Guest Bedroom Revisited – Window Treatments

 

When I posted about my guest bedroom reveal,  I promised that I would share some specifics at a later date. 

Today, I will share the crazy planning that went into my window treatments.

Let me start by saying that the first blog that I truly fell in love with is “Cote de Texas”.  That talented Joni says all the right things…well actually, she has been known to get in a little trouble, but I love her for that too!!  She also has that magic touch that doesn’t come naturally to everyone-and by that I mean interior designers and interior decorators.  Yes, designers know how far off the floor a handicap handrail has to be and the rating of fabric for commercial use, and wheel chair accessibility codes, etc!!!! But, there are some things that years of continued education can’t teach and that is real style.  Whew!  I said all of that to say that Joni has style.  She has posted several of her clients homes and I LOVE them all.  Her blog is  chocked full of  impressive interviews and beautiful photographs of lovely room after lovely room. 

The connection to my guest room and  “Cote de Texas” is this:  Joni is doing a series of posts about her “Ten Favorite Design Elements”.  Curtains/Window Treatments ranked high on her list.  It was a wonderful post.  It had great examples of “what to do” and “what not to do”.  Of course, most of my window treatments fell in that last category. 

I did learn a while ago that you should hang your curtain rod close to your ceiling.  I have done this in every room.   I made an A+ in this class.  That opens up a whole other problem, though.  You can’t hang the standard 84” panels on them unless you want it to look like your windows had a growing spurt!  So, custom-custom-custom. Luckily, I can sew.

The problem now is that weird, blank wall space between the top of the window and that design-savvy rod hanging proudly at the ceiling.  Some folks hang a row of plates, or a piece of metal art, or a long painting.  Maybe that helps – who knows?  

To eliminate this problem, Joni suggests that you hang your shade, sheers, blinds, etc. as close to your curtain rod as you can.  And, I totally agree that it looks so much better this way.  No more odd wall space.

Unfortunately,  the numerous windows at Blue Creek Home were custom fitted with inside mounted, mini blinds during construction.  We have 5 foot, double windows installed 6” apart in the master bedroom and also in the family room.   I used 12 foot rods over these windows in both rooms.  And, remember, I hung all my rods close to the ceiling.  Yeah, all of my windows have the dreaded wall space!

I don’t even want to think of how much a 12 foot wide bamboo shade, or any 12 foot shade for that matter, would cost.   I am not going to hang anything to try to make it disappear.  I just brainstorm and dream about a solution that won’t break the bank!!  Please let me know if you have any ideas. Really!

While I was planning the make-over in the guest room, I knew that I would fix this problem.  I took out the mini-blinds and raised the curtain rod.  Then, I bought a pair of dark bamboo blinds that I ended up hating because they were dark!!! Duh!  Down they came!  Pass the spackle, please.

I remembered a really wide, light colored, bamboo blind that had made the move with us from Mississippi.  It would be perfect.

The photographs will help the story go faster!!

 

 

A Before Shot Of The “What Not To Do” Windows!!!  Yes, I Know…It’s  B-A-D!!!

 

 

 

The Wide Bamboo Blind…

 

 

 

 

Getting Cut Up!

 

 

 

I Love My Power Tools!!!

 

 

 

Working With This Fabric Was Awful.  It Kept Sliding Off Of The Table!

 

 

 

Hanging The Blinds Behind The Rod Was Challenging.  I Am Now A Pro At Spackling!

 

 

 

These Blinds Are Not Functional, But The Drapes Close For Privacy.

 

 

 

I Wish The Blinds Were Shorter, But They Have To Come To The Top Of The Window. 

 

 

 

Better…Much Better, And Definitely Worth It.

 

 

Today is “Transformation Thursday” at “The Shabby Chic Cottage”. Thanks, Gina.

 

 

 

Also, check out the “Saturday Nite Special” party at “Funky Junk Interiors”.  McLinky goes up on Friday night.  I will link up then.  This is my first time to attend this party.  Go with me?

Rhonda