We had a similar situation a couple years ago when we hired my brother's friend and co-worker to build us a fairly complicated set of stairs/small deck. We chose materials (Ipe wood decking/vinyl railing) that the builder (who does this as a side job) had never used. There was a definite learning curve involved to using these materials. DH is an engineer and provided elaborate working plans, so I think the builder thought it would be easier to accomplish than it was. It took him forever, and we could tell he was getting really frustrated. However, he was a really nice guy and we totally trusted him to be at our house when we weren't around. He also hooked us up with the most fabulous stone worker who later installed the patio. When it was done we were embarrassed to pay him what he originally quoted us. DH and I decided to throw in a couple extra hundred dollars for his troubles. I also took lots of great photos of the finished work, both before and after the patio and landscaping were installed, and put it all on a disc for him. He was really thrilled with this, because he was building a website and these photos really showcased his work. Even though we didn't end up paying him what the job would have cost if he was more experienced and priced it correctly, we did acknowledge his efforts by giving him extra. I think it worked out well for both of us--he gained experience that will pay off down the road and we have a beautiful structure that another contractor wouldn't have considered building without a premium charge. The trade off for us was that it took forever to have it built--in fact we lost most of the useable summer season waiting for it. Most importantly, this guy is a member of the community we live in. He lives down the road from us and we bump into him all the time. We always have a friendly chat when we meet. I've learned that developing and nurturing positive relationships with the people in our communities/lives is always worth it! You never know when/how your paths might cross again. I like the idea of a gift certificate for your neighbor, and would add some pictures of the finished job so he can use them to build his business. BTW, Val, I think you have done the most spectacular job remodeling your home--both inside and out. I am amazed at your energy and patience! Hopefully it will all end soon so you can sit back and enjoy it all!

You may want to post your question on the Home Decorating forum. I think you'll get a lot more response. The base molding often matches the trim around your doors and windows and crown molding color can vary depending on the wall color. Posting pics of your cabinets and flooring will help. Here is a link that might be useful: Home Decor Forum

iron_city, I could remove the 1 1/2" moulding and replace it with something bigger, but finding the mahogany to do it would be very expensive. I might be able to use pine moulding stained to match. Does your crown moulding match the bookcases? That's one of the dilemmas I'm facing: do I mix stain colors? That is, how would "special walnut" crown moulding look against a mahogany stain? Never thought about painting the mortar! Need to experiment with , say, concrete stain. thanks for the idea.

I'd go to a store like JC penney's that has them up and measure to see what you need to leave. I'd think about leaving space to operate up there to hang them up as well so you can get your hands in. I did that over the kitchen sink, but there it's short enough I can just use a tension rod and slip it up with the curtain already on the rod.