My friend has a home very similar and she put in secret passages through the closets to the other kids bedroom! They loved it then and still do. They are 12 1/2 & 11yrs My son is into FBI, CSI and police stuff too (8yrs old) and we have secret places, old cell phones, spy gear to listen far away etc. I think "spy" has to do with being top secret, so anything police related but you can't tell it's used to get the bad guy LOL Anything that is hidden, special secret boxes, false floor bookshelf, toybox with false bottom, locked safe/type things etc About his room..........one thing I realized was that I would somehow get my thoughts/opinions in what my son wanted because I wanted it or thought it was best 'down the road'. I've come to realize.........let them decide and do it, it's what they want and will like it no matter what because they thought of it. I also have a teen........it's all changed anyway, new bigger bed, new mattress, painted dresser, painted walls,posters etc. What ever he decides he'll grow out of it in 6yrs or so........and it's time to paint by then anyway and sometimes buy new funiture too. Good luck with it (btw....green walls help if he changes to outdoor theme, jungle theme, military theme : )

aaaacccckkk! Apologies for the funky symbols, I *swear* they did not show up on the preview pane-- there were actual apostrophes there.

Our climate: Indiana weather. Zone 5b. The kitchen faces the east, but it faces the ravine behind the house. So while there will be some sunshine, a lot of it will be blocked by trees. Especially in the early morning, which is fine, I'm not much of a morning person anyways. It will have 9ft ceilings, or just under when finished. The overall style of the house is barn-esque. We wanted something that would blend in with the setting. Brown metal gambrel roof and wooden vertical siding with a large stone chimney off of the family room. I don't want the interior to match the exterior, and it doesn't bother me that it doesn't. I actually like the idea of formal rooms inside of a barn, kind of a pleasant surprise when you walk in the door. I'm sure others will hate it, but it's the look I'm going for. I would like the island to be the majority of the countertops in the kitchen. I would like for it to be used for prep as well as seating if possible (my husband wants an eat in kitchen, I want a formal dining area, and I'm willing to do both even in the same room if the areas can match well. I would be insane to have any more kids, but I thought that after the first, and the second, and still managed a third. So while highly unlikely, there is a rare chance that I'll miss having little ones around when they all are off to school in 3 years. The front entrance will be the most used. Our actual yard will be in the front of the house where the kids will do most of their playing while they are young. It's defined by trees right now. I would love to keep it that way. As the girls get older, they will probably hike around in the woods more, and instead use the basement entry. We plan a walkout basement in the side of the hill with a porch off the front of it. I think the hill is too steep for the basement to walk out directly at ground level. We do not want to change much of the land. There is a small creek and a large trail that will run behind the house. I would have loved to put a half bath under the stairway, but that stairway will also lead to the basement, so there isn't enough room for a bathroom there. Honestly, I don't think we will use the family room much. I just labeled it family room, because as lavender_lass stated, it's a trophy room. If a door is necessary, I don't want to be able to see through it. While I personally don't mind the taxidermy (I hunt as well), I would love to have a place for it in the house. I have family that isn't a huge fan of seeing it, and it does get a little overwhelming in our current tiny home. Mostly, because it's spewing into every room in the house except the kitchen and dining room. I think we will actually use the living room more often. We're not too big on formal around here, although I love the look. And I think the living room can have a formal sense to it, and still function as a heavily used area. That being said, I don't mind opening up living room to the kitchen more, as long as there is still a defined space. I do not like open layout floorplans, and love to be able to get away from a messy kitchen if needed. That's my biggest concern with a combo kitchen/dining. Although, I love pictures of fancy eat-in kitchens. Chicagoans- I love the sliding doors with the rail at the top. I have the current setup in my new temporary kitchen here at our current home. I would love to do this on as many doors as possible. I would also love for their to be French doors to the porch from the kitchen/ dining room area. I haven't decided on countertop either. I saw some gorgeous black and white marble that I loved, but marble makes me a little nervous. My husband is well known for throwing down tools and anything else on the kitchen countertops now. Thank goodness they are pre-cut green laminate pieces that I actually enjoy watching getting demolished a little bit at a time. I'm thinking something very durable that will last forever would be ideal. I would prefer to have a kitchen that will last for the next 10-15 years, at least, with little change. Here was my little board of some materials if I went with off white cabinets.

I like all the green :-) Have you considered painting the shed in shades of green so it blends into the scene better? We did that to our shed and it improved the look of both the shed and the garden! You said you're 'not into anything formal'. What exactly do you mean by that? It strikes me that the space is very undefined. There are no fences - is that a personal preference or something mandated by the area you're in or just something you haven't got around to yet? I'm not a big fan of fences but, in their absence, a more clearly structured layout would help define the space - but that might look a bit 'formal' to you perhaps....? What does the house look like? post a picture looking back at the house from the back of the property. What activities and uses are planned for the yard and have you allocated/planned the space for them?