Thank you so much for all the suggestions. Keep them coming! Anne, I agree with you about getting a landscape architect and the house sitting on the market scares the heck out of me:) I'll post some pictures tomorrow. Krycek, Shrubbery seems like a good idea. The half foyer sounds very good too but DH will not like the idea of spending more money. Only the basement walls are constructed at this point but the framing is going to be done this week and I honestly don't know how much it will cost at this point to change them or if it is even feasible to do that. Creekside, I noticed that the builder finishes the exterior of the basement. Maybe I can ask him to not finish the exterior on the front and raise the grade. I am assuming about 5 ft of the basement walls will be above the ground. To raise the grade to atleast 3 ft for about 52 inches wide house, how much would it cost do you all think. I should talk to the builder but I want to do my homework before that. It is a walk up basement not a walkout basement. I am going to check with the builder about all these questions tomorrow. Worthy, Thankfully, the builder has finished the bricks all the way down. It is really good but I am not impressed by that look. If I post pictures, it will certainly help all of you visualize my thoughts. There are a couple of houses where they have created railings on the front with concrete spindles almost like a deck on the front but with brick floor and concrete spindles. I would like a more transitional look and looking for different ideas like these. Thank you all for your help again.

The original double hung windows in my old (1870's) house were replaced by a PO with wood windows that ride in steel tracks (jambliners) that have a white powdercoat finish. (The edges of the wood windows are unpainted.) I'm taking the windows apart to replace the broken parts that keep them from staying up when open. The steel tracks are looking a little tired. A few have bare spots where I spilled paint remover (before I decided to take them apart), and some have light rust (mostly on the backs). Since I'm taking the windows apart anyway, I'd like to clean up the tracks and paint them (or touch them up). Is there any durable white low-gloss paint that would be up to the task? I don't want to create new problems, but I'd really like to spiff these up while I have the chance. There are so many new specialty paints (appliance, automotive, radiator, etc) -- surely there must be something that would work in this situation. The paint would need to be: 1) Durable (won't chip or peel easily and hold up to usage over time) 2) Suitable for metal 3) Not require stripping the frames to bare metal (a nightmare in this case) 4) Available in a non-yellowing white with a non-shiny finish 5) Appropriate for Indoor/outdoor use. (I have storms, but the tracks would be exposed to a range of temperatures in New England.) 6) Preferably available as a a spray I don't want to send the tracks out to be stripped and re-coated because it wouldn't be worth the cost (better to just replace the windows). Ditto for buying new tracks (which are available as far as I have been able to find only in unpainted aluminum). Assuming I do paint the tracks, I'd like to just remove the rust and spot-prime, and use a paint deglosser (liquid sander) overall before painting. Sound reasonable? Recommendations for paints and primers? (Please tell me where I can buy them if they're not easy to find.) I'd also appreciate any painting and prep tips or suggestions for this project For example, how long should the paint cure before I re-install the windows? Thanks! This post was edited by dilettante on Fri, Aug 16, 13 at 16:21

I have been successfully touching up paint for years by brushing the color on the spot, then going over it with a *dry* roller. The roller completely gets rid of any brush marks and blends the new paint in. If your ceiling paint is flat, then your touch-up will be practically invisible. If you buy a new quart of the same color, there may be some shade variance, but unless your ceiling is really dirty you probably won't notice it after the first week or so.

It's nice to be remembered. Thank you. :) I've been lurking for eons. Well, I took the scary plunge and painted inside the bulletin board green today. It's not Hearts of Palm specifically, but a similar concept. My neighbor has it in her kitchen and poured a little sample into a jar for me. I'm calling it "Neighbor's Kitchen" - haha. The custodian walked in and said, "Oh that's soooo much better!" So I guess that's good. I'm thinking of painting the top half a putty-type neutral. I'm not a fan of tans or light browns, but almost a grayed down version. I can see it in my head and I really hope it's not a huge mistake. Most of the school is indeed done in blues, but if I have to look at blue all day long I will lose my everloving mind. ;) I'm a color girl and I live in the gray Pacific Northwest, so happy is a must. There are rooms in the school painted purple, brown, etc, and my office is behind a closed door in the back of the reception area, so I'm going green. The principal said any color I wanted. I'm taking him literally. :) I'll post a picture tomorrow after I get the top half going.