Sorry I am so late coming to your site - you are an inspiration to all, homeowners and advisers alike. For your planting advice, I suggest you call Merrifield Garden Center to see if they will come out your way. They currently have wonderful garden centers in Merrifield and Fairfax (both in Fairfax County) and a new one in Gainesville, but they may come further south to wherever you reside. (www.MerrifieldGardenCenter.com) Even if they don't send designers to your area, they are worth a trip to see their huge selection for a day of pleasure and inspiration, or to pick up some plants. Most of my clients are in the Fairfax and greater Washington area, but I am currently living out west below Front Royal, VA on the Shenandoah mountainside - wonderful views. cascio.offsite@gmail.com

Hi Nic, I've been stuck with shower-over-baths in a few rentals and they can be slippery death traps! They also get grotty in summer with bare feet, post beach showers etc which limits usage as a bath anyway. If your kids are old enough I'd go for just a nice big shower area or a separate shower with a compact freestanding bath if you can fit one. If your kids are little or the above won't work for you here's some tips to make a shower over bath safer and easy to use: - Pick a bath with an absolutely flat bottom and anti slip texture at the shower end (those suction anti-slip mats are worse than useless). - Position the shower screen so that you can step straight onto the anti slip part. - Make sure the bath edge is low enough for the kids to enter end exit easily. - A hand held shower head that can move up and down would be a nice addition. Hope that helps! Good luck with the new bathroom :)

Lighting - pendants over the servery bench should be another feature that complements your chosen kitchen surfaces. So whilst I love the copper pendants in picture 1.. They could work depending on the rest of your decor and would be a highlight in a neutral white/timber kitchen = Good! If you choose copper you would complement it with a couple of copper bench top items. These are beautiful! (I collect copper because I love it, my kitchen pendants are silver, I renovated to sell in the next 3-5 years) You will see a picture starting to form in your mind and there is nothing wrong with making a statement with your lighting. I found that when I wasn't sure I would get a very strong sense of what was right and what was wrong for a space, then common sense or passion would determine the outcome! Here are another couple that might work, look her on Houzz under lighting, search pendants, then have fun looking!Timber tones with black or white to complement your cabinets... or Statement white pendants for a bit of quirky fun! Your personality can be reflected in your lighting and accessories creating that point of difference from the predictable white on timber look. Plus don't forget the power of greenery to punctuate the theme!

If you have a small, dimly lit bathroom, you aren't alone! Often throughout the 60's and 70's it seems as though bathrooms were an after-thought to the general house design, and not considered to be a valuable use of floor space. That view has changed thankfully, and beautiful bathrooms are now one of the best value-adds in a home. As a general rule, investing in bathroom improvements will not only add to the value, but will also enhance your enjoyment of living in the home, and improve saleability should you decide to sell. If you do have a small bathroom, don't despair! There are always options to make better use of the space, introduce additional light, and just add a touch of luxury! The use of glass and light colours can greatly enhance the sense of space, and modern Solatubes can not only introduce excellent natural light where you need it most, but also come in models that provide ventilation, and LED lighting once the sun goes down. If you have mains pressure water, consider adding a rainhead to your shower. The inclusion of a built-in shower niche shelves not only look great but provide a neat spot for all your shower supplies. If you currently have a shower curtain, chances are it has caused you despair at some point or another. A low-profile tiled hob with a glass door will do an excellent job of containing the water (especially ideal if you do want the rainhead!), and you will never have a wet, cold, shower curtain clinging to you again. Some comments from our wonderful clients on this project; "The job is now completed, and we are very happy with the result. We have been enjoying a lovely new shower, bathroom and toilet. I would recommend Wayne and his team, especially if like us, you can’t be bothered with project managing a whole lot of different contractors in order to do a renovation". "...there were no hidden costs, and I think all contingencies had been thought of before the quote was sent, which was great for us that there were “no surprises”. Thank you so much Alex and Chrissy! Before: After: