A little paint goes a long way!

Monday, December 13, 2010

Windows are the thing!

I think I've mentioned before that I usually crash and burn on anything window-treatment related. I can never make up my mind what I want, and what I do decide would look half-way decent ends up being a rather nice down payment on a car--so those ideas usually go right. out. the. window. so-to-speak ;-0)

I knew the window treatments I chose for the bedroom would either make or break this little project. My fear of course was that it would also break the bank, given the fact that our window takes up almost the entire wall. Seriously! It's a big honkin window.

Here's what I started with...



Yeah, did I mention that they are also IMPOSSIBLE to photograph because there's so much light coming in? You get the idea. When we moved in, they had tabbed curtain panels and no blinds, so every night, we had to close those panels and they weren't exactly easy to close. And, because of all the light, they were completely faded. It doesn't take long to fade fabric in this room. We also had nice pink stains all along the carpet from when they would forget to close the windows during the rain. The stains are still there and will be until the kids graduate from college and we can afford new carpet!

I never could figure out how to do blinds in this room because the middle window (the wall is made up of 3 separate windows--one small on each end and a large one in the middle) didn't have anything above it to anchor blinds to. Now, I'll admit that my brain power is challenged from time to time, and I more than likely started to think about different options to solve that seemingly impossible dilemma, but I'm sure was interrupted by a fight slight disagreement about who had which Lego first. I mean. Really. If you couldn't tell already, Legos are a hot commodity around here. Just not enough to go around. Yeah. Right.

I've been loving the look of bamboo shades lately and I'd like to transition all our rooms to them. I just think they really warm up a space, and they aren't as much of a nightmare chore to clean. I'm sure they get plenty dusty too, but since they're brown, who could tell? It's when your blinds look brown but they're supposed to be white that it bothers people. Am I right?

On my dream shopping day when I splurged $200 on everything window treatment and accessory related for this room, I found the perfect panels for the space--they matched the BGG (my code for that heavenly blue green gray color) in my new bedding and they were only $10 a piece at the budget decorator's palace--Big Lots! They also had these amazingly BIG and BEAUTIFUL copper grommets so no additional hardware to buy! BONUS!!

Bamboo shades are pretty cheap as far as shades go, and I didn't splurge on the ultra private ones because I was planning to line them myself (not as hard as it sounds) so that was about $70 + $40 for 4 curtain panels = One cheap a$$ window treatment for my new MomCave!! (Sorry for the swearing...there just isn't a better way to say that peeps!)

So, here's the before again...

Farewell Aunt Phyllis's valance and my nasty old grandma-looking sheers.

And here's how it turned out...

Can I get an AMEN!! I mean, this is insane it's so good!

We (again using "we" loosely) put a 2x4 above that middle window braced between the two smaller windows and voila...I finally figured out the maddening predicament for using blinds in this room! (For those of you thinking, well, duh! I know. I get in my own way sometimes.)

I know. You're really missing the 20-year-old laundry holder  rattan chair with matching ottoman aren't you?? Yeah. me too. NOT! A BIG. HUGE. GOTTA LOVE HER. THANK YOU to my sister-in-law Trish for her donation of two leather barrel chairs for this project. I gladly lifted those off her hands when she was looking to purge some furniture from her old house. SCORE!!

I know, the GORG new (looking) black chest of drawers is taunting you, making you want to scream "Where'd those come from!" All in good time peeps. Gotta get some snow angels from outside and get back to work!

1 comment:

  1. And yes, I did spray paint the curtain rod ORB because of course it, too, was BRASS!! And it turned out perfectly! Those 144" suckers are expensive!!

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