Style - well that is a good question... I would say it is a modern contemporary urban style home, brick frontage etc... not a victorian style or anything like that. Have solid wood two tone staircase, with dark and natural color maple that stands out prominently when you enter the house. The rest of the house, the Kitchen etc is bit traditional, yet modern finish. Dark solid wood cabinets. I do have 9 foot ceiling but only 9', as that is the maximum that we are allowed to have in our neighborhood. I like to add bit of character and architectural personality to the house, but wasn't sure if wainscotting would in turn make the house look very aged, as we generally see them on older Victorian style homes. Or perhaps I am just mistaken in my limited knowledge about home styling and decor. I see soooo many different styles, which makes it so difficult to choose one because I like them all. So the challenge is to pick one that suits the best. Is it generally better to keep the stains neutral so that the wainscotting trim blend with the wall or will it stand out too much if I make panels that are stained dark. These are the questions that are holding me back from venturing in to this project. Any other comments/suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

did you find instructions? I find youtube to be great for this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ISDEkW3i4

I am so happy to see you here! I will have to go back and see if i can retrieve my posts... thought I would make them into a little book for my daughter, with photos. Quick run-down on the bathroom (not travels, no time) - The kitchen has a rather elegant sliding door with beveled glass panels. Painted white, since this was the original colour. GD's new bathroom has the doors I had picked earlier; i thought of polishing them but decided sprayed automobile paint (on a resin primer) would wear better. Especially since it is such a small bathroom, and she is so splashy. I have this finish in my kitchen and it has lasted 15 years now. A tad chipped here and there, but only needs a wipe down once a week. Same finish for the balcony doors, also split like the bathroom. We have a new wardrobe, a study table with built-in shelves, and a small chest of drawers for her odds and ends. I want to re-tile the tiny balcony, more as a little statement. Currently we are looking at Portuguese tiles, though I did think a mosaic with a funky cat might be nice. Let me see the costing. The room will be painted a neutral adobe, with bright white woodwork and an off-white ceiling. This means she can go wild with cushions and covers. Other changes in the flat; We have changed the glass in the master bedroom and living room from small cramped panes to a single pane for each section with a 1" bevel all round. Doubles the cost of the glass, but looks so elegant! The air-conditioning is being re-located. The compressors were all mounted in the bedroom and living room balconies, which looked terrible and meant the balconies (very narrow, only 30" deep) couldn't be used for anything. Not even plants. So they are being moved so that the compressors can be mounted at the rear of the building. two down, one to go. Now we can put in some nice plants, fishtail palms etc. The kitchen counter on one side came out intact and will be reused elsewhere. I am planning overhead storage, cupboards, and a draining cupboard for plates and glasses. Right now there is no dish washer, though a place is earmarked, but for now I will put in a cupboard with steel racks for cups, glasses and plates, all hidden behind pressed glass doors. This is all in the planning stage.... Pictures in a little while, they are mostly on my ipad and don't transfer well to the mac. They come without numbers... so I have to rename the or something. Somebody tell me how to do this!

This is a great space to work with. Since you have a good length, you can break the terrace into rooms.. with yew to divide the areas, or tall plants with shallow roots. Grow grass in curves and a pathway to lead visitors through the various rooms. Couple of ideas for garden 'rooms': Bamboo with golden stem or black stem as background, with charpai and 'moda' seating with cushions. A light under the foot of the bamboo, looking up will be alluring. Put up a trellis with fragrant climbers like jasmine and seating underneath on a part of the terrace which gets shade in the evening so you and your friends and family can relax. A dry garden with hardy plants like tall grass and Palm tree, pebbles on the ground to create the look. Plant a small flowering tree in one 'room' Add evocative lighting to create the mood in the evenings. As you can see there are many possibilities. Please ensure the ground is well protected from water seepage etc before you start planting. Also ensure the height of the periphery wall is taller for it to be safe for children and adults. Bear in mind the size of the plant, roots, sun and water needs before you choose your plants. Enjoy the creation..!