Commented: Help: View from main entranceA little hard to tell from the single photo, but agree the window looks a little stark. Perhaps a shade with some texture. Also consider an additional hall chandelier (assuming there is already one ...
Commented: Two deep drawers for pots and pans or three?AnnKH nailed it! It all comes down to the actual sizes of the items you plan to keep in those drawers. I like your island design by the way-we have something very similar!
Commented: Would battens be too much in a long narrow basement family room?It might be. I can certainly appreciate you wanting to do it yourself and budget constraints, but I would recommend getting an estimate for the drywall work. A pro crew would knock it out in a few d...