Analysis first, then plan, as Tookoo recommends. Use native plants, as neotoma recommends. Get specific plant recommendations locally, as Terri & sgelade recommend. Here is my two cents worth, for the shortterm. a. Remove and stockpile the lawn edging and most of the mulch back against the fences. b. Take a can of spray paint, or a bundle of surveyor's flag, and mark the largest circular or curved form that will fit within the fenced areas, no matter where the trees stand (inside or outside of the line) to form the temporary edge of your lawn area. See if the entire family agrees on the alignment or just do what looks best to you as the Senior Gardener. c. Add the wood edging to the new edge, or, it will look a lot better if the edge is not visible, using a steel edge whose top edge is down just above the grass roots and no longer visible, and not an impediment to the lawn mower. (when you form the plant beds, you will dig down a couple inches at the edge, where it meets the steel, and then slope the bed up from there, and the mulch will be contained at the level of the lawn, beyond) My recommendation, after you call in your landscape advisor, is to fill the beds totally with ground cover, beneath the shrubs, so no mulch will be seen after the two years of plant growth, using only a finer textured mulch which will become part of the soil bed. (Maybe the bark mulch will smell good in your new fire pit, along with the wood edging.) d. Plant the entire area with grass seed or sod and enjoy the beauty. The curved edge will make the space appear and feel larger and will decrease the maintenance of the smaller bed areas. On the subject of tree placement: analyse first, then plan. Look at all the views beyond your fenceline from all windows of the house, the living/ dining areas, all the bedrooms, to enhance the good views and to block the big, the bad, and the ugly. The large trees on your list will block views from the upper windows, The small horizontally branched trees will be a piece of sculpture in your downstairs view throughout the year, while their flowering and fragrance yet another reason to be alive. For instance, if you have an attractive small tree that has attractive flowers and foliage, PLUS has attractive bark color and has a sculptural quality in the off-season, you won't have to visit the museum quite as often, with a sculpture garden right out your window.

I personally don't do the feminist thing of She shed, etc, I just call it MY ROOM AND IF YOU DISTURB ME YOUR CHOICE OF PUNISHMENT! Hee hee, no, I call mine my Workroom. Like you I have a ton of things to do in there! I craft, I bead, I have storage, and I occasionally just go down there with a glass of wine, turn on a CD and chill on the chair looking out at the scenery. My room is a work in progress, too. What I do is have designated spots for different work areas. So one wall has beading supplies, another wall has craft and knitting supplies and the other has storage and in the middle is a big rug where I can lay down and veg or actually do yoga if I so desire. For you, I suggest you do a mix, since your walls are limited, put a chair and a table (can be longer like a bench if you have the room) along that hip height window. You need natural light for any painting, etc you like to do. The cupboard you mention can become your storage area for the painting equipment. You mention you wish to study too, so having a half side of the table for painting and the other half for studying should do the trick. The fact you want to exercise, run nuddies, relax etc can be done in the middle of the room. Without dimensions I can't really offer much else. Is it possible to get a few pics of the area with something in perspective, (kitchen chair is easiest) if there is no furniture already in there? Sounds like a hodgepodge in the Heaven Haven. ;)

Let's keep it nice, I don't think EthanWes is as precious as you may think and it is a forum for personal opinions after all. I also thought the comeback was unnecessarily aggressive & unwarranted. I would keep whatever you put there quite subtle and simple in colour so it doesn't draw the eye. You've got a nice retro/scandi feel from the look of it, see it as another way to carry this through?! So some ideas: - a small succulent in a low 1-2" pot, possibly including a trailing one such as Silver Falls (though don't let it get too out of hand!), will help make it look less compartmenty. Or even Ikea http://www.ikea.com/au/en/catalog/products/40349079/ - a couple of neutral coloured cookbooks stacked horizontally. - a nice low serving dish in a soft grey - but make it one you will actually use, not just for aesthetics! ; D I have a similar one to this https://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/home/kitchen-and-dining/serving/60209668/Tiro-Salad-Bowl.html https://www.countryroad.com.au/shop/home/kitchen-and-dining/serving/60203911-9084/Tapas-Salad-Bowl.html and use it a lot. - or, if you like your tech, it could be a great place for a small wireless speaker. Expensive example, but something like the Bose Soundlink Mini If you're looking for more ideas, 'open shelving' should provide lots though you are constrained with the very low height of the shelves.

They may have shaped the end of the exposed ceiling joists to imitate a decorative add-on known as dentils, which are popular in the UK. They are small shaped blocks attached to the soffit/ eaves and are usually made of wood, GRP or polymer. https://www.canopyproducts.co.uk/shop/dentils/ The effect can also be replicated in brickwork, stonework and plaster, etc.