Really old thread , so my apologies for bringing it back from the dead . If Roni is still around ( i.e. notifications get through ) -- what did you do in the end ? Personally , I don't like the red beams in the ceiling , or the blue chairs . But I quite like the warmth of the wood in the dome , so I would have done the beams or rafters ( just the few lower ones ) in a charcoal , left the floor and ceiling as they are , changed the seats to a red or burgundy -- either reupholster or replace with complete new seats . And those witches hat lightshades -- go trendy modern all round balls or similar , maybe with bright red cords and/or brass fittings or similar .

Yes benches are counters .... thanks for clarifying yoboseiyo! we have no high cabinets for the kitchen at this stage, we plan to do some kind of shelving but are waiting until the new "counters" and range are installed to get the feel for what we go with. Hard to get a photo at present as we are mid reno, the cabinetry is all installed....with no bench top yet.. we have our old cooker in the dining room and the new big range in there too as the area its going into is being tiled. The range will be the dominant feature in the kitchen so once that and the counter tops are in I'll take some pictures Organised Chaos!

A quick fix for the dining room would be to center your dining room table in the dining room area. You can define this room a bit more clearly by adding a chandelier centered above the table. For the living room, the loveseat can remain on where it is, but pull it away from the wall. Move the loveseat so it more to the right, it does not need to be centered under the window. Place the larger 3 seater couch along the wall where the coffee table currently stands. It should rest under the window about a foot away from the wall. Place the side table at the corner between the now perpendicular sofas and center the coffee table in the room. This will give you space for a nice entertainment unit where the large sofa previously stood. Alternatively you could place a credenza here to store your dining room dishes or additional storage. Lower the painting on the wall to eye level so the center of the painting is at 54" above the finished floor. Purchasing new window treatments or drapery panels that coordinate with a new throw and cushions for the sofas will tie the elements of the space together and make it more cohesive.

I would wait for the rug, until you have the shutters up and your furniture placed..it may take on a character of its own and you'll want to compliment. My first thought though was to coordinate with your kitchen and incorporate some black, with a black/beige stripped rug, which would be fun with the wallpaper and perhaps paint your chairs black, add the shutters and you could paint the window trim black and add a large black chandelier.