Wow mjsee, what lovely photos, thanks! It was over 100 degrees here today, with high humidity, and your garden looks so cool and tranquil. No wonder you enjoy it so much! Your approach is definitely what I'm after. I don't want a landscape that I'm a constant slave to, but I like to look forward to being outside! Love your ferns....Incidentally, I planted some Christmas ferns this week in a shady corner. Purpleinopp, thanks for the suggestions; those sound like books I'd love to read! The idea of a lawn being an American obsession sounds hilarious, but so true. I never could relate to these people who spend sooo much time fussing over grass. If I "fuss" over anything, it better be something that gives me more than that. By the time some folks are finished creating their "perfect" lawn, it will be so chemical-laden that many things we enjoy as a natural part of nature are not even present. Fireflies, crickets, tree frogs,etc. [Not to mention, who wants to be contaminated, anyway? Hmmm, maybe that's how we Americans came to be so "distant" from our landscapes; sort of like, "look, don't touch"....] On another note, I'm making some surprising discoveries along the way.....I never thought of roses as being low maintainance, but am finding that some of the old garden roses are in fact exactly that. I have one growing in a large pot that has amazed me. One of those "orphan" plants I picked up last year and decided to try in a pot, while I figure out where it's happy and what it likes. Dutchess de Brabant was the name that came with it. I expected it to require a lot of care, because it's not exactly a "modern, low maintainance rose" but was I ever in for a pleasant surprise. It has bloomed almost continuously this summer, [fragrant!] in spite of extreme heat, seems immune to blackspot, I spray only occasionally with a neem solution and water fairly regularly. [It is in a pot, after all.] Other than that, it got healthy compost, and is treated pretty much like any other shrub, I don't coddle it. I believe I'll try to find some more for the few sunny spots we have here. The stems are not as strong as the newer varieties, but the rose makes up for it in character! Beats the newer roses by far, because at least this one has a lovely, fruity fragrance! This has been an adventure..... thanks, y'all; keep it up!

Such a great, great, great movie. I have a story about it and I swear on my children's lives absolutely true. Tragic ending, IMO.... Sometime in the mid-80's, as was typical, teen me is chilling out in the pre-5000 channel era watching an old movie on a Sunday afternoon. I love Cary Grant, and have parents that are renovation addicts, so this one is particularly fun for me. Mom comes in and joins me, we laugh at the silliness and finally she says, " Uncle L has that house." Me, "Who?" "My uncle L, he's W's father." "Why don't I know him?" "Because he's an abusive and mean old SOB that no one likes very much, but he built my Aunt M that house - she's the one that died long ago in the car accident." "He doesn't have THAT house!" "Yes, yes he does, they built a bunch of them to promote the movie, although he couldn't get one of those. But, Aunt M wanted one. So one day he just called the studio in Hollywood. He actually talked to a producer on the phone and convinced them to send him the plans. I'm pretty sure they still have the plans and signed letter from the producer that came with them. He also owns a whole bunch of land where he goes hunting and fishing - he had all the timber and siding on the house cut from his own property and waited for it to cure before he built the house. It's an amazing, beautiful house." I was in it since that conversation, and yes, it was. Here's the tragic part - the immediate family never told anyone when it was time to sell it. My uncle died 9 yrs. ago this Spring (he lived in the house until his death in his 90's) and DH and I were looking to move to the town he had lived in to be closer to DH's work. We live in that town today. We really wanted to buy it but my cousin insisted on selling some of the land separately for commercial zoning - we didn't want commercial property right up against us, so we said no thanks. The house with a small amount of yard around it ended up being sold at auction for less than $200,000, I believe it is being used as a rental property and every time I drive by it I want to cry. It looks terrible and unloved, and honestly, the old guy had kept very good care of it until the last couple years. It has such an amazing story behind it, and I am sure that almost no one knows that it is a Blandings Dream House - except my cousin, I don't even know how much his own kids know about the story or if he kept the paper work that went with it. I would love to put the word out about it, because I believe there are organizations that keep track of the houses built in the promotion that try to get them preserved. But I'd just feel like I'm screwing over my cousin, and that the fools that don't take care of it now could stand to make a killing on it just because of what it is. Too bad, isn't it?

@CarpenterSF- If I'm paying 5k for painting, they better paint the whole house! Also, there is no second floor over these walls; not yet anyway... that was what my original question was about (and I posted the complete layout). A lot of the work involved I have absolutely no idea how much it will cost, but some things I do know... and your electrical and painting estimates are bizarre (we've already got a new panel, upped the amps, ran a new line to the house, and ran some new 220V circuits for only 5k total). When the quotes come in, we will know what we are in for... @robotropolis - That is exactly what the previous owner did... took part of the laundry room and made it a bath. Although the laundry room was a step down from the rest of the house and he wanted the bathroom at the same level as the house.. that is why the ceilings are low. @the rest - I never asked if I should teardown/rebuild the house or if I should do everything all at once because those are not options that I can afford. You know it is also cheaper and easier if you buy a house all in cash rather than get a mortgage, but people still get mortgages. I have two options open to me: Do the renovations in two phases over the next 5-10 years or move. I am choosing option number one... and I am genuinely getting upset that so many are telling me I should do everything all at once or teardown/rebuild the house. I bought the house for better or worse; there is only moving forwards… I do welcome, need, and greatly appreciate any advice that I can actually use... like any tips on how to make these phases go smoother, codes to check (I already got great advice there, thanks!), things to ask contractors, ways to save money on the phases, or creative layout suggestion for affordably adding a master bathroom/suite or making a great room. That is why I posted. Thanks, Robin

Nice progress, but I agree it would be better lowered at some point, and possibly loosened up. With of course that metal box someplace where your husband doesn't sit. :) Both rooms that are experienced mainly when sitting and low ceilings can be dealt with by mounting wall decor relatively low, and in the case of the latter letting attention focus below so that a ceiling can sort of "soar" without notice above.