If you want beds at the end of the driveway, make them large enough to fit the shrubs you plan to plant there (kept low enough to see over, for safety) and think about the shape of the adjacent lawn rather than the shape of the beds. In particular, pay attention to how you will mow along the edge of the beds without leaving awkward corners or bits that have to be trimmed by hand. Think of the position and placement of the tree and any shrub plantings in relation to the house. You want to use them to enhance the appearance of the house, while using them to make the transition from tall house to flat lawn seem less abrupt. Make the house "nestle" into the lot. You don't neccesarily need beds out at the end of the driveway, and may be planning them because other people have them, but without a real purpose. They do "dress up" the driveway entrance, but you want to call attention to the house/entry, not the driveway. Unless your border continues up the driveway on the right side and curves around to lead you and your eye to the entry, it only distracts from the house. As they are, they are too small to make a "grand entrance" and may only serve to increase your maintenance chores. If you use the juniper to hide your trash cans, try to use a couple more elsewhere in the planting plan. A one-off plant can tend to call attention to itself, defeating your purpose.

Drarc, since you are not looking to change the location of the dining area, in case you decide to keep all the cabs the same stain, I was thinking that you might even consider having a custom dining table with some kind of stonetop (same as your counters or something coordinating) -- then your table would actually act as a prep peninsula/extra space when you are not eating at it! This, especially since your kitchen looks to be kind of on the smaller side, and if you wish you had more space. I think that in case of small spaces, the key to successful utilization of space is to define the spaces flexibly. I am not sure if I am going overboard .. I know you did not say you needed more space. But my imagination has been fired by my morning coffee... :-)

I was about to suggest radiator covers and then teacats beat me to it! I would do a radiator cover and then mount a shelf and appropriate sized mirror over that. I am going to be the naysayer about hooks on that wall at the bottom of the stair. You don't have a ton of space there, and that means that the bottom of the stair will look even smaller and more crowded when you have a bunch of coats hanging on the pegs or hooks. I would use that wall for the 14 pix that you discussed. Use the upstairs wall to do the family geneology items. By the way, I don't think the window at the top of the stairs looks high at all. It is in proportion to the upper floor. Once you hang artwork on the wall to the right of that window, it will connect with the window and make it all work together. The topiary you have there only accentuates the height of the window, as it is still taller than the top of the topiary. If you want something there, I would look for a small arts and crafts style plant stand and put a large vase or a plant with trailing ends like an ivy on the stand. Or you could stand a large vase in the corner with tall twigs and grasses coming out of it. Your home is fabulous - I am SOOOO jealous. It feels like a place that I could just walk in and be at home.

My old galley kitchen had a 3' aisle and I had no problem with it, so I don't think I would find a 3.5' aisle too tight, especially given that the peninsula side wouldn't have upper cabs. However, I don't think I'm a fan of the peninsula because it leaves us only one aisle into the actual kitchen. With the island set up we have now, there are two, so if I am cooking and my husband comes in from outside and needs to get to the sink, he can access it without walking past me, or if we both come in with groceries, etc., one can go to the far side of the island and the other cut in on the side closest to the door.