I really like the LR color and the flow of colors you have throughout your house. Maybe it's because my LR and DR are the similar to your LR. My lighting is similar to yours. I have eggplant, teal, and orange incorporated with my accessories such as pillows and art for which that color works perfectly. Not every neutral color works well in that type of lighting, It took a whole lot of samples some of which are highly used and mentioned on GW to get it right for our rooms including many of the grays. When my neighbors and friends come into our home, the first thing they compliment is our wall colors. They want to know what we used. You'll see when it's all said and done. You will have the same reaction. I think your color consultant did a great job for you. Have fun decorating. My only suggestion is that you keep all your furnishings neutral with fabrics that have textures and have fun bringing in all the colors with your accessories and art. You have a beautiful home.

I have quite a bit of Ikea furniture/items. Some has held up, some hasn't. I usually first go to the "as is" area by the registers. This is out of the way for a lot of people, but if I'm really looking for something I don't want to waste time going throughout the store if it's there cheaper. I was able to save over 50% on my Hemnes dresser in as is just because it had a scratch on the top. It was already completely put together. I've had this dresser for over 3 years now and it is my favorite piece of furniture. The top is somewhat soft, so I would suggest if this bothers you that the top doesn't look as great after a few years. I also bought a Tarva nightstand for $40. They're a lot cheaper and unfinished pine. I put this together and then painted it the color I wanted. I then spray it with shellac and it has held up really well. My eivor cirkel rug is beautiful, soft, and has held up for the past year. It's easy to clean and doesn't lose fibers ever. I have 2 Asele table lamps. These come with an adjustable dial to turn them on. They're great when you want it lighted but dim in the room. My cats have knocked them over a few times and the shades have held up to this. I have 5 NOT floor lamps, both with and without the side light for reading. These get wobbly over time and need to be retightened. I love them and they're cheap. I have several LACK side tables that I've painted and recovered. They hold up well, but tend to chip if you run into them, hence the paint. I also have a LACK coffee table that my bearded dragon's tank is on. It holds the weight and is very sturdy, but it does scratch easily. I also have a VEJMON side table. That one didn't hold up to my puppy's wood chewing stage.. woops. The BISSA shoe cabinet is great, but it has no cut out for the baseboards which makes mounting it a pain. I plan to replace this soon. My various IKEA cookware and utensils have held up well but dishwashing tends to kill them after a few times. I have IKEA artwork too that is pretty decent quality. My ottoman is so heavy duty that it chipped my wood floors when it fell. The one thing I would not buy from there again is pillows. I have bought maybe a handful of pillows for my living room. After only a few months they started stabbing me with feathers. Oh, and of course my bathmats, shower curtains, wastebaskets, etc. are all great.

Here's your inspiration photo again, larger for more analysis: Your elements: Paint: I'm not sure why you're worried about the wall color? It's the least of your surfaces, if you're going to do a tiled backsplash. :-) But take a look at Sherwin Williams 'Rainwashed' and Ben Moore's 'Palladian Blue'. Uppers: Scherr's makes simple shaker doors in walnut that can be toned to suit: Lowers: And this Sherr's door in a rift-cut white oak, which gives you some nice movement (either horizontal or vertical) and the richer golden tone that plays off the blue: Tile: Walker Zanger's linear glass mosaic: Is there some reason you can't do a thick concrete counter like the one in the photo? They're not insanely expensive, or you can even DIY it.

Love the salvia! One of my favorites annuals! like rosaprimula, my garden season has turned out to be dreadful! Early spring was quite cool but late spring held so much promise, and I thought my garden was going to be great this year. But then the heat and drought hit, and even my established shrubs are drying up, crisping up, and turning brown. So I've had to let a lot of my annuals go (the ones that actually did anything lol!). I am keeping my dahlias alive, and trying to give some water to my zinnias and cosmos at the least. Rouge, I grew something similar to the cyperus years ago, in a water garden I think. I really enjoyed it even though it never looked nearly as good as yours! And your impatiens look great. I took the plunge this year also, after YEARS of not buying any, which was difficult as these were my go-to annuals due to my shade. I bought Beacon White, as the Beacon series are supposed to be mildew resistant. I like to edge my beds with the white ones. I've had mixed results. At first I was worried they had indeed been hit with the mildew, but now I think it may have been gardener error. I still don't know if I gave them too little or too much water - it's odd how some are thriving and others are not, even though I bought them at the same time, in the same tray, and they are pretty much in the same conditions, right next to each other. I'll try again next year. I love yours and I love the shape of that maple. So lovely! Iowa blooms I hope you are enjoying your zinnias. Mine are a hot mess right now (literally lol) but I'm trying to keep them alive and hoping for better results when the weather cools (and if we ever get any rain ever again!) :) Dee