decorating dilemma | wonky windows & neutral blahs

by | Sep 3, 2015 | All Things Home, Decorating, decorating dilemmas | 25 comments

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In this decorating dilemma post, we’re actually dealing with two issues…

I know the first one is very common…  getting stuck in the world of neutral blahs.  We’ll circle back to that one in a minute.

The second dilemma is a less common, but I’m sure many of you can still relate.  I know I can!

You look at a home and fall in love with the cathedral ceilings and the alcove with the arched window.  And then you move in and get settled and realize you have absolutely no clue how you’re going to make window treatments work in that space.  A space that is so unique that you can’t buy off-the-shelf window treatments for it.  So, you’re watching TV with a beam of sunlight coming through that beautiful arch right into your eyes.

source unknown

So, we’re going to address these two issues in Kim’s space today.

Here is her living room and the window she’s struggling with…

I can see how this window would be a challenge!

I think Kim handled this the way most people would.  She hung the rod along the top edge of the windows.  I don’t think it looks bad, but it’s not taking full advantage of this feature.

I did up a little sketch to show what I was thinking for her space…

 

I like the idea of hanging the curtains  from the ceiling on the front edge of the alcove.  They can be hung there in a variety of ways, but I think the cheapest and easiest way is to staple the top of the curtains to a board, pleating them, and then screw the board into the ceiling.  (Similar to how I made this bed crown a few years ago.)

I think this includes the half-moon window in the treatment and makes more of a feature of the alcove.  I even like the idea of adding slightly different paint color in the alcove to set it off even more.

I would then raise the height of the other curtain rod in the room to the same height as the lowest point of the alcove.  That way there will be some relationship between both windows, even though they are different shapes and treated differently.

Kim expressed an interest in getting bamboo blinds and I think those would look great in this space.  They would tie in with the darker woods and brown of the sofa.

Another option is to just raise both curtain rods to the same height, like this room…

source unknown

Yes, the rod cuts across the upper window, but it seems to work, doesn’t it?  I think you could get away with that, too, Kim.

I would suggest just removing the curtains from the kitchen window.  Unless there’s a real need, I think the window would look visually cleaner without them.

While you’ve invited us to crash your house, I’ll throw some other thoughts out about your space, Kim.

It looks to me like you either love neutrals or are scared of color!  Maybe a little bit of both.

 The result is that you’re stuck in the world of white, beige and brown.  Which is okay!  You are in the company of many, many good people.

Neutral rooms can be gorgeous and some of my favorite, but you have to make intentional choices to get there.  Not default ones.  Otherwise, it looks “blah”  or “meh” whatever sound you use to describe something that’s just okay.

Here are some keys to making neutrals work…

Texture

via City Farmhouse

If you’re going to use all browns, beiges and whites, you need to add a lot of interest with texture.  Kim, you have a great, comfy sofa, but the pillows that are on it are the same color and texture as the sofa.  Try adding some cream linen, nubby woven fabric, and even some subtle colors or prints like grays, pale greens or soft blues.

You can also add some texture to the coffee table with a woven basket for books, remotes, etc.

The bamboo blinds we talked about will bring in some texture, too.

Layers

via Rooms for Rent

You can create lots of visual interest in a neutral space by layering.  Try layering a throw or quilt over the brown sofa.  (A neutral plaid or checked throw would look awesome.)  Layer a striped cotton rug or woven jute under the sofa.  And, as I mentioned above, layer some things on the coffee table and change it out every month or with the seasons.  

Personality

via Liz Marie Blog

A home should reflect the personality of the people who live there.  What do you love?  How can you show that in your decorating to inject something special in your space and make it truly yours?  Your don’t have to create a full-out themed room, but just add some personal touches to bring the space to life.

So, Kim, and everyone else with wonky windows and the neutral blahs, I hope you found some inspiration and ideas to take away from this post.  If you make some changes, Kim, send along pictures, so I can “share with the class.”

Thanks for letting us into your home!

Until next time…

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    25 Comments

    1. Karen

      Great tips!

    2. Cassie

      Love this post. Creating an interesting neutral room is a surprisingly hard thing to do!

    3. Bre Doucette

      I loved this post! I feel honored to be included. I loved what you said when decorating with neutrals you have to make intentional decisions, not default ones. So so so true 🙂 Have a blessed day!

    4. katie near chicago

      Love the look of the diagonally-hung curtains. Really highlights and softens the space. But wondering — how do you wash the curtains that have been stapled to a board? Disassemble, wash, press, restaple every spring? That’s a task I’d be putting off. Could the same effect be achieved with rods of some sort?

      Re: the bamboo blinds — introduces more brown tones to the space. So using some color with the neutrals would be even more necessary.

      Fun to see these spaces and virtual re-dos! Thanks for letting me offer my 2 cents.

    5. karen l

      I have that same window in my sewing room. The upper arched window is the problem in my room. I found an inexpensive pleated shade at either Lowe’s or home depot that you can cut to fit the radius of the arch. I was able to install it on top of the railing for the blinds, and bingo! No more glare. It turned out to be a simple fix for something that really bugged me.

