First off, thanks to all of you for replying. I thought I signed up for auto-emails with each response, and when I didn't get any emails, I assumed there wasn't much interest in help. @catkim, I'm not either :) Actually, it's in transition. We had a Blue Spruce as the anchor, and it was too large, blocking the view to and from our house. We had it removed, leaving a discombobulated mess. Quick -- very quick -- research suggests the Norfolk Island Pine won't be hardy in my area. The Windmill Palm is an element we plan to use in our backyard, as I think it will look entirely out of place in out front yard. @desertdance, thanks for the ideas. I love the surfboard idea, and the chair/umbrella idea definitely will give it the right feel. @lyfia, great question. I think we're looking for a rustic cottage-type nautical/beach theme more than tropical. So, looking at your pictures, I'd say two and three are about right. Of course, I want more than just blade grasses. To sum up my thoughts: think Red Lobster. I realize it's commercial and stereotypical -- but that's kind of where we are heading with this. @duluthinbloomz4, I'm in Johnstown, PA, which is about 2 hours east of Pittsburgh. Closest body of Water is Lake Erie roughly 4 hours north :) That's why I would like to keep the front yard basic, not getting to advanced in a nautical look, while using some more common nautical ideas in the back. As for your photo search, this is a lot of what I'm thinking of/looking for. @All, Thanks again for the help. I'm not short of ideas, but I think my biggest concern is plant selection and placement to give this a semi-authentic look without over or undercrowding. I've found some garden plans at the Better Homes and Gardens web site, but I can't seem to find plans elsewhere. Again, what's most important to me is the plants, as I have plenty of other ideas, which I'll list below: - A small, rustic boardwalk leading from the edge of the garden up to the pond. - A small "dock" that sits at the edge of the pond with some pilings and rope - Chicken scratch (oyster shells, etc) as a substrate in certian areas to be highlighted - An old, blue rowboat placed on an angle with flowers pouring out the side Thanks again, everyone!

I wouldn't paint the shelves. Leave them white. You've actually done a nice job styling them. I wouldn't paint the TV stand either because it's not a TV stand. It's a console table that needs to go somewhere else. It's way too short for your TV. I would also lose the ladder shelves. They're just an invitation to clutter. Get yourself a nice looooong TV stand and do a gallery wall of your nautical art on the half that doesn't hold the TV.

You say dated - I say retro LOL. But seriously, a powder room doesn't have to define how you decorate the rest of your house as I think of my bathrooms as completely discrete. For example, all my floors are wood except my bathroom floors are marble basketweave tile. I don't think the color even has to relate to the rest of the house. Many homes I go to have extremely "wild" powder rooms which are singular design statements. I do think if you are on a limited budget and have just moved in, you should make a list of what you want to change and then prioritize. No one can say what another's priorities are but for me, changing tiles in the powder room would be lower priority and I would probably make it work with less expensive design changes for the moment and spend money on other stuff in the house that improved functionality, comfort or that was more important in terms of the house as a whole in terms of design. You can always circle back to change the tiles in the powder room if necessary.

You love the bed. Please forget about any nautical flavor with it? It is to jam a square peg into a round hole. Not one thing about the bed feels remotely nautical. It feels a lot more European country than anything else. I hope the room is huge, because it has a physical mass, beyond the fact that its a king. It has a weight. It also is sleigh, so it akes extra inches from the room with its depth. That said/// Aim for a simplified European flavor. ..........the pics are example but ANY of them could be a bit less heavy. You really need a large room to give that bed room to breathe. These are not for a specific......just a feel. No anchors, no flags....no ships. : ) Sorry. That's the feel of the bed. Before you buy anything? You post a scaled drawing of the room. Whare is the closet, the windows, the walls. what are the dimensions of ALL of that. Where do you enter....etc. Draw the space, grab a tape measure and then upload neatly.