Hi - just checking in before I shut down the computer ! Thank you Joe !!! Roselyne, love the photos !! Looks so quaint !!! So, France ! Much more liberal with regard to planning (phew!!) how lovely ! Yes, that cottage look would fit in so well !!! The last project I did in France was an old watermill in Rennes - beautiful location - but a nightmare to find a good furniture manufacturer !! Have you sourced anything yet ?! Or are you thinking of bringing it all over by road ?!?!

What a beautiful and perfect table you found! Hubba hubba - those legs are just gorgeous. Well done and thanks for calling out to me. As for the chair mix, I think four beige and two merlot would be lovely. I think you like a traditional look, so I'm a bit worried that you won't be happy with it. If the table will normally be smaller with four beige chairs around it and maybe put the two merlot ones on either side of the radiator cover/"console", then definitely do the mix. Mismatched chairs around a dining table are often all different or the same make and model in a multitude of colours or the same colour in different styles. Do a Houzz search and see if you can find your planned mix and if you like the look. If in doubt, get four beige and look at them for a while! You could tie the two chair colours together with little cushions on the chairs - maybe just on the two merlot ones. Both of these are too big, I think, but the colours are good. http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/reasonhome/product/pondicherry-flower-silk-cushion-cover http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/emmalonsdale/product/chit-chat-rectangular-cushion This one might be the right size: http://www.notonthehighstreet.com/jennysibthorp/product/lobster-pot-screen-printed-natural-linen-cushion I covet the table already so I can't wait to see him all polished up....

There are kitchen companies that can replace the doors, plinths and end panels etc thus completely changing the colour of your kitchen but using existing units. One I know if is Dream doors which my neighbour used to go from dark wood to cream and I cannot tell they are the old units. I like your kitchen, the layout seems good. I feel whats making it feel a bit dated is the amount of orangey pine or similar wood. Even changing the door knobs would help. If you wanted a greater change, a handleless slab kitchen in either a matching cream as the aga, or a grey might work? As an aside, changing the colour of the floor might help too.

(A) painting an alcove a particular colour that pleases you. (B) Having the Island section a different colour. (C) A decorative blind adds a spark. I am not specifying 'the colour' or 'the fabric design', they are just ideas to assist. (D) Imagine using an idea like this as a splash-back, it acts as a work of art - there are many interresting tile ideas.