Mary, it has been a while since I read the comments. I think you can take your time with growing with your new decluttered kitchen. It is truly beautiful with just the changes. Don't go spend a ton of money, save it and go on a holiday to a state park or something you have always wanted to do. If your friends that you invite over for dinner don't love ...... well just coming over and visiting,.... then oh well. As long as you are happy, but no need to break the bank..... you did great already. I love it, if you do more, please share though? And to bamamom, I so agree with you! My own, awful, claustrophobic kitchen is LESS than 8 ft x 11 ft... yep that tiny and horrible. I have taken out the nasty, dropped ceiling and have the slightly vaulted original one now, but with pipes showing where the HVAC was put in after and then the repiped ones....... I did not know they plumber would do this, much less the others were there.... gag me. And no money to do it up even decent.

The way to get your own eyes on the issue is to start with a general clear out so you can really "see" your kitchen and "keeping" room. Box up and remove all the stuff - tops of cabs, counters, art on walls, fridge and floor clutter, photos, area rugs. Then dig into the cabs and the hutch and remove all the items you only use once or twice a year. Store those away from the kitchen so you gain more room in the cabs for items you regularly use. Is that a radiator on the wall by the TV? I'm thinking the hutch niche would make a great computer area with a built-in desk. Are there any other doors into this room and is this your only living room? What size is the window at the table? Are you up for more than rearranging things? Any construction you can do? Can you take more pix, comment here and attach images?

It's not so much the bookcase as other problems I see in the room. Here are four things that could change your room at a relatively low cost: 1. Track lighting in the ceiling. Your lighting looks very minimal and no matter how gorgeous you make the room, if you don't light it properly, it won't look it's best. 2. Choose a bright, happy paint color for one of the walls, probably a wall you see from the doorway. It might be turquoise or coral or lime green. 3. Go to Gallery Direct and buy a big, splashy painting. http://www.gallerydirect.com/art/product/sara-abbott/instant-karma-i?substrate=paper&style=PF&frame=F0091&size=L 4. Now for the bookcase itself. It's doing its job just fine, but if you could turn some of the book into horizontal stacks, it could create a little more interest. If you're double stacking books, it sounds like you need a second bookcase, or one bigger one. If you do end up adding to your bookcase, it's nice to be able to display some objects, mixed in with the books.

What about 6 massive pots? Two one either side of the bay windows and one on either side of the front door. (I too have a massive gray gravel drive way. Trying to plant through the gravel brings on a whole other set of challenges. Pots are just more practical, for me anyway.) I love those trees in the lawn area.:) And the green trim. Also, how would that bright area around the front door look painted a shade a bit closer to the color of the brick and stone areas?