Believe it or not a lot of us DONT watch J Gaines - pretty much a one trick pony, imho. Its a fad thats peaked and is on its way out. Now dont get me wrong, Ms Gaines is a talented and creative lady, but the reality is even she was getting tired of her same old, same old! I would question the knowledge of an architect who apparently is not aware that acrylic paint film traps moisture behind it and long term creates spalling, cracking and disintigration of brick. It doesnt happen overnight, but give it 20-30yrs it will. Said architect should have advised mineral paints and other methods which are breathable and dont have this effect. Yknow its fine if you and OP dont agree, but when you post to a public forum, you WILL get opinions... sometimes strong opinons. I think the strip mall effect could have been lessened by - painting those drab white srips a dark gray-green and, more importantly, take out a row of parking in front of the door and do some serious landscaping and create a more inspiring and beautiful entry way.

If you expect some people will take large amounts of some items try putting out only a third of it at a time and using a small serving spoon in it. You can then put out a new bowl when the first gets low. It seems that most people aren't as likely to take giant servings if it does not look like there is a huge amount of the food. And they tend to take a spoon or two no matter how large serving spoon is so big spoons = big servings. It has worked well at a camp where I help in the kitchen. YMMV Melons can often be an economical choice to add bulk to a fruit salad in the summer months. The idea of offering just one fruit is a good one, too. Grapes can be cut into small clusters with a scissors and served still attached to the stems. Or small wedges of melon could be the only offering.

I totally get the appeal, although I might trade the size of a school bus for the comfort of driving a van. My dreams would lean more towards water than land, but same idea. My cousin's kid bought a Transit van, customized it himself, and has been criss-crossing the country with his girlfriend and dog for over a year now. Yes they do take pictures and blog, but I'm sure mostly they're doing it for their own experience. I don't think I'd want to be in such cramped conditions long term like that, but plans with a defined end, sure.

I am so glad you posted after pictures. This looks so much better! It's warm and inviting. Great color for the stairs and the ceiling of the portico. The planter benches add warmth to the space. I would sit and linger there. Well done!