Hi Zoe.... yes, I thought of having that closet accessed through the pantry BUT you'd lose that 2ft [?] of shelving area that's already IN the pantry. And if you leave the closet as a separate closet...then down-the-road you'll still have a closet as an option. In our design process I've got my tape-measure out measuring all the appliances etc. I've learned that on paper a design layout LOOKS like it should be enough space but then it fills up so fast you think '....how could I have misjudged this..??!!" I want my pantry/storage to have a counter with deeper, open shelving above & below the counter that can house all my 'gadgets' ie; Vitamix, food processor, Seal-a-meal... etc. I want to be able to just walk up and take off shelf. I hate to dig into cabinets to dig those out. With the counter in the pantry I'll have to option to USE the appliance right there also. I cook a lot and when everything's left out on counter it really does end up looking so cluttered..although truthfully I'm NOT one of those that HAS to have everything hidden. We LIVE in our house. I looked at your laundry room and thought that the wall with the bench could have more storage options. If you used a pocket / sliding door on the hallway side of the LR you could have some deeper storage come out a 24-30" -- Mop/broom closet etc. The plan doesn't indicate dimensions but do you think there could be room for a small, portable table in the LR..??.. Fold clothes, drop things off as you walk in. That's what I have in our current house. My husband had handyman make one for me out of some beautiful wood. Just looks better than a plastic folding table. Looks like there's room next to the sink to have that 'cat door' installed. I think that's a GREAT idea. Isn't this FUN?!

I was able to order the two night stands from a place called Basista Furniture from Ohio who also do phone orders and have the furniture shipped anywhere in the country. I found out that the furniture maker (in Highpoint NC) is going out of business and is just selling off what they have left. Fortunately they have a number of the night stands left. It will take 6 to 8 weeks to get them, which is ok; I'm not even beginning the demo till after New Years. Oruboris - I don't know why I never thought about have different cabinets, but until I read your post the thought that it could be done and look good never crossed my mind. And I'd already ordered them before I read your post. I can see now that that would be a viable alternative, so if something happens and we don't get these pieces, I'll start looking around for antiques. I am planning on using a vessel sink, one thats about 4 to 5 inches high and looks sort of like an old fashioned wash bowl. I am sooo excited to begin this remodel. We had planned on doing it last winter but instead had to put $10k into new heating/ac equipment.

The chest and dresser look great! DH and I have what we call FSS, flat surface syndrome. If there is a flat surface, we tend to pile stuff on it. I put a chest by the front door also for the same reasons, keys, wallet, cell phone, etc. All kinds of other junk got piled there too and it was always a mess. So I 'scaped' it. I cleared out the top drawer for the keys, wallet, etc. I put a nice mirror over the chest, a small lamp on top, and some other decorative items. It looked so good we didn't want to mess it up with 'junk', so it still functioned but looked good all the time. Mommabird, I'm so glad you are now enjoying your environment and putting your mark on it. You have done a lot of very hard work and are an inspiration. Barbara

No no no no no!!! Please don't paint! Here's what I would do, to de-stodgify the room. Gold would look nice, but it's a very Georgian color, and will not pull the room away from the traditional look. Because the room is small, and the furniture very warm in color, I'd start by painting the walls and the ceiling a luscious warm gray like BMoore Affinity "wish" - AF-680 or "thunder" - AF-685, with "mascarpone" - AF-20 trim. They are modern and classic at the same time, and will make the finish on your lovely furniture glow. It's counterintuitive but true that a rich color enlarges a small room by making the plane changes at the corners fade, and the walls and ceiling recede into the background. I'd replace the blinds with a tortoise-shell bamboo shade (you can get nice ones in places like B B & Beyond). Then I would take away the drapery, and replace it with generous (a width and a half) linen curtains hung ceiling to floor out to the side of the windows by at least 18", with just enough on the inside edge to cover the window trim. I'd use an fabric with a bold but open trellis or vine-and-leaf or simple stripe pattern in black (or if you want color, deep coral or terra cotta or dark gold) on cream...one color only. I'd set a pair of very simple tall slender black lamps with small cream shades on the ends of the dresser (check Restoration Hardware for an idea of what I mean), and I'd find a narrow but long rectangular mirror in a simple gold-and-silver leaf frame and hang that horizontally over the chest-on-chest to open the wall and add light I'd find a 16X20 standing picture frame with a fairly thin but a bit fancy carved molding, paint it white, put a mirror in it, and put it in the center of the dresser. I'd put a flat, plain, slim rectangular china platter in a dramatic ethnic or modern pattern with nothing on it in front of the mirror, or I might add some rather plain silver-lidded crystal jars, or perhaps some pretty perfume bottles. Then I would use black-and-white enlargements of photos, perhaps of family, or any black-and-white images that please you, with large, off-white mats and slender black frames (which you can find easily at Ben Franklin or the like) to furnish the walls. Instant (well, almost) modernization, no loss of that lovely furniture and that elegant bed, and a streamlined, sophisticated environment. Boy, I got into that, didn't I!!