I hope I am understanding what you are asking correctly. I think you have a wonderful space started for your cottage garden. It will be so beautiful from the street and from your windows in a few years. Since you have lots of space to fill and cash is an issue (isn't it always?!), the best advice I can give you to fill this space quickly is...Gilbert H. Wild and Son. You can buy daylilys, unnamed, 100/$99.99 I think it is. If you want named varieties they are like 50/$137.00 Daylilies grow wonderfully in dappled shade. They also have simialar deals on hosta, lilys and a few others. They have a website but it's kind of rinky dink unless they have improved it recently....order the catalog instead. Check Ebay for bareroot shrubs and also plants. There are a lot of plants available there for very little money. The plants will be small but they will grow in a couple of years. Just leave them plenty of room when you plant them and then mulch to keep out weeds until they fill in. Also check out the Winter Sowing forum here on Garden Web. Start your own seeds OUTSIDE during winter in containers. They have a very detailed FAQ section that will give you all the details. This is the perfect time of year to start sowing your seeds. Many on that forum will send you free seeds for a SASE. Good Luck! MeMo Here is a link that might be useful: Gilbert H. Wild

This is a beautiful, charming home. If you start in the living room, you would first decide what would be the focal point -- which is obviously the fireplace. So your seating would center around it. The opposite side of the room could be used for additional seating. Leave the arch as is. It is integral to the architecture of the house. Remove the wallpaper -- and I would absolutely paint both rooms the same. You have a lot of ideas and I would suggest you first do electrical update, install new windows. I would also recommend that if you replace one window, you do them all the same. Otherwise, your new home will look disjointed and it will effect the value of your property. Sometimes one can be overwhelmed thinking everything has to be done now. Take your time and enjoy your beautiful new home.

What direction does the door in the picture face? The angle of the sun suggests it might face north, which would make that corner very, very shady. That will greatly limit your selection of plants. Where are you located? Your location (nearest large town or city) will give us necessary information about which plants will do well (or even survive) in your neck of the woods.

This looks like a condo unit in either SOMA or Mission Bay in SF. If so, I'm in your neighborhood and would be happy to help you after the New Year. FWIW, I like the direction of the photo you show of the faded red Asian rug with the brown leather chairs. Will add some much needed color and warmth to the space. Check out my Instagram feed: @sabrinaalfininteriors. Or go to my Pro Page here and call my office. Happy holidays! And congrats on your new home!