niff- I am in the same boat as you. I really dislike sectionals, however I need to optimize my use of space. I have a 3 and 5 year old and baby #3 is just weeks away from arrival. I bought a slipcovered sectional online at jcpenney.com for $1200. I didn't want to spend a ton, and the covers come off and I can wash them. For an extra $100, I bought the stain protection plan so if part of the slipcover becomes stained, it is guaranteed for 5 years to be replaced for no extra cost. You could also purchase an additional slipcover from them. I didn't receive them yet, on backorder until July, but the reviews I read were pretty good. Good luck on your sectional hunt!

That's a good idea but this is an opportunity to create a deeper counter workspace of say 30" total. Mine is 28.5" and the added space- I'd never give it up. The utility is immense. Check the Kitchen forum for wider counter discussions. Here or here. You can biscuit join the new pieces after joining. I'd consider a wider back piece.

The English write a lot of gardening books, which can be frustrating when you live in a climate where their idea of "hardy" covers a lot of plants that can't survive in your climate. What you can look at is structure. The first thing you want in your garden is a rhythm of heights. Here's an example of a garden with a lot of height variance. It's symmetrical, which is probably not what you want, given that your wall isn't. Here's another example of height variance. Again, a pretty formal garden. Gardens with not much color make it easier to focus on form. Then you want to look at color. Once you have a tree or two and how many shrubs, perennials of what sizes and colors, you can start to find plants that fit. So, you can take a photo of a great English garden suited to a climate nothing like your own and turn it into a guide for a garden with native S.A. plants that will thrive in your zone with little care. Here you have curved beds, varying size shrubs, a focus on foliage rather than flowers and probably some plants that would work for you. This could be adapted to your site easily. Put a tree (probably a smaller one) in the corner between the curve and the straight part, pull the bed by the curved part of the wall out and fill in with plants of the right height, put grasses along the straight part of the wall. You also want to consider what look you want: formal/informal, cottage/modern, lush/architectural, etc. Another consideration is views. Adjusting plans so that your garden is framed well in your windows is always nice. For plants that will thrive, go to botanical gardens, look at your neighbors, and look at what's growing in the wild. I find a lot of interesting plants in the wild spaces in my property. The English cultivated a lot of garden plants and the Asians did a bunch, too. That doesn't mean that those of us not in Asia or the UK don't have beautiful plants. The Native movement is just getting started in the US. If you do this, you do want to pay attention to make sure you're not going to stick a weed that will take over everything in your garden. Of course, nursery plants can be weeds, too. I'm assuming you want to have a garden that screens your wall. This is probably something you'll have in any whole yard landscaping plan. Although, if you want shade, you should start with shade trees in your yard.

I am not looking to keep any furniture except the round table!