I like the first option pictured. Open, lighter looking.

the rug is pretty.

I am not a fan of gallery art, a large single art canvas is a real statement.

I agree on a large piece of art vs gallery art - my decorator recommended a gallery wall. when I asked for a large art piece, she recommended this. I like it, but it’s a bit too traditional for me. Then I get stumped and not sure what to do!

greatbigcanvas.com has so many affordable options. take a look at the site and see options that suit your colors or interests.

I have a very subtle Beach morning sunrise 60" in my bedroom very subtle colors,

my sister in law got an intense Blue afternoon sunlight 60" in her greatroom. there is something for everyone!

Thanks Lyn!!

I prefer the first, but something along the lines of the second will be better suited to 3 kids and the look of the kitchen.

Hmm i have 2 boys and we eat in the dining room nightly - we have velvet chairs in there and its a bit of a struggle to keep the chairs looking nice and the dark gray velvet is VERY forgiving — anything super messy like cookie decorating we do in the kitchen and those chairs are hard backed and can be easily wiped down - based on my experience I would be afraid the top one would get grimy fast, the 2nd one seems like it would be a lot more forgiving (feels a little heavy to me but that’s just personal preference)

I have leather dining room chairs for this exact reason la_la Girl! My kids do eat on our counter stools as well and do homework there. I like the Option 1 chairs above better than the 2nd option. wondering if they work in my space aesthetically…and practically. or am I force fitting too hard?

You might consider getting one stool for the kitchen and the other near the dining room. Too much matching is being avoided now.

Thank you everyone! @ Maureen - where can I get those rust stools and those square picture frames? love that look…And definitely, the valences need to go :-)

@ K L…Do you think I can do the top/brass counter stool on the side with the rug and another counter stool on the other side? my decorator recommended that I get the same ones all around for consistency. I am open minded.

In general, I am concerned that I am ending up with a very traditional look when I was hoping to refresh/modernize a bit. Thanks for all the ideas!

From what I can tell, the two stool locations are on opposite sides of the kitchen and barely visible at the same time. I would think it would be ok to have two different stools. I would think the ones near the dining room should be consistent with dining room decor more than kitchen decor. The ones deep in the kitchen by the TV just have to go with the kitchen. Maybe your decorator was thinking you would use them together at some point? I don't know. Ask her/him about it again.

the first one w/the gold or brass metal.