Your question was a bit confusing, as I couldn't tell whether you plan on using the rug that's already shown in the family room or not. So I'll explain my choices and see if those make sense. I personally love that first rug shown underneath the heading "proposed rug for family room" the best, as it has all the colors that would complement your drapery colors, and would look great in the family room. For the dining room, my preference would be the Red Panel, with the Mocha Mahal coming in second. I don't think the rug you already have shown underneath your couch and coffee table works as well with your proposed colors as do the two new rugs.

Teacats and awm, thank you... I loved those sheers, too. They came from a lucky find at someplace like Calico Corners...the yardage came in the perfect shade of ivory for my walls, and was railroaded on the bolt with a ten-inch hemstitched hem already in. They were a soft, un-shiny polyester, and they came down, went in the washing machine and the dryer, went right back up on the rods barely damp, and looked perfect for fifteen years. I tried to find the same stuff several years later with no success, but I imagine it's out there somewhere. I think I have to stop posting those photos. We sold the house two years ago, and I am still a little homesick for it, despite my enthusiasm for the life change that came with it. The people who bought the house also bought all the wall lamps, all the curtains, half of the rugs, and most of the furniture that wasn't coming with us, so a lot of what is in the photos isn't ours any more. All in all, a very good thing...but still... :>\

I'm sorry, but I have to say I don't like the navy (or the camel). The rug color is more a royal blue, i.e.: a warm blue and the navy is a whole other blue, and IMO, they clash. I also, again, think it is just too much saturation of blue. Like NSM's chandy and think it would look great in your dining alcove. I do think you should paint those French doors the same color as the trim, regardless of what color you paint the walls. If you go with the chocolate brown, consider painting the chairs silver. If you go with a light color, I'd paint them black. The silver will compliment the glass top, and the black will go with the base. Btw, it is sounding to me like you have made up your mind and that you really want to do it in the Midsummer Night. It's not a lot of wall area, so you're not investing a whole lot in paint here. You can paint it in the color you want, get it all set up with the new chandy, painted chairs, artwork, live with it for a month (or some agreed-upon time limit) and if your husband (or you, for that matter) still really doesn't like it, you can always repaint it.

I think you could, but in our ceiling like that, we painted the 45 angles the same color as the vertical walls, and put the white only on the middle horizontal line of the room. It was shocking at how different the room felt. It was like someone finally got the combo just right. We had a light green walls, with only the white on the horizontal of the ceiling... The room felt so much larger! So you might consider that. In your case, if you want to do something different?? just put the blue on the horizontal line of the ceiling and put the white on the walls and 45 degree angle surfaces. Blue ceiling are soooo coool! And ....ne'er a spider will make a web there, really! It is crazy but true.