If you can get them, cuttings of pussy willows, forsythia, lilac and mock orange (Philadelphus) will root easily. See if you can beg some of these from friends who have them growing - buying pussy willow, lilac or forsythia stems from a florist is also an option. The willow will root in water - and anything with them will probably root - willows give off a substance that encourages rooting. Once the roots are several inches long, you can pot up or plant out the stems - depending on your weather - maybe cutting them back a bit so the baby roots have less to sustain - and plant them in their permanent position when they are a bit older. You can, also, just stick cuttings in the ground 4-6" deep, where you want them to grow, and have a good number root on their own, esp. if kept damp (but not soggy). If you use cuttings for a lot of the space, you will have more money to spend on a few flashier/evergreen/summer interest/etc. plants, to fill in any gaps. The main drawback to cuttings is that it will take a little longer for them to grow up and fill in than buying already established plants in pots, but since many of them began as cuttings, yours should look the same in a year or two, the moreso as they didn't have to adjust to life out of a pot. The one thing you will HAVE to do, no matter if you normally ignore that side of the yard, is water!!!!! Water according to how damp the soil is - insert a finger to the second knuckle and water if it is damp. Don't do it on a schedule, but on how the soil really feels. Mulching along the row, at least 4' wide, more if you can, will help with moderating the soil dryness. Watering will HAVE to be done for the first year, and somewhat the second year, esp. in a dry spell. After that, they can be on their own. Another thing to keep in mind is to consider how wide these shrubs will grow - DO NOT plant right on the property line. You neighbors have the right to prune back anything that sticks over their side of the line, and they might well do so. They don't have the right to kill the plants, but it might be hard to prove they did, if they are the sort to do so and if any die. Planting so the shrubs are totally on your property even after several years, seems the best way to go, to me. Regarding their dog, I have noticed over the years that dogs seem to prefer not to poop on their own property, so unless you ask them - AND they agree - to come over and pick up after their dog, you may be stuck with that nuisance. I agree, it is NOT nice, but it doesn't sound as though that aspect is going to be dealt with to your satisfaction.

A floor plan will really help. It will let us see what lights you can see from where. Is your faucet and your hardware both chrome? and your door handles the dark finish. I can't tell if it is antique brass or not? What is your DR chandy - is it brass? You need to figure out, if you are following the article that you posted what category each of the above elements fall into. (the faucet, hardware, etc.) My feeling is that you have already mixed your metals. For example - in the kitchen you have chrome hardware/faucet (step 1). Step 2 would indicate picking a matching metal which you did with the island light and either of the window lights. (I prefer A2 as it adds another element - the white glass shade - into the mix while retaining the metal. Where I am bogging down is in the transition areas between the rooms which is why a floorplan would be helpful. For the foyer/LR I would pick H2 and J1 but that is subject to change depending on the floorplan and how the rooms are connected. Edited to add: Don't forget, unlike a bathroom, a kitchen comes with other metals. What are your appliances, pots/pans, cutlery. What are your plans for your stools - any metal there? In your foyer, LR and GR - does any of the furniture have any metal in them and if so - what type. Are any of your accessories metal. How about your backsplash. This thought and question was triggered while I was just in my kitchen and happened to notice my copper backsplash which is behind and underneath my stainless steel range and vent. My hardware and faucets are brushed nickel while my lights in the eating area and family room are aged bronze. My pendants are a mix of the two and act as a transition. I treated each `area of the house as a separate area. Kitchen/eating area/family room is one area while the DR and LR was treated as a separate area. Because the Kitchen/eating area/family room had a mix of metals I felt comfortable using either of those 2 metals in other rooms. The copper backsplash was my jumping off point for using copper in a variety of accessories throughout the house.. So, 3 metals throughout the house. This post was edited by blfenton on Wed, Nov 5, 14 at 18:30

Aw, those shelves are cute, Lavender. The first place we lived after we married had shelves like that. I loved them! I remember putting some tea pots and plants on them. They were very happy. : ) I drew up your sketch. I'm not sure how to "zone" it. Baking to the right of the sink? Or would that be the snack and sandwich center? I should mention that at 5' 4", I can walk under the landing of the stairs. If I was any taller, I don't think I could do it without hitting my head. Should I extend the pantry all the way under the landing, even if only for less frequently used stuff? The thing I'm hesitating about with this plan is that it's a lot of work of moving the heat run for a gain of an opening of the same size that we would have had if we did a layout similar to what Lyfia drew (without having to move the heat run at all.) Here are a couple of inspiration shots. The first one is similar to Lyfia's which is similar to what we had drawn up earlier. Where the windows are to the left of the stove would be a shallow pantry along the 6' wall. [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/crocus-hill-kitchen-craftsman-kitchen-minneapolis-phvw-vp~3317777) [Craftsman Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/craftsman-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2116) by Minneapolis General Contractors Full Circle Construction Inc. I laughed when I saw my description of what I liked under this picture in my houzz album: "Everything." (Although the curtains are a bit more formal than I care to be.) This is similar to the layout that I felt was so balanced above. Just put the fridge where the double ovens are located. But...no entry connection... [[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/kitchen-island-traditional-kitchen-phvw-vp~1788863) [Traditional Kitchen[(https://www.houzz.com/photos/traditional-kitchen-ideas-phbr1-bp~t_709~s_2107) by Princeton Design-Build Firms Lasley Brahaney Architecture + Construction Lastly, Catmom's kitchen dimensions are nearly identical to ours, so I've played around with her layout too. I hope she'll be ok with me sharing her picture. I've dissected her photos trying to get a feel for how this layout would work for our lives. Hmmm...where is her entry in relation to the kitchen? (It's a split level, right...how does that change the game?) I find Chinese Grandma's old kitchen inspiring, too. I like her pantry setup pretty well. Um, I kinda like the whole place, actually. ; ) Here is a link that might be useful: Chinese Grandma's kitchen from 2010

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