That's cause a lot of people here in California are morons/untrained gardners. They chop off green fronds leaving the poor palm looking squalid and sick.... Very common thing to do in socal to queens, and all fan palms...they look really terrible and makes them grow abnormal. There are so many queen palms with one or two fronds and it looks so bad and unnatural.... Meanwhile you go to Hawaii and the queen palms there are in full glory with huge green crowns.

Sarah...maybe this applies somewhat to you, but I found this on John Leeke's website, which I am studying to memory in gearing up to do my window restoration. It's about vinyl. John Leeke's Historic HomeWorks(tm) Vinyl Siding Q: "I purchased an 1840's house in northwestern N.J. in 1991 which has been a great deal of fun to restore. However, I have been ignoring its largest problem: the house is covered in a disgusting, light-green vinyl siding. There was evidence of termites in the basement when I bought the house. I exterminated the termites and have seen no evidence of them since '91. Should I consider painting the vinyl siding? What is the advisability of ripping vinyl siding off, considering I don't know what's underneath. Is there any way to tell whether or not the clapboard underneath is damaged, or is continuing to be damaged." A: You face the two common problems with vinyl siding: it is not "maintenance free" and it hides conditions beneath. I am now seeing many vinyl siding projects that have 12 to 18 year's age on them being painted due to poor appearance. To improve deteriorating appearance vinyl siding is sometimes washed with high pressure water. This must be done carefully with a downward blast to prevent loading the wall with moisture through the ventilation slots. When cleaning does not help the vinyl siding contractors' response to deteriorating appearance is to replace the siding. So the time proven actual maintenance method for vinyl is little or no maintenance until it fails and then the very high maintenance treatment of replacement. If you have a term of interest in the building that is less than the life of the vinyl product, this approach may make economic sense to you. Even if you plan to sell before the vinyl needs to be replaced vinyl's short-term economic advantage may be limited. Vinyl siding is now becoming recognized as a liability by some astute real estate buyers, because its long-term life is not as cost effective some other siding materials and because it can hide serious problems. Vinyl siding hides changing conditions of the wood and paint underneath. You need to investigate conditions underneath the vinyl siding. Begin by looking at the exterior surfaces of the siding for visible signs of buckling, trails of light tan insect wood dust sifting out of the vent slots of the siding, etc.. Suspect underlying damage in the walls at inside corners where two roofs drain into one location, and north and east walls in particular which are susceptible to moisture decay problems. Look for major cracks in the foundation which might have telegraphed up the walls underneath the siding. As an historic building investigator, I use moisture meters to sense high moisture content in the wood underneath the vinyl. This is quickly done and does not damage the vinyl. You can also spot moisture problems by looking for black streaks of dirt left by water from cornice leaks at the top of the wall. Locations of high moisture usually indicate trouble spots. Selectively remove sections of siding where you find these signs of trouble and where you saw the termites. There are special tools for removing vinyl siding so you might want to hire a vinyl siding contractor. It can usually be done carefully enough to put the vinyl siding back up without damage. Look for dampness, peeling paint and decayed wood. Paint peeling to bare wood indicates there has been high moisture, which could also have lead to decay. Look for dampness that indicates the moisture problem is current and not historic. You might need to remove the old siding in areas of concern. This should be done by a finish carpenter or cabinetmaker. Again, it can sometimes be done carefully enough to reapply it without much damage. Look for deep decay in sheathing boards and the structural members beneath such as sills, studs and plates. Here is a link that might be useful: Historic Homeworks

I used BM seapearl on the walls when I remodeld my master bath last year. I wish it was a bit more beig-y than yellow-y, but it is a nice neutral. Have your friend look at the Roche Bobois website which shows lots of photos of transitional/modern furniture arranged in old traditional and ornate European rooms. If the trim is original and/or high quality, please convince your friend not to remove it. It will add depth and interest to the room once it is made more monochromatic.

It has to be 'extra' because it can range from minimal moulding to huge, thick moulding. Standard will get you just enough trim to cover where two surfaces meet: Wall and ceiling; Wall and door or window cut-outs; Wall and floor. MDF *may* be fine as ceiling moulding if you don't have extreme heat/cold seasons where it swells/shrinks. You don't want it in high traffic areas. BTW, I love our MDF interior doors; only do them if you will be painting them. They are solid, quiet -- and required three sets of hinges (36" wide doors).