Would love to help. I certainly is a blank canvas. Could literally go any direction you want. I personally gravitate toward something tactile as a surface, within a white space. So I might do a warm graywash oak floor and maybe furnish with some really rich materials, perhaps even velvets, rich walnuts, or some antique elements. Might also be fun to bring in some dark gray slate tile for the fireplace wall. Composition is everything in a space like this, though. Let me know if you'd like any help pulling it together.

why don't you pick out photos in your image book and let us know when you have 15 or 20 shots and we will have a better idea of what your style is by looking at that.

This is a really nice project! I am not a professional, I just like renovating, decorating etc.

I don't know your style but I couldn'nt agree more with the suggestions of John DwyerArchitects. We are totally in line. You can mix and match modern and antique elements, use high quality silk or linen drapes, velvet sofas- same color with the drapes, luxurius cushions. Would you maybe consider silver velvet sofas, two modern black leather arm chairs with a tea table in between in rich walnut color, some purple accents etc. Maybe consider a second color, try spring green, blue or even turquise. Black if you want to play on the safe side.
I would go for a very modern kitchen. I live in Greece and modern kitchens are really hot here. My kitchen is a combination of shiny white cabinets at the bottom with rich dark stained mat finish in the upper cabinets and stanless steel appliances. It looks nice and clean.
You can also go for a combination of white and walnut cabinets.
Let us know of what you like, so we can suggest something closer to what you have in mind...
Good luck with your project! Eva

houzz is the right place to be, thousands of pictures to see online as well as thousands of opinions from all us houzzers !! good luck. Do what you love !!

WOW -- this is fantastic--- thank you -- I hope more suggestions arrive this weekend. I jjust emailed these initial comments to my husband; we really appreciate your help. Of course most people do not want to spend more than necessary, but initially we are thinking of up to $30,000 (for kitchen and living room). We are empty nesters moving into what we think is our "last home" -- so we can prioritize renovations and after we spend our initial budget we can stagger renovations until we have our dream home. We are just starting gain some confidence in decorating through the resources we found on the internet -- is so fun to learn something new !!!

We are in the Midwest Section of the United States --receiving comments from all over the world is great.

Another question -- in regards to window treatments -- we have had curtains and blinds in houses & like both -- we are thinking long curtains might look best... but would love some you to give your opinion too.

Is the house in the midwest too? Yes long curtains, you have tall ceilings so they would make a great impact in this room, go taller than the window frame to balance out that great wall.

With 30K, it's not going to be enough for all new kitchen and all new furniture and flooring. Unless the kitchen is in total shambles, hold off on the kitchen renovation and focus on painting only and getting new furniture and window treatments. At least you will have a functional house right away.

I don't know what the kitchen walls are, but painting them, adding new lighting fixtures and accessories can make a big difference. If the carpet is clean, leave it for now, and only paint the walls and shop for furniture. If you have measurements of the space, we can help you place furniture, so that you know what to look for.

Floor to ceiling drapes would look fantastic with white roman shades perhaps.

Here are some Living Rooms that could be an inspiration:

[houzz=]

[houzz=]

[houzz=]

Yes the house is in the midwest -- love the pictures -- have several to my idea book, but did not have these pics thanks
Living room is 16.2 feet by 21 feet with 59 inch open doorway to the kitchen on the left closest to the wall with the window and the office door is a double french door with white trim about 55 inches or so just across the room from the kitchen door way. Would love funiture placement suggestions if you have them...

start us off with something...what do you know for sure you want in the room, a favorite piece of art, or maybe a rug, or table, or couch. Out with the old ? In with all new ?

What furniture" we are keeping from our previous living room is heading to the lower level family room. We will be putting in "some type of wood or wood like floor" the carpet is not in good shape. The entry way is tiled, probably would be best to tear that up and put in the same floor as the living room. We have talked about perhaps wanting a leather sofa of some type, a television above the fireplace (we are sports fans), some type of table to set down drink glasses.....I think we are going for a room that is beautiful and elegant yet comfortable. We are open and eager to have something new and different than we have had in our previous homes. Some of this work we will do ourselves and some we will hire out, so that will help our budget.

I agree with jrost. Find a piece of furniture or artwork, a rug, something you really love and work from there. Post a photo. Every piece you use, since it is all new, should be something you love. You don't have to get it all at once either. Just enough to get started, then you can have fun adding as you go along.

First, is to decide if you like the red. If you do, then you definitely have a starting point. Not everything has to be red, but you can definitely carry red throughout your adjoining rooms. Red accents, prints with red in them, red in the eating area, and in the kitchen. (remember not everything red, just enough to tie everything together)

If red isn't your favorite color, then decide if you want to go monochromatic, more of neutrals, then I'd start with fabrics and work from there. I just finished working on a cabin and could not find a focus, but once I had a rug and a pillow, I gravitated to fabrics that would work with them. Good luck! -Chrysteen

Btw cindy, we are empty nesters as well and just finished building our 'last home'. I understand the mental pressure of getting it right. Relax and just enjoy it and don't feel pressured to get everything done at once.