hello bonnielynn75 and THANK YOU! your comment put a smile on my face re the red on the interior side of the door. It IS red on the inside as well, he insisted on that when we purchased it. no one here has it red on the inside and I wanted it to be white on the inside. do you see my dilemma?;) I agree with everything you are saying, I suppose this is the reason why so far I was not 100% sure about the black for the door either, although I like black...Agree, there is too much wall and I find the house to be looking a bit 'bland' and would like to change that. I LOVE shutters, but read somewhere that you never put shutters on wide windows, so got unsure about that, too...but perhaps just the one as I stated earlier. Would the color on that shutter be the same as the door (if I ever settle on a door color)? Unfortunately window boxes are not an option as we have quite a few cats and they may be used as litter boxes;) please don't tell me to get rid of the cats;)... Regarding the stoop (entrance) : we need to add another step (made of cement) on top of the existing step: it was removed when the new door was fitted. We were thinking of putting slate tiles or something dark to match the roof, if that makes any sense.... It is porous cement so unsuitable for painting, I think. What place in Ireland did you visit, we are close to the Irish Sea in the country surrounded by sheep;)...

I think you're making great progress. CDR wanted you to put them all vertical because she thinks only professionals should style bookcases. We are/were all amateurs at one point, that doesn't mean we shouldn't decorate our own homes. You're getting there! Just keep studying the photos of bookshelves that you like and keep practicing. Just remember to keep the decorations simple. Look over the beautiful photo above from Maureen again, and you can see that some shelves are still all books, and there are only a few decorative pieces.

I would use plants to brighten the space. The hardscapes are all good, they just look a bit naked and grim. It can be hard to make a space pretty but usable for the kids too, but its not impossible. You have a lovely sitting area to enjoy. Plant some lovely feature bushes in that gravel area. You don't need to completely hide the clothesline, but having something pretty and showy in front will create a boundary and the eye will be drawn to the plants instead of the washing. If you can't plant into the soil there, some large size pots will work. Maybe some medium sized (1-2metre) ornamental trees in pots, like citrus, a weeping ornamental cherry, or bay trees, moptop robinias are nice too. They will be compact. You could cluster some pots of herbs underneath or plant them and let them ramble a little. Herbs like thyme and rosemary and lavender will suit the gravel area and the heat and be hardy with kids playing around, the odd bike falling on them or crushing underfoot would be quite okay. bulbs in pots or planted around the edges of the lawn are great value low maintenance and hardy colour. You can get great seasonal variation in your view then. Online bulb stores like tesselar and garden express sell bulk landscaping bulbs at very reasonable prices. You can get hundreds of bulbs for $30-50. Bulbs are great hardy plants that won't be killed by the odd soccer ball either. The flowers may get knocked over or the leaves, but the bulb is safe under the soil. Cheap and cheerfuls like nasturtiums are good value colour that will self seed every season. Also, plant some very bright flowering shrubs behind the soccer net and against the far wall. Maybe some hibiscus? You need something to catch and entice the eye, plant some large flowering shrubs with larger or bright flowers or foliage you will be able to appreciate from a distance.

Hello nicnoll, Another idea could be to have a wall light that is all about the bulb! A few links to both ideas.... Copper is good too... Guessing you can have them pointing up or down for ones that don't have a moving hinge.. http://www.oldschoolelectric.com/vintage-light-bulbs/ http://www.industville.co.uk/collections/wall-sconce-bar-restaurant-lamps/products/vintage-barn-angled-brass-wall-lamp A ceiling light.. http://www.industville.co.uk/collections/ceiling-lights-lampshades/products/brooklyn-vintage-brass-cone-lampshade OR.. One other idea... have a rose with multi flex wires... centralised where the current one is.. Then choosing cable/flex and lengths.. run them along to where you want.. either along ceiling.. in loops with hooks to loop round and fix position, so then excess becomes a drop pendant to add something lovely.... Or you run them in loops across the ceiling to the opposite wall and have a wall light fitting but the electric cable comes from the one ceiling point. So less to do wiring wise.. Plus this makes for a very interesting bespoke installation.. with coloured flex cable running in loops along the hallway.. . : )) http://www.urbancottageindustries.com/historic-lighting/ceiling-roses/multiple-outlet-ceiling-roses/ceiling-rose-multiple-cable-flex-outlet-vintage-brass http://www.urbancottageindustries.com/historic-lighting/fabric-cable/twisted-lighting-flex/copper-fabric-lighting-flex-cable-twist