Since you asked: Dusting

"How do you keep up with the dusting, living next to a field?"

The downside, maybe the only downside to living with THIS in your backyard?  The potential for dust.  It's beautiful, but a canola field isn't exactly conducive to a tidy home, y'know?  But I'll let you in on my secret weapon: no. dark. surfaces.  You wouldn't know it to look at my house, but I love dark woods: espresso, mahogany, you name it.  What I don't love is feeling the need to give myself the full Silkwood every time the sun catches a surface the wrong way.  Dark surfaces act like a mirror, not only highlighting anything light that lands on them (like crumbs or dust or animal hair) but magnifying it!  This is one of those times when you're going to need to choose between style and practicality.  If you LOVE dark surfaces and can't imagine living without those coffee-coloured floors, knock yourself out.  In that case I STRONGLY suggest going with something with as much texture to it as possible.  The smoother and glossier the surface the more every crumb will be screaming "CLEAN ME!"

There are two other options: mid-toned surfaces or white/light ones.  Mid tones are certainly the most practical.  They hide most minor bits of dust and such, and they're great for also disguising fingerprints and little smudges.  The problem I've got with mid-tones like maple, or toned down oak, etc. is that I find them boring as heck.  They very much strike me as "settling".  They also tend to be  hard to match up in the long run.  One shade of maple is rarely consistent with another, especially several years later.  What can I say?  I'm a "light or dark" kind of girl.

On the other hand, is my personal favorite.  For myself the best balance between style and practicality is... white.  I know, I know: WHITE?!  "But it'll get filthy!"  Here's the thing, guys: yes, it shows smudges, but it does NOT SHOW DUST.  Especially if you go with a stained surface in a matte finish (like the Hemnes furniture I recommend from Ikea), it'll hide almost EVERYTHING.  You will need to deal with little spills and smudges as they happen, but that's a GOOD thing.  You NOTICE the smudge before it's set in, and BEFORE your furniture gets grimy.  But it cuts down SO MUCH on your day-to-day cleaning!  Now don't get me wrong, I'm not advocating that you shouldn't clean; you should.  Often.  But the idea that cleaning needs to be a full-time occupation is ridiculous.  It's an acquired taste for sure, but if dust is your number #1 cleaning pet peeve: go white.