I just realized I did not come back and update what I decided to do. I so appreciate everyone's commnets and suggestions. I did have them painted white and love the result! it feels like such a tranquil room now. I don't know if it is just an itch to have something different, but now I am trying to decide if I want to have the kitchen cabinets painted white since to rooms are open to each other. I am not concerned about following trends. The cabinets are either maple or birch. As I have polled my friends and family I get differing answers. I am not good at visualizing and have tried the paint visualizers from SW and BJ but it looked like a kindergartener scribbled on the picture with a crayon! I did try homedesign.ai and no matter how many times I ask for white cabinets, it always produced this picture: I actually really like this look, but it also has new countertops and backsplash. I just wasn't ready to do a whole kitchen remodel.

Hello all. I am back looking for more advice and i really liked you all the first round. I am adding edging around my tree and against the house about 3 feet in front to match the step and to add bushes. My wife liked the following. my question is, should I paint it white Or stain It a grey that is similar to my grout/house, as advised for my paint? Also, I like black wood chips, but my wife is unsure. thoughts?

Unless you are attempting to restrict a movable underlayment for hardscaping (sand or crusher course), you never need edging. It is only a personal choice. The right type of edging can help with the ability to mow well and close to the bedline but flimsy wooden pickets are not it!! Just a clean, sharp edge between lawn and soil is all that is required and that can be done with a good, sharp edged garden tool. As to the width of the bed, 30" is undersized for virtually all shrubs and many perennials.....36" is scarcely better. You want sufficient bed depth (from foundation to lawn) to accommodate the mature spread of the plant in question without encountering the structure plus room to access behind for maintenance needs. And most folks do not favor a narrow row of shrub soldiers lined out but would prefer a layered look of a mixture of plants of different sizes. And that requires more depth than a skimpy 30". There is also the aesthetic question of the depth of the foundation beds being in scale with the structure, so they should have a depth equal to at least 1/3 the height of the structure. 5-6' at a minimum but deeper is better.

Before making a decision, think about the overall feel you want. Consider how to add punch/contrast and in addition to landscaping, house itself should be drawing the eye. At present, roof, siding and garage feel a bit bland. Suggest white for contrast. If you don't really need the railings, consider which look you prefer. If staining, suggest a darker shade (with no railings if possible) ) I would paint the garage the same color as shutters, no matter what is done to the porch. In regards to landscaping, I’d head to a nursery with a picture of your home and a budget. Many will recommend for free, if you don’t need something actually designed. Budget wise, can even add in stages.