We built a beautiful English Cottage style home a little over a year ago and have finally put the finishing touches on the interior and are now ready to finish up the exterior. We have the grass planted and landscaping done but now need to add a walkway that invites people to enter through our front door. Up until now we have only had gravel down because we couldn’t agree on what style of path we wanted.

The one thing we do agree on is we don’t just want a plain concrete walkway. Something that complements our home is the effect we are searching for. We know we want a stone walkway but many decisions need to be made. We have to decide on the length and width, curvy or straight, formal or informal, steppingstones or pavers, texture, color and finishes. It is amazing the choices that are available.

We visited a couple of local landscape companies and attended a home and garden show and gathered information on other things that need to be considered before beginning a project such as this. No matter what type of stone walkway we decide to go with a couple of things that are a must; all stones need to be level so visitors won’t trip and the path needs to be wide enough for two people to pass shoulder to shoulder.

A straight path would use the least amount of stones, would require uniformity and organization to create straight lines, and would have a formal feel when approaching the front door. This type of path is complements Contemporary style homes when the path is laid with geometric shaped stones. When brick pavers are used for a straight walkway the path usually leads to a Traditional or Colonial style formal home. A curved path would require more stones but be a little more informal. Curved paths are usually formed using irregular and natural style stone and are best chosen for Country and Cottage style homes. Regardless of the decision I don’t think you could ever go wrong by choosing a stone walkway. They have so much character and style.

There are many types of stones to choose from including natural rock, geometric and linear shaped stones, and brick and stone pavers. Don’t forget the store bought stepping stones with patterns and colors and for the more personal touch handmade stepping stones that have individual artistic elements added including the nostalgic hand and foot prints of family members. Whatever the type of stone is chosen they will fall into one of three categories – natural, brick and concrete.

Once you have chosen the material the fun begins as you start to layout the pathway. The easiest way to mark a straight path is to grab string and some stakes to mark the outline. If curvy is more your style get the garden hose to create bends and curves to layout the path. Once you have made your final tweaks, walk the path to make sure it is wide enough. Now you are ready to get out the spray paint and mark your new path.

To figure out how much material you need multiply the width by the length to get your total square foot. This may be a little more difficult with a curvy path but at least you will have a good estimate. The depth will vary depending on what type of stone you chose.

To begin digging I have read that is it best to start at the edge and dig inward toward the center of the path. Once all the soil is removed and you are happy with the results wet the soil and press it down to create a nice level area for the entire path. In order to avoid weeds growing up through your pathway cut and place weed barrier down from edge to edge. After that pour on a layer of sand that will help with leveling of the stones once they are placed.

Now the fun begins – it is time to place your stones on the path. If your path is straight begin on the outside and place the stones that will create the straight edges. If your path is curvy first place larger stones in the middle and work your way to the edges. Regardless of your style keep the smaller stones back to be used as fillers in between the larger stones. Once you have placed enough stones step back and test the placement by walking down the path. Make sure that the large stones are placed in correctly so when casually walking there aren’t gaps in the path. Stand on individual stones and rock back and forth to make sure they are set in the sand. Use a level to avoid stones sticking out higher or lower than others to avoid tripping when walking. Once all the stones are set and the large gaps are filled in use small stones, sand or pebbles to fill in the small gaps to ensure the path won’t move. Leave it this way for a couple of days, walk on it and let it settle and then once more fill in the small gaps for a final walk through.

Now that I have the complete process written down I think we are ready to begin. We have decided to put in a stone walkway and use a mix of stones from the pond behind our home and the style of stones that are on the front of our home and chimney. Since our stones are going to be in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors I think this will be the best option for our English Cottage home. I can’t wait until it is complete and the finishing touches can be added such as lights, benches, flowers, shrubs and whatever neat personal touches we want to add. Soon our stone walkway will invite guests into our home in grand style. Who knows – we may even want to add another walkway through our garden in the back!

We have lived in one of those adobe style homes for over ten years now and have finally added a garden window to our breakfast room. The window fills the entire wall and I can’t wait to bring the outdoors in and fill it with all types of potted houseplants and blooming flowers.

I have been planning this for years and have read that studies have shown that green plants remove pollutants in the air surrounding them. This leaves us more satisfied with our lives, calmer, more efficient and full of freshness and vitality. Taking care of plants is very therapeutic and also has a positive effect on our physical and mental health. So now you know why when you walk into a botanical garden or simply a beautiful backyard garden you experience a sense of peace and tranquility.

In the basement I have soil, watering cans, fertilizer and an assortment of colorful planters just waiting to be used. The only thing I am worried about is actually keeping the plants alive and turning my black thumb into a green one.

I have read that the number one way to kill a plant is to overwater it. The soil should be moist but not damp. The roots will rot and begin to stink and the leaves will wilt if they have too much water. Plants need to dry out between waterings so that oxygen can get into the soil and roots. A simple rule of green thumb – When in doubt: Soil + dry = water. Soil + wet = don’t water.

Soil and fertilizing the soil is a must if you want your indoor plants are to thrive. They need nourishment such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium. Some potting mixes include all these nutrients but over the years they break down, settle around the roots and starve the plant of oxygen. Ways to improve this is to repot every year, add perlite to the soil, flush the soil by taking it outside and washing out salts and other deposits. Once a month fertilizer should be added and worked into the soil for better circulation of oxygen to the roots.

