Here in z6 MA I have grown several Austin's and did not have a huge problem with hardiness. Here are some comments on my experience. First I should admit I LOVE them and am therefore willing to give them some slack. None of them are the greatest re-bloomers, some had disease problems and some grew kind of awkwardly if unpruned. Graham Thomas - this was one of my favorites but it would throw off some really big canes. This is why it can work well as a climber. Its only fault was the flowers would bleach in the sun. Glamis Castle - I had 2 of these in mixed borders. They had a lot of BS and maybe suffered the worst winter die back. The flowers were very pretty and had a nice fragrance. They also always seemed to bloom right up to the final killing frost. Heritage - another of my favorites and my first Austin. It was never a really prolific bloomer but it had a bit of shade. Scepter'd Isle - pretty flowers but somewhat lanky growth for me. It tolerated being planted in a raised bed that was about the equivalent of a large pot. It really was like Heritage in many ways. Maybe fewer petals which would expose a yellowish interior. Brother Cadfael - a large upright plant with really large fragrant flowers. My grandmothers didn't grow roses but I always felt like it had classic "grandmothers rose" fragrance Scarborough Fair - I fell in love with the pictures of this rose in the catalog and they really do have a very subtle and for me compelling charm. I think there is a reason the plant is in the "supplemental rose" list in the catalog. Over all it seemed like a weak plant. It was my "Charlie Brown Christmas tree" rose.

I have a HAH and absolutely love it. It has worked flawlessly for over 3 years in our 3400 square foot home. When our friends that have traditional systems installed take a look at our hose retracting automatically, their jaws drop. I have seen the Hose Magic system, now called the Dock-it. It is a much heavier hose, and unlike the HAH, uses a motor and geared system to pull the hose back into the wall. The main thing that I don't like about this system is that the access door for the hose is huge and difficult to conceal compared with the HAH outlet. We installed our HAH system only for the upstairs portion of our house. The 60 foot hose covers all of the upstairs plus 3/4 of our down stairs, around 3000 square feet. The total installation, with tools and a carpet head was $1795.00.

Just a small update, I added this painting as a transition piece from the wallpapered entryway to the living room. I feel the coastal scene, is not only calming, but also compliments the cranes. I have ordered a taller, midcentury entry table in place of the antique chest and I ordered a floater frame for the painting. I think that will complete the look. Thanks again for all your comments and thoughts!

Joanna Gaines and the shiplap thing are behind us now, and gray is in the running to be off the table too. The best thing for a small, cramped entry is simplicity and clean, clear colors. Generally, the foyer should introduce you, your style and give a hint about what to expect in adjoining rooms. Go get a color strip that has mascarpone on it and see what other shades there you could use. A new front door and light fixture should be the statement makers in this area. I like the style of the first (black) one Beth showed, but not sure I would inject that much black here. I just like that it provides more light, and privacy really shouldn't be an issue in a split entry. Is your stair railing pony wall style? Are you going to redo it with ballusters and a new handrail? Can you match the new stairs to your flooring elsewhere in the home?