The old-fashioned, spreading types of junipers would work. They are supposedly deer resistant, but given that the deer stripped everything they could reach on my red cedars this past year, take that with a grain of salt. Otherwise, I'd think in terms of a deciduous shrub. I have a somewhat similar situation. We are on a corner lot, and the side yard is bordered by what was probably a white pine hedge about 30 years ago. I want to take them down and replace them with something that ideally would grow to about ten feet. The last thing I want is another set of 100 ft behemoths. The thing that makes it really tricky is that the pH is too high for all known broadleaf evergreens. Suggestions for unknown broad leaf evergreens that can handle the conditions of a reasonably exposed zone 5 and a pH of over 7 are ALWAYS welcome :)

Hi! I'm a lurker here because y'all have such wonderful ideas. kittypawz-WOW! You live across from the Priddy Fountain? I went to junior high and part of high school in Highland Park and used to drive past that thing (before it was rebuilt) all the time. oceanna-Your siding pics are too funny. My last home had a huge picture window in the dining room that was 6' from the neighbor's house (all brick). I finally built a trellis on the outside to grow vines over the window and block the view :) Here's what I see outside my windows now..

I think they are blue spruce, redwood and two Atlas cedars, but I will go back some time and re-photograph.

Neighbors I've had planked their vaulted ceiling and then continued the planks horizontally across the wall all the way down the two longest parallel vertical walls to the flooring with really light wood and same light finish for beams -- it looked great. They used the same light finish on the vertical paneling but vertically on the end window wall and same light finish for the window and door trim -- so NO very dark to very light contrast -- which made the end wall visually disappear and permitted the view to be the star. Another house with a vaulted ceiling (but less windows and not a great view) used a lot of light (walls) to dark (trim) contrast and the dark (trim) parts grabbed the visual attention. Prefer to let the view and furnishings/decor claim the attention.