Air movement in the pots as well as the air surrounding the leaves is important. If you live in a colder climate and cannot open up the windows for a fresh breeze it is important to circulate air at least with a ceiling fan or small fan. Since I plan to put a lot of plants in our new garden window I will definitely have to leave the ceiling fan more often to the move air around. This air movement keeps stale indoor air and gasses from settling around the plant and it also helps plant stems to be sturdy, not spindly.

Plants need moisture from watering but also moisture in the air – humidity. If you want your plants to not only grow, but thrive, the humidity level in your home needs to be around 40%. Other ways to create moisture is to mist them with a spray bottle, place the pot or planter in a tray filled with small rocks and water so the plant can get moisture when it needs it or to place containers filled with water around the room so plants can soak up the humid air as the water evaporates.

Last, but definitely not least, is light. As far as plant health goes this ranks right up there with the right amount of water. It is amazing to see how plants reach for the sun. If your plant does this it means they are begging for light. In colder climates winter is hard on plants so the use of fluorescent lights may be necessary if you notice paleness, smaller leaves than usual and them reaching for sun. Normally a good rule of green thumb is if there is enough light in a room to read your plants should be fine.

There are so many varieties of plants and before I purchase anything I plan to research what type of environment they need in order to grow. I can’t wait to fill my pots with soil and bring home my first tray of plants. Many of my friends know I have been waiting for a long time to get this new window and have started cuttings off of their healthy plants that are easy to grow. I figure with a clone of a healthy plant I really should be able to test my green thumb. I can’t wait to get started on my collection of indoor plants!

We have lived in one of those beautiful Country French homes for many years. It is a large home with plenty of square footage for the entire family. When we first moved in I had a hard time filling all the rooms with furniture. Through a job transfer our family is moving to an area where the cost of living is quite a big higher. When we began to look at real estate in the area we quickly came to the conclusion that with what we could afford we were definitely going to have to downsize and purchase a much smaller home. At first this was a little disappointing but the move was going to be hard enough on everyone and I soon realized it was my job to be positive and to find a way to make the most of living in a smaller home.

I have found the most important thing when living in a small home is versatility and functionality. Items such as stackable tables, ottomans with lids turn over and double as a coffee table, futon couches that can fold down to a bed, bunk beds with built-in desks below, trundle beds for overnight guests and beds with drawers below for storage are great pieces of furniture that are multi-functional.

Since we already have a lot of furniture we will need to take inventory and see what we can use and what we need to leave behind. We have many pieces of furniture that are quite busy and I’ve read that furniture in a small home should be neutral and not have any patterns. Their fabric shouldn’t take over the room. Also furniture should be simplistic and not oversized. One style that is mentioned a lot is vintage furniture. This style of furniture is much smaller than what we are accustomed to. I think by mixing some of our pieces with other items the rooms should come together just fine.

We also have a large den right now that is filled with books. While I know we can leave many behind we will still have quite an extensive collection that we cannot part with. In our home now these shelves seem quite cumbersome when filled with books. Organizing these by color rather than title should add some interest and not consume the space.

Flooring in rooms in a small home should be wall to wall in each room with no breaks such as insets, perimeter accents or even area rugs. This holds true for hardwood, carpet, tile, vinyl, etc. Since there are no breaks in the material it makes the room appear larger than it really is.

Another way to make a room seem more open is to draw the eye upward. If there are no structural ways like vaulted or coffered ceilings, a great idea is to place photos and artwork in a vertical manner so the eye is drawn upward. Another neat decorating touch is to mount drapery where the ceiling meets the wall to create a welcoming, large window and wall. This can also be done in the bathroom with the shower rod and curtain.

When it comes to the bedrooms we are quite spoiled with all our walk-in closets and shelves. I would have to say at least half of the stuff in our closets we never even wear or use. This move will force us to get rid of the unused items and keep only what we need and will wear. Some photos I’ve seen show creative ways of organizing a small bedroom including shoe racks that hang on closet doors, the use of different sized hooks for scarves, belts, purses and jewelry, using armors that have both drawers and a section for hanging clothes and those wonderful plastic tubs that slide under the bed.

When it comes down to choosing rooms that fit the needs of our family we will have to decide what we want and need the most. If the home we choose has a formal dining room it will probably be transformed into a den, if there is a laundry room it may be organized to house both washer and dryer as well as a planning center. These decisions will be made once we find the home. I know one thing for sure – we will have no wasted space.

When it comes to painting the rooms we all know that light colors make a space seem more open and larger and dark colors can close in a space. But nothing says you have to paint all the walls the same color. In a small room go bold with color on an accent wall and make it a focal point in the room to take one’s mind off the size of the room and draw one’s attention to the accent wall color. Use decorative elements that don’t take up the whole wall. Minimize and simplify each space to make the most of it.

Living the dream and the dream is to own a home – large or small isn’t the important part. We feel fortunate we will still have an income and our family will be together. As time passes we are getting excited about the move and are looking forward to it. We will only pack the items we need and mean the most to us. It is time to appreciate the simple things in life and enjoy the simple things that surround us. We can always dream big but we don’t have to live that way.

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