Interesting..... I had this vision in my mind to do the cabinets in a dark cherry to tie in with the bedroom and bathroom for over a year now. It was only yesterday that the designer suggested white and I immediately dismissed it, yet since then, the idea has been growing in my mind. There is a lot of white trim throughout the house with the doors and molding plus the blinds there now are also white so it is really not adding another woodtone look. I could see myself making it less stuffy too with a fabric valance on the bay windows. The other advantage is that it is less expensive and it puts the third designer we met with (who will work through Costco and most likely the less expensive of the three--we get a $10 cash card at Costco for every $100 we spend, plus we pay through Costco and it counts for our EOY rebates). I am just going to sit with this idea in my mind for a few days as it is a big shift in my thinking for this room, but this type of input is so impt. for me. I will call the other two and tell them to quote in both the african walnut and white, but as of today, I'm leaning towards the white myself for a more airy, less stuffy look. It is very hard to visualize how very small this is. It is only 8'9" (including the 3' bay bumpout) x 10' (including the step). Doing any type of cabinetry on the north wall would block the entryway. We wanted the desks to face out into a window so we have a view of our backyard while working. That way the blinds can be open yet no glare on a monitor. The desk locations are really fixed as all wiring and lighting has already been done with that in mind. funkart: You brought up some very good points. We are working with closet companies for now that have all the insides for offices and do the wire management so it's not fully custom without an upcharge. So choices really are either 20"D or 24"D cabs but the countertop will have an overhang of 1-1/2". Yes, my kids (3 of them) do use it occasionally though DS has his own laptop, older DD we are in process of buying a laptop for her and my 7-year-old will probably start using it more and more--just the computer. Everyone (all 5) will use the printer (networked) and we may add a second one for laser printing (either here or in DS's room who has greatest need right now), but the narrower depth should still accomodate that. The narrow depth will definitely make it easier to reach over and open the windows. DH wants 20" and I'm leaning towards that as well. I actually want to cut down on the desktop clutter so I'd say more impt. is having enough storage to put it all out of sight--that alone I think will have the biggest impact. I guess things get lost in the back of drawers/cabs. anyway. The uppers will probably be 14" deep, though only one upper. The one tall cab could be something different--could even be 24"D and desk cabs 20"... I'm still trying to figure out the size of the cab since the wire we put in for the plug mold is right smack in the middle where we would do two equal sized cabs and I'm not sure how much it can be move--so the tall cab may end up being larger--closer to 36" and we also need some filler of the left to accomodate the drawer clearance. I'm still debating putting an upper on the west wall or just leaving a bare wall as I don't want to feel closed in, though I'd really like some overhead paper trays over the printer to load it up. Today I'm going to head out to 2 of the showrooms and will visit the third tomorrow. Hopefully I'll have a clearer idea then. It took me 6 mos. to design my kitchen (time well spent) though I'm hoping to do this one in much less time as we are so sick and frustrated with dealing with it as it is....

We worked closely with our builder because we accepted a contract to sell the previous house and would have to move. The date kept changing by 2-6 weeks, until we said we are writing this date into the contract, and now we are locked. We gave ourselves a 2 week window just in case; we only needed one week of it. We also were in the final stages of the build, and didn't forsee any major reasons we wouldn't have a certificate of occupancy.

Mask first with tape, then use polyurethane gap & crack filler foam (the low expanding one). Let cure; cut away excess. Remove tape/ masking. Top with coating of drywall mud. Sand. Paint.

Do you know a fantastically skilled finish carpenter? Or someone who can recommend one? If so, have him/her come in and take a look at your room and see what is involved in removing the scalloped edging from the book case and crown molding and if it can be done without damaging the bookcases and crown molding and what the cost would be, etc, and then you can decide about that. You can have a wood refinisher restore the wood back to its natural beauty if it has dried out and or alligatored, etc. Or you can have it painted. The sage green color Flo Mangan suggested is lovely. Just think about if you want to be married to that green color, because although you love the fabric on the little sofa now, you grow tired of it, or it will wear out and when you replace it, you may want to go for a totally different look, but you will be stuck with green woodwork. If you want to introduce a piece of furniture, say an armoire that is very functional for you but the quality of the wood is not that great, you can paint or stain that one. If the rest of your home is in greens, and if you have been a green gal your whole life, why then go for the green con gusto. If not, please think carefully about doing all the woodwork green. I like a wood floor with a beautiful handmade rug. I am partial to Orientals, and the prices on Persians are very good right now. You could get the paler colored Nain or Isfahan, but a brighter colored rug would look well too as it would stand up to the deep green and the deep coral in the sofa. An allover pattern is a good idea as a central medallion might get lost depending on the positioning of your furniture. An Aubusson (yes, they are still being made) or Aubusson look-alike would look great as well, but this hand-made authentic Aubusson requires a serious $ committment to green. Curtains to the floor would be a good idea. If you are willing to make a long-term commitment to green, then you can pick 1. Medium sized print with a botanical print such as a green leaf such as a fern on ivory, or 2. Green and ivory vertical stripe 3. All ivory with a wonderful embroidered ribbon trim along the inner edge, and the trim should incorporate the colors of green and ivory and one other color from your sofa, you decide. I like something that looks and feels and drapes like silk. I know you thought about about an upholstered desk chair, but you need to really think about the ergonomic aspects of a desk chair. It doesn't matter how beautiful the desk chair is if your back or hips hurt after sitting in it after a while. I strongly suggest going to every office supply place in town, and buy the most comfortable chair you can find, but sit in it at a desk in the store for a while. Even if you despise the fabric. You can always get it recovered in whatever fabric you like, or a supple leather. I suggest having a throw pillow made for your sofa is you think you would use one, and if you like to put your feet up, I would have an ottoman made, with the cushion in a floral print in the colors of the corals and green of your sofa, and a ruffle skirt in a medium green stripe to match the stripe of the curtain, or if you don't do a stripe in the curtain, pick one of the greens of the sofa. (I say sage, you say olive, but you know which shade I'm talking about.) And on the throw pillow and the ottoman you will use contrast pattern welting. And you can think about really going for broke with lavish fringe or tassels, etc. Take a look at the Scalamandre web site under trims. There are no prices listed on the Scalamandre website because if you have to ask their prices, you don't need to shop with them. Seriously though, their products are only available through a designer but you can see what you like there and get the best facsimile that you can afford elsewhere. Pink and green go very well together but a bit Palm Beach Lily Pulitzer. Coral pink and sage green go very well together and are tres chic. So if you really want the room to read feminine, you can paint the walls the coral pink that is in the sofa. But choose the pink carefully, because you don't want the room to look like a nursery. And the choose the green carefully too, because, well, split pea soup. A side table to hold a drink, a book, and a small plate would be useful. If you can corral a somewhat larger table from somewhere else in the house, or buy one from a garage sale that would be useful. You might want to bring up a tray from the kitchen and eat lunch in there or someday have someone in there for tea and to discuss a project and you can keep a tea set if you like on top of the table. So think about a small dresser for storage, or a small table, or a set of TV tables (is that what they are called?) This will be a really fun project, and keep us posted!