oh mayflowers forgot to say that I like the idea of adding cabinets to back of peninsula area but was also thinking of having two backless bar stools with black leather seats there as well. Will have to think about the wainscoating and now that I look closely the area could use an update and it is scuffed up. the more we look the more we see that needs help with this house Ugh thanks so much Here is the living room, my carpenter is fashioning a pine wood free floating mantle as we speak, it will have oil on it and natural tones. We have sofa facing the fireplace that's a thin cordoroy material in a light blue/green and plan to have an accent chair against the other wall (the staircase wall) with perhaps some type of server or china cabinet over there, dining area is too small for china cabinet but might be able to have a behind the sofa credenza (for more storage) we also plan to have an area rug in front of the sofa. I am looking for a gray one with texture if I can find one. what do you think of those ideas? Right now the dining area has a work table we're using till we find what we want lol

We are having Typhoon Bordeaux installed next week. We are planning to use the same tile backsplash we used in our previous house because we loved it so much and had so many compliments on it. We use Tuscany Travertine subway tiles on the 12 x 12 mesh backing. The tiles are 2 x 4 and they are beveled on the edges. We used 1 full 12 x 12 from bottom of upper cabinets down, then a row of Noce Listello 4 x 12 with an antique bronze medallion and then finished with about 1/4 of a 12 x 12 piece across the bottom. The Tuscany Travertine just seems to match everything perfectly. I ordered 2 boxes from Home Depot this morning. Working with the 12 x 12 mesh pieces is soooo easy to install. I did our last kitchen myself and I had never tiled before.

Hi, I think to calm everything down, you will want to match one of the lightest colours out of your granite for the backsplash. I also think that a larger format tile might help offset some of the busy-ness of the floor. I'd go with coordinating colour for the grout, or just slightly darker than the tile...but not a lot darker - you don't need more action in that kitchen. How about something like this which appears to have a bit of surface texture but is still very simple. That one is from Tilebar and I know they have a great sample policy so it is worth hopping onto their site and choosing a few you think might work for you and ordering them in. Yes, a solid colour rug and big enough to cover most of the tile (Ikea is your friend on this) will help until you have budget to redo the floor. Flippers who use the cheapest materials available are just wasting so much time and effort, not to mention money. I've seen so many houses where a flipper has come in and used the cheapest tiles and fixtures and covered everything with a fresh coat of paint. Then they want a 200% return on their investment and cannot understand why it isn't selling. And it isn't long until all the cheap finishes end up in landfill. Sigh.........

I would clean the cabinets well, and leave the cabinets and the backsplash. Sand any rough spots on the walls, and fill in the nail holes. Prime the walls with a good quality primer and then paint it. Yellow should never have been used with those cabinets. Either paint white, or a light aqua color, or a light green (no yellow greens). Put two coats of paint on the walls, and I think you will be a lot happier. I wouldnt try to even use the stove with that microwave there so low. Have that removed and buy an inexpensive hood to replace it, and an inexpensive microwave to either set on a cabinet, or on a small stand of some type. You may be saving for a new kitchen, but, in the meantime, you need to make it usable. Congratulations on your new home.