I have a very tall (at least 12 feet) Podocarpus gracillior hedge on 3 sides of my yard which serves as a privacy screen from 2-story neighbors on all sides. We have a pool, and although it doesn't break up concrete and is an effective screen, it is a MAJOR maintenance chore and I wouldn't recommend it, unless you like getting up on a ladder and trimming constantly. I would love to rip it out. I also have an Australian willow (Geijera parviflora), which is an evergreen, very pretty, slighty weeping, not a lot of litter, well-behaved-roots tree. This might be a good solution for what looks like a narrow spot where the neighbor's balcony is and where your concrete starts. I've seen them grow with either a roundish canopy or taller and narrower canopy. When choosing a tree, if you want a narrower silhouette, pick a young tree that's narrower. It casts light shade and isn't a dense tree like some others, but it will certainly soften the intrusion from the neighbors and provide some relief from the kiddies. Another favorite of mine which many people may eschew, is Nichol's eucaplyptus (or Eucalyptus nicholii). I have three of them and I love them. They are tall, as tall as my 2-story house, and willowy. They grow in very narrow spots and don't break up concrete. They don't get as tall as the eucalpytus you seen along the freeways (E. citriodora). The E. citriodora (or lemon gum) is also susceptible to the psyllid which is killing many of them. (I had a lemon gum which got the pysllid and a nicholii 10 feet away from it which didn't. I had the citriodora removed and the nicholii is still just fine.) Some people however, complain that because of the toxins in the eucalyptus leaves, they can't grow anything below them. I don't have that problem, but you might want to keep that in mind. They are also very difficult to find, but there are nurseries that can order them if you really want one. I recently had a large melaleuca tree removed because it was too close to the pool and was about to bust through. We are now naked to the world (or so it seems) in that spot. Rather than plant more of the hedge-from-hell, I plan to to plant a naturalistic collection of evergreen trees and plants that will act as a hedge, but not require the constant upkeep of a hedge. I'm in Huntington Beach, BTW. Good luck!

KelliC. If the walls around your fireplace stay the the same paint color as the room, what you need above the fireplace are objects of strong contrast to the paint, like the woven patterned baskets, or the assemblage I illustrated combining 3 prints and the twig/bamboo wall sculpture or something like this large and full of contrast and color. This mirror you found with the silver, rather traditional frame compared to your other furnishings, will just blend into the wall, and really do not much to add texture and interest to your room. It appears to me that you have traditional objects in the dining room and then contemporary objects in the living room. I think you have to make up your mind which direction your heading.

"Quote >I have heard twice in the last few months (once on tv and once in a magazine) that silk greens, plants, trees are just awful. Are they really? I mean, I know they are yucky if they are all dusty and dirty, but what about good quailty, clean silks? Ae they still being used, or are they passe? Thank you for any input! "Quote> If you really want to know the truthful answer to that question you will have to answer it for yourself. Do you like them if so then the answer is no they aren't awful or passe. If you don't then the answer is yes they are awful and passe. Why are we the only ones who can answer that question? Simple because we are all different and have different taste. Its what keeps the world interesting. I may not like a style that someone else likes but that doesn't make it tacky, low class or unfashionable. It just makes it not my style. This world is full of people who CHOOSE to live their life by the standards that someone (who is that person anyway lol) else has set as the right thing to do. There are many people who CHOOSE to live their life according to what they personally believe is in, fashionable or a decorating do. Either one you decide to follow is ok because you only get one life and so however you choose to live it is up to you. I'm not knocking either choice. With that said if you choose to live life according to what that someone says is in, hot, instyle etc. just be prepared to change often. Because what is an absolute must do today will be an absolute must not do tomorrow. Ex: remember when having chipped furniture with peeling paint was considered poor, you can't afford new furniture well, now its shabby sheek or however you spell the word. LOL Some people like keeping up with the latest styles others don't. I say do what is best for you if someone else doesn't like it understand that its ok because they don't have to anymore than you have to dislike it now because they don't. As my girlfriend says " do you". Who sits around and makes the rules of whats in and whats not is a mystery. I wonder what that person has in their home. LOL What's passe, tacky, low class is up to you. It can be what whoever that someone says it is or what you say it is. Life is all about choices.

Of the trellis papers, I think I like B best as the trellis color matches the wall. Are you painting the wall and papering panels? Or are you debating between a full wall of paper or paint? Wallpapering is actually fairly easy to do, esp with the pre-pasted stuff. And especially if you're doing just one wall..no corners to deal with. You just have to be sure to book the paper to activate the glue, line up the pattern, don't overlap seams but butt them, smooth out all air bubbles, and change the blade with every sheet you cut (they have snap-off blades so it's very easy to do). We've actually had very good luck using just the roller part of a paint roller to smooth...it allows you to apply pressure without scratching the paper. I'm sure there are videos on line demonstrating. I think wallpapering would be faster than stenciling. There have been a few posters who have done a nice job of stenciling, but that takes time and patience, esp when you're near the ceiling and the corners. Perhaps one of them will chime in with more info on that.