I think JaG hit on something that's always been fairly significant part of my offerings, and that is optimization. I've never said you couldn't grow in this or that. I may point out the probable shortcomings of a particular soil, but I never say you can't grow in it. I often say you can grow in a bucket of marbles, if you want to stand over it and water every 5 minutes. The same is true of a heavier soil - if you want to water in sips with distilled water & can devise a plan for ensuring soluble salts levels don't get too high. The point is, I've always been about two things - optimizing and simplifying. If I am a help, it's usually to those who wish to optimize growth or improve performance of their plantings. I'm little help to those content with the way things are. To many, me included, only a little improvement is a lot - kind of like using premium fuel in your car so you can squeeze out just that little bit of extra acceleration or top end speed - only in this case, the 'little extra' ends up being cheaper when you make your own. I figured what I had learned about soils could be helpful to others. I registered with GW in '02, and in '05 I posted the first soil thread. I'd mentioned the importance of aeration time after time, and how bark-based soils could be so much easier to grow in and more plant-friendly, and received a LOT of criticism and ridicule for trying to upset the apple cart. Eventually, a few started to see that what I was saying made sense & tried it. Now, there are at least six people growing in bark-based highly aerated soils - and I think at least 2 in the gritty mix. ;o) Some people have made very large advances in the amount of satisfaction they get from their growing experience as a result of changing to a more forgiving soil. Others have incorporated the 'aeration message' into their way of thinking about soils and have been pleased to have done so. The simplicity part comes into play because it's difficult to over-water a free-draining, well-aerated soil - you really have to work at it. That the soils I use have only 3 basic ingredients each, is also a form of simplicity. No .... not as simple as opening a bag, but those happy with simply opening a bag are not the ones I'm trying to reach anyway. The satisfaction isn't necessarily commensurate with the size of our forward strides. More often, it's in the perception of our progress. The people I care the most about are those who are happy to be moving forward and who are willing to do just a little extra to ensure that their progress is steady (no matter if it comes in leaps and bounds or that it comes in baby steps) - they're all kindred to me. ;o) Al

Thank you for all of your comments . . . I so appreciate your input! I've decided to go with the top knobs pulls. I found a photo online of the the Atlas pulls and while I love a single one very much, on a lot of cabinetry they look a bit heavy. So while I was really on the fence, given that the Atlas are about 50-60% more expensive, and I didn't love the chunky look, I'm going with #1.

I would paint all your walls and trim a brighter white. With a house that is new to you, I would suggest making lists of the things you want to update, the approximate costs, and timing. Include things that will need to be changed from your home inspection like hvac, roof, etc. If it was a family home and you didn't get an inspection, do that now so you don't have surprises. You'll want a whole house plan so that you can budget, prioritize, and you're not re-doing things you've already changed later on. Don't forget about lighting which is a very important part of your home.

My first thought was white (to not darken your bath -- baths are small and dark colors can make them have an even smaller vibe). Then I noticed that your toilet tissue roll rod and sconces and the mat around your art and even the base of your cabinet appears to be black ... so, clearly you like the dramatic look of it and it doesn't look bad at all ... so ... go for it: choose black. You can always replace it or paint it white later on if your tastes change.