In the past we have used the living room mostly for formal entertaining with just adults. When we include the children at parties, we usually do something more casual in the family room, where we have totally kid-proof leather upholstery. Also, we have always had our den/office area set-up as a sitting room rather than an office, and I'm thinking of going for a darker, sort of english-men's-clubby look in there. For some reason, my big fear is dye transfer from blue-jeans, more so than the daily-wear-and-tear thing. I have to kind-of chuckle when I think of deciding which room to invite guests to sit in based on their attire.. I was thinking I could have a pretty throw on the white sofa for the occasional family member who might wander in to sit with a book or something. Also, the room is large enough that there will be other seating, in darker colors, so anyone with apprehension about sitting on the white will have options. Do I sound like I'm trying to talk myself into it? I suppose because it seems to me that white looks better than any of the other lighter-colored options, and also, I wonder if the concerns with stains/dirt/wear would be much less, say with pale blue or gold, than they would with white? I do not see a very dark color in that room, so the colored options are almost as light as the white. Funny, I heard a comment on "The stagers" on HGTV, where the designer was using a white sofa, and made an aside comment that they "never recommended them for their design clients"--only for staging, as they would look grungy in a few months. I thought when I posted this, that I might hear from people who had white, and then regretted it after living with it. However it's interesting that the people who responded who said they actually have a white sofa, all said they had no problems and loved it. Any more white-upholstery owners want to weigh-in? (So far only 5 white-sofa owners have responded.) It would be interesting to hear from more--I wonder if I'm needlessly concerned about the white, as those with experience living with it, (so far) unanamously seem to love it!

I realize this would mean moving the connections, but we did it in our house, and the cable company charge was minimal, and because they were able to go through the crawl space, it was not a big deal. I agree that the armoire and the mirror on the other side are both fighting with the fireplace for attention. I would be inclined to move the armoire to the wall where the console table and round mirror are now. That area isn't really great for much else, because you have the doorway to the outside right there, so your traffic pattern has to stay open. That wall is large enough to handle the armoire flat against it, without overwhelming the wall space. It is hard to play with layouts, because depth and size can be hard to judge in a flat picture. I have a couple of options once the tv is moved. The first would be to place the couch on a diagonal from the fireplace to the window wall. I am not crazy about the couch against that half wall - it feels kind of like looking a someone who has on an overcoat and shorts - you don't really know what behind the couch because it is completely hidden, and takes away from the interest that the half-wall creates. Coffee table in front of the couch, and a great floor lamp behind it. The demilune cabinet might be nice on the wall to the right of the fireplace, with an art grouping over it and a small lamp. I would then put the two matching chairs on the half wall with a table between them and a lamp. The beige chair and ottoman could then be angled with the back of the chair to the corner where the small demilune cabinet is now. Move the console table and the arched mirror to the wall to the left of the doorway at the end of the room opposite the fireplace, which will balance the armoire on the other side. I did think about the option of filling in the half wall, and honestly I think that would be a great place for the tv. But that becomes a much more expensive alternative. What you could do there, rather than filling it in with a wall, is to put in a grid that creates a feeling of a window matching the opposite wall of windows. Putting the armoire up against that would work, as it would break up the view of the back of the armoire. One other alternative, tho I don't know how viable it is, would be to buy a flatscreen tv and have a lift installed in that half-wall, so that you could bring the tv up to watch when desired, and then lower it the rest of the time. Then the armoire could still go on that end wall, but the placement of the furniture in the room wouldn't have to be in relation to the piece. Once you rearrange the room, you may want to turn the rug 90 degrees to match the furniture layout. It is a lovely home - enjoy it, and don't let it drive you too crazy.

UGH. Everybody needs counseling for everything these days. This kids obviously seen/heard a little TOO much from Mom or whoever. She can't be left unsupervised with boys OR girls so the gender difference is irrelevant. The age difference is equally irrelevant....the boy wasn't 18. He is just as much still a kid as her. I think talking to her about the consequences of sexual behavior and keeping a real close eye on her is good for now. She isn't the first 12 year old to be kissing on people I promise. I hate to burst all your bubbles. I did it. All kids do, some or just better at not getting busted. There's no need to embarrass the child by forcing her to talk to a total stranger about her hormones and sexual urges. I think therapy can sometimes do more harm than good. It's like saying "There's something wrong with you...you need to see psychologist." Talk about labeling. I would want to be absolutely sure that she has a problem and not just normal curiosities before slamming her into therapy. Her urges are normal but she has GOT to learn to control it and she doesn't need a therapist for that. She needs EXTRA attention also. Make it a point to spend more one on one time with her. Encourage the DH to do the same. Get her to talk to you guys about whats going on.

It sounded to me like you were bored with your 5 year old kitchen. I did read your posts and that is what I took away from them. That is what I meant by wanting shiny and new. What I meant about "travel" did not mean a vacation necessarily and was not meant 100% literally, but maybe focusing your energies elsewhere outside of your home. If you are ready to change your kitchen because at 5 years old, it "needs" something to freshen it, and you have spent a year thinking about it, then you may have lost sight as to what a kitchen is. It is easy to get on the treadmill of decorating and lose sight that the house is a backdrop to your life and not the other way around. Just like someone who gets a little nip and tuck and then keeps going back for more and more. If your schedule is such that your time is very limited, then perhaps paying so much attention to a 5 year old kitchen is not the best use of your resources. Does the island color bother anyone else in your family? Did you think it was wrong when you first did it or is it wanting something new and different? I may have interpreted your posts wrong, but I saw boredom and wanting to spice up your life. A new island color would only be a momentary thrill and could easily be regretted if it does not come out as nice as it already is. I am grateful that most of our renovation planning is done and behind us. I am glad to have our lives back and while there is still work to do and to pay for, can't wait until we have more disposable income and time to go out and do more things rather than spend more on the house. My family put up with a lot to get the house fixed up. I'd like us to have some fun and enjoy our new space rather than worrying about the things that are still on our "house - to do" list. A kitchen or a pretty house means nothing if you don't get to enjoy other things as well. If what you have been doing lately leaves you bored, perhaps there are other ways to add some excitement. One thing that may help is not spending so much time on GW. I know I fall into that trap at times and realize it has become a habit. I do find decorating and esp kitchens to be interesting, but also want to find the balance with other things. If coming here makes me want a new kitchen, then I will have to break contact cold turkey. A kitchen is not a 5 or 10 year toy. We all take such care in designing and in materials used that a well done GW kitchen should last well over 20 years. That is the point, isn't it?