You don't like the peninsula? Someone suggested it in the previous thread, and I thought it was a great idea. People would be able to sit at the counter and chat with whoever's cooking. Also, I could hang a small flat-screen TV on the wall to the left of the range, so the cook can watch cooking videos. And if I use a slightly larger 30" or 36" Ikea base cabinet, I thought I could add some pretty substantial storage space. Do you really think it looks bad? Please don't tell me that tastes/preferences are personal and to go with what I like...I have zero experience with kitchen design, and I've been told that I have bad taste! This post was edited by kolorblinding on Sun, Jul 6, 14 at 12:00

What a difference with the lights on! That's terrific. I would leave the airplane on the right where it is and center under the light, all by itself. I would move the bi-wing plane to the top shelf, though I'd stack some "coffee table" books underneath it to give it the appropriate height. Keep the clock on the side of a short stack of books. Use an object in front of other books and get a decorative book end to highlight another stack. Use the depth of the bookcases to your favor by placing some objects in front of others so your arrangement becomes 3-d. Something like this... I made the center arrangement with strict symmetry given the bookcases and the lights, but you can easily do a more asymmetric or casual arrangement if you want. I used a woven basket and ceramics to add color and texture, but those are just suggestions...there are many ways you can go with it. Note too that the blue and red in the objects are repeated in the book spines. When making your arrangement, think about scattering similar colors around to tie it together.

Thanks for the quick reply! This picture is not ideal but it shows the two areas broken up by the fireplace (awkward!) the window will get tile all the way up and the brick area will get an 18 inch backsplash and a glass cabinet. GC’s default is symmetrical, accepting small cuts. I haven’t talked to installer yet, meeting today.

First, I’d like to say ”thank you” for welcoming three children who needed help into your home. Not many couples are willing to do that— especially when they already have two other children. Five is A LOT of work - you and your BF deserve some gratitude! Hopefully, the foam pieces will move to their new home in the basement soon. BUT - you can still figure out a media center (along that solid wall) before that happens. I’ve never stepped inside an IKEA store ever - however, I have seen MANY items from IKEA used on Houzz + one of my daughters is using their Besta system to make a media wall in their basement. They purchased oak veneer doors for it (from IKEA) + are having a countertop fabricated to make the different boxes look like one unit. I think it will look really nice when finished. They only have a two year old right now - but there’s space in a few of the ”boxes” for his stuff (the boxes come in two sizes - they bought the larger ones + you can add doors/drawers or a combination of both). For the price, it seems to be a good deal (seems sturdy - they have the boxes built - I’ve sat and stood on them - not a HUGE test, but they can handle some weight! - I weigh about 120-125 lbs and they felt SOLID underneath me!) IKEA also has another line (Havsta - I think) - it’s made out of all wood. The pieces are larger (except for the tv stand - but they wanted to do an entire wall) - so, they decided against it. It actually looks nice (online)— but is more expensive + less modular. There are always mistakes made when building a new house - so, relax - you will just need to test out some paint samples prior to purchasing gallons in order to make sure that the color will work with your floors. When I was picking out selections for the first house I built, I had just given birth (already had a four year old) + had just graduated from law school + had started (daily) bar review classes. I completely messed up the wall paint! It worked with the carpet that I had initially selected - but then there was an issue and I had to pick a new carpet ASAP (the week before the bar exam) - and it clashed! Luckily, part of the house had hardwood floors - but there were A LOT of walls that needed to be repainted (including a very tall open staircase). FYI - your walls and floors look A LOT better than my carpet and walls! I prioritized the rooms to be painted IMMEDIATELY (my daughters’ rooms - that hardly anyone saw 😂) - and eventually had everything repainted. It took three years - because I decided that we (= I) could do it vs. hiring someone (even though I was working 50+ hours hours/week as an associate at a large law firm + wanted to be a ”mom” whenever I wasn’t working - not my best decision!) So, I had some clashing carpet/walls on the main floor for awhile - no one cared (except me!) Sorry for the long post - hopefully, you’ll relax + give yourself a break for any selection mistakes (if they were your mistakes - if they were the builders, I’d be making them address the issues - breach of a written contract is five years on average - but depends upon your state of residence). As you’ve already commented, you have a home which is what matters + you’ve also made a HUGE difference in the lives of three children. Messy foam blocks + clashing walls/floors + toys spilling into the living room are all things that can be addressed at some point (fyi - while most of their toys were upstairs, my girls had a basket with some toys down in our living room + a cabinet with toys/art supplies in the “hearth area“ next to the fireplace in the kitchen). When you have little ones, things aren’t always going to look like an “Instagram photo” or photos on an interior design website. I also disagree that the living room is for adults - I think that was the case when people had a formal living room + a family room both on the main level of the home. Most people don’t have formal living rooms anymore (not after the ”great room” concept popped up in the 90s) - so, now it’s a shared family space. If your basement will have a playroom + an area for watching TV, the upstairs living room can then be treated more as the adult space. I do think moving the TV away from the window + having a media console with extra storage will help you feel better about your living room + make it a bit more functional for you. The nice thing about the Besta system is that you don’t have to purchase everything all at once. You can buy some boxes in order to put together a good sized console + add extra storage boxes later. P.S. the foam blocks/pieces look like fun - I can see using some blankets and making some cool forts!