This is my personal opinion. I'm no expert about this. I think if the house is a blank slate style-wise, you can take it in almost any direction you prefer. Although you need to have a vision for the entire home to make this work. You don't want to end up with a country kitchen, super-modern baths, and a Craftsman living room. I guess I would start by asking myself if the lines of the home are more horizontal or vertical. Again, my personal opinion, but I think horizontal lines lend themselves better to more sleek styles like modern, MCM, or whatever. Just something more streamlined. While horizontal lines lean more toward traditional, transitional, and country-ish/cottagey styles. What do YOU like? What do you envision for the rest of the home? I'm sure you'll get better, more concrete advice from others. And it may be helpful to post this question in the Home Decorating forum, too. And probably time to start finding inspiration photos.

It's not just chains- I've personally worked for two independent restaurants, one mid level and one very high end fine dining, that calculate taxes based on assumed tips. Most servers will receive paychecks for $0.00; the $2.13/hour the restaurant owes them is completely consumed by taxes, so tips are literally all they take home most of the time. And if your state has income taxes they are the last to be taken out of a paycheck, so your server will get hit at tax time for all the state taxes there wasn't enough In her paycheck to cover. Here's another one most people don't know about- the 1-3% to run your credit card is often taken out of your servers tips! It's the same as any industry, if you haven't done it, you have no idea. Poor service? By all means, show your displeasure in your tip, I do! But no tip because you assume takeout is no work? That's just cheap. Some restaurants are moving to a no tip model for many of these reasons; Joe's Crab Shack announced they would be switching to a higher set wage and no tips, and they have already said the menu prices will rise accordingly. Good food, good service, cheap prices- pick any two ya like, but you can't have all three.

Well said palimpsest, and I agree. Its exactly why I am looking to learn more about the house and going to live in it while making my decisions. I don't want the kitchen to look like it does now 1983 nor do I want it to look like so many of todays kitchens....I will find my inspiration. Choosing materials for counters and backsplashes/fireplace will be challenging. I can't afford to come in with all new remodel and furniture so will have to work with what I have as I progress. Here is part of the master bedroom as it looks with current owner, I am hoping to find a bed very much like this one. This floor will have to wait until the kitchen level is done tho. I love and appreciate all the information, opinion and ideas. thank you.

North, south, east, or west of Hudson's Bay? Just kidding, but we need to know where you live. Parts of Canada are well south of parts of the US. If you're in the Pacific area then I can call in a specialist for you. I will respond to two things you said briefly. 1) NEVER ROTOTILL to prepare for a lawn, and 2) NEVER SEED a cool season grass seed in the spring. So there, I've simplified that much of your issue. Having said that, if you are in the far west, those rules would not be in upper case. NOW is the time to get going on this. Canada is a little euro with respect to using herbicides, but find something you can use on broadleaf weeds. Down here we use Weed-b-Gon or Weed-b-Gon Chickweed, Clover, and Oxalis Killer. Spot spray the weeds only, but I can see that will be a general spray for these first times. Don't use a granular herbicide, because that truly is a bane to the environment. No weed-n-feed products, ever. Watering: Deep and infrequent is the mantra for watering. This is for all turf grass all over the place. Deep means 1 inch all at one time. Put some cat food or tuna cans around the yard, and time how long it takes your sprinkler(s) to fill all the cans. Memorize that time. That will be the time you water from now on. My hose, sprinkler and water pressure takes 8 full hours to fill the cans. Your time will likely be less. I like gentle watering. As for watering frequency, that depends on the daytime air temperature. With temps in the 90s, deep water once per week. With temps in the 80s, deep water once every 2 weeks. With temps in the 70s, deep water once every 3 weeks. With temps below 70, deep water once a month. Note that you have to keep up with quickly changing temps in the spring and fall. This deep and infrequent schedule works in Phoenix and in Vermont, so it should work for you. The reason for deep and infrequent is to grow deeper, more drought resistant roots and to allow the soil to dry completely at the surface for several days before watering again. If it rains, reset your calendar to account for the rainfall. Mulch mow weekly at your mower's highest setting. Fertilize on Victoria Day, Labour Day, and Remembrance Day (ish). The last one should go down after the grass has stopped growing but before it freezes hard. The idea is to pump nitrogen into the roots but not into the shoots where they would die from the upcoming freeze. Use a high N fast release fertilizer like urea. Use a preemergent herbicide when the forsythia first blooms in your neighborhood. Use it immediately again if you get a heavy spring rain. Use it in the fall if you get a heavy rain. Use a broadleaf post emergent herbicide in mid April (or a month after the grass awakens), and again in mid September. If you can stick to the watering plan and the seeding admonition above, you should not get crabgrass again.