To da_jg_king...This thread is about Stephanie's dilemma and all responses are directed to giving her some suggestions....its grown to be a rather long article and it is unlikely that anyone will respond to your dilemma. Why don't you start a post about your house and put up some really good photos to give Houzzers a "look in"? I bet you will get lots of respnse if Stephanie's post is anything to go by. Its hard to imagine your environment and make alternative suggestions without having photos. Cedar or any timber panelling can be deceptive depending on the area of the room and on the lighting that would change during the day..really need photos! I'm sure Houzzers would love to pitch in with suggestions...some of the ideas given to Stephanie might inspire you too! I love the challenge of natural timber. I've come across and advert for a beautiful new paint colour from the RESENE company..They have some amazing stuff that gets me quite excited imagining what I could do with some of it...You ask for suggestions for flooring that would look good against cedar walls....You do not say whether you want colour suggestions or materials suggestions...so...Go to the RESENE paint site and have a look at all their paint products, you might be inspired by the colours and that could lead you to other ideas...like tiles, floor renders..etc. Lately I've had a "thing" for a definite shade of Wedgewood Blue..( and I don't particularly like blue in my environment), but there's something very appealing about a dusty, light, warm-looking exact BLUE...leaning neither towards green nor purple...a perfect blue that I just love next to my timber walls.....That might be a clue for you...though it would depend, as colour always does, on the natural hue of your timber walls...Wood has its natural colour variations according to its type that also change with age....lots to consider. Put up some PICS! Yes?

I would let your natural elements shine ..match your wall colour to your classic white laminate and be lazy and paint the same for the ceilings so not to distract from your features or you could use your Caesar stone Urban as an inspiration and choose that colour as wall colour..ie go a bit lighter ..since you can play around with the colours as your room has lots of natural light .. Urban is a nice colour..brownish grey.. personally I'd just go white..

a_m_b_a Firstly, I would start with the cheapest option. Give the fireplace a lick of paint. You can do this yourself at a minimal cost and this may give you the look you're after. If it doesn't, then you haven't wasted a lot of money on cladding, render or anything else you may be thinking of. Secondly, don't touch the pelmets. Paint them yes so they don't stand out as much, but pelmets are there for more than just hiding curtain rods. They actually help circulate the air in the room as well as help minimise heat loss. If they aren't a sealed pelmet, I would look at sealing them. Also get rid of the blinds ans install some heavy curtains. This will also stop heat loss through your window. Other than those two things, have a look at some of the images on Houzz to give you an idea of what you can do. The window seat is a fantastic idea and I would definitely put one in. Most of all have fun with it. Don't be scared to try something different. Whatever you do, can always be changed if you don't like it. I know this isn't everyone's taste, but I would possibly go with a bright coloured paint as well. Make it a focal point of the room, instead of just a heating element. Going a bright orange or lime green would really set it off. Enjoy... Giuliano green design & consulting

love the mudroom. I've been looking for a benchseat with some cute storage options as well for shoes and what not. major inspo.