Hi! Corner ranges and ovens are a big waste of space! They eat up almost 4 sq.ft. of floor space that is useless, buried under counter top and totally inaccessible (unless you have a custom cabinet maker kitchen). That's two feet of cabinet and counter top. And they eat into the passageway footprint too!

I am eclectic, but I do like a certain flow. I found a table that I loved that was a custom painted and distressed antique farmhouse style. ALL of the chairs matched. Once I got the set home (over the course of some days) I realized that one of the chairs was wobbly. I ended up trying to glue it, but ultimately that did not work. Since I love all of the other chairs (and they are in good condition), I am just replacing the one, but I think it's going to work. The chair that I've found to replace it is also an older style, but it is a sage green that I think is going to be very eye-catching in contrast to the distressed powder blue color of the rest of the set. It is also an armed chair, and none of the other chairs have arms. My chair cushions are also a sage color, and that color can also be found in my placemats and rug, so I think it will have a very fun look without necessarily giving off a thrift store vibe. Of course, time will tell!

Los of good ideas here! We used to do better with the kids, but we somehow got off track. My young kids have been overwhelmed with all their stuff lately but have been resisting letting go. BUT, just today, we got all the boys to agree to clear out half their toys. Once I convinced them that keeping toys they don't really like creates more work, they were all over it. And planning a garage sale was also a good incentive to purge. We put everything on the play room floor and decided its fate one by one (as in every, single matchbox car). We only got half-way through today because it was a lot of work for them, but we'll resume. Then I talked to them about creating good habits and that orderliness is a virtue that is acquired with practice. So we're working on making sure they put away what they're using before moving on to the next thing. I told them that they will forget for the first week, it's OK, and I will remind them. But that they shouldn't be upset with me or themselves since it's all part of forming their good habit. Once they acquire the good habit of orderliness, they won't need my reminders as often. We're also going to have a little tracking system and a weekly reward. But I'm trying to make the goal about self-improvement rather than having a clean house. One will follow the other. Anyway, fingers crossed.

I love it. I think it is just right. Unless you want to spend money on tables, which may or may not help, but sometimes, as you said earlier, the dark wood is a nice contrast. The curtain rods bring it to the top, if you want to stay with that, and while I always try to keep curtains on double windows floor length for 'balance', with a sheer, it is just more places for those little spiders to place the egg sack into the folds, and they do. Windows allow just enough light to draw critters at night and long curtains gather the webs. Sheers may not be as bad as say, a lined drape, to that end, in that we can SEE them when they are there. Especially behind a couch, they really go to work. I agree. I had that 850 sq feet house, 3 br 1 bath built 'after the war'...and 18 years later I was about to go nuts. 1100 sq. feet helps a lot, but if Grover does not have a pal, that helps too. I like the painting of flowers Van Gogh, too, more 'life', less picture mats displayed? even if it is stillLIFE, in the room. So pick the art as you like and rotate once in a while(that way we dust the back sides of the pictures? LOL)with the seasons if you want. You have a very pretty room. ... I want to come sit and chat? :D Enjoy it. You have a cozy place to wind down from the rigors of the outside crazy world! It's been fun!!!