"I don't see the farmers so much as victims since, if the land around is becoming residential, their pay out when they sell is not going to be too bad. If you are asking them to move the manure to the other side of the barn, the improvement in your property value will probably eventually land in their pockets. " Looking at it from the farmer's side of the fence, I don't see how one can say that without making a few assumptions: #1, That "becoming residential" means surrounded by subdivisions; even one "landless" house can be a problem, depending on who lives there, and what they expected from moving to "the country". How much you would be willing to change your lifestyle, your job, your home, even to the point of selling your childrens' inheritance for less than 1/2 of it's actual value for the sake of a "new neighbor" who finds your perfectly legal operation to be "irritating"? #2, That the farmer has no special ties to the land that would make him or her reluctant to sell out; has it been in the family for generations, is it some of the best farmland in the county, irreplaceable in terms of yield? Does it sit in what has long been the best school district in the area, the one he went to, the one he has paid taxes all his life to support, the one he'd like *his* children to attend as well? Even if one assumes the farmer *wants* to sell out and is willing to put up with the nuisance of strangling urban sprawl while paying higher property taxes until he's priced out of not just his home, but his livelihood, he's probably never going to see anywhere near 1/2 of what the land is worth for all his trouble; it will more than likely end up sold to a developer - that's the guy who's going to reap the rewards of the farmer having held on to the land. And oh, BTW, when the farmer does sell out, all those lovely views that everyone moved to "the country" for will be swept away forever by a tidal wave of new houses. Just think; identical roofs and SUVs and Bradfod Pear trees as far as the eye can see. But hey, it won't smell bad, unless you count exhaust fumes from the traffic or the chemicals all the neighbors are now putting on the yard in order to turn their little scrap of the former hayfield into a "lawn". Welcome to the New Suburbia; just like the Old Suburbia, only farther from the City and no municipal water or sewage treatment. #3, That if the farm is "big" (defined as ?), that the farmer has someplace else to put the manure or whatever other aspect of farming someone objects to that is environmentally safe, and economically feasible. They may or may not, depending on the topography, the local watershed and the way the farm is laid out to use. In Virginia, the watershed determines placement of everything, *especially* manure piles and anything that might wash in a rain. and #4, which gets to the heart of the post, that moving manure to the other side of the barn is somehow going to make it better. It won't. It's still going to stink. The very real "quicksand of "farmers hard done by" is precisely why Right to Farm laws exist. They're designed to counteract the effect of people who moved out to "the country" and started complaining about the smell, the dust, and the noise generated by the people who were there first making a living. I've heard of people threatening to go to court because a farmer planted a windbreak for his livestock ("It's going to block my view!"), or cut trees to clear their own field or put up a building. ("I don't want to look at that big machine shed, he's ruining my view!") I'm not trying to imply the poster on this forum is anything like that, but I have seen all that happen and more. Sometimes I wonder if people don't realize that wide open field everyone admires needs to be fertilized and mowed to stay that way. Those picturesque horses and cows and sheep and goats grazing across the road need to be fed and watered and housed, and they produce manure that has to be disposed of properly in order to protect the farmer's investment in the livestock and the land not to mention the water quality downstream. "Maximally irritating" is in the eye (or ear, or nose) of the beholder. Ever been to north west Arkansas? The distinct aroma wafting from the commercial broiler houses that are tucked into every avaliable nook and cranny in the mountains will make spreading manure on a hayfield once a year look like a walk in the park. But if you ask the locals, they'll tell you those chicken houses smell like money. As disagreeable as it may be, what is considered a nuisance to one neighbor, might very well be the heart of the livelihood of the local farmer. Right to Farm laws recognize that, which is why they're overwhelmingly written to support the right of the farmer to make a (smelly, dusty, noisy) living off their land, rather than the newly gentrified suburbanite's desire for a pretty view with good resale values. The poster can spend their money contacting an attorney or they can call the FSA office for free. It's possible to spend months complaining to their state representatives about a farmer spreading manure, and what they'll likely get for their trouble is a first hand lesson on just how strong the Ag lobby is in Virginia, or they can just close the windows for the two weeks or so it takes for all that natural fertilizer to be be incorporated into the soil and start growing the lush, green grass that brightens the landscape, delights the eye and makes "living in the country" not such a bad deal afterall. And if it's legal to plant there and they have enough room at the property line, both the OP and shadygrove might consider Eastern Red Cedar. Thick, fast growing, fragrant native evergreen that can be sheared like a hedge that will block dust and dirt and to some extent mask odors year round. If the odor is particularly strong during bouts of high humidity, they might try planting spearmint, which releases essential oils as the humidity rises.

