Some of you have been asking for pics about what we've done so far to the house... so here are a few!
This is a photo of what used to be the family room, which we've now converted to the dining room:



And here's a photo after:


What we did:
(1) PAINT. We re-painted the room in a slate gray shade on top and ivory on the bottom to give the room a more formal feel. It's really amazing how much paint can change the entire look of a room - don't underestimate the power of color!
(2) CHAIR RAIL. We divided the shades with a chair rail to make the room look more finished.
(3) LIGHTING. We removed the ceiling fan and replaced it with the black chandelier.
(4) FLOORING. Remove all those rugs - there's no need for 15 rugs in a room! It just hides the hard-wood floors and adds clutter!