Anniversary Gifts

Remember this picture of my family room?  Well, the room looks a little different now.  Today it looks like this:

Can you figure out what is different?  Believe it or not, very little has changed.  The biggest difference is the drapes.  My mom bought us fabric for our anniversary so I could make them.  (I have had this fabric picked out since we signed the contract on our house, but you know how it is with priorities.)  I am so excited to see these up, finally!  They really change the look of the whole room, I think. 

The only other changes are the plant stand in the corner with beautiful hydrangeas (given to us by our church as a gift for Cora's surgery) and the pillows.  I took away the red ones and removed the covers from the floral ones. 

Now I need a little advice.  I know that the painting over the couch isn't the right scale.  I think I can remedy the situation with some objects flanking the painting.  But the room is already painfully symmetrical.  Ideas?  Also, I like having the covers off the floral pillows.  Should I go with white, or would something else look better?  I had thought of using black and white ticking, like the fabric I used on the top of the drapes, but I wasn't sure.  I'm sort of digging the white.  What do you think?

Also, I am planning to recover my grandfather's chair at some point.  (It's the formal-looking mint green arm chair.)  What colors or fabrics would you recommend, keeping in mind that I have two small children and three pets?

In other news, we also got an anniversary gift from Jim's parents.  See it?  Here's a closeup:

It's the fabulous Ballard Design bar stools I wrote about when I was deciding whether to paint my kitchen table and chairs.  Aren't they awesome?  Brennan loves to sit at the island and snack or color while I'm cooking, and it's the best.  And the stools look absolutely perfect with my table.  (I'm still thanking myself for that table decision.)  How did I ever survive without bar stools?

Okay, I have one more question.  

We have this bulkhead that runs through our entire family room and kitchen.  It houses ductwork and other annoying, essential things.  I have often thought it would be the perfect place for a quote or some kind of awesome display.  But I'm stuck.  Anyone have any brilliant ideas?  I could just do something above the armoire or in the family room portion, or it could run the length of the entire two rooms.

Let me hear your thoughts! :-)  (And if you're responding from facebook, please reply on the blog itself instead of on facebook.  I have friends and family members who read this blog who aren't on facebook.  Thanks!)