If you look closely at the top of these plants, buds should be forming on them if they are truly Liliums. 5ft. is pretty average for mature orientals/trumpets, which I'm assuming yours might be since Asiatics are just about at their peak right now. If you could take a few photographs of your plants and the area where it's growing in, we might be able to provide you with more information. Cheers, Riz

Ok, mighty. I just responded to every statement you wrote and then I lost it all. Very frustrating. In a nutshell, I agree with all of your suggestions. Some other changes I want to make...on the garage I'd like to bring the right side forward about a foot to offset the section like my inspiration picture. I didn't realize I could separate the existing windows and use traditional ones. Would you suggest repeating the same windows on the second floor? "Flaring of the shingles at the foundation or at a belt line could help too. A taller trim board at the head of the window and no flat trim board at the sill would help a lot. If the nail-fin window doesn't have a proper projecting sill (most don't) add a PVC sill nosing from ATW (see link). You could also add a small band molding to the outer edges of the jamb and head trim of the windows. You could also add a classical crown trim to the head to match all the classical pediments and cornice returns." Could you post some examples? I understand your link, but I'm not sure about the rest. No view, unfortunately. Just an obnoxiously huge window. I've seen 3 windows close together with the one in the middle a little bigger. I kind of like that. I can't find a picture though. That is a pathetic post on the porch. I'd like posts like the inspiration pic. Hopefully my builder can improvise. (breaking out into a sweat) "Why couldn't your architect figure out these basic architectural detailing enhancements from the photo you gave him/her? I suspect he/she not only skipped some courses but perhaps the NCARB exam." I'm not too impressed with the drawings. I like that he listened to our wants and needs and didn't just do what HE wanted, but...I was hoping for a WOW when I saw the drawings. We've waited many years to be able to afford this. I don't want to be satisfied, I want to be thrilled. Thanks for your input. Any other ideas are appreciated. mythreesonsnc - again I agree with all of your comments. Not sure why the architect didn't add these design elements. The front three double windows are existing. I'll post a picture of our "mobile home". This is what I've called it since we moved here. The rest of my neighborhood is custom homes. No two are the same. We bought for the location. Most homes are riverfront. If I could afford a teardown I would. Here is a link that might be useful: our Sears kit - mobile home :(

Okay, I had to chuckle over the "10'ceilings". Most people I know only have 10' ceilings. It's the newer builds that have these high cathedral ceilings. Just think of the money you'll save with heating and cooling because you won't have that extra space to take care of :) 10' isn't really all that short, unless you're like an 8' or 9' person... We live in a mobile home and have for the last 8 years and will until the time comes that I get out, go to the two year business school and get a job (I've been a SAHM for 9 years tomorrow, exactly) because we need the second income. Our trailer is twenty years old but it doesn't look it because we have replaced and repaired and painted nearly everything. It's a 16X70, which means we have a little over 1100 sq ft, three bedroom, one and a half bath, 8ft ceilings in every room but the living room and kitchen. We have two kids, so lots of toys and 'junk' that comes along with them . :) Sometimes I wish we had a bit more room, like we only have the closets in the bedrooms and that's it for storage (we have an Amish shed outside for the seasonal things and whatever else we need to "store" but I have also learned to make use out of every avaliable space like under the beds) but we've made it work. We're not on top of one another. There aren't little walkways through the rooms. And even with the 8' ceilings and ceiling fans that hang lower, nobody has hit their head on anything (DH is 5' 10" and I'm 5' 5", so we're not anywhere near hitting our heads...but DH's cousin is 6' something and they bought an older house with low archways and he's still able to walk through and skim right under them with no problems. He's not complainging) I often think the problem is that people think they need more "junk" than they really do to make a house a home. You really just need the basics. I will admit that the reason I wish I had more room was really just to have more cupboards and shelving and more space to display my Primitive antiques, not because we're lacking space to move around and properly function. Just look back at the houses from the previous generations. Some really tiny homes were big enough for families of 5, 6, 7....I know people that lived in smaller mobile homes than we're in and raised 4 or 5 kids! My grandparents first house was about the size of our trailer. It was a Cape Cod style so they had the slanted roof in the bedrooms upstairs....they had 5 kids in that house. It can be done! One tip will be to definitely measure spaces and the furniture you plan to fill it with. A lot of furniture today are these massive, overstuffed pieces that may not work so well in the smaller spaces. However, you will be able to find things that work! Enjoy your new home!

Do take it to the home decorating forum. We can't tell much from just these photos but it does look livable except for the purple paint and wallpaper. :) Those can go, and fast. It looks like inexpensive updating will take you a long way while you plan the real remodel. The honey oak isn't bad here! If the budget is really tight, don't do anything major until it grows a bit. Small projects tend up escalate and then something unrelated like the furnace might go out. http://ths.gardenweb.com/forums/decor