Yes I have been short of time lately, but after I just saw your latest questions, I took only a moment to walk over to my row of trees and check thier measurements. The fence behind my trees appears 10 times worse that the one in your photo. My trees are planted on about 9 foot centers and I only did one row of them. The bottom four feet height on then averages spreads across their widths of at average is 5 feet all the way around them. For the distance from the two intercecting fences inside corner to the end of the bad fence my trees are distacting the view from is about 50 feet long. I have 7 GGs planted along this length. the GG's trunk nearest to the inside corner of the intercecting fences has a trunk only 4 feet away from the corner. the 6 other GGS have an 8 feet distance I can measure from trunk to trunk, But the planting holes when first dug were centered at almost 9 feet distances. The lower 4 feet of the trees are the most full and there is still an average of a 2 foot gap between each of the trees that needs to fill in before the trees will make a solid screen along that height of the 6 foot tall fence. Since I stoped giving my trees osmokote even before last year the rest of the trees growth is not as thick or wide, so there is even more view of the top two feet of the ugly fence. This is the reason why I suggested it is best for you to plant two staggered rows. That way you will have a better full screen more quickly than my trees. the neighbor's two story house is no more than 4 feet on the otherside of the ugly fence. The tops of my trees have grown about a foot higher than the bottom of their second story windows. I measured a 4 foot distance from the fence slats to the trunks of my trees, and I could still easily, with out much tree branch displacement, walk behind my trees and the fence when I came up with the 50 foot measurement for the lengh of fence that the lower 4 feet of this line of trees currently cover. One other note is that I planted only 18 inch tall trees to start. They are fairly well protected from the prevailing north/south winds because the 2 story house is directly south of them and there is a large scarlet oak tree directly north of the first 3 from that inside corner I discussed above. I live on a corner lot and my house faces west, but the fence in question is along along the east facing back yard/south side yard, and it stretchs westward to about half the depth of our south facing side yard. So my GGs get plenty of afternoon sun, especially in the summer and before they grew so tall got a lot of morning shade. I only went to all this description to illustrate how protected they are from drying winds. This is so effective for then that my trees have never taken on a bronzy cast that many people report their GGS do in the winter. My trees are also planted on a slight rise where the builders of the two story house so close south of my trees never did a good job cleaning out the builders sand they uses when installing a narrow sidewalk between that house and the privacy fence. The growth I reported with my trees has all been affected by theses issues I have just discussed. GGs which struggle will slow draining soil that stays wet longer will grow only half as fast as mine have until they get well established, which could take up to 4 years. Some of them might even die during sudden dry periods and have to be replaced. Also trees planted at 6 feet tall might take a full 2 years before you see much top growth out out them. That is because they will be using this time to develop a better root system which can support the 5 foot yearly growth these trees do while they are young and once they are established. The trade off you get with this is while they are waiting to develop a larger root system and not growing much in height, they will be doing a better job than mine did concerning the thickening of their trunks and also thickening the density and spread of their branches. My trees did not have to that root size catch up so they started showing nice top growth in the first year they were planted. It took them all this time though to develop an exceptionally good density and branch spread over the lower 4 feet of them. If I had kept spreading Osmokote under them and watering them regularly in dry periods after they got well established, them that exceptionally nice thickness and spread portion of them today might have reached at least 8 feet high. As it is they have a fairly nice appearance from top to bottom, but do not have the type of screening affect that you would want to handle well the issues you have described in your back yard view. Hope that with all this description, it will help you to understand better why I suggested a double staggered row with the front row beeing the Steeplechase trees. If cost is an issue, you might plant 6 foot tall GGS on the back row and either purchase locally or order in if they cannot be found locally the steeplechase sport cultivars of the GGS. If ordered in those Steeplechase cultivar trees would probably on be available no larger than 3 gallon size and will look fairly thin when you get them, but if you provide them good drainage, water them correctly, and feed them with osmokote each spring and fall growing season then it will suprise you a how quickly they catch up in size the the larger GGS you planted in the back row.

