Thanks everyone. Though it would have been simpler (much) to have chosen a "theme" and followed it throughout the house, I did not. I hope my home won't end up looking schizophrenic! My kitchen is quite "country," with Shaker-style pine cabinets in a medium stain. The powder room has a freestanding vanity with built-in countertop and sink and has more of a traditional, furniture-style design. The kids' bath has beveled doors (I still don't know what you call the detail on the cabinet) that are painted white. The guest room bath has a pedestal sink--no cabinets at all. The master has more of a "spa" like feel to it, so I went with a very elaborate, detailed, elegant "beveled" cabinet. They will be stained a deep mahogany brown. Oh, and the laundry room has cheapo Home Depot stock white cabinets. No matchey matchey in my house! I think my builder thought I was nuts, but each room sort of developed a personality as we moved along the design process. FYI our construction is a MAJOR remodel in which we tore the existing house down to the studs, added a second story, and expanded and reconfigured virtually all existing dowstairs rooms. The end result will basically be a custom home in a high-end community, so we definitely did not want a "track home" feel.

I had to come out of lurkdom on this forum to comment on your new kitchen! I looked twice to be certain this was the NEW kitchen because it so perfectly suits the age and style of your home that I thought it might be the original kitchen. Love the stove, lighting, eating area for humans and pets, the shoe rack, and the warmth and evidence of family living that happens in this room. You've achieved a timeless kitchen which is marvelously integrated with your bungalow.

The cosmos will look great and is so easy, and you could add some poppies too, they are easy to sow as well and just like cosmos, if you leave some go to seed, they will come back again and again. It's also fun to buy a wildflower mix appropriate for sun or shade, which ever you have and just be surprised by the riotous mix of whatever shows up and all the butterflies that come to visit. You can get the seed type, or the type that looks like dust bunnies (for real!) that you scatter over your lawn and water in very well, or the kind that looks like a fuzzy shelf-lining that you roll out over your lawn or wherever you want your flowers to come up and water that in well.

I'll let it out if it's ok, that the tall tree isn't fresh -- looks ...tired. ;) Maybe out aways from house, brightest succulents would draw the eye on toward the house... Firesticks can have subtle colors ok with light yellow... is paint in bad condition? I ask cause seems other parts could be spent on.