You're off to a good start. The assessment of what you need, coupled with your plan, will probably get you a good result the first time instead of the the third reconstruction. I have only a few comments. Looking at your plan my mind was having difficulty reconciling the plan with the stated yard dimensions of 60 ft by 40 to the backdoor, 29 to the bedroom. It's a minor thing that would probably only bother me. But after superimposing a grid on the plan it can be seen there is a small error of scale (the red dash lines match the dimensions for the yard and house walls). Keep this in mind as you develop plant spacing. Also, you make no mention of the slope of the property. One important consideration of every landscape is water movement and drainage. If your yard is flat, even small changes in grade or hardscape can cause a problem. I suggest you use one copy of your plan to map all water movement; roof water, any water entering from another property, where the excess water leaves your property, and flow direction throughout the yard. One of the items you mention is shade for the patio. No wonder, Dallas is hot. The placement of just the right tree in the right spot is needed to accomplish the goal. As the seasons change, so does the sun's location. You should consider what weeks of the year shade is most important along with what time of day the patio will be in use. Plant a tree that shades the patio at 6 pm in March and in June you may find that the patio is in shade at 4 pm while at 6 pm it's back in sun. Crown shape and height are important factors to consider, a greater height allowing for a greater distance, patio to tree. You might want to plant a fast growing tree close to the patio for shade over the next 5 years while a more substantial tree grows to a greater height further back in the landscape. All of this can be planed but first the true orientation of the yard must be known. This can be found by noting the time of day along with the date of observation that the sun aligns with the side fence. (example 5:38 on May 15).

Just saw this thread, as I was trying to show your kitchen to my DH...I love your choice for backsplash (and column?) but I'm also still suggesting that you consider sheet stainless for your backsplash. If you like to cook, it will be a *load off your mind* that you won't have to be worrying about grout sealant, fast cleanup, etc. -- we have stainless behind the range and glass tile everywhere else, and I'm *so* thankful I did it. It doesn't look horrible or intrusive as another new surface would, just like an extension of the vent fan (ours is like yours except not as tall). I really love that you're doing a column in the same material as the backsplash. That will be fabulous.

Thanks for the input! Vicki: We're in Newark, but also own a log cabin in the area of Warsaw, about 20 or so from Amish country. The furniture is fairly priced. Les: Thanks so much for your input. I do like the table you posted, but wouldn't have picked it for myself because I always choose rounded shapes and that pedestal is staight. I'm really thinking about it though. The chairs are "java", a very dark brown, almost black. Does that change your mind about making the table base black? The cushions are an off-white. Homersmom: Do you own something by them? I'd love to see a picture. Elsa: The table I have really is too small for the area, and my pictures of it really underlined that for me. I'm really having a problem, like you, of not thinking of the stained top/painted base as "country." And, the problem of matching the cabinets made me think of a black table. I'd love more input from others! Here's the table Les suggested, as well as an example of a black/stained table and a white/stained table: Les' suggestion Dee

It appears you are changing locales as well. By the vegetation in the pix, the new home looks to be in a desert region, and I would guess the old home is not. That means you'll be dealing with a change of natural light, and those windows may let in a lot of it (I note the shade screens) so you may find it to be brighter than where you now live. Your present dining set looks to be Queen Anne style, which may not fit in well with the more contemporary lines I see in the new home. Try to see this as an opportunity to branch out from your norm, stylewise. The FP wall definitely needs a makeover. Is there TV behind the doors? Perhaps TV could go in that office recess where they have the big china hutch and convert that space to a media room. A curved sofa against that sweeping pony wall would be striking. You may do yourself a favor by touring some homes for sale in the area. You can do that online. If this is desert SW or Nevada, for example, you want to stay in keeping with local expectations when you change the interior architecture, especially if you will be selling a few years on. See how others have treated the FP area. As for me, I would close the cubbies and do a new type of stone for the FP itself. In the office area, you can wallpaper the backs of the cabinets to work with the wall color you select. Since the kitchen cabs will remain maple for now, leave the office cabs to coordinate, but make them smile with something interesting in the backs. Consider the color of your flooring grout as a jumping off place for wall color. You could go with that and add a tinge of green to it for an interesting gray/green wall color. That can cool down the day time temps for you too if this is a hot climate. Green is emotionally soothing as well, and with enough gray in it, you should be able to see it as a neutral backdrop for upholstery, rugs and drapes. Definitely exchange the valances for fabric to soften the harshness of the squares that dominate the windows and the openings to the kitchen and breakfast area.