I am feeling a little confused... why are my measurements seeming so different from yours? My image is showing 3' between the edge of the "semi-pushed in chair" and the door swing of the pantry. I dont anticipate needing to go in and out of the pantry while someone is lounging in the corner of the dining nook... so, I'm not sure I'm seeing why I need 2 more feet? Sorry, I hope I'm not appearing difficult! Just trying to make sure I understand. I guess I should mention... its pretty much a one-cook kitchen. Just me :) We're a young family - I have three boys right now - ages 5, 3, and 1 and we hope to have one more child. I do plan to have kids helping prep work, which the island will be great for. I think the 55" might be more generous than I need - I wouldn't expect much traffic in that direction in that spot during the few times I load dishes during the day. I really, really want at least 4 seats at the island. I've seen 9' islands w/5 seats at them, so I am hopeful I can get 4... Looking at this picture... it looks to me like I might not even have room for a second oven if I go for two sinks? Is this size kitchen better suited to be a one-sink kitchen, perhaps?

I don't think you need to paint the bedroom furniture if you go back to the blue silk rug. With the dark and warm rug, I think it would be better in a least a cream or latte tone if not stained wood, but I think the white can work fine with a lighter rug, If the sofa doesn't need to stay, I'd probably prefer a pair of chairs and table or ottoman in front of the fireplace more than a sofa to the side, but you have the sofa. Move it over there and see how it looks under the window, whether it is too large to go across in front of the fireplace,etc. Then decide. Consider one of the round tables at that end of the room either as an end table to the sofa or between two chairs. If you want the piece under the window to be showcased, you have it in the wrong place. It has too much competition there -- a fireplace, the wood mantel, the black fire screen, a window and a dark mirror all competing with it. Is there room for it across from the bed if you also put a bench there? If not, I would try it at the end of the room where the sofa is but to one side. If you don't have anything under the spot with the painting, it could go into the corner of that wall and the wall where the sofa is. Are the drapes something you had and thought you might use or something bought for this room? You might be able to make them work, but to be honest, I'd like something lighter. Silk panels would look rich. I've seen smocked gauzy white than could take the room in a much different direction. I am guessing your French leanings would favor the silk panels.or long yardage draped across the window and down in an exaggerated scarf treatment.

I think that the question is "what is inspiring about this room", rather than, what are the key elements and color story of the room. Except for the wall mural, that seems to be the only part of the color story that the OP has adopted, her slipper chairs, secretary, coffee table and rug all seem completely out of sorts with Anson's colors. So why should she only stick with the deep or dark of the curtains. The red curtains do dominate the room, and like I stated, seem to be a cheeky nod to the stage. If you choose an inspiration room because of the 'feel' of the room, then you should interpret that feeling and see how the elements in the room reflect that feeling and will be necessary to sustain that feeling. But we are all going to pick up on different feelings in this room, or any room. And those impressions my not be dependent on the color story. If you're inspired by a room because of the individual objects and the colors, than you will want to stay true to those kinds of objects and colors. But an inspiration room doesn't mean you have to curate a "High vs Low" half hour HGTV program. What I found fascinating about the room is that it is in the US, but looks like a room that was built, and not designed, per say. They started with the family antiques, purchased the wall paper in 1975, and moved this over to there, and added that or what not for some 50 years. The room evolved, The Mario Buatta slip covers and crowed tablescapes that probably dominated this room in the 1980s, have given way to more contemporary and relaxed textiles and open spots on the table where you can set a cup of tea. Like so many of the European rooms I love, that look can only be achieved once a room is lived in and loved. It's a design style that can only evolve over time and trial and error, something even Americans with the best intentions rarely achieve. Look at the two published articles of the home, one shot with brilliant lighting (AD) and one with the images under natural light (NYSD). The AD layout looks planned and 'cleaned up', like several maids were hired for a fortnight and all the spines on the offensive books turned the other direction because "AD is coming." The later NYSD layout shows the room how it really is, which I find infinitely more pleasing because it is infinitely more approachable. We see the chairs, not how they are suppose to be 'designed' but set as they are typically used. Rather than parts of the room arranged in planned seating arrangements around a chessboard, which is typical, there's a pair of arm chairs set before a tall chest, so you would have to move them to open the drawers. Other chairs sit, blocking closed doors, which are possibly closets, or maybe doors that aren't used anymore. Chairs are set inside a wide archway between the sitting rooms, on either side of the 'bar' in the later photos, and removed elsewhere for AD because they blocked the flow of the room. I can't speak for the OP, but these are the elements of the rooms that I find inspirational, and that is more about feel, and tone, than the color of the drapes or the pattern of the rugs. This post was edited by Lilylore on Wed, Nov 26, 14 at 15:29