggest a much larger and more colorful rug for the sitting area. Your TV setup looks awkward and unattractive. Can it be changed somehow? I would paint the brick wall in the dining room the same color as the other walls to open up the whole space. I would remove that large mirror and put a smaller painting there and also remove the tall bookcase(?) near the couch which adds nothing to the decor. The mantle should be cleared and some much larger items placed there. I don't know how you feel about painting the fireplace the same color as the wall, but that would also make the room look more cohesive and spacious. I'm afraid the ceiling lamp by the front door looks too small and droopy to have any impact. You need something much larger that has a greater presence. Another thing to consider is white blinds instead of brown ones on each side of the fireplace. Again this will open up the room. I would remove that small table to the right of the TV with the little lamp and put a great-looking floor lamp there. Is there some way you can do without the bulky ottoman? I think that's one reason that area looks so crowded. I would think about replacing it with a small but sturdy glass and metal coffee table through which you can see the rug, giving the illusion that there is almost nothing there. Hope I haven't overloaded you with too many ideas. It's your home and you can do whatever seems right to you. If you follow even a few suggestions you might find that some of your concerns are removed.

Eve this is a fabulous discussion! And Thor how nice of you to post such an informative discussion of lighting!! I'm going to comment on the chairs because I was the one who said they looked uncomfortable. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE the look of them and I had the feeling that they were handmade and special to you. The wood part is so beautiful. But they are more of a "bistro" style chair and they say, "Sip your coffee here while watching the street scene" rather than "Hunker down for a long meal and then conversation and a game of backgammon afterwards." Quick and dirty, those metal (it looks like metal in the photo) seats are crying out for a fluffy animal skin cover/cushion, even if it is fake. I'm sure you could find one that has ties that could attach it securely to the legs and back. How about the loveseat, does that work with the table as far as height and comfort? If I were to manage to scoot back there and sit, what would my view be of? At this point it looks like you have some art on the opposing wall, but it is fairly high up. One of the main reasons we like sitting in our dining room is the walls are covered with some of our favorite art, all nature scenes which we love. I think people might not want to sit back there because of the hemmed in aspect. I realize that one could easily get in and out of that spot really, but even if it is just a "feeling" it can still influence how people use a space. How long would I want to sit on the loveseat facing the opposite wall, and for what purpose? Probably the answer is, "not long." The same thing can happen with mirrors, they can turn people off over the long haul even though they look great on first glance. I put up a mirror in my tiny dining room but it reflects the image of the diners while they are sitting at the table, and folks have told me they don't like sitting there looking at themselves in the mirror, it is unsettling and distracting. You don't have that issue, but I'm just giving it as an example of something that LOOKS nice when just looking at the room in passing, but in USE has the effect of turning people off. I also have a big window at one end of my dining room, as do many dining rooms. In the summer months and during the day that makes the space a nice airy light warm space and I love to linger in there looking out the window. But in winter and at night, the window turns into a cold black hole. But if you close the beige drapes in your dining area, then it is a boring blank beige wall. This is a classic case where some little twinkly lights or some kind of artistic window decoration would improve the space at night. I solved my problem by hanging wreaths up in the windows since I like the open look. You can also solve the problem as someone suggested to me, by putting something lit up outside the window, that also stops the "black hole" problem of a big window. I'm going to hazard a guess that you don't often close those drapes on the window, so you have a lot of options when it comes to window decorating, even cafe curtains or some fake foliage along the windowsill, a lighted art piece hung in the window, textured blinds or shades, etc. etc. How many people would regularly sit at that table if it was getting the kind of use you want it to on a daily basis?