Eks, it is generally not a good idea to mix clematis types. This is due to the different ways the different groups are pruned. All that being said, I do have a type II and type I clematis planted together (macropetala and Belle of Woking). Types one and two generally don't get pruned at all except to contain their size and to remove deadwood. That is the reason that I mixed those two types. Most people would agree that planting type IIIs with type Is and the IIs is not a good idea since type IIIs get pruned back severely in the winter or early spring. Trying to selectively prune a type III intermixed with a type I or II is going to be difficult to do. That being said no one says you have to prune type IIIs at all. I have seen pictures of a Polish Spirit climbing a tall tree in one of my clematis books (I believe it was Linda Buetler's book "Gardening with Clematis"). The drawback to not pruning a type III clematis is that it can get very tall and leggy, the blooms may be at the top of the plant instead of lower down on the vines, and the lower leaves may yellow and fall off. So in summation, can you interplant the three? Yes, you can if you can live with the aforementioned things happening or if you have the patience of Job when you do your pruning or even if every couple of years, you trim all the clematis vines back and are willing to take the risk of having a year when your type I and II clematis do not bloom. Bottom line, I wouldn't do it but then it is your decision to make. You alone know what you can live with and what you can't better than anyone else!

Since feedback seemed to be mixed, I decided to let my DD make the final decision. She kept asking me which desk I preferred, but I wouldn't tell her. She opted for the larger desk with more drawer space painted white paired with the Victorian chair. Loves the idea of the fabric bulletin board over the desk so I'll order extra fabric for that as well. Also loves the idea of a glass top where she can slide her artwork, pics and certificates underneath. Regarding the suggestions for a different room layout, believe it or not I've tried most all of them. Each one has pros and cons in a room this small. Bottom line, tho, is if I center the daybed under the window that leaves approx. 18" per side. Putting either the desk or dresser where the bookcase is now results in a blocked corner behind the bed since both are greater than 18" deep whereas bookcase is only 10" deep. So while the result I know is cramped on the desk/dresser wall, it really is quite functional--dresser adjacent to closet and desk adjacent to bookcase. lyban: "Funner" was quite popular among my middle DD's 8-th grade class last year; unfortunately their English teacher informed them it is NOT a word. Didn't stop them from using it tho... Computerkluz: Would love to see some pics of your desks. pamlipsest: Thanks for the info on the 30/70 ratio. That makes a lot of sense to me. ruthy1: What a great idea to mask off the inlay! mzdee: I love RAF too and have had great success as well when I refinished my DR chairs. bungalow_house: Aren't small rooms a pain to decorate? My middle DD's is even smaller (9x10) and has a bigger closet. Not too much I can do with that room either--but she's a teenager and really into floor decor (where everything seems to be all the time). So while younger DD's room is a tad crowded with furniture, at least she'll have space for everything plus a big open space in the middle. And yes, she (and I) can access each nightstand. One thing that did not make the cut is her stand up easle/white board--she was trying to figure out how set could squeeze it in between the bookcase and nighstand believe it or not. I told her I buy a white board to mount on the wall to the right of the bookcase and she can use the nighstand drawer for her pens and eraser, etc. les: A fake fur seat sounds so fun and comfy! I'm sure DD would love it. I'll have to look into some different fabrics. Can you recommend a good website for fabrics? I think DD wants to use the aqua dot fabric somewhere as well, but I can use it for her bulletin board. I was worried the cotton fabric wouldn't be sturdy enough so this sounds like a better option. The different colored drawers sound really fun and pretty also, but I plan to stick with just white and add color with fabrics and wall paint which are easier to change when she grows tired of it.

I have some concerns about white cabinets in a "mud" room. I grew up in VT where mud was a reality and it got everywhere. Seems to me that white cabinets would highlight the dirt and it would be hard to keep it looking nice. Let me also suggest that you might want to consider painting your toe kicks. You might love the mix of cherry and oak, but I tend to want to separate those woods visually. We have oak floors with a pecan stain and a number of cherry furniture pieces. I think the two woods are not necessarily complementary. What about painting your toe kicks a dark color to provide some separation between the cherry cabinets and the floor? Best of luck.

In the 2 plus years, my color has not darken or changed a bit. Cherry definitely has much more red in it, and can be lighter. My floors are really brown in color, and they are holding up wonderful. I've dropped lots of things on my floors and you would never find the spots. I will say, even though these are not my favorite floors, because I like a lighter, honey color, EVERYONE who comes to our house, the first thing they comment on is the floors.. everyone loves them. What I do like about them is the finish is more satin, not glosses, shows so much less dirt and any bangs. My floors are roughen up (the word escapes me!!) They do look beautiful with our cherry cabinets, and very rich looking.