What about horizontal stripes? A little more contemporary than the vertical ones. I though this was a great example, particularly the tone on tone color. It could be one wall of stripes, the whole room or maybe this only works in a small room like this bathroom from Houzz. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/striped-bathroom-traditional-bathroom-phvw-vp~46492) [traditional bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2107) Here is another idea. This one has three bands of color, dark to light, I could go light to dark (and maybe even top off with dark ceiling.) [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/christyj-contemporary-bathroom-charlotte-phvw-vp~37488) [contemporary bathroom design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/contemporary-bathroom-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_712~s_2103) by other metros interior designer christy johnson Or more traditional - wainscoting light, dark above. Or even dark above with vertical stripes like the previous post. or horizontal stripes above the wainscoting (might be less intense that way.) I also like the high wainscoting in this photo, but even more traditional. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/coastal-family-room-family-room-phvw-vp~44206) [family room design[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/family-room-ideas-phbr0-bp~t_720) by other metros interior designer Seaside Interiors Dining room used to have chair rail, maybe we put it back, dark below, light wide horizontal stripes above. So many options, only one dining room. Again, looking for another option for dining room - warm and casual versus the more elegant we have been considering.

Flowering Herbs is my favorite color in my house - actually have it in kitchen and spare bedroom. It looks "greener" in the kitchen and takes on a khaki green look in the BR with one small window and very little direct light. I used the Pearl finish which is the BM satin (I think) in kitchen and eggshell in BR. That could make a slight difference in the appearance. One of the paint experts on another board refers to it as the "chameleon" color. Let me back up - I said I couldn't help you, but maybe I CAN give some advice. I just had a DUHH moment! My dining room is a buttery yellow called Homestead Resort Sunwash (Valspar) and it looks great with my Flowering Herb kitchen (they are open to each other. My accents are beiges, greens, red, golds. I also like the idea of Wyndham Cream and red together. What color is the hall? Are you planning on repainting there? You say your LR is Windham Cream, a warm yellow. If so, Flowering Herb would look wonderful for a dining room color with accents of red, beige and cream! Cpartist - you are right, I do need to sample in my space. Tuesday

I don't mind the aqua and orange and brown...in fact it's fairly popular (look at the design seeds thread and you'll see some rooms with this color scheme.) I agree the paint color is not the best...probably something with less yellow. The current furniture arrangement is awkward...it looks like it's set up for a debate. Personally, I find slipper chairs less than comfortable as you can't curl up in them. Instead, I'd eliminate the slipper chair and maybe get another armed chair to replace it if you need comfortable seating. Otherwise the beige chair is fine. Eliminate the wicker...it's too outdoorsy. Get a table to put between the 2 chairs on that side. The wicker one can work temporarily if you cover it with a table cloth to the floor. Put a lamp on it. The room needs lamplight. If you need more conversational seating, then get a couple of ottomans or a bench to put along the long end of the rug so it won't block the view of the TV. Then add a square coffee table to the middle for people to use. Or I see you have a love seat in the dining room...perhaps, if the 2 single chairs are low enough to see over to watch tv, you can put the love seat where the 3 chairs are now and use 2 of the chairs facing the fireplace. Get some end tables and lamps to put on either side of the loveseat. I would also move the white cabinet to the fireplace wall to help balance the weight of the fireplace. I can't quite see what's behind the sofa, but I would put a sofa table back there with 2 lamps on it, again for lamplight in the room. If that's a PC back there, the sofa table can serve as a desk area too. The other armoire thing has an inappropriate chair at it...get a better desk chair to use there if that area is used. In fact, if you move the love seat and the mirror, that may go better on the wall in the dining room...then you can put the bookcase cabinet where the armoire was and add one of the chairs and a floor lamp and create a reading area. I also am not a fan of the window treatments. While the color is bright and cheerful, the style doesn't seem to work well with the windows and the drape over the door seems odd, and the corner treatment seems to permanently block a window. Maybe think about what actual functionality needs to be served and then we can toss around some ideas for how that could better be accomplished. I agree to eliminate the mirror over the fireplace. I think the area would be better served with a large piece of art. Just some ideas for you...my suggestions may or may not work depending on how you and your family live...function should come first.

Thanks for all your thoughts! I do love my barley twist table, but it's rather small for diner parties so it will be moving to the guest room for use as a sewing table. I'm definitely going to paint, but I'm hoping to deal with the lighting at the same time in order to do the ceiling and get all the mess over at once. Since the rooms are small, I'd like to keep an airy feel so my current inclination is BM Acadia in the LR and BM Kansas Grain in the DR (I have both those colors in other rooms of the house). But I haven't looked at swatches in these rooms yet, so that may change. In the category of great minds think alike, I realized after looking at the photos that I really needed a large rug in front of the sofa to help define the space. I went with a 6x8 jute rug that does a nice job of anchoring my smaller Navajo rugs. It's a definite improvement -- I'd take a picture, but I have a cat sound asleep on my lap. I hadn't heard of wall wash trim before - that could be a possibility. Of the 12 lights, the row of 4 that runs along the fireplace is on a separate switch from the other 8. What if I kept those 4 recessed with the light in the center two washing the mantle, and the other two pointed toward their respective corners. Then just get rid of the other 8 and center a light like this one in the remaining portion (and thanks for the Hubbardton Forge tip - I can spend a lot of $$$ there!): From Living Room But then what to put in the dining room? How big a chandelier for a 6 foot table? Maybe this: From Living Room Thanks again!