Holedigger, the ottomans were not FREE, they were just matching :-) However the other line Camano does not have ottomans at all. And I am looking for the dust covers as well. Heading off to local Big Box store... And, I procrastinated on my order for about a week and on Mem Day weekend the prices went up right in front of my eyes. Anyways, the difference was not much - and definitely that heartache is gone now that I am enjoying the summer. I also read on Amazon that people have replaced their Falkner default cushions with RH or S&H cushions and size-wise they matched, plus they are of better quality. I am planning to replace mine maybe next year. Any experiences shared would be appreciated. BlueKit: Nice definition of summer!! LOL....over here in Northern CA summer is not quite that long but close..

Thanks budge! Oh cliff and joann! I have always loved your deck and yard. I only dream of having one as nice. As far as the deck, the reason it looks so bad is it went through alot with the remodel, the dogs' scooby doo impersonations and a bad choice of a dark color (by me.) The dogs don't "go" on the deck. (I think that would be Oceanna's.) I do want to work on it as soon as the weather cooperates so thanks for the advice/instructions. AS far as tables, I do have a dining set with six chairs on the other side of the deck and two adirondacks on a small patio. For the wicker set area I have one side table and would like to make another one. (I spent so much money on the equipment and need to use it!) Then I was thinking of a big ottoman in the middle that could also serve as a table if you put a tray on it. Here is my DIY table: Here is a pic of the dining set with a little snow: This pic was taken earlier this season. The bad news is that there is even more snow out there today :( I really love the privacy side of your deck. Is that freestanding or built in?

mamadadapaige -- I was at Target yesterday (love that store, love it too much!) and they were having a clearance on their Smith & Hawken furniture. I mean, AMAZING prices (like 50% off!). I don't know if it was just my local (Boulder, CO) Target or if it's nation-wide, but I was thinking for those prices maybe you could try them and see how they fare? You could get those furniture covers so when winter rolls around you could cover them up (instead of having to bring them inside). ??? I am definitely heading back over there today with a cleared-out back of my minivan! And thank you all for your really nice words about our former backyard ... I loved and hated it. We bought that house before we had children and we did just about all of it ourselves: the large trees were already there but the whole bottom was concrete slab; that middle slope was gravel and the top was juniper. We cleared it out (although I did hire a few day laborers to help break up the concrete slab) and did everything ourselves. My husband is good with irrigation, together we figured out the lighting, and I had so much fun laying those pieces of slate and then planting everything .... Good times. But then in '04 we had our first child and the backyard just became a lot of work. A lot of work, and I resented it. I was tired and felt as if it were the half-acre monkey on my back! The back yard definitely helped in the sale of the house. If you saw our current backyard, you'd weep with me. We cannot afford to have it professionally done and I'm doing the best I can just to stay on top of everything (you all know the drill: little kids, the house remodel, although we did redo the front yard right after we moved in). Now that my younger son is walking I'll hopefully get around to some projects in the back. Hopefully. I'm going to be spending a lot more time in the Rocky Mountain Gardening forum! Oh, and once I had my first child I felt the urge to sit on the lawn -- before him, it was just something to see as a field of green. Go figure. So in those first few weeks when he would nap (and I should've been napping too) I made a patchwork picnic blanket. It's imperfect but I love it and I love its memories. My older son LOVES having a picnic, so I lied when I wrote about taking all our meals on the table and chairs. During the week (my husband is NOT a fan of picnics) we three (two sons and I) will have popsicles or snack or read stories out on the blanket. I wish outdoor furniture weren't so expensive too. But do check out Target to see if the Smith & Hawken pieces are on sale!

I’m in the same boat you are. What product exactly did you use? the comments have been very helpful and i too am going to try some of these ideas. The flooring guy largely blamed the product and the milling job...Not his installation. He has done other homes for me with excellent results but we used different products. He never said anything about about humidity...I live in Texas....very humid most of the year So not sure if this was the best choice. I did a ton of research before purchasing and most flooring people will make you feel more comfortable with your concerns rather than validate them so you purchase (My experience). Brazilian hardwoood is expensive!! Prefinished Is more. I feel your pain. I used bellawood prefinished narrow planks. It turned out nothing like the sample. If yours are beveled it is going to look like the gaps are bigger than they actually are. See below after the floors were cleaner. hard to appreciate in a photo far away but close up it is much more obvious. In a historic home narrow planks were the only way to go. But a prefinished glue down shows every single imperfection. When it It is time to refinish the floors on a few years many of the issues have will be resolved. If had it to do over again I would have done unfinished walnut, sanded smooth with no bevel so that when it was sealed and finished it would look like a smooth floor when the light hit it. My only advice is to clean it and see if you can live with it. If not try the flexible filler option above (Which I may do with the ones that bug me that aren’t covered by furniture) Since my house is an old mid century. I can get away with some imperfection but if you are going with sleek and modern look it may look more out of place. Good luck!