Your rearrangement of the seating is a huge improvement. For balance, you really need a longer couch instead of that dinky loveseat. Depending on budget, I'd keep the two black chairs (if they're Ikea's Poang chairs, I know they're comfortable) because they're neutral and allow great flexibility. When you do a gallery wall, don't use those frames with multiple openings for snapshots or anything like that cluster you have now. Choose your very best candid shots; remember, this is your artwork so it should be compelling. You can create a cohesive gallery wall by framing all the photos the same, or by converting them all to black and white or sepia tone. It's pretty inexpensive now to have them printed on canvas and stretched. One of my favorite uses of family photos is this:There are some articles on Houzz about creating gallery walls. The trick is to keep your grouping tight, to vary the sizes and orientations of frames, and to arrange them in a way that creates balance and movement. Houzz doesn't seem to be working right now. I'm going to quit my browser and return.

Annette, thank you for taking the time to answer. Apologies for the very rough sketch. I didn't explain that we will be adding the envisioned left hand wall, sectioning off the new laundry space from the current open garage space. The elevator and space at the bottom of the sketch are in the interior of the house. The door between the elevator and the stairs opens from the foyer into the garage. The closet I have drawn in there, we have now decided will be added to the laundry room and not the foyer. The lines I have drawn in the middle of the left hand wall will be stairs going down to the lower level of the garage. There will be a door there. The sketch I have drawn correlates to the right hand section of the blueprint. The perspective would be the equivalent of the first photograph. The new wall will be placed where the dotted line is in the blue print . Am I making more sense? (or any sense.... ;) ) I agree with you about putting the dryer on the exterior wall. I'm not sure why my contractor boyfriend is so insistent on them not being on an exterior wall. Were the Fl units you were using in the house on pedestals or without? I feel without the pedestals they will be ok. I'm short: 5'4"

I think I would rob some square footage from the hall closet and turn it into a walk in shower in the mud room I would add hooks and drying racks for all the wet stuff, boots, rain gear, umbrellas, waders, snow suits etc... You can also pop a kid or a dog in there pretty easy for a quick fix if needed. I put a narrow rack on the wall for dry shoes and boots. 4 lockers on outside door wall, be sure to have drawers for hats, gloves, scarves, glasses, goggles, ear protection etc... also have room in upper cubbies for helmets and ball caps etc.. I put in your stacked wash/dry and the 4'4" double drain board sink next to it. I would probably add a fold up/down shelf next to the wash dry for folding (on the outside of the shower wall). I only had the measurements you gave and no idea which wall is which or how wide the doors and closet outside etc were so this is just a rough draft...

I actually like that first chandy -- the one you already have. I also like the "crystal box" options shown above; they make a nice contrast with your stacked stone and ceiling beams. If you're into "Rustic Bling", have you considered something with Mercury Glass? It's not trendy at all, but I like it. It's kinda rustic, kinda vintage, and it's unique -- but much less understated than the crystal boxes. If you have any DIY skills at all, you can turn any piece of glass into Mercury Glass. Maybe pick up some plain drinking glasses at Goodwill and practice on them before you work on a real chandelier that cost you money. Avoid the chandelier that looks like a bunch of sperm.