House Tour--Kitchen/Dining Room

This room is the hub of our household.  One day, when our garage is cleared out, it will be our entrance/exit as well.  O does about half of her school work at the counter.  I cook approximately 20 meals a day in there (ok, not really, but it sure does seem like we have 2 breakfasts, 2 lunches, a dinner, and snacks all day long).  I like the light blue color on the walls.  That was the color when we moved in.  Like the other rooms in the house, it seems a little stark though.  

At some point we will need to change out those barstools.  They are too high for the counter, and it makes sitting on them a little tricky if you are taller than 4'2".

I am not really a decorator, but I do think this room needs something to make it not so plain.  After rummaging through my current possessions I don't have much of a collection that I can display above the cabinets.  I also feel like a backsplash would help things out a bit.  All of the other places we have lived, I felt like I needed to have white accessories, but here I think it blends in with everything else so much, I think I need to go pick up some ceramic paint and paint poppies and wildflowers on all my white canisters and everything else.  Ok, maybe not everything, but something.  

I have never lived in a home with this much counter space.  I love it.  I can spread out and cook on one side, and O can do the same with her school work.

Speaking of school work, since we started school last week we have had some type of school project setting on the counter every day, and it doesn't bother me at all, because there is still plenty of room for everyone to cook and eat. 

The other side of the room is our very unfinished dining area.  That table has been calling my name for weeks.  I need to just finish it.  I had to go on the hunt yesterday for bolts and washers to connect the legs to the table top.  Somewhere along the move, the originals disappeared.  Until the table is finished, this area is big and open so O takes full advantage of that.  With all the new IKEA furniture there has been lots of boxes for her to turn into boats and castles.  This week most of the cardboard was sent off with the recycling so she filled the space with her tent.  The lovebird in the background doesn't love all the large unknown objects constantly being moved in this area.  He squawks at everything then cowers in his house.  

There it is folks.  The main place we dwell in this house.  Any ideas for improvement?  What about the large wall in the dining area that currently has a table resting against it?  Artwork?  Bookshelves?  Large buffet style cabinet?