Wasn't the buffet on the bell wall? Why did you move it? No longer fits the space with the table there? What about if you used only the wood/rattan chairs? Do you need the fabric ones at the ends of the table?

Is there enough light at the peninsula without the pendants?

Hi Natal!

There is not enough room on the end for the buffet...22" d . I really need pantry space so I was thinkin the Billys with door would work (dang, house has NO pantry!!)

As far as the lights, I was hoping that I could put recessed lights where the pendants are now. I haven't talked to an electrician or anything....does anybody know?

Everything is a hodgepodge in here.....fabrics, window treatments.....this is my problem room!! I just want someone to tell me what to do.....sigh.

Smiles:)

I love your wall color and see nothing wrong with the fabric-covered chairs at the end. The pendant lights are very obtrusive since they interfere with the sight line of the chandelier and recessed lights sound great. I would remove the ottoman and the plate rack thingie between the windows which gives a very heavy look to that area. A large but rather simple mirror with a broad frame might look very nice there. I'd leave the blinds for now and put sheer curtain panels around the window and french door to soften and lighten the area. White sheers would look great with the wall color and the white trim. Have unobtrusive, slender rods to hang them on.

I hope some of these ideas are helpful to you. If you could declutter the kitchen somewhat and remove all those bottles I think it would also improve the situation. I think this area is very nice and just needs some small cosmetic touches along the lines I've mentioned. The TV over the fireplace is also not the greatest look, but I assume there's a reason why it's there.

Isn't it funny how everyone congregates in the kitchen!!! That's really what the Family Room is all about...if everyone is hanging in that area why not make it the center of entertainment. When I have 10 or more guests, I usually end up filling the Family Room (6 recliners), the Kitchen (6 barstools and a dinette area) and overflowing into the Tiki Lounge (5 barstools and game table with 4 chairs). I seldom use my Dining Room, but do when I have a formal dinner party and also move things out of the way if I have a band for the party.

I think you are heading in the right direction. Once you get everything set up in a functional way, then you will be able to adjust the decor...it takes a while. Good move on the table across from the kitchen, think that will be well used. I think white plantation shutters would look great on those windows IMHO. A tall cabinet at the end for a pantry is a good idea. What will go in the Dining Room?

Well, this is coming from someone who has no design talent at all but I know a pretty room when I see one and I am seeing one!

Very clever swap of rooms.
I love, love your wall and ceiling colors. The dining room table looks so at home in it's new place. The upholstered end chairs are perfect and from my unestalented eye - everything matches but the ottoman.

I had to google billy bookcases with doors as I never heard of them until now - perfect - what color? So clever!

I can see everyone hanging out there for a football party with the TV right there where the food is.

I do like the idea of sheer panels on the windows.

Yummy room! The booze on the counter will transport easily to the other room for the gardenweb tea party to be held (when?) in the new sitting room that we'll all have to stand for since it is aka never sit in room.

You are doing good!

I'm not a designer but I love your mix of fabrics and would love to use similar ones.

...Pam

Nice changes.

Love the idea of the Billy bookcases for the pantry. What color will you do? Be sure to allow for the floor trim, when you are figuring depth. Obviously the bookcases wonâÂÂt be flat against the wall.

I like the pendants over the counter - much nicer light that cans. The chandelier, on the other hand, looks too small now with the longer table. I think a longer chandy, rectangular in shape, would be wonderful, and would provide more light to that whole area.

Perhaps something like this?

marquette collection three light chandy

Maybe the current chandy could go into the new room?

You have such pretty things....fabulous idea to switch the rooms around! I like the idea that Les had to put the chandy elsewhere. I'd try to find one that matches your pendants~

I love how the table and chairs look there. Not to much green for me- the paint color is wonderful. I think I have mentioned it before, but I still LOVE the swan on your table.
In my untrained eye ;o) the ottoman is great, but not with the chairs, or maybe the combination of those with the paisley is throwing me.
You have wonderful things- can't wait to see how it all comes together!

Love your room and fabrics on the chairs...The wall color is wonderful. Do you mind sharing the color of the walls? I am sure that whatever you do will look great. Very warm and homey!

I like your chandelier the way it is. I agree with you that the pendants are awkward looking from the kitchen to the dining area. They just don't go and I'd replace them with cans. I like cans. I know they're not really aesthetically attractive, but I don't generally look up at the ceiling in a room anyways. I think if you feel the need for lights there, cans will fill the bill and when you're entertaining or want more ambiance, you can leave them off.

Also like the idea of bookcases for your pantry area. Les had some good advice on not forgetting the base trim in measuring the available width.

I think the shutters will be nice but also could see some panels around your window and french doors. I like the thought of linen panels - check out Pottery Barn's peyton panels. They're simple and would look nice in your room.

What a lovely room! And three cheers for swapping spaces. I'm in the midst of doing that now and am really excited about the possibilities.

I read that you are saving for shutters and I just wanted to pipe up now with something for you to consider, if you haven't already.

Shutters will take a lot away from that beautiful view of your yard.

We had plantation shutters in a pair of picture windows in our library. We could never open them all the way because they were so big and so heavy that they would sag. So the only way to see the yard was through the slats.

Now that might not matter to you but I thought I'd mention it. We took the shutters off, put up honeycomb shades (don't care how outdated they might be) that take up hardly any space, and now we can enjoy all the critters in the yard, and the plants, most of the time. Food for thought for your beautiful room.

