Hi there, I can help you lay it out if you like. You would need to send me a pdf of the plan view of your house that I can print out. Show front lawn, driveway, sidewalk and curb. I can sketch out a bed layout for you to review and then make a pdf for you to look at and print out. I can be reached most directly at Scott@designsnw.com. Please email me directly and let me know if you want a simple sketch for your layout. You plan should be to scale if possible. If not, just send me a proportional sketch of your house with the structure, entry walk, driveway, and sidewalk and also the trees or shrubs that you want to stay. Please note how wide your entry walk is and how wide the drive is. This will help me with any paver edging that might be added to the walkway. Also note on the plan where any front windows, and the doorway to the house are. This is helpful when I layout plants. I would also appreciate a photo of the front of the house from the front and sides to help visualize. I typically layout the beds, walks, patios if you want one, and the general massing of the plants. Once you have looked at this and make adjustments, I can make plant recommendations. Good luck and I look forward to hearing back from you. For a simple sketch and feedback there is no charge. I am happy to help. Scott Lankford, Landscape Architect.

Yes, this whole experience is exhausting, overwhelming and very disheartening. I purchased my home eight years ago and redecorated every room in the house since, having taken the eight years to do so, in between juggling kids around, working, trying to find the time to spend with my wonderful wife and dealing with everything else life entails. Now, Christmas upon us, no home to call our own as of yet, hiring people to rebuild your home, because i don't have the time to do it myself, just so we can move back in. Rather than taking the time it takes normally to redecorate, hurry up and get it done, so we can move back and have some kind of normalsy. Then after working going and checking on the hired contractors progress and noticing, the baseboard isn't quite right, or the spackle job wasn't finished. Having to rely on other people, but not being able to trust them. Feeling like i have to stand there and watch them to do it right, i might as well do it myself. I"m not a designer or contractor and are willing to pay, there is no compitantsy anymore, no pride in worksmanship. its a shame then they want to get paid. One quote given, then almost double, because a few extra walls had to be opened. What about the pipe that was cut into, nobody paid me to get it fixed. Very frustrating. And i have insurance. Where is the adjustor that says, "Hey, we have you. Take care of your home and family and just give us the bill, we will take care of it." No, save all receipts, take pictures of everything, itemize everything, then download into this computer system, fax it or e-mail it to us then we will get back to you. Thanx but who pays for all the work right now? Thanx for listening, Just venting, Happy Holidays everyone.

Cottage looks great as is -- without stone. Use the stone for landscaping rather than on the bump out. The cottage floor appears to be at or even lower than the driveway/slush. Consider digging to lower the ground in front of the cottage by at least one step and putting a stone walkway lower than the cottage and parallel to the cottage for the length of the cottage. This would also help turn the rain water away from the cottage. Make your sidewalk wider than the average sidewalk so you can set wood planters on it adjacent to the house and still use it as a sidewalk. Then create a short knee wall between that walkway and the driveway and plant a row of your favorite low blooming shrub there for color. Room permitting, you could even include a half round spot in the sidewalk/kneewall for a couple of chairs and a small table in front of the bump out.

Love the pine ceiling and the up lights on top of cabinets, but there is too much white. Walls need to add some contrast to the plethora of white cabinets and soon to be white backsplash ( love the herringbone pattern idea). Find a soft, medium toned blue for the walls and decorate with yellow hued accent pieces to tie in the yellow provided in the ceiling. Then find a deeper hued blue paint and paint the island cabinets that deeper blue. Will look great against the floors. Then, although I am sure you don't want to cover those views, but the room needs some fabric for softness. Maybe just a valance on the window over the sink. Use the same or a coordinated fabric to cover the chair seats at the table. You asked for suggestions. Those are mine.