Spruceman only checks in with us here very occasionally, but yes, his Norway spruce experience and advice is unparalleled. One thing that jumped out in OPs old original post is the paucity of sunlight-only 3 hrs. per day-falling on his trees. Combine that with close competition from larger and more well-established pines nearby, and it seems there would be some struggle here. Neverthelss, these tree species are very compatible, both having roughly the same requirements as well as growth rates (fast). I'd look to carefully trim some branches if any are especially inhibiting the newer trees. I'd pay attention to water needs as the older, more established plants are going to hog it up. And please, do not buy "fertilizer spikes". They are a bad idea whose time has come.......and gone. +oM

Wow... lots of ideas! The weathered cedar shingles are beautiful and I regret not keeping that look. But I couldn't find any siding manufacturers with vinyl shingles when we replaced the cedar shingles back in the mid 1990's. Today they make a variety of beautiful products. Love these Certainteed shakes in Sable Brown: I also hate the white trim around the gambrel on my house. I don't know what I was thinking when we had it installed. But I do like the brown siding. (Sorry kswl and chickadee2. But I appreciate your honest opinions!) All the homes in our area have either white, tan or yellow siding. I wanted something different. (Ha! I certainly achieved that!) Although we can't afford to cover the white trim and/or replace the siding now I'll get some estimates. At least it's something we can budget for. So back to the door. I need to cover the blue. I visited our local BM dealer and chatted with the decorator about door color. She listened patiently to my sob story about how DH doesn't want a black door and how I would love to have a red door. Well she found the perfect red: BM Country Redwood. ("Nobody has ever returned Country Redwood") It's similar to the Cottage Red that I love but a tad more orange. I painted the door last weekend and just love it! Makes the door the focal point of the house. Will post photos as soon as we get a sunny day to take a picture.

The areas between the windows would be excellent places to add tall flowering or evergreen shrubs to soften the squareness of the house. They could help put emphasis /focus on the house, rather than the yard or imperfections elsewhere. So I mean centered between the two windows on the left, and also centred either sides of the large window. Don't plant them too close to the foundation as you want them to have room to grow. I don't know what things grow well in your area (I'm only zone 4B) or what sort of sun exposure this side of the house gets. If you have southern or western exposure anything that enjoys the full sun would be great - tall ish roses, rose of sharon (hibiscus syriacus) are some that come to mind. If the exposure is northern or eastern perhaps rhododendron or tall hydrangeas of your choice. You may want to consult neighbours or the other forums for suggestions of what type of shrubs would grown best in your type of climate and humidity. You could also consider putting a trellis between the two small windows and planting clematis or another type of vine, or a climbing rose. There are loads of climbing roses to choose from that don't need any winter protection even in my zone 4B so you would likely have much more choice in your area. I don't really understand what the fence is for if you are not containing animals or children for a daycare. I imagine who ever put it up had a reason, please tell me what it is and we can discuss it further. Is there something you need to keep off the front yard that is threatening it without a fence? If there isn't - It is very distracting and draws the attention away from the house and anything pretty you put behind it. If it was a short picket fence or something it might be different, but chain link looks so institutional, not welcoming. Used to separate your property from your neighbour is one thing, especially in the back yard, but it's a very different effect in the front yard lining as you drive by. I read "dog kennels" or "institution", not "welcome to our home". If you insist that you need a fence for some logical reason, state it and exactly which sides need it then the options for replacement (type of fence, type of hedge, alternate dividing or screening material etc.) will be more clear, As to the color of the house I see no problem. It's like a classic black dress - it's a great clean canvas. It just needs some accessories in the way of plants. flowering shrubs, perhaps some balls of evergreen suitable for your climate to keep the eye focused on the house. Certainly a small tree as suggested above would also add some warmth and charm.

The best place to start may be with a large area rug to define a seating area. Once you’ve chosen a rug you love, you can use it to help select colors and style for a sofa and a pair of upholstered chairs to establish a seating area focused on the fireplace. Then you can choose a coffee table, end tables, lighting, art, etc. that work with the main pieces. At least that’s how I would proceed. And I would take my time, and refer to inspiration photos that I’ve saved up from online searches and magazines to keep me moving in the right direction. I tend to fly off on tangents when I see a shiny object. How many people will need to be accommodated with the seating? You might need to add a couple of occasional chairs or small ottomans for extra seating. Do you have a budget? Will you be buying new or scouring craigslist to round out your furnishings?