TY, it was a process for sure. First I had to find a pallet that was pretty close by, because I have a very small car. I found some a block away, but the business was always closed as I went to and from work. One Sat, I decided to drive by and lo and behold, they were open! You know that look you get when you ask for something that someone else is going to throw away? Yep, I got that look! But he even helped me load it into my car. I got a can of paint, and used some left over primer I already had. Getting my hands dirty was just the BEST!!! Thank you all for your kind replies :))

David52 I am lazy and can understand the making holes and planting. It will be mostly perennials. The yard is mostly rocks and hasn't been planted so I thought I would try to work the soil some. Maifleur, We have a leaf blower and it creates such a mess I gave up on it. I had better luck running the tiller over the leaves to shred them! I will make another GOOD effort with it then probably get a push mower with bag. luckygal, There is only a little mulch on top of the leaves,so that won't be a problem. I was thinking good soil on top this spring or at least some. I'm in Ozarks and we have alot of rocks!

You led me to believe there was a crisis but there is none. When you said that the kitchen was dark, I thought you were using a very dark grey. This is not dark grey. As long as the room is light and pleasant and functional in different light situations, there's no problem. Light can be introduced in different ways, including sconces and countertop lamps and more wattage in lighbulbs. If you find the paint needs to be lightened to an even lighter grey, you can always do that with some more paint. You have no urgent need to do any changes for a while. An inspiration picture is for inspiration, not for dictatorship. Go in peace.

It's gorgeous!! I think it would be perfect in MY living room. As for the restocking/return fee. A rug is usually a big purchase and what one sees in a photo online can differ vastly from the real thing. Many would never buy a rug online if the price for making a mistake were always so costly. And it's on the vendor too. They post the photos that may not accurately represent what the rug really looks like. It's the price of doing business. I'm more likely to buy from vendors that have a reasonable return policy.