To increase the chances of success (even with the bulletproof shrubs) you might want to consider planting further from the house wall. The proximity of the wall, and the overhang, keep a lot of the rain from landing on this kind of bed. The rhody and azalea that are there now (or were there) are probably suffering from lack of water and too much alkalinity leaching from the foundation and the walkway. They are really understory shrubs and are not appropriate for a narrow foundation bed. Soil prep in this kind of narrow area is also really important if you want the plants to thrive - this is as important as picking the right plants. You will also want to invest in a soaker hose and possibly a timer; if these plants are actually dying, it is very likely that they didn't receive enough water while they were getting established. It would be dificult to plant anything between the path and the house that has any height, without making the path impassable. But, because of the strong horizontal lines of the house, and the different siding above and below the overhang, something taller than the overhang at some point along the front might help unify the facade. So, I'd suggest putting in a bed beyond the path for anything taller than about 3'. I'm not a designer (that may be quite obvious!) but that's what I'd consider if this were my house. Before you start shopping or digging, I'd get to the library and borrow some design books - there are some great new ones that address front yard gardens. Even though your time is limited, the time you spend reading and looking at designs will be well spent - and will save you lots of time in the long run. If you're near Swarthmore, take a look at the Scott Arboretum there. Their specialty is showing how plants will look in the home garden, and they have some outstanding people who might be able to answer questions and make suggestions. You really want to grow something that you like, since you'll be looking at it for a long time!

Good for you guys, Annie. I've so glad to see another refurbished kitchen that retain some of its history instead of sending it all to the landfill. And I love your dresser island with that great tile! Actually, your original simple backsplash tile design sounds very good against the richness of the counter and liveliness of the island tile, which I truly believe will eliminate any possible locker-room effect. As pointed out, the danger at this point seems to be in possibly fighting them instead of setting them off. I also really like your wall color, and a tile that tends to echo that might look very handsome. I don't know if it would work for you, but our Lowes has a glazed tile in a sort of caramel color with a bit of depth and irregularity to the glaze that struck me as making a very nice background to the rest of the picture wherever I've imagined it.

christamarie, any room you design, you need to work from outside in at the same time you design inside out. The extension you put on your house has to go with the existing look of the house. Right now, I envision an ugly nose stuck in the middle of your current house without other information to go with. The window over the sink is not even centered on the extension as is. The roofline of the extension has to tie in nicely with the extension. This can be quite expensive depending on what you do. If the rooflines are not tied in well, you can conceivably create leak points. If the additions are not done well structurally, they tend to sag and fall apart from the existing house over next several years. You can see this when you look at old houses that had 'suboptimal' additions put on them. First, the esthetics of the extension from the ouside has to look harmonious and well designed with the existing house. This is what makes you look at the house and say 'that house looks ugly' or 'that house looks nice'. People will have a gut response to the exterior of the house immediately. A well-done extension will improve the look of the house. If not well done, it looks like an ugly sore. You also have an opportunity to improve the way the house relates to the natural light coming into the house. I see tiny little windows added to the extension. This is a wasted opportunity IMHO. Ourside corner windows can be used beautifully to add wonderful architectural interest to the house. In your case, you have put a pantry there. Try to get some 3D software and try to envision the exterior of the house first. There will be many iterations as you work the exterior as well as the interior at the same time. This type of design is NOT EASY...

Fourth post, see other post.