u/Open_Concentrate962

For our townhouse turning 150 years old, we are getting the tiny kitchen and adjacent dining room renovated, about 250+/- sf in total. We had to have the kitchen interior taken down to studs and brick, as all the 70s/80s mess from prior owners was unsalvageable, but all the original trim, fireplace, and related details are being kept.

We needed a particularly careful contractor connected to multiple trades, and could not do it ourselves, but it appears we are down to only a month or so more. A colleague is doing this by building the new kitchen and then demolishing the old one, but that was not an option for our configuration. it does prompt a question.

Based on one family member being in office and one WFH, we are still on track to finish without needing to stay elsewhere or rent workspace elsewhere (other than one or possibly two days near the end due to noise and plumbing work). This logistics aspect was an unknown at the start but I am curious for people who renovated century houses if they budgeted initially to be working and living within the rest of the house with no temporary costs, or if they budgeted a specific amount to spend time away during the renovation.

We have a 4 foot wide strip of soil in a courtyard, along a north wall facing south. Direct sun for most of year. Other plants have not tolerated the summer heat and we are considering palms of 3-4 feet tall but want them to be nontoxic in case the indoor cat ever got to them.
Windmill? Pindo?

Trying to find suggestions for a small palm tree, palmetto, palm bush or something palmlike that can grow in a courtyard with southfacing exposure. I thought these were palmettos but clearly multiple varieties exist. Sago looks good visually but I am hearing issues with maintenance and toxicity. Suggestions on which and where to buy?

Does anyone have photos of the Westin back in the 1980s when it was an intercontinental hotel?

Is it possible to visit the peachtree hyatt and marriott lobbies (the ones designed by architect john portman) during the day without being a hotel guest, or is the security before getting to the atrium lobbies?