We just moved in our new home build a month ago & I absolutely LOVE how we did the laundry room set up. We are a family of 4 and somehow it seems like we generate enough laundry for a family twice that size! I knew something had to change in the new house because I was completely overwhelmed with the laundry room set up we had in the previous house (pretty standard setup). In the new house, we have 3 laundry pullouts--they are full size double trashcan pullouts from Rev-A-Shelf. Each can holds 1 full load of laundry for my 3.7cu ft front load washer. So we have 6 hampers/cans altogether--1 for lights, 2 for darks/colors, 1 for DH's uniforms, 1 for whites, & 1 for towels. When a hamper gets full, I just pop the contents into the washer. The laundry not only stays out of sight all the time, but it stays sorted too! If you go this route, make sure you specify the tall, full under counter height (with no space for a drawer above) trash cans. If you say 'hamper', you will get a single low hamper in each. If you just say 'trash pullouts' you will likely get the little short cans that would fit under your kitchen sink & won't hold anywhere near as much laundry. Feel free to use my pics to show your cabinet guy what you want. Like you, we're on a large piece of property & most of the time the kids are stripping down in the laundry room & then headed straight for the shower. If they are clean enough to bypass the laundry room, I have them bring their dirty clothes into the laundry room after their shower/bath and they sort their clothes themselves into the proper bins. DH & I have a hamper in our master bath--I just bring it to the laundry room every couple days & sort the clothes into the proper bins. I have a fairly simple set up & my laundry room is about 8.5' x 8.5'. My folding counter/hanging space/3 pullout hamper space is on the left as you go in, the sink is in the corner with a counter, upper & lower cabinet to the right of it, and the washer and dryer are to the right as you go in (conveniently located just across from the pullout hampers, folding counter & hanging space.) These aren't the best photos as I had to use the webcam but you get the idea--haven't found the box with the battery chargers for the camera yet! Hope these help :-) Front shot of Pullout Hampers/Trash Can Pullouts: Middle Hamper Pulled Out: Corner Sink w/ Counter & Cabinets to Right: Washer/Dryer w/ Deep Cabinets Above:

Thsnk ya, Sue. Thast should be tasty - I'll try it. I got the devil a couple of days ago for being anti-U.S. Being sneaky, too, sort of sliding the barbs in underhanded-like. I have respect and affection for your country - Sue was from Iowa, kids have dual citizenship. But when you perceive that someone that you care about has problems, are you doing them a favour by keeping your mouth shut? Does a doctor who diagnoses cancer, or some less drastic illness, do his patient any favour if, concerned about the immediate emotional upset to the patient, s/he keeps her/his mouth shut? There's self-interest, too - Canada does 3/4 of our export-import business with the U.S. When you guys get a sneeze - we get pneumonia. Some years ago when I was expressing concern about so much of our business being bought by outsiders, some fellow workers said they didn't care about the owner, as long s they had a job. I said that in some cases, if there is equal profitability in the work of two plants and business shrinks, in some cases the plant in the country of the parent may be kept open, but the one in a foreign country closed down. Some would say that I need not be concerned these days - being retired, I'm not in need of running around looking for employment. But if a major part of the work force becomes unemployed, or working in low-pay jobs, they won't be paying much into pension funds, so ... ... payouts to me may be drastically curtailed. Or suffer cessation. When you drop a stone into a quiet pool ... ... as with under-sea earthquakes, the ripples run a long way. Good wishes to you and yours, Sue. ole joyful

The tables and blue chair may be darkening the room a bit (if the wood has a dark walnut color to it). How dark is the tan on your walls? Like others said, a photo would be helpful, since I can't really say where in the room would work to put a light. Recessed lighting works well, but I've always found it a bit cold and impersonal. You could use it for extra lighting, but I think there should be a main light fixture that adds character to the room. I don't think pendant lights would look right in your living room. I would consider a small chandelier or a hybrid between a pendant and flush-mounted light. I don't know how high your ceilings are. Also, track lighting which is focused on lighting the fireplace area would look really nice. AND, if possible, a couple electric "candles" in the windows would add warmth to the room at night, if you have a place to put some. Where I live, people keep them up year-round, not just for Christmas. It makes your home inviting from the outside and inside. If you don't have a suitable window ledge, there are some that are held in place by the sash. http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_Cu5KbEkQCao/TQorZ248YmI/AAAAAAAAAdo/QTi958qgPW4/s1600/CandlesIntheWindow.jpg https://www.irvins.com/product/Cloister-Window-Light/LACT--TNSM--K15-21/ Finally, do yo have any table lamps? Or are you only relying on floor lamps?

This is a unique, beautiful layout, but - Holy Cow - there's way too much going on. Simplify. As others suggest, raise the living room floor and get rid of the step down and railing. It would combine the entry and living room and really open up the space. It would be safer, too, because it's easy to forget situations where there's one or two steps, especially for guests. Paint the brick. Easier and cheaper than drywall and would retain the interesting texture. Lighter color railings would help. The hillbilly front door has got to go.