Agree -- get yourself a piece of art -- poster or canvas -- minium size would be a couple inches larger than the electical panel+whatever you need to bring the wall back into balance (that is, if the elecrical panel is not dead center, add enough width to the art to make the art look centered and still cover the panel. I had an apt entrance wall like this -- covered it with Art, set entrance light to accent, worked WONDERFUL I wasn't so smart about the 'command strips', used a french cleat so that I KNEW it would be straight and level every time I put it back up, but didn't hit any wires with the screws...

Thank you for your responses. we live in southern california, so no real weather concerns. The flat part of our roof is surrounded by slightly pitched roof so you can not see it from the streets. I don't know why he is considering moving it. Maybe the contractor thinks it is easier to handle the ducting from the roof? We do have access to the roof from inside one of the closets (Ladder to roof). I was given a hard pitch that the floor mount that will be built can handle the noise...I am skeptical. There is room on side of house that his been notched for the suitcase condensers. They are suggesting York units. We need 4 five ton units. 2 in basement and 2 on roof. and they want to put all 4 condensers on the roof.

Irks me bad though. I am in the middle of repairing my house, and my new rule of thumb is if it looks done after the initial construction, its either shoddy, dangerous, or just way out of code. Fixing a staircase as we speak that had no structural support other than 2x4s on flat. I noticed how bent, and warped they were, sure enough, i figured why? Opened it up, space 16 inches tall with no framing, just scabbed 2x4s for drywall nailers on the bottom of the landing. A few boys wrestling around could of busted right through, easy to die on a 8 foot drop to concrete. Next, i look up, and the floor of the upstairs has a main beam floating there, with nothing but a few 16 penny nails in it. Now im building a bearing wall today for the upstairs, and already built one for the stair landing. Point being this. With all the resources avaliable between your local building supply stores, your library, your local building inspector, and sometimes the internet, you really have no excuse! To hide work that is shoddy, and potentially dangerous is wrong, and a post to hide it is even worse! When you sell a place, the next owner is at risk, and you are liable if you know about these things, cover them up, or dont disclose it! Besides the legal implications say you pass, and your property sells, the next owner should not be stuck with your dangerous construction techniques. There needs to be an ethical standard that people try to take more seriously when working in the trades, and just because your uncle bob was a mechanical apprentice in 1975 does not mean you are qualified to do this stuff! I know i'm rehashing, and I am not trying to insult anyone either. Please people find a real solution to these problems..........if you do paint a cactus, I would suggest framing a small sand box around it, and a few cubic yards of beach sand. Then make a life size replica of Snoopy's older brother spike for the Charles Schultz look, its gonna be big in 2015!

the mansard roof is not necessarily a bad idea..as i said..my parents did it years ago to a little duplex built very similar to this one...if done properly it can be cute...these houses dont have a lot of "style"..mid-century or not..having said that....I would like to add..my husband and a friend installed one of the ductless minisplit air conditioning systems..according to them..not difficult...the friend however has some experience in carpentry ...this was not terribly expensive when the labor was deducted...less than $2000 I believe...and if this is out of the budget..and it certainly has been for us at times in our lives..esp as younger couple....then some of these ideas with the simple screen..maybe decorative...might be the way to go....we love the ductless system tho..and there are videos on youtube that show u step by step how to install...still prob less expensive than the mansard roof idea....and they are supposedly energy efficient and may save $ in the long run...I would prob be somewhat concerned about anything sitting on the roof, ductwork or anything else..in tornado ridden Florida..we have similar situation here in the area of Texas that we live...best of luck..you have so many good suggestions..it has been fun reading them!!