    6. Kim

      Thank you for using my living room in your blog post today! You did give me some great ideas! I will definitely send you pictures when I’ve made some changes. THANK YOU!!!

      • marian

        I’m so glad! yes, please share pictures when you can. You’re off to a great start!

    7. Denise

      Love this post!

    8. Marlene Stephenson

      Thank you for this tutorial,it was really enlightening and things i needed to know. I am trying to change out drapes/curtains in some of my rooms and this is very helpful. Have a great day Marian.

    9. Nicola

      Great post!

    10. Amy

      I absolutely love the look of the white sofas and chairs but how in the world does one live in a room with white furniture?

    11. Ashley

      Well done Marian. I hope you will continue answering design dilemmas on a regular basis. Everyone can benefit from your thoughtful suggestions. Plus it would be fun to see people put your advice into their spaces and then share the after pictures with the MMS community. I can hear (read) the encouraging words of praise now. Great post.

    12. Anne

      Marian, Instead of having the curtain rod across the arched window, a better solution would be to use two short rods on either side of the arch. That would only work, of course, for stationary panels. If she wishes to draw them, then it would have to be a long rod.

    13. Mary

      I know someone with skylights in the great room that were causing bright sunshine issues (on those viewing TV and also on their upholstery fabric getting bleached by the sun.) He went online and ordered a film that filtered out the UV rays. Relatively inexpensive, easy to apply = win/win.

    14. PJ

      Marian, I have 14, yes 14! windows over the counters in my farmhouse kitchen. I need coverings of some sort to keep out the winter cold that we experience in the North Country. At present we have woven wood and yarn Roman shades (very 1970s) that were left in the house when we purchased it one year ago. Any ideas for my windows? I need something warm, but easy care since my work area is under these windows. Thank you!

      • marian

        What a gift to have so many windows in a farmhouse kitchen, though! I can see how that would be an issue to treat them all. What about shutters? Or I also like fabric roman shades for a kitchen.

        • PJ

          Thank you, Marian! I am leaning toward fabric Roman shades so that I can clear all the window space and let in the light. You are correct, I am blessed to have so many windows and a view of the barns from them. We moved here just a year ago and are busy stripping wallpaper, repairing barn roofs, etc. All a labor of love…Thank you for your blog which inspires me each day.

    15. jude

      The photo with the heading “texture”… the taupe curtains are not appealing to my eye. Don’t get me wrong as I love the colour but to me the rods are hung to high & the window to the left has a curtain hanging in mid-air and juts out to go over the window trim. They should blend in not be something that catches your eye & you can’t help but look at that & not the rest of the gorgeous room.

    16. MaryLisa Noyes

      I love the addition of texture with some personality

    17. Karen

      the round mirror in the image by ” rooms for rent” needs to be in my life! ? have a perfect place for it! A lot of dark going on in Kim’s room! Maybe take some paint to the cabinet pieces to lighten things up! A nice buffalo check throw in a pretty light Williamsburg blue would look great thrown over the couch! Also, instead of bamboo shades, maybe some swag roman shades in a light neutral color…. Fun spce to work with! Makes me want to start sewing home decor for others again…..! Hope to see “after” pics!!

    18. sandy

      I had two windows like this in my bedroom. Put in plantation shutters for the arches and bottom windows. Worth the price for a wonderful look and keeping sun out, temps in.

      Karen I….Like the idea of pleated shades that can be cut. I think this would look as good as shutters. Easier to take care of and remove for cleaning if necessary.. Lowes sells them, at a very low price. The only issue is you cannot open them..

      Am not fond of the heavy drapes across the angled ceiling. A canopy bed would be my choice under the window and just have light drapes across the bottoms.

    19. Patty M.

      In response to Jude’s comment above – I agree. The curtains in that photo look “off.” I’m pretty sure it is not the height of the rods but the fact that they do not have adequate returns to make them protrude from the wall and clear the window frame and shades. One of the things that I have learned from reading Cote de Texas is that rods should be hung as high as possible to make the ceiling look taller. That usually creates a “dead” space between the rod and the top of the window that needs to be dealt with. Woven blinds hung just below the rod are an excellent way to solve the problem. And here is another piece of advice. Curtains should always be lined (best practice is to use an inner lining that feels like cotton flannel and an outer lining of polished cotton) to protect the fabric from sun damage and to provide insulation. They should also be made with fabric at least two times the width of the window so they don’t look skimpy and should definitely be ironed before hanging for a tailored look.

    20. Beth

      I really like the curtains set at the angle. It probably never would have occurred to me to hang curtains like that, but it really does make the window and alcove pop.

      I’m not sure why so many people in the US have such a fear of color. LOL. It’s a pretty common problem. Luckily, that’s a pretty awesome room with great bones. A few nice pillows and a throw would be a simple quick fix with minimal commitment. 🙂

      I’d love to see an “after” picture.

    21. Lauren Baxter

      Great post and wonderful advice! Probably the same things I would’ve suggested as well 🙂

      Lauren Baxter | Lovely Decor
      xx

    22. Danielle

      Where do we contact with our “design dilemmas”? I have a few of my own and would love to be considered for a post. Thanks!

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