Design Dilemmas: 5 Questions for Design Stars

Share Your Design Know-How on the Houzz Questions Board

Annie Thornton June 30, 2011

Houzz Editorial Staff

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Houzzers, are you up to the challenge of solving this week's question roundup? Please share your advice about that pesky space above the kitchen cabinets and creating the perfect cozy vacation cottage — or help user jdevine decide whether or not to make an offer on a house. Read on, then click away to share your savvy design advice.

Post your own design dilemma here!

Houzz Design Dilemmas

1. How can I enhance the landscape for my terraced front yard?
"We just purchased this house and have been renovating inside. It needs some serious work for curb appeal. It had totally overgrown junipers and we took them out, but we don't know what to do next. I'm debating painting the door but I'm scared. Please help!" Click here to answer.

Houzz Design Dilemmas

2. How can I add personality to a suburban tract house?
"My husband and I are considering placing an offer on this house. If it weren't for the awesome neighborhood and large backyard I probably wouldn't look at this house twice. It has no curb appeal whatsoever.

My question is, what can we do to make this house look pretty? I'm thinking French, with large black urns filled with flowers. Any other ideas? What about in the winter when there aren't any flowers? The house is stucco. Thank you!" Click here to answer.

Houzz Design Dilemmas

3. How should I decorate above my kitchen cabinets?
"I have floating cabinets in my kitchen and want to add decor to the top. I'm not into fake plants, plates or roosters. Any suggestions?" Click here to answer.

Houzz Design Dilemmas

4. How can we give our home the look of a Northeast cottage?
"We are renovating a cottage with four families and are working on choosing colors for the living/kitchen area. We now have a totally empty space, but have chosen natural hickory kitchen cabinets, pine for the cathedral ceiling and a medium pine for the floor.

Any suggestions for colors for walls, counters, backsplash? We are attempting to get that "upnorth cottage" feel. Thanks." Click here to answer.

Houzz Design Dilemmas

5. What colors complement dark cherry floors and black appliances?
"I've recently purchased dark cherry laminate flooring with black weave throughout and have black appliances. What color cabinet wood would be complementary, and what color paint and granite countertop and backsplash? Our kitchen is 26 x 10 ft. Any help, please? We are truly compromised! Attached picture is of the old kitchen." Click here to answer.

Post your own design dilemma!

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Comments (2)

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ROSLYN KENNEY

I'm no expert, but from what I've seen in Asia, this problem is handled by making the terraced areas more cohesive, rather than deep areas where they tier down. You could try making a more sculptured effect using different kinds of plants or flowering shrubs that take up more space in front of your rocked walls, so you hardly notice the walls are there, but what you use to do this would depend on your area of the country and what grows best. Try looking at California houses in Northern CA, where they have many of these landscaping issues to deal with. Here's a link to a couple photos: http://www.wildroselandscape.com/services_1.html

1 Like July 3, 2011 at 4:24PM