Your new kitchen and DR spaces are so pretty! I can't offer anything as to the table, but just a word of caution about a bench. They seem to be trendy now and my son and DIL just bought a table and bench/chair set from CB for their new house. They had both sides of the family over for a housewarming and her brother (early 30's) said to me...under his breath....that the bench was very uncomfortable for a longer, family dinner. Think about it....how long would you be comfortable sitting at a picnic table on a hard bench with no back support? I say get nice chairs with upholstered seats....if you have kids you can always cover them with Sunbrella fabric for easier cleaning.

You asked: I hate it. The bottom one looks like someone took a traditional, wicker sofa and wrapped it in leather. Those very formal, old fashioned arms, and bun feet, don't go with the eclectic, casual style of the upholstery. The shape of the red sofas is much more appropriate, but it would be better in all leather. Leather is great with kids so long as they don't have sharp things in their pockets and can be trusted not to poke pencils into it. It cleans up with water and saddle soap. But it does stick to bare skin, and can get hot. It's nature's vinyl. Which is why they combine it with fabric. Bad move. Either be fabric or be leather. The weight and texture are too different and they rarely come out looking great, especially after some living happens. The red bench is cool! Less imposing than a sofa table (console), but with a lot of the same function. And it's folky and funky. My Aunt had the two sofas flanking the fireplace in her living room. It's a great conversation grouping, but not so much for TV watching. For that, especially for the kids who probably look at the screen more, you want a straight on view. You can do a big square, though. An L of couch and settee or second couch or loveseat, and a couple of small easy chairs that are easy to get around on the opposite side. You have your red chairs. I'm not sure if they're too big to allow people to walk by easily if you close up the square, but even so, you can always pull them over for company, and keep them by the piano for family time with running kids. Re Larry, have your other family members sit tested him? I totally agree about the shape. It's very tired. But that LOVE thing is important. Your family room couch should feel Ahhh to sit on. I'm sure it'll still be there though. Maybe you can find a similarly comfy couch in a more classic shape that will give you more breadth of possibilities. Comfort comes first, but it can be done with a little more style than poor Larry. ;-)

From your post, it sounds like you have a real problem on your hands. I assume you have already considered and had him tested for drug and alcohol use--while I hope not, it could be a factor here (and sadly, if he's as depressed as he sounds, if it isn't yet, substance abuse could be right around the corner for him). He definitely needs some interests. Sports would be good if he's inclined. Music or dance, if his interests lean that direction. How about something like learning how to animate cartoons--DD loved doing that some years back. Volunteering is a great idea--about half the 'candy-stripers' at the hospital when my daughter was in high school and voluteered were guys (they weren't called candy stripers and had MUCH better uniforms to wear than the poor girls did). How about getting him involved in raising seeing eye puppies--check with your county 4-H on that one, they usually run those programs. Or perhaps some Saturday classes at the local college--many offer programs for high school students. A parttime job might even be a good idea if he can find one at his age--something like working in an ice cream parlor, perhaps--for a teenager, money is tangible evidence of his worth. I think at this point, it would be a good idea to look for some interests outside of school for him--once he starts to feel better about himself, he may find he can deal better with the pressures at school. I wouldn't give up on the couselling--do your research first. Interview several counsellors and find one who seems to understand your problem and who can come up with a plan. Maybe if you persevere, after a few sessions, he'll feel comfortable enough to open up. Let's face it--it's pretty hard for most of us adults to tell our problems to an outsider on the first or second meeting, so give him a little time. I'm sure you've also been frequent visitors to his guidance counselor, teachers, etc. Have you considered changing schools? Perhaps a vocational high school, where he can learn practical talents might be both more interesting and more useful to him. You're certainly right to be concerned--you want him to live up to his potential, not throw away his teen age years, then wake up in his 20's finding he has no preparation for a job, life.... Good luck.

Peridot-- I'm really sorry to hear how ill your DH has been and all your family has been through. It's a bit of an investment, but I have these sea grass baskets everywhere for storage: I use the "high" size and also sometimes cram in Rubbermaid bento box storage containers so that inside I can have dividers to contain my kid's tchotchkes. I have 4 kiddos too almost the exact age range as yours, so I completely understand the "stuff"! I think I have possibly tried every single toy storage solution out there, and this one has been the most organized, indestructible (!!!!) and pretty. And straightforward enough for 2 and 4 year olds to use but not fall into or bonk themselves, etc. I use the natural Seagrass colored ones and I think it is a warm but natural accent color that may look nice with your neutral color scheme and warm walls. The super large sizes are wonderful to dump blankets and throws! Strength and peace to you. You're in my thoughts.