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

My alarm bells are ringing. My concern is water damage, both old and ongoing. Any house should be gone over by a home inspector before buying and I suggest you hire one. Check the lawn's slope to see if rain floods the crawl space. Check the stone for cracks that let rain soak the framing. Check for leaks where the siding meets the concrete porch. Check the eaves, rafters and roof decking.

Make sure they are at least double the width of the window so they are full and use pleated drapes so they hang well and if they are lined, they will look even better. Use a nice rod and you can add trim for more interest. You could add a blind and leave drapes open

Hopefully finish grading is part of the construction contract. If not, you may need to hire it done (an experienced landscape contractor can do this). It is quite possible you will need to bring in additional soil, as scraped and compacted soil after construction activity is not well suited for good plant growth. But wait until after the finish grading is done so you know how much is required. And you are probably not going to want 'fill' but rather an enriched planting loam available at virtually any bulk soil supplier or landscape supply outlets. From the attached drawings, it appears there are some topographical changes that may require the use of retaining walls. But I don't see anything directly associated with the entry that calls out for one. That just looks like it will need a grade adjustment and leveling. Installation of any retaining walls can be a costly proposition. It might be best to hire a qualified landscape designer to assist you in their optimum placement so you can maximize effectiveness yet minimize cost.