LOVE it!!!

And yes to the Billy bookshelves -- thin and fit in easily .... and would be great as pantry space!

You have the most wonderful home! :)

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

ooh ooh scooby, I just realized you had my favorite print on your parson's chairs, the print I'm considering for my dining room chairs. Have you tired of the pattern over time or does it wear well on the eyes? It's stunning on your chairs.

Thank you all so much!!

Susan, I do still like the fabric. Here is what I am learning (finally) is to use neutrals on the pieces you can't change yourself and the printed fabrics on items easily changed. So for DR chairs - if you can change them yourself...no problem! The fabric really does have a wonderful array of colors.

What color for the Billy's? Black/brown or white? If I do white...have my painter make them match the kitchen cabinets? Cream/glaze?

Les, I love the idea of a longer light fixture. There is one by Vaughan that I have drooled over for a year or so but KNOW it is sooooo out of the budget. I do like the one you linked very much. You don't think that would be "off" with the current pendants?

Drapes.....I have wanted some but if you can see...the FP pratically hits the doors & there is no room for the stack back. Carol, I love the PB Peytons!! I see what you are saying, Susan, about shutters & I do love my view & birds. I have cellulars under the big window & they are so easy to pull up and down when the sun comes in (cheap/cordless) so I could do those on the doors & add some moulding to cover the stack.

I want to go party at Vampiressrn!! It sounds like you have the set up & an occassional band - woo hoo!!

Eager...itis an old duron color - ardmore green. Sherwin wms can mix it for you. As well as lowes/hd. Thanks!

Homebodymom :& Perky 2....u hit it w the fabrics - really, the ottoman is the odd man out. I would like something to tie everything together. Not really sure the chairs (slipcovers) go in that room or not. And yes, I'll try to save some wine for our GW party!! DH stocks up when he goes to Atlanta b/c it's so much cheaper down there and we drink cheap!! LOL

Ingrid - I promise there aren 't usually that many bottles on my counters!! LOL
Papers, yes!! I see what your saying about the plate rack being heavy on that wall. Perhaps, just hang the assorted plates on the wall?

What about rugs? Big one for under the table? Round one for the club chairs?

Oh, I had never heard of Billy's before GW or Ikea for that matter. So thank you, Teacats!! And here is a really cool thing....they are notched out on the bottom for the baseboard. Those Sweedes think of everything!!

Colors for Billy....

White & have painter match cabinets...

Or black

Smiles:)

A vote for the black-painted Billy cabinets .....

Jan at Rosemary Cottage

Just when I think your house can't get any better, I see all these wonderful changes you are planning. You have such a wonderful vision so I just like to stand back and observe while you work your magic.

I also vote, though, for a black Billy!

Another vote for black Billys. I didn't know what those were either...LOL.

The Billy cabinets don�t come in black - so are you painting them? Being that they are particleboard and paper, I am not sure I would go that route. I think I would do the black-brown just as they come.

I am wondering, since you are calling these pantry shelving, if you are planning on putting on doors? Just thinking that you may not have enough toom at the end of the table to stand in front of them and swing open the doors, with the chairs at the ends of the table. I think those end chairs need to go, for practical reasons.

So, what about more musical chairs, literally? Take the two large armchairs from the new sitting room and use those in here, by the fireplace. The IKEA chairs feel a little small and low for the height of the mantel and the proportion of the other furniture. Then I am thinking that the existing ottoman might work, too. And these chairs could then be used as host chairs at the table when needed.

Take the parsons chairs and use those in the sitting room. Take the green armchairs and use those in the office - the big armchairs are too large there, clearly pushing against the drapery to make room for them (unless that is just because of temporary piling of other furniture in there, and you will have more room later. But I still think they feel too large for the office)

Take the IKEA chairs and use them in a bedroom or other small seating space.

Just wanted to say 'My gosh your place is pretty!'.

Love your style!!

Val, laziness is prompting these changes!! Haha But it is turning out to be more work than walking up and down the steps fifty million times a day going to & fro the office.

Thank you creekylis, Ttodd and Val for the sweet comments!

Yes doors on the bookcases - oh my I don't to have all my junk food on display!!

Duh...I saw the Billy in black but they don't have black height extenders or door so I guess it will be black/brown.

Okay, Les.....I love having your insight. I will try the frenchie chairs next to the fireplace and take some photos. You know I'm game for musical chairs!!

Smiles:)

If you can paint the Billys, I'd paint them to match the wall.

I think that they will need to be attached to the wall for safety, which means a board mounted horizontally to the wall behind them, so that you can fill the gap created by the baseboard depth. It can be shorter than the width of the assembly of bookcases, and painted to match the wall, so that you aren't aware of it.

You could cut and remove the baseboard where the cases go, bolt them to the studs, and run new baseboard around them to essentially build them in. The other option (we did this in the den of this house) is to build a platform the height of the baseboard and wider than the bottom of the Billys, paint it to match the trim, and then you can push them back flush with the wall and screw them to the studs...then they look built in. If your baseboard is 4-1/2" high, a 2x4 box with cross members under where the centers and edges of the bookcases land, and a 1" plywood surface, should do the job.

Here's what ours look like. We used two stock bookcases, had our guy make bases as described above (although our baseboards are 10" high, so the boxes are higher, too), and had him make three long shelves to mount to the wall and the sides of the cases between them. Instant built ins, and cheap!