First, thank you everyone for being so generous with your time and ideas. Yardvaark - I can definitely see your point about treating trees as sculpture to add interest to the front of the house. And, woodyoak, I really love the idea of gradually raising the height of bushes/trees to bring the eye up to the white pines. Since the spans of brick are larger on that side of the house - it would seem that using taller and larger plants to that end would solve two problems since there is quite a bit more brick to cover on the far end of the house. Yard, I see you electronically removed the much hated bushes. I'm posting a new sketchup image which illustrates one of our biggest challenges with the space - the very significant square footage between the house and driveway. Can we fill the foundation bed to cover the land and if we do - will that hide the architectural/sculptural nature of the trees and bushes? Seems, Yard, you were thinking mostly ground cover plus some interesting tree forms. Any thoughts on what we might plant in the front yard to focus the attention toward the entry? We will be relocating the dogwood that obstructs the view of the front door from the driveway. Other ideas for new plantings that might draw the eye up toward the house? Yard, hubby and I just read your last post. First, the comparison to a Yugo and now Whitney Houston. It is more than he can take. I think we've broken him. Thank you, thank you, thank you. :-) On a serious note - I was thinking we would remove the dogwood but it looks like you've moved it closer to the house. I read on another GW forum the advice "people are drawn to spaces for people". With that guidance in mind - we have been hoping to give the front door the greatest visibility possible. Am I making to much of a clear view to the front door?

No walk should ever be "level". Layout where you want the walk. They should substitute the word "flat" for "level". This is very simple. Don't over think it(sometimes reading too much is not a good thing). Put away the bubble machine (the level). Finish grade the area between the steps and the driveway (the whole area without regard for the walk). Then excavate (dig) out for the base material that goes under your walk. Build up that base so that it is the thickness of the brick (most concrete pavers are abut 2-3/8" thick) lower than the adjacent grade. Use a board to "screed" (smooth the surface evenly) the surface to make it even (sloped, but not up and down). Then set your bricks. If there is a cross slope (right to left as you walk) on the adjacent grade, you should make sure that your walk has a slight cross slope in that same direction (you can use the bubble machine for checking the cross slope). If it is pretty lever from left to right, you may consider adding a slight amount of sand down the middle of the walk to add a slight crown to the walk. This helps the walk not become sagged in the middle over time and looks nicer (in my opinion) than a flat walk. Prepare the base just as you would to do it flat.

Until the influx of concrete paver products, most homes in the northeast had asphalt driveways with poured concrete walks. Exposed aggregate is a ook that conjures up shopping malls or office parks in these parts, so they are not generally wanted on a residence. Since most driveways up here are asphalt, any walk connected to it looks normal simply because it is normal. Red clay brick, bluestone, concrete pavers, natural irregular shaped or rectangular stepping stones in the lawn, the same are often used in contiguous walks are all common and normal from most driveway types to most types of steps. Budget sounds like a big issue to you. If it is, why not use large flgstyones as stepping stones until you get it figured out? It is easy and the stones can be re-used later. Tumbled Bluestone Rectangular Bluestone (not the best picture, but a very elegant walk when well placed using 24"x36" with a gentle curve) Irregular Bluestone

I'm sorry but I agree with your husband. What you have currently is much nicer looking than what you propose to replace it with. You'll actually enjoy a more usable fireplace much more. If you want a new paver walkway, then get busy DIYing it. It's not that hard except on your back. It's just grunt labor over a summer. But if you're going to pick something like a mixed paver, at least make sure they are all in the same color family and that color works with the house itsef. Your examples are not a great look to emulate.