Dear Punamystike, Thanks for the feedback. Yes, the stains that Home Depot offers are will not be uniform, or at least not the semi-transparent ones. I actually did a little more online research last night, and saw some references to using 'acid stain' to color concrete. This is more likely what I will want, because it involves an actual chemical reaction with the concrete, and hence is more 'permanent' in certain regards (although it will fade under UV light). The siliconized acrylic-based stains that Home Depot offers look as if they will actually peel off, and this is definitely not something I want on a rough-surfaced concrete block (instead of a smooth-finished garage floor). The only issue with these acid-stains is that they are highly caustic. Some of the pictures of what people do with these are amazing . . . the building and floorwork look like marble or other exotic mined-limestone. Here is a link that might be useful: Some Concrete Stain Color Samples

So much depends on the overall look you want for your home. That determines the size and placement of the fps. Exposed beams and stone of any sort sounds traditional. For your great room, I'd go for a raised hearth and a surround, mantel and overmantel that are in scale with the room. And that means large! The trend here in master suite fireplaces is to mount them about three feet high without the traditional wood fp trappings at all. A matter of taste. I put in three-four fireplaces in every home I build; and none in any home are the same. For instance, below is another fp in the same home as in the "building a home thread" thread. But since this is the kids' play area in a small basement room (as you'd probably guess from the photo), we scaled the fp accordingly. Kingsman gas fireplace, Century Stone concrete brick surround, raised Indiana limestone hearth

I don't know how much money you have to invest, but that area under the eaves might be a great place to display your outdoor sculpture collection, but forget about growing much in the way of plants there, for a whole host of reasons. Same goes for that white gravel bed. To me, the best use of that space, if you want a front porch, would be to put one there, big enough to use, taking up the whole space. Otherwise, you can extend the white stones to fill those areas and set things on them. I do that in front of my house, I have some large pots with plants growing on them, and I do have a bench that I sit on when resting after doing yardwork, which can be set on stone as well as concrete. But honestly, by the time you buy enough rocks to fill the space, you could just have a concrete or brick guy do a porch for you. I'd at least get a quote.

We love your style! Here's some pictures of recent fireplace projects we've worked on. We do cladding in raw, blackened steel!