Is the fence the new white vinyl one? If that's the case nothing will grow ON it and although it's fun to joke and fantasize when you have a neighbor like that (I know all to well) it's best to let them be grumpy by themselves on the other side of it and be glad they have paid for it. To soften the look of it I would suggest a nice row of Lilies. My brother bought the most quaint little white sided house with green shudders and a real life white picket fence surrounding the property and the previous owners had put Michigan Lillies (free at the side of the road and spread very well) around the entire perimeter. Against the white picket fence the lilies looked FANTASTIC. You can also buy those gadgets that hang over the side of a fence so that you can put boxes or flat sided baskets on the fence but not bother your neighbor as only a tiny bit of the metal lays on the other side to clasp the gadget on. You can go cheap (Walmart) or buy fancy ones at a garden center in wrought iron or other metals. You could add a tiny wren/bluebird house, place a birdbath in front of part of the fence to draw the eye away from it and put a piece of statuary in the lush foliage of the lilies. I only suggest Lilies because you will get satisfaction this summer with them as they will grow 2-3 feet high in their first year and improve year after year. You might end up needing to divide and give away or sell some as the years pass but that's ok, just put them in a yard or plant sale and make some money off your neighbor's grumpy attitude and fence. With shade you have even more possibilities with the use of Ferns (ostrich grow up to 5' in good conditions), Hostas and the wide variety of other shade loving plants. The choices are almost unlimited and you could be planting for the rest of your life. Make your glass "half full" on this issue and appreciate that your neighbor gave you a backdrop for some nice gardening ideas (even if the backdrop is not that pretty at present). Barb Southern Ontario, CANADA Zone 6a

Sorry, I'm back to respond. There are no marks on the bottom, HOWEVER, there actually is a store sticker, something B.I, City of Industry, CA. So this was manufactured and sold in some store, as strange as that may seem. Pal, it's 18 inches tall at the highest point of the lid and 15 inches across (handle to handle). I was thinking if I just painted the crackle part in the middle, maybe I could just sponge on some cream colored paint, or something...At least give it half a chance to appeal to someone OTHER than pesky's MIL or lissa z (and btw Lisa, I could totally see this piece mixed with others finding a balance somewhere. Maybe up high on wall/shelf in a grouping?

Alright, so I ended up planting stuff less based on what I really wanted, but according to what I found on sale at the garden center (I'll probably eventually learn that you're better off buying what you want than just getting what you can get cheaper, but we'll see...). So, from the left, there's a "Sum and substance" hosta, a "Hollywood" heuchera, then three parts of a "Gold Standard" hosta (I divided the plant I bought, I think it was big enough to do so), with a "Black sea" hosta and a "Plum pudding" hosta. In back on the right, there's a small cinnamon fern. I think I should have switched the Plum pudding and the Hollywood based on where the morning sun hits (more on the right side than the left). I'm also not sure that the plants are far enough apart, so that the hosta plants don't end up hiding the heucheras. I'm guessing that the cinnamon fern will grow tall enough to provide a lot of privacy, but I read that it will need a fair bit of moisture and I don't know that there will be enough there. If it doesn't do well, I'll move it to another shady spot on my yard and try with a different breed. I really wish the garden center had offered wifi so I could have looked up the plants before buying them, because I didn't really know what I was getting. I hope none of the plants die if they are not well adapted to the area, and that I can just transplant them and start over if necessary. Still, it's a huge improvement on the previous weedy chaos! Still hoping I can get an epimedium (there was none at the garden center). I would also like sarcocca but I don't think it would be hardy enough for my area (I read zone 6 or higher)... And I might still go with a bamboo fence if I can do it without my husband noticing (if the fern doesn't get big enough). Thanks for your help!

Mayflowers: "There's high gloss white tile from floor to ceiling on all four walls. Mirrors add shine. Painted woodwork in a bathroom would probably need to be glossy to make it washable." The white tile I have is high gloss, but I think, it doesn't exactly appear so. You see, the tile is not completely flat. It has a very slight wave in it. I think this reduces the "shine." At the same time, this window is north facing, so there is no sun streaming in. It also is a frosted window, so that also diminishes the amount of light entering the room. (Therefore reducing the shine?) You also say: "Painted woodwork in a bathroom would probably need to be glossy to make it washable." My husband is quite the handyman. He says that we would be able to find a durable paint without high gloss. We are a family of four, but only one of us showers in there. So perhaps the paint would hold up well enough. Also: "Right, the grain shows through unless you smooth it out with filler. That's an option I hadn't thought of and would work with your door style to give you a look of "just bought" cabinets." I could use filler when painting the trim white and see how well it covers the grain. I think we could do that. Then when it comes to the vanity, the cupboard and drawers, we could consider gray paint (only if the trim worked out well). But I like the idea of staining the vanity, cupboard and drawers. That would be more work. Staining is always a bit tricky---it's difficult to get just the right colour. I am wondering whether a grey wash would work. That would be easier. Nosoccermom says: "I could see the vanity in a grey stain but would keep everything else in the color of the tiles and tub." So just doing the vanity in a grey stain/paint is something I would definitely consider. I think I would need to paint the trim in the room white and work from there. "But I agree that painted oak cabinets will always look like "painted oak cabinets." Hopefully not. "However, do your cabinets/wood work have the regular strong oak grain?" Unfortunately, yes. Here are a couple of closeup photos where you can see the grain of the oak.