A tree near the property line about six or seven feet in front of the lower wall will do much more to transition the two properties. After that, the space in question is much less important. Overhead mass is very powerful and very subtle at the same time. It does more to make backgrounds insignificant even when they remain fully visible. This spot bothers you because it falls off to the openess of the foreground and the neighboring property. Part of that is caused by the top loadng of th upper wall and the wall itself. It is the vsual comparison of mass vs. lack of mass. The tree would change that comparison to mass vs. mass. Then that spot in the circle is no longer the edge of the world and therefore much less significant. If you just add to the wall planting, you are adding more mass and strengthening the visual void instead of weakening it. Think big picture first and detail second. Think past the garden.

The problem isn't the TV sets: it's the ANTENNAS! Modern TV sets resolve at a much higher level that the older models, which show imperfections in the quality of reception that may have gone unnoticed in older, smaller TV sets. Manufacturers who use electronic tuners also include provision for tuning non-scrambled cable Tv signals. My experience has been that many people who purchase new TV sets never take them out of the 'Cable TV" mode, and they never see the UHF channels that are local to their area because of it. Anyone who is not going to subscribe to cable or satellite service these days should have a good roof-mounted antenna to get a servicable Tv picture. The old wire coat-hanger never worked as well as any remembers, and on a modern, well-resolving TV set, if going to look like garbage anyway, with lots of snow and ghosting. See the "Antennas" section of http://www.hometheaterspot.com if you want to know the real story.

I thought the title was in reference to how undecorated a lot of posted rooms look. I like monochromatic, though I don't have the personality to stick with it, but its success is in texture variances. I don't see much of that here. I don't see color. I don't see individuality very often and some of the commenters advise like they're staunchly against that! There's a lot of sameness populating Home Dec., these days. I agree with many of the above responses. Unending options, marketing trends from the various media sources, and fear of spending $$$ on something that doesn't translate to home/life/vision are some big ones. I grew up with professional and hobby decorators. Our gatherings usually involve moving art/accents, furniture, or shopping for an item on someone's list. We may have kept the big items but our homes were never "done" because our tastes and needs evolved. We got bored with the same vignette after a few months so moved things around. Seasonal changes brought the desire to cozy up or declutter. That is my normal. For good or ill, I have the task of refurnishing our home. I've spent an inordinate amount of time looking for an extendable dining table. There are so many choices. None have felt right and, while I don't feel "desperate", I've reached a frustration level that I didn't have when I brought family pieces home to use. Hahaha, Need Help ASAP for Modest Contemporary Old-Euro Austin-esque Chinoiserie Hand-Me-Down style ;) I can only imagine the responses!

A TV arm that lets the TV articulate out from the wall is the key here. It can extend out and let you view with ease while in use. Underneath you can have a console of needed fpr any AV equipment, but not needed for the TV to actually sit on.