I tend to put the bed line in after the plants so that any gentle waves make sense as far as what is planted there. You want the attention on the plants rather than the bed edge, so let the plant design guide the edge. If you can spare another foot or two, it will give you extra room to add another layer of smaller plants so that there is more interest in the bed. Like Floral, I would suggest at least some repetition, though not all of the plants need to repeat. Perhaps choose one strong looking shrub and one perennial to repeat in 3 chunks, and the rest can be more random. I used a 3 varieties of evergreens, and 3 or 4 types of perennials in a larger mixed shrub bed to do this, but the rest is random. Quickfire is a great choice, one of my very favorite plants in my garden due to long bloom, lovely flower panicle shape, and sturdy branching. It will need the entire 7' width to grow since it's large (plus enough room to reach around the back to do any needed maintenance), but it is so worth it. You could also plant a smaller Hydrangea paniculata in another spot in the bed to provide some echo without it being an identical plant. One of the things love about QF is that it makes a great trellis for clematis. My favorite combination is with a loosely growing clematis such as Little Bas, though there are many other clematis that I grow into shrubs such as Guernsey Cream and some of the bell-shaped clematis. Here's QF with Little Bas. I use perennials and shorter shrubs in front of my larger shrubs and have clematis both on trellises and growing into stiffer-branches shrubs such as QF and lilacs. Think about what your goals are - do you want berries for the birds or shelter for nesting? If so, think about some of the evergreen or deciduous hollies or viburnums or other relatively dense berrying bushes (and don't forget the males if needed.) Do you want winter interest? Look at plants with interesting bark such as red-twigged dogwoods and evergreens (broad-leafed and conifers.) Do you have a height preference? Do you want lots of flowers? Look for plants with long bloom time. Is fall foliage color important? Also, don't forget to think about foliage color and texture so you have some interest and variety when things aren't in bloom. You haven't given location other than zone, so be sure to know your soil (get a soil test if you don't know) so that you plant things that will be happy there. If you give us more info on location and/or soil, you will probably get more suggestions since MO has fairly different growing conditions than CT, though both have the same zone.

if hapypaws meant thuja green giants .... be clear.. that you do not have room for those .... period ... [your welcome hapy] if you want to throw in some vertical aspects.. look into degroots spire .... comparatively thinner in the years to come .... https://duckduckgo.com/?q=Thuja+occidentalis+%27DeGroot%27s+Spire%27&t=ffcm&iax=images&ia=images my first thought.. along the garage.. was also ... drag those ugly bushes toward the fence.. and make the walkway along the building ... though im not sure as to ID .. and the cost/benefit of moving those things .... the spires might look better along the fence ... and give you a wider walkway ..... you probably have to get the lawnmower thru that space???? .. is it a rider??? as to general planting.. see link ... note the timing aspect .... planting is an early spring thing.. not the heat of summer thing .... so either get it done early.. or wait until fall ... for best chance at success .... or bifurcate your your plan ... https://sites.google.com/site/tnarboretum/Home/planting-a-tree-or-shrub why are you fixated on holly??? .. nothing wrong with them.. you just mention them many times ... plz give us a more specific big city name .... if you plan on joining us more often.. its best to go to your members page and add you location.. as you note most of us have ... it matters ... you too hapy!!! is snow load damage really a zone 7 issue???? lastly ... do not plant so far down the driveway.. that you have problems with seeing down the road when backing out .... ken ps: whats the tree out from the porch toward the monster tree??? ... how far is it from the porch??? .. and while your are at it.. whats the totem pole tree and whats the deal with that?????

In open concept things don't have to match they just need to coordinate. Choose colors you want in the space and use them in varying degrees in both parts of the room. The rug you have under the table is too big for that space. I would move it into the living room part of the room but orient it the opposite direction. Center it in that space with the window and use it as a guide for furniture placement. You should have at least a foot of hardwoods showing on all sides. Art should be placed with centers at about 60". a grouping should be placed as if it were one piece. Color should be repeated around the room to keep your eyes moving in the space. Center the dining table under the light and lower the light closer to the table. If you do bring in another rug it should also be centered under the light along with the table.Try the table turned the other way. The room will feel less cramped if you can comfortably walk all the way around the table grouping. When I move into a new place I try different furniture placement out for a few weeks then change things up and live with another position for awhile until I find what works in the room best for my lifestyle. Looks like you have a great start. I also love saving money buying at thrift stores and online. Gotta love a deal.

Are you staying with the current color scheme in the other rooms and on the kitchen soffits? Black will look sharp with those colors and echo your pendants; matching the other cabinets in a white of course will look fine too although I would be sure that the white you pick doesn't clash with the flooring. You could also pull a color from the veining of the counter, the grout in the floor tile, or any décor in the adjoining rooms.