roor, You didn't tell me what color your furniture is going to be... however, since you like the dark stain, I am going to assume you want a dark finish. Firstly, the only stain I ever use is Minwax oil based stain. I use Provincial, English Chestnut and Golden Pecan. I make my own mix using these three colors. When we first built our mantle between the LR and DR we built it out of Poplar. I researched it as best I could (this was before the internet)I was told poplar was for painting and not staining, it doesn't take stain well, as it stains unevenly and looks terrible. (this is true) Firstly, pick out the poplar wood that has NO green in it. The stain will not cover the green. The first thing you have to do is seal it. If you don't seal it it will be a mess and look blotchy and the stain will take unevenly. You can either seal it with Boiled Linseed oil (this is how I seal all my wood now) The waiting time for BLO is three to five days, before you can begin staining. Then your stain can be applied. However, when we did the mantle (years ago) we didn't know about BLO, so I sealed it by first staining it with golden Pecan, then wait a few hours and stain it with the darker stain. Do a lot of scrap pieces (with the golden pecan first, then the stain) to test the color you want. I mixed Provincial and English Chestnut with a splash of golden pecan to get the color I wanted. I got a perfect match with my dining room set. So if you have furniture, you can try and match it, but in my opinion if you can't match it then go darker. After you apply the stain, wait 2 days before the final finish is applied such as Minwan semi gloss poly. Before you apply the poly lightly sand with very fine sandpaper and clean with a tack cloth before applying the poly. I apply the poly (thinned down slightly with turpentine) with a rag. I apply thin coats, waiting a day between coats. If it is too shiny it can be sanded lightly with 000 steel wool to the desired finish. If you thin down the poly and apply with a rag, use four to five coats. Note: applying the poly with a rag, give you more professional look. You'll have more control to achieve an even finish -- without heavy shiny uneven spots or drips on the wood. Joann The mantle and the curios are poplar, as well as the stained glass window mantle -- next to the china cabinet. If you want it more reddish add more English Chestnut, if you want it more walnut add more provincial stain.

Sorry for the picture heavy page. :-). I have trouble expressing at certain times in words. So the pictures attempt to speak for me. Thank you Deborah for reminding me of creating the more soothing lines that I'd forgotten that Olychick told me about Olychick not sure if you're following this but you have helped me immeasurably. I have gone back several times over what you have said and that has been greatly appreciated and keeping me or editing. Yayagal I found this at a second hand shop. I guess it didn't suit the other person's decor or something like that. I was happy to pay the under $100 for it as it really makes me smile. Thank you for the compliment on it. 1 pink mountain thank you the compliment on my tchotchkes. I kept only my favorites when I purged many many many many things. Thanks also for your help with understanding why the smaller pieces don't work very well. When I'm up close to the fireplace I can see the pieces I love it's very hard to understand why they shouldn't be there. We are now looking for something more solid and structured but not sure what maybe some thick blue or black candle holders?

You don't need ONE wall to be a color. The room has four walls. You don't have high ceilings, so what??! I have no clue what you mean by " The front of shelves." The biggest mistakes made are those that come from over thinking the space, the colors, the POPS , the accents. One color on the front and another on the back You want teal? Paint the BACKS the bookcases in teal. change the tile to a simple light tone stone or tile. Maybe a soap stone surround, if you want something darker. . Paint the mantel white.Then? Minimally add the teal in other accents. A rug with a dab of it..... art ...etc. The point here is you give the room a POINT of view. Design is editing. It's to pick a loose thread from a sweater and follow the unravel . It's a combo of no fear, and a little restraint, all at the same time. I am not a fan of the half way I can't make up my mind/ I can't commit look. : ) If yu want the backs painted? Echo the color elsewhere. or WRAP the room in a color ( no, not teal )

@Beth thanks so much! I actually have a sample can of pale oak, and I do really like the colour. The only thing I am finding is it picks up a lot of yellow/orange undertones in my house, which I am trying to avoid, I'm guessing it is a combination of exposure and the yellow in the pine flooring. In my south-facing room it reads almost orange, which I do not like at all. In my north-facing rooms it looks much better! I also got a sample can of paper white, but find that it reads too cool in all of the rooms, picking up a blue undertone. In my last 2 places I used stonington gray 50% lighter and I loved it, but I am trying to avoid blue undertones in this house and go outside of my comfort zone a little (I even decided to keep the south-facing room white, which I have always wanted to do but have been afraid to try!). In addition, both of these colors look much darker than I would like to have. The bed isn't completely assembled yet and I plan to paint the end tables lighter at some point soon, excuse the mess! This picture is taken in the evening, which is of course when the most time will be spent in this room! Paper white is on the left (too cool), and pale oak is on the right (too yellow!!) (Ignore the middle, it is a color-matched stonington gray that looks extremely purple!) Here in the daytime pale oak (right) still looks too orangey for me!! (and too dark) I am looking for a color that would be in the middle of these two, bm paper white and bm pale oak, for the main floor, that is also lighter. Most of the light in this house will come from lamps (no overhead fixtures in any bedrooms, or in the living room, which I am absolutely okay with as I prefer softer, warmer lighting). For the bedroom where I painted the samples, I have decided after keeping primed walls for a few days that I will keep it white, and am going to pick up my sample cans of simply white and chantilly lace today to see which one fits the room better! I am changing the curtains, and possibly the lampshades and throw pillows, so all I've really got are: - pine floors - a pine bed frame (headboard and foot-board are not installed yet but they look the same as the side) - clear glass lamp bases (shades may be changed to white) - area rug, either one of my jutes or a white and off-white rug -end tables have tops that match the bed, and the bases I will be painting lighter in the very near futue, It's a work in progress, of course. But this room will be either simply white or chantilly lace, with either white curtains or no curtains and just a shade or blind, and white on the end tables, with either a jute or white rug... slowly but surely. My husband is upstairs at this very moment repairing the plaster, so I get to paint in only a few short days!!!) I love the white walls with the pine floors, and am very tempted to paint the entire house white, but am afraid to do so and worry that it would lack depth. There are 2 bedrooms upstairs that only have one window each, north facing, and this is where I thought to do a seapearl-esque colour, or BM simply white if it holds up and doesn't turn dingy on me! sorry if this post is all over the place, I've got 2 little ones here asking for breakfast, which I better hurry up and make...