Juliann, I'll post a site from the UK that has pictures of various types of gardens. This link goes to their Cottage Garden which they say is "contrived to look uncontrived". There are many other types of gardens there that might provide inspiration. Which plants you choose depends on which climate zone you are in. I'm in zone 3 so am somewhat limited in what I can grow. I'll post a pic of what I call my wild bird garden. It's an area in my large garden that has the birdfeeder and birdbath. I allow the flowers to go to seed for the birds so they self-seed. This area has changed over many years altho I initially seeded shasta daisies (the butterflies love them) and yarrow and planted a few established perennials. The yarrow seeds I planted were a mix of red, pink, and white, but the white resembles the wild yarrow we have so we pull it out and it's mostly now only tones of pinks and red. There are also Lamb's Ears because they seed all over my garden but I leave them in this wild area (the bees love them). There are a few other plants, a pink mallow that's 'weedy' but it fills the space and is quite pretty and we also have several lilacs here. Near that area there is also a drift of common old irises which we've allowed to spread. They are in the lower part of the rockery and I will eventually weed some of them out as the bloom time is not very long. If I were deliberately planting a wildflower garden I would not buy a wildflower mix as there could be invasive plants in it. I planted a mix about 14 years ago and still have Dame Hesperis (Dame's Rocket) altho pull out many every year and try to dead-head them ASAP before they seed. It's quite a weed in warmer climates. I would choose seeds of plants I like that are hardy but not invasive and mix them together. Another option is to plant in swaths with various plants and grasses hardy to your area. Keep in mind the moisture requirements of the plants as you decide. The area where I have shastas, mallow, and yarrow needs little watering and only a spring weeding so is easy care. Here is a link that might be useful: The Garden House

Since I'm cooking for one, I do lasagna as a "roll-up". I'll make a meat sauce, mix up the riccotta and other ingredients, and cook 4-6 noodles... max. Then I put the cheese and sauce along noodle and roll... then a little extra sauce before going into oven. I'll assemble the rest and freeze on a plate lined with wax paper. Once hard, I vac seal... 1-2 to a bag. Right out of freezer, some sauce, and into oven... covered maybe 20-25 minutes, then uncovered for 20-25 more. That's about the same time it takes to cook prepared/frozen stuff.

Hi all, thanks so much for your input; I wouldn't call myself creative-minded and it's hard for me to picture the space empty/ redone!! I was thinking a soft oak laminate as pictured below. I would consider real wood-- need to see if quotes come within budget. The tiling by the door and fire place will not be staying. :) I really like farmhouse style, rustic, etc. I like decor in lighter colors as opposed to cherry wood or darker accents of that sort. Ideally all accents will brighten the place :)

@Sabrina Alfin I sure can! I'd also like to mention that I don't have any accent colors to speak of - minus a few red pillows on the couch. And I'm definitely not married to those if that makes a difference. Thank you!