Hi repainting, Could you help out another william morris addict? I'd love to buy direct as you did, but I can't figure out how. First I went to the Sanderson site, which led me to the Morris and co. subsite, which, on the FAQ regarding direct orders: "All orders are referred to our Specialist retailers, for more information please visit the "Where To Buy" section on our website for a full list." Perhaps you ordered from a UK retailer with a very low markup? All I can find online are retailers like historic style and pendleton woodworks. Let's see, I'd like to get 4 yards of autumn flowers velvet for a chair I'm recovering; even with conversion, it's $250/yd from historic style. I've got to believe there's a little bit of extra markup in that price! Now, I know retailers have to make a buck, but I guess at these rates I'd rather they make it off someone else. So any info. you have about what you did would be greatly appreciated. Otherwise it's off to Joann during a 50% off home decorating fabrics sale to find a compromise. I can get a velvet at less than 1/10th of the price from them. I'd pay triple or quadruple for a morris pattern, but tenfold more? At those rates, I'd be better off making my own morris stencil and figuring out how to screenprint on plain fabric. Or something. tia, Alex

Thank you again for all your help, everyone. These are great ideas! I have a whole different concept now. My computer crashed completely. I'm having so much computer trouble neither one of us can get any new photos in but here's an old one already in the computer. This is one of the terraces which go up at each side of the flat space in the middle. We've since stained the wood a very dark brown, and replanted the terraces with brightly-colored perennials, and ornamental grasses, which are doing well. The concrete has been replaced with a more natural stone-like look. There is about 20 feet of space between the patio floor and the top edge of the rocky slope; that area has woolly thyme groundcover and low perennials with stepping stones. On the right-hand side we have a very large bowl fountain with two Asian-style herons standing in grasses near it (all taken in for the winter now). porkandham, bleigh, teacats: I didn't think of putting colorful plants on the deck that can be seen from the road. I love the notion of railing planters. They'll have to be very well secured because of the wind, but I think this will be an amazing help. And I think one large metal art piece will be just the thing for that empty spot on the wall, teacats. We're both art lovers. It will be fun looking for just the right piece. jterrilyn, we hope we won't need a new roof for another decade or so! lynxe,cyn, lolauren, oakleyoak, teacats -- I hope the second photo helps. I get your point about staggered heights and placement on the slope looking better than a solid mass of one plant. We don't want to plant anything very tall because the view is the major attraction, but we could plant several large shrubs in a natural-looking pattern. We had the slope shot with wildflowers when we first built the house, but for a variety of reasons they didn't make it. We have irrigation to the slope that we're not using now, so we can reinstitute that. annz, you're right. Because of the wind a row of pots won't work. I love the idea of a retaining wall "bench", but the outer edge seems to be holding fine, and now that the flat space is all planted people sitting on the wall would probably step on the plants getting there from the patio. livewire, cyn, judith, we did have a structural engineer and the County okay the deck. That was when it only had 4x4's. We changed it to 6x6's for the aesthetics, and it really should be okay now, I think. The deck is 24x12. jane, what a gorgeous yard! I love it. We can't replicate that here, as the climate just isn't right, but thank you for the gorgeous photos. I had to laugh at the deer going swimming in your pool. Nobody here has pools, so they don't get that upscale experience! suzanne, we have bears and mountain lions here, so we'd rather not make it even easier for them to get to the deck. Bad enough we have racoons climbing the posts all the time. We're just a bit too low for aspens to do well here; we have some in the front yard, and they're not very happy. madeyna, we thought about cross supports earlier, but it would obstruct the view. So, thanks to you all, we've been able to look at this freshly, and here's the plan: We're going to plant a tree above the right-hand terrace (as you look at the house in the photo view) so that it will appear to be at the corner of the house. It won't be where the view will be obstructed much. On the left side we'll do a similar placement with a large evergreen shrub so that the tree and shrub don't "match", but harmonize. We're going to get some substantial planters which will hang on the deck railing and be planted with colorful annuals. On the slope instead of that green blanket of junipers I was imagining we'll plant a more natural landscape with a few large scattered shrubs, using a drip system and leaving the rock as is. This won't be expensive, as we have the irrigation still in place that we used for the wildflowers which didn't make it and can easily convert the spray to drip. We'll either block in the posts to make them more substantial-looking or perhaps plant a climbing vine on one of them for color. Everyone, thank you again! All of this will be doable, not expensive, and will make us happy with the way our back yard looks. And thanks also for your concerns about erosion and the safety of the deck; I think we have that handled, but I very much appreciate your caring enough to point out potential problems. Now I can't wait until spring!

Looks to me like you have no overhead lighting which is challenging in a DR where there is generally a hanging fixture over the table. Is this an option? I feel like there are too many hard surfaces-tile, stone, metal and you need to inject some color and warmth into the space. A larger rug with colors tying the DR and LR together would be ideal. I like the idea of flipping the table, think it will fill in the space better. Maybe also a runner and some floor plants. I would not move the tall cabinet to the long wall. Not the right shape. Keep the large artwork or add a long credenza to better use the space and also allow you to add lamps. I think the LR looks good. Maybe add something on other side of the window for balance? Again seems lighting an issue. Could add a floor lamp in corner or accent table with lamp and floor lamp to other side. Your rug is fine, if you pull out the sofa and loveseat to put the front legs on the rug, you’re all set. I wouldn’t put a shag rug under a DR table.

You're the umpteenth person today who's asked for advice without showing the entire room. We don't know what the rest of your furnishings look like, floor color, rugs, furniture, accessories. Need more visual information. .Here's my thread on how to get the most helpful suggestions when you post on Houzz. Good design is holistic, not just a three-foot section of a room. https://www.houzz.com/discussions/6067247/design-dilemma-advice-for-first-time-posters Usually the solution to a color incompatibility is to repaint the walls, not replace furniture. Is there a reason you can't repaint to a creamy white that matches your terrific sofa? I don't get why so many people twist themselves into pretzels to stick with gray, gray, gray walls indoors and outdoors even when none of their furnishings goes with gray. Create an Ideabook called "gray and cream living room" and see what pops up. There's a whole thread on "gray living room walls cream sofa on Pinterest." I find the well-designed room below depressing. However, the cream rug, art work, ivory drapes, patterned pillow make it a little dynamic.