Thank you all for your very kind words. I really appreciate it because it's scary venturing out of the box in decor. There's sometimes a fine line between "wow" and "yuck." It's very comforting to think maybe I'm staying on the right side of that line. Hi Debbimc and welcome! Yes the entryway light fixture is too modern. I will haunt CL for a deal. It took me over a week of work to hand paint that border, but I probably should paint it out. Or, I could continue it through the DR but it was so much work. The legal bookcase can go downstairs when I can get some help in carrying it. Thanks about my furniture. Moonkat, I'm eagerly awaiting threads where you reveal pics of the inside of your house (did I miss some and if so can you give the urls, please?). I think we all should decorate with whatever turns us on. If you start with antiques, you don't have to worry about fads. You're *always* out of style. hehe. Yeah, doesn't Les have a wonderful eye for things? I love the more gentle, rounded look of the chairs she suggested, plus they sure look comfy. Cooperbailey, yes the big window is Gallery Glass. You all can do it! I think I will spray the rocker black and trim it with a wee bit of gold. If it's still not good there I can always move it downstairs or sell it. It's just my favorite seat when company comes. Thanks for the tips about restore a finish -- very good for us all to know. Looks like you had great results with it. Walkin ~~ I stopped at the hardware store today for spray black paint and a drop cloth. I'm going to hit all the chairs with it and reupholster the seats, which is easy. Then live with it while I look for something better. When/if I sell them on CL I should get more for them as I've fixed them up. Painting is a ton easier than stripping. So I just parked my car outside for the night and I'll see if I revive enough energy to do a little sanding/painting tin the garage. Jerseygirl ~~ Thanks so much for looking for a chandy for me. I'm thinking masses of crystal, but I'll haunt CL with your idea in mind too, and see what I can find. Pictures would be most welcome. Another possibility is an art deco fixture. Dilly ~~ Wow, you supplied a ton of really creative, fun ideas. Much for me to think about. I never would have thought about sticking crystals into the existing light fixture. You are so clever! YUM on that chandy you pictured. Parma ~~ Thanks for your thoughts on the lawyer's cabinet. I can't move it immediately. It really is a versatile piece, isn't it? You can display anything in there, I think. I love it. Slateberry ~~ What an interesting idea! I love to mess around with paint. Patser ~~ Yes the DR table is oak and I love the grain of it. Right... I think the chairs might be fruitwood, as I recall, but no visible grain. Wow, those chairs are gorgeous! WAY too much money, but gorgeous. I'm going to continue to haunt CL I think. Meanwhile, I'll see what I can do with these chairs to improve their looks. I'm thinking about the set of chairs I have that are not comfy and they're probably perfect for that table. I can't remember, but I think they are oak but need to be stripped. I just wish they were comfy.

Thanks for the kind words, our place is still in progress but we love it so far. I love having the mudroom bench! The paint color used in all the rooms is SW #7533 Khaki Shade. The laundry room is SW #7532 Urban Putty one shade lighter than the khaki shade. Your home has great potential with just some paint and furniture arranging. I do not think drapes to the ceiling would work, that would draw your eye up to the height of the room. I like what you have on the dining window but you could also use 2 simple roman shades on the dining window to add some texture and color. If you use a more neutral colored curtain panel on the sliding door with your current rod that would look nice. Try getting panels that blend with the paint color you choose. I love your fireplace and armoire is it possible to use the armoire for the tv instead of the table its on? I also have a westie she seems to get in my photos also :) If you put a large area rug down and pull the furniture away from the wall and arrange it around the fireplace that will ground the space. Try putting the couch across from the fireplace and a chair on each side and the Ottoman as a coffee table with a tray and books on it. Add a nice neutral area rug. Put one of the chairs where the tv is and the other facing the sliding door. I think the large wall hanging might look nice in the dining area. Hope you don't mind the suggestions. good luck with the house.

Hey There: Window Coverings and the design of the house must go together and furthermore you must keep the function in mind. In you case I do recommend to layer the window coverings... As I can see in your pictures, you might have a privacy problem if your don't close your coverings, but of course your don't want to sit all day in the dark. So as a first line of defense (literally spoken of course) you go with minimalistic pleated or honeycomb shades. They fit nicely into the window casing and operate bottom up and top down. This will give you privacy and light management and allow you to look outside and enjoy nature around your home. As the second layer you can opt for curtains to the side - either operable or just decorative. This combination is not to heavy to take over the rooms. Stay in lighter colors but don't match them...lighter for the blinds and a bit darker for the curtains. Good Luck with your project www.PleatedBlindsStore.com

Full shutter over entire space. Louvered so you could let some light come through, when desired. Then you could put art on each side if you wished. If you wanted shelves on the kitchen side, the shutters could be designed to open into the living room, but I would see then as closed with a hook of hardware and not necessarily operational from an open and close point of view. Only the louvers would open and close.