Noellabelle, wine river does seem to be a fairly un-utilized stone. I liked it because it was quiet which fit the serene vibe I wanted, but it had enough movement to be a bit interesting next to all the white of the cabinets and backsplash. And yes, the hooks on the bottom of the pullout storage area should be mounted for brooms, dustpans, etc. Just haven't gotten to it yet. That corner of the kitchen really bedevilled me. There was a bizarre little niche there, with about a 6" unusable stretch that the contractor originally wanted to drywall in to form a solid wall. With such limited storage space anyway, it was killing me to give it up. And then...I happened to see some photos here of a broom closet hack from I believe an IKEA project. I asked the contractor, he found something in the cabinetry catalog and voila, more storage. It's one feature that always impresses people when I give them a tour of the new space. And, finally, I have to explain why I included those truly gross pictures of the old countertop and grout. People who didn't have to actually use my kitchen would occasionally comment that it was so 'retro' and charming. What they diddn't see was the constant aggravation of trying to keep the grout and tiles clean and sanitary. The stuff was so old, much of it had cracked and worn away. No matter how I scrubbed and cleaned it would quickly go back to being grimy. And, reader, I drew the line at regrouting 60 year old tile! Anyway, I don't want people thinking I raised my family in an untended petri dish kitchen environment. I fought the good fight, until I happily watched that sad old tile get carted out the door in the workmen's buckets. And as so many folks have commented, yes I still walk in or glance around every single day and marvel at how pretty and clean and functional this kitchen is!

By controlling where the sitter is looking, you define the space. Put a sofa parallel to the TV wall, facing the TV, with a sofa table or low bookcase backed up to it to define the TV area. Define the fireplace chat area with a rug. A pair of loveseats, or a loveseat and two chairs, one slightly angled with its back to the doors and the other (or pair of chairs) matching with a nice couple of chairside tables would define the fireplace part. People sitting here should be facing each other, at a comfortable conversation distance. There will be the blank corners outside the fireplace conversation area. Good for a potted plant, maybe a small writing table in front of a window looking out ... a solitary activity. Maybe a bookcase And If you are having a big get-tpgether, just turn the sofa around so it's part of the conversation area.

The fixture above in my post is what I would like to install. The below link is similar to my dining room chandelier now, except mine is bronze with cream glass. I couldn't get the picture to upload. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Progress-Lighting-Renovations-27-25-in-6-Light-Forged-bronze-Etched-Glass-Tiered-Chandelier/50131632 I cannot post a picture of my space, hence the drawing, as it is presently under construction with materials and debris everywhere. I hope this helps.

Color is always seen in context - what does it look like next to other colors. A white shirt may look beautiful with an olive green pair of shorts, but look dingy next to a bright white pair of shorts or lemon yellow pair of shorts. You are comparing the color you want to paint to the one color that you are going to be removing from the room. You cannot tell what the room will look like when you do this. You should only be looking at the color compared to the flooring, cabinets and furnishings that are going to stay. I replaced the bright yellow on one of your pictures with a neutral gray background. To me the neutral gray is looking a bit green, because now I am comparing it to the warmer paint and floor coloring. This is the color of the background when not being compared to other colors Here it is the block of color transposed over the other picture . . . My point is that there is only one way to see how your paint colors will look next to the things that are staying. You need to conceal the colors that are going away - tape a white sheet to the wall, prime it, place a big piece of white paper underneath your samples. but do not have your new colors right next to the colors that are going away.