My Newest Project...suggestions?

When we first looked at the house our dining room looked nice, clean and clear, and really empty. Really I suppose if you are selling your house you need it to be clutter free as much as possible.
It took a few years, but slowly the dining room began to have my own personal touch, including one of my favorite themes: ROOSTER. I really don't know why except that I liked the wallpaper bottom that came with the house. Sorry Family this is the only picture that shows the dining room from a decent angle. FYI Christmas Eve Dinner 2006.

Now it is empty.
The wall borders have been taken down, the wallpaper stripped: side note I will never have wallpaper up in my house again!
The knickknacks are gone, some boxed away, others tossed (like the clock that hasn't worked in um... 7 years).
the cupboard is coming down for a new paint job, and will now sit on the wall you look straight into.
The curtain is down for now, although if we are here for winter it will go back up for warmth and holiday cheer.

Looking for:
IDEAS!! I need a clean look, that will mold nicely into the living room and kitchen. Color ideas to brighten, make me feel cozy. We will be repainting our grayish living room at the same time, but keeping our gold curtains. Our Hall is a muted burgundy red. When I look at my uncluttered walls it makes me anxious. I get nervous, and fidgety. It really makes me need to clean, instead of feeling cozy.

The reason:
As many of the family may know, Chris' job is in limbo. They were given their notices last week, and although the have anywhere from 30-60 days to find a job, finding a new one Michigan might be difficult. In anticipation of change, I am trying to make the house show ready, just in case we need to try to sell the house or make it renter friendly. As much as I don't want have to deal with that, economy and house prices as they are, if I am not proactive, I will find myself behind and end up feeling depressed. If we don't have to move, great, we got a few things that we really wanted to do, out of the way, and can keep living here, and reclutter the walls.

Other projects to get the house ready:
I am also repainting the bath, bedrooms (master and didine's) and taking down my kitchen mosaic. STREAMLINING. Also need to work on the front stoop as this past winter made it begin to crumble, and finish the house exterior, complete with flower garden clean up.

If you are bored you can always stop by and help, or take a child or two for the day!