You've gotten all the choices so far. I can only add one more thing. Can you become very, very good friends with your neighbor? Somehow if she knows you and your cat, the noise won't be as disturbing. I can't imagine your cat running for hours on end. Also, if you get to know your neighbor, you too can be more considerate of distracting your cat when you know your neighbor is still sleeping, or having friends over etc. She too will understand the need for your cat to play, at least sometimes. We have noisy side neighbors. My neighborhood is turning over to young families which is fine. And, I don't mind hearing kids shout while they play. But….it is the dad that is the issue. They play soccer I think and if a kids doesn't hit a goal the dad yells OOOOOOOOooooooo. But in a friendly way, like you almost got it! One day, this went on for two hours. I timed it. There is nothing we can do, and luckily we have breaks when they are not in the yard. It just shows you how one family's enjoyment can greatly be affected.by another.

nice, very boho. i do not usually do paint.

Start with a company that makes different sized rugs in the same look. A runner along the 'stool side' of the island is not a good idea...but you will find that out soon enough. I would nix that option right now. That means the rug in front of the sink won't really matter because it will be hidden from 90% of the rest of the house...so that one doesn't have to follow suit with anything. That reduces the purchase by 2. Now that brings us to the living room and dining area rugs. That means you have 3 to coordinate instead of 5. Excellent. Now we are getting somewhere. First things first. Put your anchors into place (the furniture) and live with it for a month or two. Put up your wall art. Go shopping to get ideas...do not purchase until you have a 'feel' for what is going on in your home. Don't do anything until you decide your accent colour/pattern. That's when you start to coordinate your soft finishes...like pillows, drapes, area rugs. Do NOT do anything until you have your big expensive stuff set up. Once you live with gray on gray for a while you will discover that you CRAVE something. That something is colour. And try to stick with the same shape of rugs. Adding in a round rug when you have two rectangles can be tricky.

I have to wear supportive footwear due to arthritis in my feet. I never go barefoot. Well, maybe for a few steps on the beach. Anyway, I live on a farm with lots of animals (and don’t have severe diarrhea despite the bacteria). I have farm shoes in the mud room, so change my footwear to do chores. But if either my husband or I are working outside and need to dash into the kitchen for a drink, we do so without removing shoes. It’s a tile floor that gets quick mopped a couple times a week (swiffer wet is awesome for this task). The whole “no shoes in the house” is just silly, as is the habit of allowing pets on the furniture and in beds. WRT the original question, dogs are much easier to train than men, so decide whether or not you are going to trade your relationship for a couple of pillows. Which do you value more?