KarinL, you've given me tons to think about. Here are some thoughts in response to parts of it: Your questions about how I want to move through and be in the space are well taken. I'd add another consideration, though, which is how the house speaks to the street. I'd like it to say: "this bit is my yard, but please do come in! Because of the walk, the porch steps, and the deep front porch, the way in for visitors - and the way I'll walk in and where I'll put down groceries - are very well defined. Here are a couple of pics that show more of the front yard: Because of the way the holly tree (which I love) sits on the west side of the front yard, there's a real imbalance between very strong and rectilinear visuals on the west side and open and scraggly boundaries on the east, the more so with with fence coming down on the east side. I'm cool with the openness on the east and the more closed, divided feeling on the west, because I love my east-side neighbors and not so much the west-side one! That said, I do feel like there's a need for some visual interest and definition at the property line on the east side - something just a little sheltering to reach out from the side of the house towards the sidewalk and embrace visitors without overwhelming them. Which leads to your next point about... Planting along boundaries: The caveat against the beginner's mistake makes sense to me, because of course in interiors the comparable mistake is to line up everything absolutely straight against the walls. In this case, though, having lived in the house only a short time, I can clearly see the need for some definition along the property line but don't yet fully know how I'll want to move in the space. Since whatever goes along the side and back of the yard will be visible over whatever eventually goes in the middle, is there any harm in planting shrubs near the outside edges of the space and making decisions about the middle in a future season? On the hedgy stuff in front of the porch, I do have some useful info, and I think you're right that most of it has to go. There are several different things going on there. The low thing out in front that's trimmed like a hedge is a group of azaleas! Now, I like azaleas, but these flower in the worst possible shade of magenta for all the other color that's going on here. The largest thing is a red-tip photinia and most unfortunately it's falling victim to that leaf spot disease. Poking up between the azaleas and the photinia are a couple of very happy rhododendrons, which could stay and become part of a new grouping. I'd love to look out over something pretty when I sit on the front porch, but I don't need something that screens the porch as much as the current ailing photinia does.

I have to disagree with Lynsee. Our 1908 bugalow had a vanity in it, which I ripped out immediately with some cost to the plaster walls. The other posters are right - keep it as much in the tone of the original dwelling as possible. It doesn't matter that the stuff that is in there is not period; it would be better ro replace with period looking pieces. For our bathroom, I found a stand alone cabinet from Target that I put in the bathroom and a period medicine cabinet. I have plenty of storage. Our floors are also soft wood that has been sanded and clear coated. They are beautiful and I would NEVER cover them up with carpet. In the kitchen, I sanded down the cabinets, painted them and added period looking hardware. We also tiled the counters. The total costs was less than $500. So if you want to get the most out of this home, keep or add back the period details that give it a sense of history, some character and a reason for some one to buy it. Here is a picture of my 100 year old kitchen. Diane

One thing you can do with old photos is to scan them at the highest resolution that you can. Then begin blowing up the scan, and looking into the detail of the photo. You will be very surprised what you begin to see. I did this with some of the old old family photos taken back in the early 1900s. Blowing them up and peeking at things like the scuff marks on the shoes of the children, the detailing on the home made dresses, a barb wire fence between the yard and a corn field, which had corn ears fully grown on it, so it had to be late in the year. And most of all, I could see the expression in the eyes of my grandmother. But you might see the detailing of the boards on the porch, the way the steps were built and from what, and were they painted or not. Any flower beds and what was in them. Many of the homes in my old pictures were not painted, but were of rough lumber sometimes board and batten. But the young couple were invariably standing proudly in front of their home, probably newly built or expanded. Hard working people in homemade dresses and overalls and brogan shoes. It was as close to Southern American Gothic as you can get. Another one I loved was of my great grandmother Sophia taken in the hog pen with this huge hog which she was feeding. Going on the assumption that they had pictures taken of important things or events, I decided this was important because she was proud to be able to feed such a fine hog which would be slaughtered and feel her family well during the winter. Plus, she loved animals and took good care of them. I guess I inherited that love from her.

Thanks (and beautiful bathroom!) @cpartist, that looks like the same Daltile cove base tiles we're planning to use (with B&W Tile green subway tiles since no one else makes jade green anymore, apparently!) Heritage Tile does but then you'll pay for it. Also there are other brands that carry green tile. However most companies that do make green tile are a heck of a lot more expensive than what I paid for my white subway tile. I know because I did look into possibly doing a color in the guest bath. Wasn't worth it to me! Does the Daltile black work decently with the Heritage tile black? The Heritage floor tile is a flat black and the white is slightly less white but it all works beautifully together and looks authentic. Even though my house is brand new, I was going for an authentic look of a house from 1910-1925 period. So yes, just like it would have one century ago. And is your trim 1/2" pencil liner? (I ordered 1/4" liner from B&W but still wonder if we should have just stuck with the 1/2" Daltile so that it would match the trim...oh, well!) Yes my trim is the 1/2" pencil liner. And I absolutely would have stuck with the same color liner as your trim color. Blacks from different companies can wind up being different, just as whites or any other color can. BTW: Signature Hardware makes glass pulls and knobs in a jade green color. I used Platinum grout color for my bathroom. I wanted a tint of gray but not so dark as to take away from the tiles.