Dear Jeff, I thought it might stir your imagination if I shared some examples of the "messages" churches send through their use of space. the key element in most of these examples is not plant material and may have nothing to do with your church situation. Your project sounds like it will be something different, more along the lines of a way for you to share a gift and personal interest in plants. That may be fine, if it fits with the way your church makes decisions and as long as it is done well, which is probably why you are asking for input. ButÂyour project will send a message. The question is: What will that message be? What message is sent when > Members of a church use an entrance that "everyone" knows about, except newcomers who feel lost and confused after trying the locked front door. > Members tolerate a serious odor issue--I once overheard the child of a visiting family ask, "Mom, why does it stink in here?" > Additions to a church create a rectangular structure with an exterior courtyard in its center. It is tended for years by a primary donor, but after her death the tiny garden is mowed and hacked back and left forlorn. > Three times in 10 years a congregation votes down a proposal to install an elevator with exterior access, although fewer and fewer elderly members can safely navigate the 15 or so steps to enter the sanctuary or the 11 steps to go to a fellowship dinner in the basement. Now try these > A congregation carefully thinks through how to indicate the usual entrance: signs, sidewalks, greeters. > A congregation debates intensely the merits of putting in additional parking, creating a playground, or providing a memorial garden to honor the memory of members who have died. They decide on a capital fund drive to purchase a neighboring property so they can increase parking. They will build the play area on the existing property to meet a community need. > A congregation in rural Illinois discovers a desire to deepen its spiritual life and builds a prayer labyrinth in the neighboring cornfield (acreage belonging to the church). They invite the region to make use of this experience. The income from harvesting the corn goes toward local mission efforts. So, I guess I'm wondering what message your congregation feels called to send to its community? Wellspring

How will a "freestanding pergola" with stand hurricanes no matter what? WHat does the permit office say about this? WHat will you HO Ins. think about about insuring a "freestanding pergola"?

Here is what I would do... Keep it about 1" off the ceiling and leave a gap to get light above the fixture to make it look like a feature. Play with the gap between the face board and the angled board until you have a bit of light coming from the top but not too much. You will not be able to see the line set and plumbing pipe unless you are 8' tall. Use some reflective material or mirror effect paint on the angled board to redirect more light down. Use integrated LED tube lights for the light source and attach it to the face board or very high on the silver surface to really hide the tube from below. This is really not an elegant solution but if done correctly it will hide the problem in something that looks like a rational and intentional design decision.

Kristin Petro Interiors, Inc.Hi Kristin. Thank you!! We're renovating most of the house. Which is why I feel trapped in the contract. They are almost finished, except for this bathroom. We haven't paid much for the bathroom yet. We paid for Ditra heat mats and related labor. They haven't been installed yet. We've had a few other issues, mostly cosmetic. Most of the problems relate to the bathroom: a questionable subfloor under the whole bathroom, and no slope in the shower preslope. And I already purchased marble for the shower floor and walls. I wish that I hadn't now, since it makes it even more important to install everything correctly.