I agree that some type of furniture...table, tall shelving unit or coat rack would work well by the door as you come in from the front yard. Make your own entry way hallway using the back of a couple of large chairs or a sofa! At my home It's similar, and the coat closet is about 15 feet into the room. NO ONE USES IT! So, everything from the snow boots to the light jackets get slung over furniture just as soon as you walk through the door. I also have lots of muddy pet paws that come in from walks, so a big washable entry rug is a must. I have two rugs, and interchange them between washings. As you enter..I have a tall, metal vertical up lamp that I can switch on, because I do not like coming home to a darkened home. Immediately I have two large chairs backs facing me with a small end table between them, and to protect the coats from being slung over their backs, I use a rolling tool cart I picked up from Harbor Freight. (About $100, less when on sale.) It's bright red and chrome. It has a shelf at the bottom for snow boots...Gloves and light jacks go on the top. Keys and purses also go on top. I took large pinch clips and put them on the sides to act as jacket hooks. Now, it's auto magic for everyone to use our rolling butler. And when everyone is in, and company has arrived, we simply send it scooting out of site and down the hallway! During summer, it's still useful for purses and pet leashes, and for collecting library books, etc. before we go out the door. I've got another in the back yard mud room, too. Very useful inexpensive little card, and way easy to put together!

I would rip up all the carpet and the builder-grade tile and replace with wood-look porcelain tile. Our humid climate makes hardwood floors iffy, plus I like being able to mop tile and keep it really clean since we have pets.

I love the rug at an angle and the paint color...so relaxing. The bookshelves are going to add so much when you get them properly arranged, and with all the shelves installed. I'd allow the biggest space between shelves near the top, and mostly in the two wider sections. I prefer to stagger the shelves so they are not all lined up, and I usually keep them closer together nearer the bottom. The big sections that I leave near the top are perfect for displaying a painting or picture in the back of the shelf with some books stacked horizontally in front, and if there is space, then to the side also.

1)It does not matter when you apply the crown. 2)Whether you should match the white of the cabinets to the white in the rest of the house depends on the shade of white that it is and whether you plan on keeping your white appliances. If you are keeping your white appliances, hold the same white sample color against an appliance to see if it makes paint color look ‘grungy’. If so, it would look better to match the cabinet to the white of the appliances or paint a different color. 3)The primer should be a latex if you are going to use latex paint or an oil base if you are using an oil base paint. Primer is very important for adhesion. I’ve used Bin underneath different brands but it is usually best to stick to a primer made by the same company as the paint you are using because each brand has proprietary chemical properties and they don’t always work with one another. If you are not stripping them and are not sure of the product on them now, take out a drawer and bring it to a good paint store and ask them for their recommendation. 4)There will be more yellowing with strictly oil-based paints over time. I haven’t tried it but I’ve heard that Benjamin Moore has a latex paint now (ADVANCE) that is formulated specifically for cabinets. http://www.benjaminmoore.com/en-us/for-your-home/the-best-paint-for-cabinetry-jobs . I’ve used other Benjamin Moore products for many years and have been very satisfied with the coverage of their products, range of sheen options, durability and colors. In my opinion, they have a superior product. 5)I prefer spraying but it takes some getting used to. To avoid runs, take the doors off and spray them flat. Let dry completely before turning. You might want to try brushing on a scrap and rolling another and spraying another to see how you feel about the result. 6)Whether or not you should top coat ADVANCE with a polyurethane would be a good question for Benjamin Moore. Other thoughts: It looks like your cabinets are Oak, which is an open grain wood. The pores will be visible after you paint. If you don’t mind, fine. But if you do mind, you will want to use a grain filler prior to priming. If you plan to do the floor before the countertops, you will end up not being able to pull the dishwasher out. I would do the floor and countertops at the same time, shimming under the dishwasher and shimming under the countertop on either side of the dishwasher to make the counter height the same; Then just touch up the visible shim under the countertop.