Hey you guys!!!!!!!!!

I have been a lurker for YEARS and just started posting here recently = you guys are fabulous decorators with awesome ideas. We are purchasing our 2nd home and I'll be making decisions on all (90% of) the renovations and decorating..etc! As for the backyard, the pool is going bye bye - needs to be filled in.. I need some serious help with redesigning the backyard. I know you guys are good for it!

I took some pictures of the place to let you get a general idea of what it looks like. It's a 4 bedroom, 2 bedroom house. The garage is converted to a guest house with a full, but tiny bathroom *that needs some finishing work*..

Ok here's where YOU GUYS come in! PLEASE HELP!! I'd like to give this place a complete overhaul within the next 3 months. I'd like to change the color palette on the exterior of the house as well. Right now I cannot afford to change the HIDEOUS evergreen/forest green carpet. The carpet is in great condition and its really plush carpet but the color is just ewwww! I figure I could just do that renovation when it was time to change the carpet OR when i had the $10k to tile the place (kitchen/living/dining area)

3 bedrooms have crown molding..so i'll just paint that a bright white..including the baseboards.. but what color choices would look good or.. be ok with that green carpet?? Once all furniture is down in the rooms i figure there will be little carpet showing, so i'd just get a jute rug or some light colored rug and the green carpet would fade to the background and act as a border almost..but it'll still show. Am I limited in the paintcolor i can choose for the walls ?? ..

The picture with the built in bookcases is the garage conversion..its really nice..i love it! In the pics there are custom paneled walls and i really dont want to paint the ones in the house but i do want to paint the built in desk and bookcases and paneled walls (see pic) in the guest house to a white enamel.. would you paint the paneling? i would hate to ruin the wood, but its so dark with the dark wood walls and the brown color carpet..just too much. My ultimate goal is to make it look really beachy...clean and white with light color (light tan) stone tile.

in the mainhouse there's also paneling but i want to keep that original.. i'm thinking about buying a carpet remnant and having the edges bound and just laying that over the green carpet and hopefully it would brighten the room some...and help define seating areas

the kitchen.. oh that hideous blue wallpaper! its GOTTA GO.. ..so what color would you paint the kitchen and breakfast nook area?..remember in the adjoining room there is ugly green carpet..so please dont suggest red ..i'm REALLY trying to work with it and not against it..*at least for the moment* There is linoleum in the kitchen and i may just use fake-me-out peel and stick tiles that look like actual tile to go over that..that should last 5 yrs. I COULD afford to tile the kitchen and breakfast area now BUT.. when i am ready to do the living room and dining room later, the job wouldnt mesh right..so it all really has to be done at the same time.. so that has to come later.. what do you think about peel and stick tiles? yay or nay? (i dont have kids or pets..its adults only)

ok so out of all that rambling here is your mission!

1. What color to paint the kitchen? (everywhere that's blue is wallpaper..and i'm taking it down so thats where the paint will go)

2. What flooring options would you choose for the kitchen? a sheet of linoleum or just peel and stick tiles? (at the moment ceramic tile is not an option) OR Would you keep the current floor(its in good condition, just dated) and just put a bamboo or jute rug over it?

2a. What would you do with the cabinets? Would you paint them? ..all of the paneling in the house is the same color.. its so dark -- would i have to paint that too to make it flow?

3. what are good color choices for the bedrooms considering the entire house is carpeted in forest green? yuck!

4. in the guest house/pool house - more paneled walls and an entire wall of built in bookcases - would you paint the custom wood paneled walls, bookcases, and desk white or leave them as is?

5. What color would you paint the bathroom? -- that striped wallpaper is coming DOWN!

BIGGEST TO DO - to do asap! I hate the hideous green!

6. What colors would you choose for the exterior of the house?

6a. Would you paint the door or restain it or what?

7. What would you suggest for a revamp of the front landscape? Those little round bushes you see, I've had them cut down, and that big bush on the lawn is cut down as well (there was a light post there ..there's a gas line that is right there)

I'm anxiously awaiting responses!!

I NEED SERIOUS HELP! Lots to do!

ok..that should get you guys started.. oh yea.. the pics

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