Hi! I live in US6, SWPA. I grow perennially, easily: SUN: oregano, thyme, marshmallow, elecampagne, roses of all sorts, lavenders, st. johnswort, joe pye, yarrows, lily of the valley, marjoram, strawberries, currants, orange butterfly weed, mints of all sorts, valerian, schizandra, chaste tree, sorrel, mullein, violets, honeysuckles, burdocks, dandelions, docks, plantains, horseradish, tansy, rue, poke, coneflower, bergamot, feverfew & the ever ubiquitous Japanese knotweed... SHADE: witch hazel, lenten roses, sweet woodruff, lungwort, foxgloves, lady's mantel, black & blue cohoshes & locals including canadian ginger, mayapple & trilium (both popping up now). Annually, in raised beds or patio pots I grow calendula, sages, rosemary, tarragon, chia, gotu kola, geraniums... I could not get rid of the skullcap--had it for years-- full sun--until I overseeded heavily with larkspur & I think that just finally shaded it out. Things that in the southern US would require afternoon shade don't up here unless it's been a long, dry stretch. My soil runs the gamut from boggy to retaining wall clay; my light full shade to full sun. I do this on a standard city-sized lot--25 x 100', with an E-W exposure & an additional 4' x 25' retaining wall beside the driveway on the other side of the house & still have enough grass to play a game--albeit confined--of guerrilla bocci. My suggestion to anyone who wants to set up an herb garden is to decide what you want & why you want it, then network with herbalists & other gardeners & experiment with your land & soil types & go to every garden club plant sale or swap you can find-- people grow the most amazing things.... Even tho' I come from a long line of sustainable city & country gardeners I read books, consult with neighbors, call the cooperative extension for the most simple-assed questions imaginable. And, while some things in my garden have been passed down, literally, through generations & carted from house to house with us-- and while I have spent a considerable amount of money over a considerable number of years on plants-- the majority of my existing, long-term plantings have come from local sources: the aforementioned garden club sales, friendly neighbors and-- I am not ashamed to admit, since my neighborhood has experienced somewhat of an urban decline over the past few decades-- a fair amount of abandoned property plant-poachings & rose rescues. Every year this time of year I stare at different bits of green popping up and go, "What the h*ll is that?" & tell myself to be patient because in another few days I'll either remember what I put there or somebody will have unwittingly stepped on it or possibly eaten it. Last year Neighbor Joe got a new roof & fixed his gutters & the sweet woodruff under his foundation-grown mulberry all but dried up, though it's going strong about 10' away. This year some of the strawberries also migrated about 15 feet completely around a couple of shrubs towards the north-- they'll probably make Canada in another couple hundred years... & I have no idea where the st. johnswort will show up, but it always does. So trust the garden, as well, to tell you what it needs. And enjoy the adventure.

I like the black in your color scheme. A chandelier is nice decoration, but you probably want more lighting placed in the room so that any user does not have shadows cast upon his/her image in any mirror that he/she might use in the room. I do think you need more light in the room than the chandelier will provide. Of course, I like lots of light as long as it can be controlled by dimmers. There are other questions that you may want to ponder before deciding on your lighting plan --- Where will you place the chandelier? Is there any natural light in the room? What color is the ceiling, floor, and fixtures? If you decide to use sconces, then you will need to think about any plumbing or structural obstacles that might hinder their placement. Kelley

brensproject, if u can find a store near u that carries Hubbardton, they have all finishes that u can see in person. even if it says that fixture doesn't come in that finish, they can do it as a special order. i had the lighting store call and if was only $40.00 more. not bad for "special order" but their fixtures are not cheap to begin with. so your best bet is to see the finishes in person and then decide. you can also see the different globes and they have quite a few. i felt it made a difference for me to see finishes in person then just online. i also wanted to see the quality of the product which is hard to do online. HTH

My kitchen laminate is white, but until somebody with real-life experience comes along, here are some threads I found with posts about solid black laminate (matte or otherwise.) There are some posts in each of these threads that mention how it may show dust, water marks, etc, but this may be one of those issues that just depends on how much it bothers you personally. Show me pictures of your black (laminate) countertops! Black Counter Owners Using black formica instead of slate to get that look I do have a small wet bar area with old glossy black Formica, and that small countertop is a bear to keep looking nice because of the dust and water marks. (We don't have a water softener so water splashes can leave little white marks, which doesn't help.) DH is not a big wiper-upper. But glossy black laminate may be a different animal from matte black...?