VancGard's Profile

I would put a round table near the kitchen. If you don't have much room use one that has sides that fold down.
For the triangle corner I have a few suggestions: a potted tree or a large leafy plant that will fill out the corner
and/or an armchair which faces into the room and the back of the chair is the bottom of the triangle (with a nice lamp or plant behind it).
Or if you could use a bit of hidden storage, use a tall bookcase or Ikea expedit (with covered back) that starts about halfway along the wall from the kitchen but doesn't sit against the wall. It should touch the wall at one end and go almost to the left edge of the window, leaving just enough room to squish behind it at the window. It would square off the room a bit and be a good place for storing off season, awkward things like skiis or folding patio chairs.
If you have a great view, I would just put the couch right in the middle of the room with its back facing the kitchen at right angle to your bedroom door, just past the door opening.

I needed my ugly blinds to keep out the summer sun on hot days. Instead of removing them we made simple valances for the two rooms involved and kept the blinds pulled right to the top. The valance hid the blinds as well as the top of the new curtains in one room and nice shades in the other.

Looks big enough to be your dining room. Get a table with folding leaves and keep it against the wall when not in use. You could even make it a dining room/office. Another idea is to look in thrift stores for old armoires (not antique) that you can paint or repair. It is always good to have more storage and some of the old ones have mirrors which would add light.

A bit confused, does anyone drive on driveway or park in garage? If yes do not do anything that encourages children to play there.
If no, could you dig up part of yours or would neighbour agree to help dig up whole thing? There are a number of surfacing options available that can be driven on but would make it look more yard like. Last summer we paid someone to jackhammer a two foot wide strip out of our concrete drive because our trees needed more water and we would be able to stop some run off. We filled the space with ground cover and pavers. Looks much better and trees are happier.
Before we saved up for an electric gate at the entrance we used a trellis on wheels (lightweight). In your case the trellis could attach to the deck or the house and roll out across your half of drive when it is there, a second trellis hinged to it could unfold along the middle of the driveway and hook onto something on the garage wall or just have a pole at the edge of the folded trellis that drops down to stabilize it. Otherwise just have a single trellis on wheels that attaches to deck and wheels out to space between doors closing off the space between two pots in picture.
Make friend with neighbours and check this out. Some nice choices of permeable driveways:
http://www.bing.com/images/search?q=permeable+driveway&qpvt=permeable+driveway&FORM=IGRE

One additional suggestion, do you have a clothes dryer? If yes, you have to clear the lint not just in the lint catcher inside the dryer but in the air vent pipe behind it that goes to the outside. My daughter's new to them, condo had exactly this type of humidity problem and that was the only cause.
Even if the condo pays to have those vents cleaned that isn't a guarantee that it was done. We had to hunt to even see her vent which was partially hidden by a decorative overhang and apparently had never been cleaned in ten years! It was completely stuffed and would have been a fire hazard if it hadn't been so soggy and wet in there. The condo council and the cleaning company were completely shocked that this could happen.

Don't mix daffodils with other flowers. Quickly dip Hydrangea stems in boiling water if the flowers start drooping. If it isn't freezing put flowers outside overnight or while you are at work (or in the fridge if they fit). I don't think flower food is worth it, just recut the stems and give them fresh water.
Unless you have a flower cooler I have never understood conditioning flowers. Stand them in water for several hours before arranging???? How is that different from putting them in a vase of water in the first place? Does anyone know?

You could play up the old fashion aspect of the living room by using a "kitchen dresser". I put a link to some antique ones but there are similar types in thrift stores.
http://www.carters.com.au/index.cfm/index/3585-dressers-kitchen/
I would choose one with doors and drawers instead of open shelves but definitely make sure it has depth in its counter space (eg doors don't touch countertop using up workspace).
You could put cupboards and sideboards facing into the room. However, if the room is large enough you could put them facing the kitchen. Then you make the backs look like wall space with with something like fabric or bookshelves.

I would want to know if it was asbestos! Yes it is worse if you muck around with it, but all the same, if was okay if you didn't touch it then why would the government be spending so much money removing it from schools and other public buildings. Asbestos is not at all safe.

I wouldn't do it without a fence and gate. People help themselves and their pets do damage. A fence would also help to keep it tidy and organized looking. It doesn't have to be tall just a symbolic barrier. A nice front garden I saw had the fence set back a couple of feet. On the sidewalk side they planted shrubby herbs, groundcover and some flowers. It was a gesture towards fitting in.

This isn't helping Jessica but does anyone know why builders do this (sliding glass doors and fireplace take up same wall)? It is common in new apartments but in that case there is no other outside wall. Is this a townhouse?
If the foreground is a dining room or something I would have a couch dividing the room and facing the window and fireplace.
My question would be how often are you going to be using the fireplace and sliding door? You could put a couch in front of the doors or even a sectional that comes around the corner and part goes in front of the non sliding half.
If you are almost never going to use the fireplace just treat it like a bookcase or armoire, nothing needs to face it. For occasional use drag a couple of cozy chairs over.