fragle0 ... congratulations on the new addition to your family. Have been following your lovely changes. You probably won't have time to work on the decor for a while. Just wanted to suggest that you try pulling the nesting tables forward to be more in line with front of the chairs & placing your floor lamp to the back of them. This will give a bit more light at night for reading in that area.Also switching the plant by the fireplace & the one on the corner by the sofa.

Put in a few French drains where you dig a ditch and fill it with crushed rock to help the water drain. In low spots put in some drains [http://www.homedepot.com/p/Tuf-Tite-16-in-2-Hole-Drain-Sump-with-Grate-and-Seals-2HDS-4/203463511] with pipe running to the French drain. You might also need to bring in 10 yards of top soil along with some sand to raise your yard a bit as you're probably right at the water table level. We've had to do all this as we live in the Pacific Northwest in a reclaimed marsh [a nice word for a swamp] where we hit the water table if we dig down 3". We had to put down about 10 yards of top soil along with some sand to raise our back yard. We also dug a French drain along the back to connect to the associations drainage pipes through the neighborhood. My husband has put in at least 3 of the drains in strategic locations around the yard to help drain off the excess water. Our yard isn't perfect, but it isn't the swamp it was the first couple of years we were here. We have to apply moss killer every spring or it takes over the yard. My husband also puts down lime to soften the soil, and help the water drain easier. He and a friend rent an aerator every summer and do both our yards to help with the drainage as well.

A15) @Dara Cooke: If you can't afford a quartz or granite worktop from day one then I would recommend using a laminate worktop as a temporary solution. If you don't put tiles up as a backsplash then replacing the worktops can be relatively easy in a couple of years.

Number one rule: It is YOUR house. Do as you wish. I am confused by gray stone, high/white walls/skylights, and terra cotta brick all in the same space. That said, I think the stone already in place seems to suggest decor focused on that massive design element alone. The stone wall reminds me of a of "warm, cozy" space made by a masonry heater. http://heatkit.com/html/gallery.htm I like your idea for teal cabinets. Would swapping the brick wall treatment for textured drywall painted with a "warm" color that compliments the teal give you at least some of the cozy feeling you want?