Consider "Chuck Hayes" Gardenia. A man in Philadelphia had one that he was asking for pruning instructions on because it had grown to be 5 feet tall in 3 years and was getting really big. They are evergreen and love shade, especailly in the afternoon. They can bloom off and on all summer, but they really bloom in the spring and fall. As far as smell, well, it's a gardenia, a double flower. Only the "Chuck Hayes" blooms like that and is cold hardy to your zone. Just don't drown it.

Like a CIRCULAR stairway?? I must have been absent for geometry class that week. Don't buy the story, or accept the stairs with two different railing heights. The stairs look like they are nicely done, too bad the guy did not understand how to run handrail. They should be the same height aboove the stair tread. He is right in that you need the configuration of fittings on the right, because code requires that the handrail is "continious" , so it cannot terminate with a matching volute and then pick up again at the lower stairs. These kind of designs pose a real challenge and require lots of thought and layout, and always look awkward, but the height mismatch is wrong.

While a lot of people are painting their red brick fireplaces, mine is actually starting to grow on me. I love those with beautiful white mantels and surrounds. I'm at a loss to how I can make that happen with mine. The hearth is very thick. The brick edge of the fireplace is not very wide, so not sure how I would do the surround and have it look right. I've seen a few pictures here and there, but none of the fireplaces are built like mine. Any ideas? We have an open staircase. We have to remove the stair railing to install hardwood flooring. The thought of sanding and painting 96 balusters and 9 larger posts, in addition to the base and handrail.....exhausts me just thinking about it. I sanded the top rail and bought General Finishes Java Gel Stain to try on it. Looked horrible on whatever kind of wood this is. Any ideas that would go with a white fireplace surround and darker hardwood floors? I like iron stair railing, but imagine that would be very costly.

I have seen this in very old English cottages, always adjacent to a very steep staircase. The cottage owners have decorated the "shelf" with a mix of antiques and old books, and in that setting the effect is charming. In a modern home, however, I can sure see how this would be problematic. It IS dangerous, and while I might be tempted to place decorative objects there to fill the space and discourage children from using it as a balance beam, I'd also worry that the objects would attract little ones and be a pain to dust. I think this may require the opinion of a construction professional.