Dear Bronwyn: thanks - I am an anthropologist - took a lot of linguistics and LOVE identifying regional names - I seem to do pretty well. However, yours is such a classical name - would be hard to mis-identify! :-) I am SO glad you have fallen in love with your beautiful home. I assume you are in England ?, not US, definitely go to flea-markets, swap sales and find an old stove replacement if this your concept. I don't know how big any of your bathrooms are, but we placed our double-stack in the bathroom! I also then made a very "small" partition - about 15 inches framed- which provides the idea of separatness from the bathing area. However, our bath is a rather large space - as it was the original back porch. This could free up some space in your pantry? And you might consider framing in and doing a cabinet finish for the fridge - then it would not stick out like a sore thumb. Please check out on line: Rusteoleim (paints) - they have entire new kits for refinishing cabinets -and countertops? Since you are a re-doer - perhaps having wooden countertops made would better suit your home? I would certainly NOT use granite, or something of this ilk - I think this would detract from the feel of the home. This also might give you an opportunity to save some pennies and wait to get what you really want to have - I actually did NOT have a kitchen sink for 15 years - it was in the bathroom [(one of those long old porcelain kitchen sinks (country)] because this was the only place in the home which was plumbed - OUCH! I guess the moral of the story is: I could be worse! :-)

That is a whole lot of question, there, and difficult to comment on the unseen furn. pieces, but a couple thoughts to start the ball rolling: Yes, you can combine patterns.Take your major colors (navy, white , red/orange) and look for patterns of different sizes and percentages:70% navy in a toile,20%navy in a stripe, etc. Gather your softgood selections together before selecting paint shades,for better accuracy in wall color. Carry colors into the kitchen by painting your chairs, and through softgood display ( tablecloth, towels, apron) as well as everyday work items routinely left out. Keep trim colour the same thoughout the space. You might slipcover the chairs at the ends of the table in a different fabric, but rather than a pattern, consider a plain fabric w accents like a monogram or stamped design to transition from the remaining patterned chairs to the couch slipcover. In general, I'd shy from painting large pieces black in a small space, but without knowing your other selections, can not make specific suggestions.( I wonder if navy might look well, when all is put together? Perhaps your fabric choices will be so sharp that a neutral off-white is begged for...) Continue to post as you make decisions, and more folks will join in. Looking forwad to seeing what you decide!

Hi AnAhitA Nazari, I totally agree. I actually don't intend to keep the couch on that wall, it just happens to be there due to the renos we are doing at the moment. I thought one of the red chairs under that print on an angle would be better and maybe a little table with a lamp on it? I can't change the colour of the walls as we have just finished painting it so I'm stuck with it. The room is part of a big room which has a partition 5ft wall separating it from the dining room. I'm thinking of putting the sofa on that wall and the other chair on its right hand side. As for the furniture in that room I do realise it's not a great choice but they have lots of memories to me so once again I'm stuck with them lol

Thank you all! Fiona, the tv wall mount would be very difficult to move..this would be a last resort. Old house = asbestos = wanting to minimise major wall alterations! As for putting the chairs on either side of the kitchen door, I tried this before, and did just again, (I'm a sucker for punishment) and it probably would have been a good look, but the front door opens into the chair on the left side of the kitchen door/opening (on the left side when faxing the kitchen). There is a very limited space here, and the door swings through most of it, it is kind of dead space. Although a long narrow table along the wall was my vision for this area - a place to pop keys etc and put some much needed decorative features. The only other variation I can do is to angle the chairs slightly from where they are now, so that they angle in towards each other (with the one closest to the tv facing slightly away from it. There's only two of us and when we have people over we generally aren't watching tv (we don't watch much at all) anyway. So what is the overall verdict, after all that? Do you think we can still achieve an ok look with the configuration we have, perhaps with a different couch and all the decorative features previously mentioned? Or do I have to sell my chairs too? Although not keen to do that, I would if it means having a room I'm happy with. Thanks again! I have felt very supported by you all during this very stressful weekend of managing a decorating crisis!