I'm Missing the Decorating Gene

When my new windows were installed, my ugly miniblinds came down. I put up heavy drapes in the living and dining room (will be pulled back ones I put in sheers or something.

Anyway, the second floor is still completely bare. Which means when I walk around nekkid, anyone who happens to have a convenient angle *may* get a glimpse of The Big Sexy.

Now here's yet another in an ongoing list of Really Stupid Home Improvement Questions.

I don't know what to put up. I've got that dark wood in the front two rooms and I think white miniblinds against dark wood looks kind of trashy. But the rest of my trim is white, so from the outside, I suppose it looks stoopid to be inconsistent.

I thought about off white roman shades (Meijer sells them for about $25 per).

Drapes create yet a whole other world of confusion, due to the variety, style and the horrible issue of color matching.

So I guess this isn't so much a question as it is a desperate plea for input. Which is pretty bad because I've never seen most of your homes.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 03, 2006 11:24 AM: Message edited by: The Big Sexy ]</font>

Despite the fact that I won the Betty Crocker? award in High School (it was an essay contest, okay?), if the former occupants of this house had not left drapes in place, I would probably still have black plastic garbage bags draped tastefully across the windows and then claim it is a fashion statement. Retro-chic white trash or something.

Sorry, I am not helping here, am I?

The Big Sexy,
Thank you SO much for pointing out that the ecru mini-blinds on the second floor of Casa Camerino are "trashy". I appreciate your input. Really.

Before you decide on your window treatments, decide what you want each room to say. If you want an open, airy space, think of something light v-- voile, guaze and and like. (Do NOT think that you need to match the window treatments to the woodwork. And DON'T PAINT IT!!!)

Even with your hoity-toity new windows, drapes (real drapes that can open and close) are a darned good idea, energy wise.

You want some input? Seriously? The idea of planning a space on someone else's dime is SO enticing!

And, as a sidenote to Dulc, if you ever move into a place without drapes, I think you'll find if you double bag the windows -- black towards the outside and white Hefty's on the inside -- you'll get more bag for your light bulb bucks.

edited b/c I can't type.

<font color="#a62a2a" size="1">[ April 03, 2006 03:09 PM: Message edited by: gae ]</font>

The problem with drapes is that they make the room look sooo much smaller, as I have found to be the case in my living room and dining room. That will be rectified once I buy shades and whatnot and they can be tied back.

As you well know, my house is long and narrow, so making it look smaller isn't necessarily a good thing.

I bought them at Lowe's, so I guess I get what I pay for.

Now I am paralyzed by decorating anxiety. I hate it. I want to walk nekkid through my house, and I always feel like the black women next door are leering at me.

Step 1. Return the drapes to Lowes.
Step 2. Think of how you want the room to feel.
Step 3. Think outide the box a bit. Perhaps a cornice? A double rod that allows the drapes to hang along the wall instead of over the windows? "Trashy" mini-blinds covered by sheers and a valance?

Oh, and get a squeegie for your new windows. Makes short work of keeping them clean.

I've decided I'm going to stick with my drapes. I already have the double rods.

Anywho, I may take you up on the whole decorating advice thing for the upstairs.

Oh...did I mention that I have a bit of a cash flow issue right now? Seems my other dog is in need of some serious dental work, to the tune of $300-600. And my gutter is leaking. In a couple places, actually, but I most care about the part that's making my living room wall "blister."

One more thing about those new windows. When you have two dogs, apparently a bit of a draft can be a good thing. Cleans up the air, dontcha know. Now with one dog with severe halitosis and the other just...well...he's not a good dog...it's downright awful.

Quote:

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Originally posted by The Big Sexy:

One more thing about those new windows. When you have two dogs, apparently a bit of a draft can be a good thing. Cleans up the air, dontcha know. Now with one dog with severe halitosis and the other just...well...he's not a good dog...it's downright awful.

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<font size="2" face="Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif">I know that must be unpleasant for you, but the way you phrased it......*giggle*

Before my infamous September gathering, I sweated over getting rid of the pet odor. As you probably noticed, I was unsuccessful.

Since then I've taken particular actions, but what a price to pay.

What is this world coming to? Doesn?t the decorating gene come with?

There has been little decorating in my house that has been done without the advice of at least two others. Which explains why each room is a distinct color.

As a matter of fact, I spent 20 hours stripping wood because gae told me it would be worthwhile. Now I'm thinking it would be worthless to stain white pine riddled with multple nail holes. So it looks like I paint.

Maybe you should call one of those home inprovement shows.

How about half a curtain with some half blinds and maybe some cardboard with duct tape to balance it out.

I want my style to be my own. I'd rather not copy yours.

Maybe you could just hang your laundry in front of your windows to dry [img]graemlins/idea.gif[/img] [img]graemlins/thumbs_up.gif[/img]
That way it would change week to week LOL!