Your design sounds very very nice! Wish you could post a picture! I think the above ideas are really good, but I am wondering if you need a climber, what do you have for it to climb on.., you have very nice trees, shrubs in place now, so do you want a little bed of flowers for say like butterflies etc..? If so, then we can talk plants! I can't picture exactly how big the area is.. but some great plants off the top of my head are for the back: joe pye weed pineapple sage, or fragrant tall phlox. For the middle -rudbeckia goldstrum, sedum autumn joy, shasta daisy, maybe a verbena for the front. Maybe place a small bird bath in the midst.. these plants do great in full sun, and really come into their own during summer and summers end... a nice way to end the season, well, then you could put in some panises and mums and decorative cabbages.. oh its endless really! If you don't want color, then you could put hostas in front and maybe grow something right behind them for a little shade covering and given plenty of water they should be ok, it would tie in with your "japanese/ foliage theme" I have rambled alot.. but good luck and let us know what you do! Jenn

IMO I would first solve the function issues you have outlined and then address the style issues you have requested. As with every design problem there may be compromises to get most of what you've listed, but function shouldn't be one of them. I've attached a layout and some examples of furnishings & unique equipment that may accommodate many of your requests. Please carefully think about keeping a frankly huge armoire, that you still have to spend time and money to refinish, to hold a printer that could reasonably fit on a small shelf. The printers seem to get smaller everyday as do the computers/laptops. How many of us got stuck with armoires to hold huge TVs? The local Goodwill where I live won't even take armoires anymore because no one wants them in their homes. That item in particular, from my perspective as a designer, is like fitting a square peg in a round hole. I often look to the RV industry to provide me with clever equipment that does double duty, like hidden work surfaces that can pull out of standard cabinets when needed, and slide away when not in use. I think you can assemble a workable room, with the special style you're looking for & even that special settee, but I would build in files and storage which is always needed, find a clever way to close away your DH clutter so you don't have to nag, & look for high tech items to help you reach you goals. Built in wall units are not inexpensive, but everything doesn't need to be custom. Cabinets from any modular kitchen cabinet manufacturer, even IKEA, could be used to assemble your workstations. Good Luck

One thing to do..........The short wall to the right of the coffee bar is not a supporting wall, and could be ripped out when you rip out the sink and cabinet. This would eliminate one of the "nooks" and open the room up a bit. If you truly do not need the upper platform for anything useful, I would just put decorative doors over the space and close it off. Maybe sometime down the road you will need more storage space and it will come in handy.

Am I going crazy or am I seeing FOUR Calendars there? Oh dear, that can't be helping the serenity need one bit. Like a continuous honking reminder of the full time work and stress levels. Even if they are not calendars but some other necessary info providers, get them out of your face and consolidated somewhere else, maybe by the table. Then put something simple and really beautiful over that sink. Store the little pictures and most (all?) the decorative things on the counter. Whew. Much better. On the decorating front, seems you have several styles (country/contemporary/traditional), color schemes (green & lemon yellow v black & white & mustard), and focal points or themes in competition (arched window, glassware collection, B/W bistro checks, sunflowers). It is like too many directions at once, any of which would be fine alone, KWIM? There needs to be more dominance of one thing and then supporting roles - does that make sense? Like if the check/sunflower accessories are going to drive the show, then the wall paint maybe could be more mustardy and less lemony. And the window treatment maybe a lighter or darker solid mustard tone edged with the check in the same scale as the accesories. Maybe hammered copper sunflower embossed pieces at the sink and range. And store the glassware because it neither supports nor enhances the main themes and colors. It all gets much more harmonious and less fragmented. Disciplined editing and a few minor tweaks will solve much of what is troubling you visually. Prioritize among the colors and themes and go for it. Employ the Sweeby test method (see FAQ ). As for function, sounds like you do miss your island. There are many free standing narrow island pieces that could meet your functional need in the short term. It may be possible to patch your flooring and put in a larger more functional island down the road, plumbed for your DW and with a MW spot. Take your time and explore options before commiting to a costly change. Good luck! Here is a link that might be useful: FAQ - look on left for Sweeby test link