"I have to admit when we choose the double stairs we did not think what the purpose of the stairs or where the stairs lead to. We just liked the look of it. I am sure that violates the rule of landscaping/architecture design." Liking and having does not violate any rules. But not doing something appropriate with it once you have it would be questionable. I'm tossing out a walkway scheme that shows the staircases connected by semi-circular walkway in a classic manner as you might see in many places in the South. The point of the double staircase is not just to be functional, but to look grand. A connecting walkway develops the point. An alternative method would be a rectangular configuration, but since you're showing a semi-circular bed, I'm building on that scheme. (The position of the walk parallel to the house could be adjusted to be closer or farther from the house, but should not connect to the semi-circle in odd, slanting angles as you show. Its geometry should reflect some element that already exists.) A traditional red brick walk would look nice. My negative comment about the rock edging is because it looks rustic--like part of Granny Hinckel's Tennessee farm. Your house is much more refined so the rocks seem out of place. The solution would be a permanent walkway as an edging. That would look clean, refined and uncluttered. "One of the reason we do not want to do any hardscaping now..." There's no concern about when you do it. Your time frame is entirely up to you. We're talking about PLANNING it, which is a "must" before actual money is spent or work is attempted. It's not too early to figure out what to do... before you do any shrub planting. I look at your idea of having adjacent multiple species of shrubs as a bit like creating a conversation grouping of chairs in the living room, but instead of having a matching pair of chairs, using two that are completely different styles. It seems without purpose. People do this outdoors thinking that they're adding interest. But I think it is going to add busy-for-no-good-reason instead. On top of that, I reaffirm that there seems to be no reason to cover up architectural features, so going minimal instead of maximal seems better. A single fat shrub on each side seems plenty to me. I'd keep other plantings low and have flowers, whether perennial or annual, around the entrance ... including window boxes. They would help reaffirm the importance of the entrance. I like the lattice face and details of your porch. I wouldn't cover it with shrubs. If you think it needs more interest than a low bed of "groundcover," consider the possibility of a low placed art ornament like a sundial or some such object. I wouldn't place any type of wall-like screen, hedge or similar in front of the mudroom entrance. Architecturally, it is asking to be displayed, not covered. But a flowering tree would give that area a sense of shelter and help the house to look well-connected to its surroundings. (A matching tree could go on the left side of the house if a mirror image effect is desired.) If multiple-trunk, it would provide a filtered view of the MR entrance so that it would feel a touch more private. But it is the front of the house, so unless you wall it off, there's not going to be running-in-the-yard-naked type of privacy. A fabric awning over the MR steps could look nice.

Hi all, Just wanted to chime in on this thread. I am starting my 3rd self-built home project. (Yes, I need to have my head examined) I run a remodeling company so it's not completely insane. Previous comments about kitchens and baths being core expenses are right on the money--- so to speak. They are expensive. Building one in an apartment and then a new one in your finished house is really shooting yourself in the foot. Try this instead. Build with the foot print of a 3 car garage, say 38 x 25, but only utilize the space a two car garage would generally take up as garage space--- 25x25. Use the 25x10 part to put your permanent stair, a foyer and your permanent kitchen in. Now you can think of the space over the garage as a second story of your finished home. You can get 2-3 bed rooms and a bonus out of the space with a hall bath. Unless you really need an apartment this approach can save a bunch of cash. Someone was asking about standing seam metal roofing. If you use the commercial folks you see on TV expect to be asked to pay $65 a square foot. I had one come out and give me a quote just to check it out. It was a real manipulative "hard sell" with all these "bonuses" and "programs" available "if you sign today." Be very careful. No matter how you slice it it's a rip. Either HD or Lowes will special order metal roofing for you. Its's not hard to install. (Be careful, wear sneakers and don't bend down on your knees, it is really slick.) If this is your forever house, install 40 year architectural asphalt. It looks nice and will likely outlive me. Good Luck and Be careful out there! Bruce

Welcome to the forum blue999! I think you have some great spaces to work with. The pictures looked a little dark on my screen, but I don't see a problem with all your different styles. When you start buying accessories and art try focusing on a two or three colors in order to tie things together (ie a red vase on the kitchen counter and a piece of art with a smidge of red in a bowl on the coffee table - whatever colors you like). The fun you have now is that you have a blank slate to work with - any colors or patterns you want. I love your red wall and think some pillows (seat covers or a runner on the dining table in the same pattern?) and a cozy spread with red in them would look great! Maybe use the PB cube as an end table? Line up some art on the red wall, like a gallery, and put a sofa table back there and I think it would show off real well. Don't try to rush. Keep reading here and looking at pictures and catalogs everywhere, learn all you can and concentrate on what makes you feel good and/or excited when you see it. It takes most of us a year or even many years to find and accomplish the look we want.