Victorian-era homes were often built with large expanses of high foundations exposed. It was during this period that foundation plantings became common, to conceal an unattractive foundation. It became a habit, and continues today because people think they're necessary, but don't know why. A well designed foundation planting will have a reason for being. You might need to cover or camouflage an unattractive architectural element or hide the gas meter. You might need to add plantings that will visually reduce the height of a very tall house, or reduce the squattiness of a short one. You might need to add color or interest to a plain house, or just for fun. A good foundation planting will complement the style of the house, either by being sensitive to the architectural period, or by considering color, texture, and forms that enhance or repeat architectural forms, whatever the period. A foundation planting should not outgrow the space it is alloted, requiring butchery of the plants to allow people to use an adjacent walk or keep the plants off the siding. It will not obscure the view of the front entrance, unless there is a reason to do so, such as privacy concerns or a design that incorporates an entry courtyard with screening plantings. A good foundation planting will allow first time visitors to be immediately aware of where they are supposed to go. Wandering back and forth in the yard looking for way in is a sign of bad design. A well planned planting will enhance the appearance of the house from the street, and will have something interesting happening in it year round. A well designed front planting will not have a foundation planting at all if it's not necessary or doesn't do anything for the house, and will instead have plantings sited away from the foundation where they can fulfill any of the above functions. I'm sure there's more. Jo

I honestly do not think there is a "typical" response for what an architect will do with respect to interior design. Having said that, our arch was not at all interested in performing that service; however, he had an in house design person with whom we could work for an additional fee. He was interested in our overall "feel" and "vision" for the house which was somewhat helpful. As much as I would have liked to work with a designer, we honestly were not willing to spend that type of money. Several outside designers were more per hour than our architect! I could not afford to spend that kind of money for someone to go "shopping" for me trying to find pieces/wallpaper/tile/flooring that I liked. Although a designer has resources that makes it easier to identify those items, our "look" is not mainstream, which meakes it more time consuming. I hope that helps. Teresa

It would seem I'm a bit younger than most here. I'm 30, grew up in a home with one sister, and parents that were relatively frugal. My father was the more frugal one, avoiding debt, not wanting to spend money on anything he didn't need. He didn't have much of a reason, just that debt was a bad thing to have, for several reasons. We never went without, though, taking family trips each year to various places around the country. We always had good food, nice home and vehicles, etc. I started a summer job when I was 14, then an afterschool / full time job through high school and college. I started with my current employer 10 years ago, making less than the rest of my peers. Living on my own, and making more than I ever had before, I thought it would be wise to start furnishing my apartment and buy a brand new car, despite having a perfectly good vehicle already. This new car wasn't designed for Colorado winters, so I kept the other car as well as the new one. Along with that brand new car, I got brand new insurance, which was quite a bit. This all stretched me pretty thin, living paycheck to paycheck. At one point, my company was going through layoffs, and I was concerned that I would be one of those laid off. I was pretty worried about how I was going to pay my bills, and whether or not I was going to lose my vehicle and whatnot. My father payed off my car for me, and even though I didn't get laid off, I continued to pay him what the loan payments would have been. Bonuses and other extra payments went to pay off the car a couple of years earlier than I was scheduled. This opened my eyes to what could happen if I "lived the American way", and bought whatever I wanted, at whatever price I wanted. At some point, I could be in this situation again, and I don't want to have to worry if something should happen to my income. I paid off all of my debt, and then started finding ways to live more frugally. I started shopping around for the best deals, taking things that others didn't want anymore, and didn't buy things I didn't need. When I wanted something, I usually waited at least a week, at which time I rarely wanted whatever it was in the first place. I was able to direct deposit money into two accounts, so I gave myself an allowance each paycheck, with the rest going to a savings account. The allowance was enough to cover all bills, and still have some left over for entertainment. I also started contributing to a 401k, and each pay raise translated to an increase in the percent going to the 401k. After a few years, my winter car died on me, so I found another winter vehicle for around $1000 to get me around. I did this a couple of times over the next 5 years. All the while, I was still finding ways to lower my outgoing expenses. After those 5 years, I had enough to put down 20% on a house. I found one that had a low mortgage, even though I could qualify for much more. I readjusted my allowance, and continued finding ways to lower expenses in my house. My father never did much in the way of home or auto work himself. He always paid someone else to, so I don't have much knowledge in that regard. That hasn't stopped me from using the internet and friends to figure out how to do things myself, which has saved me countless dollars. I finally paid cash for a good all-use pickup, so I won't have to worry about vehicles for quite a while. All through this, I've continued to build my savings and emergency fund. Once the economy went down the crapper, nothing really changed for me. I still lived my life how I had before, quite comfortably. All of my friends, who have continued to make more than me, are struggling to pay their bills. Throughout the years, they gave me crap for being cheap, yet look at us now. I have no stress, as far as money is concerned. I have over 9 months of living expenses in a true emergency account, am funding a 401k and Roth IRA, and managed to save enough for my honeymoon cruise to Antarctica next year. If something were to happen, my fiancee and I would be in a decent position to handle what occurs. We have everything we want, and need, and are able to do basically what we want. If I screw up my timecard, and don't get paid, I don't have to worry about waiting an extra week for my money. If something breaks in my house, I know I can take care of the problem, one way or the other. Once we have children, I know we will be able to meet their needs, at least financially. Once we retire, hopefully we will be comfortable at that point, too. Ultimately, what I am getting out of being frugal is peace of mind, with regards to money. It's also nice to see just how far I can stretch something, how many different incarnations an item can turn into before it is truly unusable.

Okay, I am still reading this looooong thread but.. lol It might have been easier to state what one DID like vs did NOT like in a couple posts.. laugh! Most people do not like my island.. I love it. I set everything out on it before I start cooking and by God, I have room to spare.. heh. The words, "I wish I had more counter space" never leave my lips.. heh BUT.. I too cannot see the point in a spice pull-out. I prefer the top drawer being a spice rack. They all lay down and the bottles are facing me when I open it so I know what to pick. Not a fan of kitchens made for "show"Lastly, the biggest thing I do not care for is a kitchen without a view of outside....seems too lonely. heh I HAVE seen ones that were beautiful though..hrm, I remember a yellow kitchen, if I am right, TexasBelle or something ? That was a pretty kitchen, but it has been a while so I could be wrong if it was her :P Russ