HI RinaI do agree I love jewelbox rooms, but I consider them more cosy ... and with a grey marble floor it goes all Versace Italianate! I am trying to balance the colours by bringing in a pattern on the covers rather than plain. I feel this will bring colour without overpowering the room. In the pictures I showed above, the rooms are basically neutral but the colour is brought in via pattern - I think this might be the way to go...Ideally a green or blue on a subdued grey would be the best, but I dont know what the market is like for Sumit...Cushions can do a lot to tie in the other white/grey elements.Shelley - navy is a good suggestion, but as Sumits area is quite tall and thin, trying to keep the general area light Any more suggestions most welcome. These are just ideas after all and Sumit will choose what works for the room in the end ;-)

Tsilanko, I would always recommend professional installation where needed. But what I am doing here is suggesting that WHEN you are planning to build or renovate, to consider how your plans will affect you in 20 or 30 years time. Split levels are very hep when you are young. A kitchen 3 steps down at 30 is rarely a problem, but might be a hazard at 60, or, as Marjie1059 suggested, if you break a leg. ... All my parents' homes were terrible for old people. They were forced to move to a bungalow in extreme old sge because the location and design of their home was more suitable for an active young couple with a large family than for an elderly couple with stroke disabilities. I would not want to move again, so my present home has features built in that make ageing in place simpler. Mostly small changes, like grab rails, and lever handles on doors and faucets. A major disability suddenly suffered requires major changes if permanent. I did look at this because it came up in the discussion, but if you look at the heading, Planning for Disability, it means just that. Plan ahead so you don't have to make expensive changes later on. But thank you for your advice, yes, major changes are not in the DIY domain.

The butterfly drawers would be sturdy enough for grains and cans. I would just make sure the drawer glides are able to hold the weight. I usually look for Blum hinges and glides, they've usually held the best for prior projects. Lazy susans are usually what I love to use for corner storage. However Lazy Susans with a center pole usually cut down on storage space and can be cumbersome when trying to get items in and out. I love the ones that are mounted to a fixed shelf with no center pole. If something falls off it's just like reaching in the back of the cabinet shelf. Plus with the fixed shelf your able to store heavier items like mixers, pots and pan. Magic Corners I find to be awkward when trying to store items, and most you can usually just fit smaller items in the compartments. And the one complaint I get from them is that the glides get sticky over time. If your still wondering what options to go with, find a local kitchen showroom and try them out. Open all the options your looking at and see what fits your lifestyle and habits.

11' across x 14' can be a decent conversation zone. You have a nice window without too many privacy issues - good natural light, nice view of tropical foliage. The higher ceilings seem to be one of the things that will help the room feel larger - here's a completely different approach for you to consider . . I would instead make the beam a feature - wrap it in stained wood boards (that match or just a 1/2 tone darker than your entry doors) to make it seem a real beam - the small beam that comes out to meet it might be painted black and some faux black bolt heads and plates applied to get it to feel more rustic industrial / loft - afraid a fake ceiling is going to look cheap. The wood and black above will work with the off white walls. Consider instead of texturally painting the tv wall - let the "canvas" of all the walls stay uniform if you want this to feel large. The back wall is not the best for television anyway, if you want the room to feel large - the wall to the left of the door - (no window there, eh?) is the right place for a large flat screen wall mounted sort of center in the room (that appears to be the non-operable side of the double entry, typically unused) . Do a narrow console table underneath with drawers and lower shelves for the cable box. That can also be your laydown space and the rest of the room starts to live larger. I would run a large sectional in the beam recess area with the short end coming back just to become a lounge under the window (hang a stained board on angle brackets as a custom sofa shelf on the wall in the recessed end to fill it and provide a place for drinks) - the "beam" will make seating feel sort of sheltered there. It will work together . .you have a good long run nearly 8' there. If you want the room to feel big, a long sofa with a turn so many can gather for conversation is the best approach. Split the power for the television into two (easy 1 hour of electrician), patch this wall and hang wall mounted black iron sconces above the sofa back at two locations designed for the length of your sofa. Use a round iron and wood table at the sectional and a pair of great, small scale modern chairs facing the window set on the opposite wall. Consider a large scale modern abstract over the back of the sofa, and a gallery of black and white graphic photos framed in natural wood with black mats around the television on the tv wall. To the left of the window, hang some black iron hooks on a wall mounted wood board. With the wood, white and black iron, select your accent color carefully - neutrals for the main pieces - maybe some saddle leather for the chair pair. Color only in art - play off the green and white outside