The truth? I like your cabinets. I really do. They are lovely and you did some fun things with their design. I don't like the trim in that room where it's right next to the cabinets. It kind of feels like a mistake to me. Certainly, a good option is to paint the trims in the kitchen only. But here's an alternative: What if you added a fairly bold accent color to ties this room together? Since you mentioned beach cottage and south Florida, what about an antique red that looks just a little bit nautical? Or a deep melon? Or a more bold blue (again, sort of a sailing color)? And be sure to paint those three open shelves in that color. I can't promise, but it could be that once you introduce that vibrant color, your coconut and white won't look like a mistake anymore. The one course I would avoid is repainting those cabinets. I have 3 kids, and when mine were your age, their fingerprints were everywhere. The big advantage to going to a large cabinet company (as you did) is their finishes are so much more durable than a paintbrush and a gallon applied at your house. Right now, you have something that can be washed off and withstand more nicks etc...don't mess with a good thing. I grew up with repainted cabinets at home, and they were terrible...even back when we had oil-based enamel.

Having just retired from the Navy, I'm pretty well versed with all the rules for renting to military folks. The folks that moved out of the home were Air Force. Most military folks will insist on getting a "military clause" with their lease that clearly outlines under what circumstances they can break their lease without penalty. It is usually because they get orders to another duty station or separated from the military. There are a couple of clauses which I would not sign, seeing as how I understand how they work, but I would imagine a non-military owner might not understand. One of these is TAD/TDY over xx days (usually 180+ days). This is often so that if the hubby is sent away to some training for a long period, the wife may want to move back with her parents, especially if there are small children in the family (i.e. hubby sent to Iraq). Although I'm sympathetic, the family is getting paid allowances (by us taxpayers) for the rent on the house, so they should pay rent for one, not pocket the money. The other is that they can move into base housing if it becomes available. Base housing is optional, so this means they have no intention of completing the lease - they are just using you as temporary housing until their names come up on the list. Just my take on this. And yes, the house is back on MLS because technically, we have no contract.

No, it doesn't need to reach the top of the tree it is climbing on before blooming :-) But climbing hydrangeas do need to reach a certain stage of maturity to produce flowers - and that is the concept underlying the need for a period of establishment for these plants before expecting flowers. Typically, flowering maturity is achieved in the plant's 7th-10th year, so I'd expect you to see flowers soon. You can shortcut this extended waiting period by purchasing larger, more developed plants to begin with - the larger the plant initially, the closer it is to reaching flowering maturity.

I really love the bench, but sitting there, it is just to "cushy" or something, I can't quite find the words, to look good. I'd put it at the end of a bed, or figure out how to take off the bolsters, or put a picture there that matches the bench in feel, with a rounder, flourished, carved frame. I think that other, impressionistic picture with the gilded frame looks great with it. If it were me, unless I adored the bench and wanted to decorate that space around it, I would just move it and call it a day. On the other hand, if looking at the bench and a picture that goes with it every day will make you happy, go for it!