Hello the days are brightening up by now and I'm sure the room is looking less drab for it. However I think furniture rearranging will work wonders. You seem to have nice low window sills: show them off. If the sofa goes to the left between window and built-in unit you'll have a view out to the garden and more light in the room. Equally: can you fit the piano between the radiator and the double doors? Again: more light through the window. Low sills are a god-send, and so many of us are stuck with high ones. The room will feel more spacious with a good view to outdoors. The armchairs then: one to the left of the fireplace and one between the other window and piano. TV then between the two windows. (No shine on the screen) Does that fit maybe? Or do you need all five seats facing the TV? I rather like those stripy cushions. Can you find a striped wallpaper in matching colors and with an irregular pattern repeat for your accent wall? if going with wood floors how about a sheepskin rug for each of your doggies? Black or white. One last detail. A lower table for your side lamps would be good: At sofa arm or seat height. Coffee table could work in corner between window and new sofa position. Btw: I liked the suggestion to replace the cupboard doors above the fish tank with full-height ones. In some kitchen shops you can find ready-painted, wooden, panel doors that might fit. It's a long shot but you could be lucky. It would brighten up the corner if you got a light colour.

Once again, carolins has taken the words right out of my mouth. I sometimes feel like a crusader for entertainment centers and lowering art! You have a dynamic room with so much potential. Your wall could look amazing with the armoire carolins has pictured above. Of course, lower your sconces so that they're a about 4" below the top of the armoire and about 7" from the sides. Your fireplace should be your focal point with your wall being strong but not competing. Rooms get personality from smaller accents but you have too many little things that take away from the great colored pillows and the picture. Be careful not to hang things in straight lines--top of pictures should never line up with tops of doors or curtain rods. I wish we could see your fireplace in another photo. Chairs should form conversation groups with the couch like Carolyn has outlined. I like your chandelier but you might think about lowering it or moving it above a dining table--it looks rather lost way up there.

Hi Mary, I'd say remove the wall tiles and replace them with a glass splashback the whole way round or have a matching granite upstand put in and simply paint the walls. Splashbacks are my favourite as they tend to add some light to the kitchen thanks to its reflective surface. Also another idea would be to play around with lighting, which is getting more and more popular in kitchens now, such as LEDs under your wall cabinets, on top of your cabinets or along the plinth. The added lighting just adds a little something special to the kitchen and more importantly it doesn't have to cost the earth either! Another lighting option could be to go with the industrial lighting craze right now and get something put right above the island which would really add character to the kitchen too! Marius

Hi minnie101, Thanks so much for your detailed reply. Great to know what colour that grey is. It may be a little dark with our floor. We will definitely update the handles - I hate the current ones. We'll probably go with wood to keep within budget. Your non-tiles pic is lovely. We'll probably keep some tiles and try to keep the kitchen a little more modern than country kitchen, which might be a challenge with wood. The room faces south. I like your idea of dividing it with paint. We probably will go with white in the kitchen and then 1/2 slightly darker tones in the tv-couch area. The 'other' entrance into the dining area is narrowed by a non-structural wall, so we should remove this to open it properly or like you say, close it off. Maybe not close it off entirely as we'd lose a lot of light, but maybe put in a counter or breakfast bar if space allowed. I love your pendant light suggestions over the dining table. Details like this and a rug in the couch area will really help divide the room as at the moment it is one big cavernous space. I really can't decide yet what way the couches should face - into a tv in the corner, or out into the room like you suggest. We'll have to draw out some chalk outlines on the floor and see how much space there actually is. Colour-wise we like the idea of keeping walls and cabinets quite stark, the wood counter will add a bit of warmth, and then adding colour with couches, rugs and possibly dining chairs. I've attached a couple of pieces of furniture I like. Some may not work, but we'll figure it out.