Thanks for posting this. We just re-worked our family room orientation and positioning of our patio door and some windows on our house plans. Your photos helped me visualize what we are trying to achieve. We're looking at adding a window on each side of our patio door that will be in our dining area. I like the looks of yours. Do you mind sharing the dimensions of the windows on each side of your door and those on each side of the fireplace? Thanks!

I put my cookbooks 2 deep in my end cabinets and it drives me crazy. I put the ones I use most in front but when I have to get the ones behind it means I have to pull 2-3 out in front to really see and get the one I want. Maybe shelves would be different as long as there's enough height b/t the, but I don't have a lot of height so can't grab it and pull it over the top of the other books once I remove 1 and see the one I want. Unless the one in back is thinner than the one in front I can't just pull it out straight, I have to remove 2 in front to pull 1 out from the back row. But I really don't want to stick my crockpot behind either b/c then I'd have to pull *everything* out to get it! I'd put the cookbooks on shallow shelves (maybe a wall cabinet? I had one built into the island at old house and thought it was a big waste of space without a deep cabinet on other side, but now I miss the convenience of having cookbooks and phone books 1 deep) in the kitchen and leave the deep storage for big things. I think I have to purge my cookbook collection and find a place for the ones I use often, put the rest in another room.

If you are handy you could buy bookshelves and cut out of the back a hole where the vent would be. It wouldn't be that difficult to do and you could glue trip around the opening for a finished look. It may be possible to find bookshelves with no "back" on them in which case your vents could still operate. Check Ikea (if you have one by you), they make all different types of shelving. Here is a link that might be useful: Christy's Thrifty Decorating

Google 'cube storage'. Target and Walmart and just about any other retailer carry that style of shelving. If I bought from Home Depot or Kohl's or Target or a lot of other retailers near me I could pick up at the store and pay zero shipping. I'm sure the same goes for the nifty baskets and bins that fit inside. My local Dollar Tree carries 10.5" cubes!