trish-I hope you see this, you posted almost a week ago, I have not been on these boards for a few days! Can you PLEASE take a picture of the furniture and post it? I am dying to see it in another setting. Do you think the DR set was in the house originally? What year was your house built? What color are the seats...and are they the same at your neighbor's house across the street? Where do you live? Ok, so my DH actually had possession of *HIS* dining room set, that was exactly like MINE...up until the mid nineties. His mom had saved it (parents are divorced). He tried to sell it at one point, and refinshed the top and spruced it up nicely. I think he was asking 1k for the whole set...hutch, table, chairs...and he had NO ONE buy it. They would come, look, offer him 200 bucks, he just couldn't (wouldn't, I suppose, LOL) sell it at that price. Then again, this was BEFORE the internet. He didn't reach too many potential buyers with his ad in the paper. I was kind of happy, cuz I said, "Good, let's keep it for the extra chairs and leaf and just store the rest of it!" His office has a warehouse/storage area, so that's why I considered it...I am not a believer in paying good money to store more "things." But since it is available, we do it sometimes. Well, at this time, his dad did not have a DR table so DH just put it there to keep it, and so his dad would have a table. A few months later, one of his sisters moved in, brought her own stuff...and GAVE AWAY the hutch and two end chairs...and PUT THE TABLE OUT BY THE CURB FOR BULK PICKUP! *fanning self* I was LIVID! I still talk about it to this day, but my DH keeps saying, "Let it go, honey!!" I think he is mad too, but also embarrassed. SO...remember...just a few years ago, I saw this table for sale on a grocery store bulletin board, and the whole set with hutch was in the $200 range...maybe $250? It really is heavy duty, solid wood. BUT...apparently very common and mass produced! I would just like to know a little more about it. I cannot find any name on it as to who made it, where it is from originally, etc. BTW...his sister moved out a few months later, and once again, DH''s dad was left with no table. *sigh*

Wow, I really thought it was just me. I forget I buy things, forget where I put them, forget when I used them or where. It's pathetic, but can't be helped I guess. DH says because I'm always in a hurry (we have 5 kids!) I don't have time to dwell on things. It's more like ... "get this done and mark it off my list" type of life at this point. LOL! ;o) I just saw my photos from last year's Christmas, and was impressed that my entryway looked so good. Last fall, I bought an antique red sled, and for Christmas season, a friend helped me make a swag with berries, and I wrapped white lights all around it. I honestly forgot I had even purchased that expensive little gem until I saw the photos from last year!! LOL! So, opening my Christmas decoration boxes is like Christmas for me. I say "ooh, forgot we had this" and "where did I buy this thing"? Oh yah, I'm a fruitcake! It's pretty bad.

Thanks all for the suggestions! I've been checking consignment stores and Craigslist (Donna--you're setting me up for the CL fail thread, aren't you? hehe!) for wall units and related things. I don't mind used (textiles excluded) and I'm happier with more vintage styles anyway. I have thought about going to the local cabinet guy who has done my last two kitchens. If he doesn't do free-standing furniture he probably would know someone who does. I do know that I don't want this built in. I know I need the storage space and that isn't likely to change, but I don't know that I'll always want it in this location.

Why not use the chests as night stands with wall-mounted swing arm lamps or tall lamps to get the right proportions between the bed and lighting? Or if the chests are way too short to function as night stands as is, add legs or a base to elevate them. If all clothes and bathroom supplies will fit in the closet do you really need a dresser?Oops, now I see that you already have the dresser. The window area would be a good place to have a comfortable chair, table and lamp for reading.