Olga: I would agree that in your zone this structure could be overgrown.... in Zone 4 maybe not...it's really tough in my zone (3) to get year after year incremental vertical growth with most Canadian bred roses unless your winter protection is somewhat elaborate. Does anyone have a photo of a mature Quadra in Zone 4 that illustrates it's growth potential? Perhaps Ramblin Red would be a better candidate although it isn't as hardy. I posted this photo because my experience with typical support structures purchased in local nurseries is that they usually aren't strong enough to deal with larger roses in the wind...this one will...and you can change the width and height to accomodate the rose(s). I'm in the same situation as Gardenerzone4...I've run out of walls and fences to support my climbers...quite a dilemma...so the roses have to go out in the open and how do you support them?...I also like the effect of mass plantings...it gives me a bit of insurance to get the desired effect...so in my climate, away from the walls and fences, I know I should establish more plants than a rose grower in warmer climates...i.e. to get a similar desired effect.

I'll chime in as a fan of contemporary myself, and a not-so-much fan of country. Your kitchen definitely has a country look to it for reasons already posted. The natural color oak cabs unfortunately don't fall into any description of contemporary, but I would expect touching the cabs to be off the table. If you need canisters for practical reasons (e.g. storage), then consider stainless steel. I got a nice set from Costco for not much money, and Crate & Barrel also have nice ones. Your family room has a contemporary look to it (with the exception of the table lamp). If you look at the elements there in comparison to your kitchen, what you see are solid colors, clean lines, and a lack of nicknacks. Look at the window treatments in particular. Solid color valence, and solid color drapes. Also look at the artwork over the fireplace. Dramatic dark frame that matches the color of the fireplace below, complementary colors in the matting, and a repeating dark brown mat towards the inside. So ask yourself, "how do I bring these design themes to my kitchen?" Well, replace the window treatment with a solid color. I would recommend a dramatic color that matches some other elements in the room such as your counters. Vertical pleating such as you have now is more country. No pleating (like your window valence in the family room) or horizontal pleating (like in roman shades) are more contemporary. Although roman shades always have a summer beach house feel for me, but that's probably just me. For the stuff on top of the cabinets, you should replace them with repeating items in solid or repeating colors. For example you could use a dozen clear/colored art glass plates that again match the counters. The key here is to use multiples of the same item in the same or similar colors, whereas currently you have a mix of disparate items (plate, jug, basket, bottle, etc). Anyway you get the idea - repeating elements, repeating colors, simple lines, no clutter. Those things say "contemporary" to me. Good luck and I hope that helps a little.

Crime isn’t an issue in my part of the city. However porch pirates know no city boundaries... they hit everywhere... and that we have just like all the other neighborhoods around us. Watching deliveries on my security cams... I bet the delivery people will leave packages on the outside of the fence if it’s tall and they think it’s locked. Also if you drive around my neighborhood during the day on the weekend. Many neighbors are outside relaxing on patio chairs sipping cocktails and waving & smiling at all the neighbors driving by while kids are out playing. So I wanted to have an outdoor courtyard in front of the house as a weekend outdoor living space... but more modern than just having a porch. I was also thinking 4ft, just wanted to be sure... many of the other houses in the neighborhood with the same floor plan have a 4ft fence in the same area... but closer to the house... just to close off the entry way.

Although I like your art and it’s message, I don’t think you should hang it right away for the following reasons. Where you want to hang it will just bring attention to the different door casings and the speakers. I do think you need some furniture rearranging in the room because looks like furniture is pushed to sides and walls of room and there nothing centered on fireplace, which is the focal point. You mentioned you have further plans to change a few things in the room, so I think you should wait and do it all at once, so everything comes together like it was all planned/designed that way. Being a heavy piece, you will need some good wall anchors as you won’t likely hit studs, so you need to be sure this piece will stay there. I realize this is not answering your question, but just my thoughts to encourage you to think about the room as a whole, not just one wall at a time.