Stanton, Mashland, Karastan (higher end) are wonderful products, and I would go wool. However, Smart Strand is a good medium priced option. Agree with Elizabeth B…the padding makes a huge difference. I always recommend SmartStep. It has a waterproof barrier which keeps spills (and other liquids…(woof, woof) from seeping into the pad. Ever tried to remove a stain from a rug, think you have accomplished it and two days later it is back? It is because the culprit is in the pad and not the rug. If. the pad needs to be seemed, have the seem duct taped or as I have always called the product DuckTape.

Their rug was too small for the way it's being used. As stated above it could be used to delineate a second seating area. How will you use the space? If TV viewing is the focal then orientate it away from the fireplace. I see no decent way for a TV to compete with that fireplace. The one pic is horrid, makes the TV looks LARGER than it is. The swags have to go. I love a curtain panel so see leaving them...but most are sticking to the cold, sterile just blinds look if you want to be 'up to date'. It sort of looks to me like the back half was designed to be a dining room. Do you need that? A games table would be super fun if this is more of a casual living space. It really appears two couples lived here. The first decorated a space then the TV/movie watchers/gamers moved in with their theatre seating. The room is rather schizophrenic.

Oregonder, we are now on our third Miele in less than a year bc of bitumen. What they told you is not accurate, unfortunately. The steel housing does not enclose the bitumen. It's open, simply gives the unit structure under the cabinet, and the hot bitumen odors are as prominent as the other brands are reported to be. You can best see the steel housing on the right side of the above photo. The steel housing is not sealed to the underside of the counter top. The bitumen on the top isn't enclosed either. See in the following picture there is a gap there under the counter. On the two sides, there is a long gasket that isn't meant to seal or keep odors in. And even if all of these places above were somehow sealable, there wouldn't be a way to seal the bottom simply bc the door must open. That area is wide open to and with air circulating freely from the top, back, and both sides of the dishwasher. That's our wooden kick plate above the floor. A black plastic one of the same size comes with the dishwasher and wouldn't keep the odors in either. We've asked each installer and each Miele service guy about possibly sealing it somehow. They all say the heat would damage the inner cabinet areas and back wall surrounding the dishwasher. It all has to breathe. They also pointed out, even if you could seal the other areas, the odor would still come out around the bottom bc that still needs to be able to open and close. Ooh, and the back is open, which also has black rubber hoses which adds hot rubber smell for quite some time after installation...in addition to the different bitumen asphalt smell. I wish I could give you better news for your WD. You are so right to question the explanation they gave you. Unfortunately, the info Miele gave you is incorrectly optimistic about encasing any odors. We've found these Miele to match the awful odor stories of all the other brands. The only good thing is they've been willing to work with us every step of the way, but haven't been able to back it all up with usable products for our situation.

Don't paint the foundation. Looks fine as is. Get a new screen door. Add a wide planter with a tall shrub on the far left side of the house to the left of the basement window, sitting on the gravel area. That is the most open area of foundation and could use a bit of distraction. Buy or borrow and inexpensive patio bench and chairs and stage the patio area for pictures, even though you don't use it that way. Someone else could. (I've lived in patio furniture theft areas and there are ways to do it.)