I would suggest you take out the cabinet that is to the right of the stove and use it elsewhere in the house -- perhaps in the bathroom or dining room with a hutch above it. Then, I would suggest you have someone install a lazy susan cabinet in the corner between the sink counter and the stove, meaning you would move the stove down a bit and have a small cabinet/counter top to the right of the stove. I would suggest you have the cabinets refinished in white and then paint the walls a pastel you like. If you would prefer white walls, then add white-painted crown molding and paint the ceiling a light neutral blue, such as Sherwin Williams Niagara Falls Blue. Then, I would suggest you choose a favorite accent color and use this sparingly in accessories like towels, pot holders, small vases or floral arrangements, and a valence above the triple windows. For a genuine 1940s look, you might have white ceramic square tiles with a rectangular red border installed as a back splash behind and above the stove. If you are replacing counter tops, I would suggest a light color such as white with a beige or light grey vein or striation for some sort of pattern. You might be able to find the same color and design in floor tile OR opt for a wood floor as another poster suggested.

Thanks houssaon and rinqreation! Funny - hubby has the same 2 door hate! It sounds like I'm being outvoted on the shared ensuite idea. :) We've actually been set on both the configurations you suggested, we moved away from yours houssaon because we really wanted to keep a closed off office space (and hubby built the front deck and landing already for the door at the end of the hallway!). And I don't know why we shifted the door on the bedroom back to the same area, I think it was about having easy access to all the kids bedrooms. But maybe we should shift it back as you suggest rinqreation. Joice, the door at the end of the hallway is the front door, the entrance closest to the street, that you would come to first if you were a visitor. Not totally necessary, but we reinstated it before we decided we wanted the entrance up the stairs (middle bottom) which would be under a carport. Thanks for all your input!! It's really helpful to have some unattached opinions. I'm keen to hear from anyone else on the shared ensuite or 2 door hate question! :)

There is nothing worse than ceiling-mounted lights--harsh shadows, flat lighting. They are strictly for utility. I would put a large-ish, shallow cylindrical shade on them and put nothing more than a 15-watt bulb in them. Use them strictly for lighting your way as you walk through the room. I agree with Vincent; the chair in the corner doesn't fit at all, nor does the one under the A/C unit (put that one with its mate behind the love seat). And the curtains look smooshed. I think the problem with the bookcases is that they are uninteresting. Did you buy books-by-the-yard? What are all those identical books? They are visually uninteresting. I'd get rid of some of them and get some colorful ceramics/glass/photos. The room is absolutely overwhelmed with furniture. It needs one less love seat. Do you really need all of them? Pushing them against the walls/curtains so tightly just visually emphasizes the fact that there is too much furniture. I don't think a mirror above the fireplace will work. When people are sitting down (which is most of the time), all they will see is a reflection of the ceiling--the plain, white ceiling. Get some real art in there with some color.

I would look at this room from 2 angles, in this order: convenience (as you have young kids and need everyone to be able to fully use it) and aesthetics. Equipment and accessories: #1 - first look at what is necessary to have in this bathroom: a place where to keep soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste -- all within easy reach for all users (including not-tall-enough kids) #2 - a cosmetic mirror ? #3 - a towel rail #4 - a small cabinet for storage Ideally, #1 should be stored directly on the sink, as it's lower, within easy reach for the kids (see below photo from one of our baths): You can do this also witha smaller sink, like the one we use in the half-bath: If you'd like to keep the one you have (which is really nice), you'll have then to use a shelf (as also suggested by someone else above), and I'd propose one of white porcelain and not one of glass, as it's a lot less reliable with children around. Below, an example of what I mean. The shelf should be installed as low as possible to be reachable by the kids, but also the mirror should be much lower, so that they can use it (much more interesting for them) without having it too low so the adults can't see themselves anymore. For #2 look on the left of the mirror in this photo (if you need it): A towel rail (#3) is absolutely necessary and make sure it's one where you can stretch the towel for faster drying (like the one in the 2nd photo). The cabinet storage (#4) could be placed on the wall from the right of the mirror, as you can see we have in our half-bath (also 2nd photo): Aesthetics: I agree that blinds on the window make no sense, light should be let to flow in as it's much needed in a bathroom. If you don't have time or disposition to paint the walls (and maybe they should remain white anyway, or a light color, because this is a small space), you might use decorations from your DYI center and stick them on the walls (see an example below from my daughter's bedroom, but there are other smaller ones for any kind of space): This way, the room becomes more attractive, more welcoming and more colorful (with very low cost). I hope this helps :-)