Window dressing

8 years ago

Right then, firstly I'm no doubt going to be posting quite a few topics like this, as we've finally got into our new house, so it's a blank canvas, and my ideas/creativity is rather limited. Also, we're having to re-do every room, so hopefully there'll be quite a few before and after pictures.

So, dilemma 1: What to do in this bay window ?? I think that the only option is either blinds or curtains.

I think that with (vertical) blinds it would be rather 'office-like' however I'm open to be convinced. Horizontal blinds is also an option.

Curtains - I've looked around Houzz and most of the curtains in bay windows are full length. Yes, they look lovely, but because there's a raditator in the bay, it'll stop too much heat coming into the room.

At the moment there is a single chair - that's not staying - we're going sofa shopping this weekend - probably end up a 2 seater and a small table in that gap.

Here are some pictures - one with the curtains closed so you can see what they are currently like (FYI I have a feeling that the curtain option will be the choice, but with a different material), and the other picture with them open so you can see the window style.

Also, I've added a floorplan of the room.

Colour - we'll probably stick with some degree of neutral for this room, and a neutral carpet. There is a fireplace (surround in dark wood), a mirror on the chimney breast (dark wood). The sofa I have a feeling will be of a grey'ish colour, maybe brown.

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Comments (4)

minnie101
8 years ago
Congratulations! I recognise this floor plan! Are you leaving the kitchen layout as it is for now? For the windows, I would either go for shutters with wide slats to maximise light or Roman blinds hung on each window. How much light does the room get though? Re layout, is it a real fire so central to the external ŵall?
Tim Summers
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Ahhh minnie, I was hoping that you were still here :) You seem to have loads of amazing ideas.

Yes, at the moment we are leaving the kitchen layout as it is - only for the time being though, the money that we have available to spend is having to be allocated elsewhere as this property is considerable larger than where we've just come from.

I think that shutters or blinds is the way to go, I've had a more extensive look around here, and there are some great ideas, I was drawn to these two:

Jennifer Brouwer Design Inc. · More Info

Living-Dining Room Reno · More Info

Both seem to have blinds, and also a set of curtains going all the way across the opening. I think that done correctly this would look great.

With regard to the fire, it's actually a gas one, and it is central to the wall.

This is a picture from the estate agents website when the property (sorry, our house) was up for sale.

Below is the origional link to the estate agent listing of our house. As you can see, it needs a complete make-over in every room as it was once a family home, however for the past 10 years occupied by the parents (in their 80's) so it does need sorting out as everything is a little 'aged'

origion link to the estate agenst listing of our house.
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minnie101
8 years ago
Thanks, well I try anyway even if I don't succeed :) Curtains in front of the bay can look really good, they can bring the window in a little though so make the room feel smaller but if you plan on having a sofa there that should hopefully be negated. Do you plan on using the dining room door much? Just wondering if you could have 2x2 seaters at right angles to the fire with a slim footstool as a coffee table/extra seating. The tv could go opposite the fire? I'm not sure if the measurements are including the bay or not? Before you actually buy a sofa/chair though I'd cut out paper templates to size and try them around the room. Maybe also measure the window sill as ideally it would be nice to have a sofa that doesn't sit over the top. I'd probably go mid grey for the sofa then add colour for all the accessories or alternatively lots of texture etc if you want to stay neutral. So will you also be changing the flooring in the dining room and conservatory? Are they glass doors through from the lounge? House looks lovely and a great size but a lot of rooms to do! The fire surround might also look nice in a darker shade of grey?
Tim Summers
Original Author
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
Just a quick update on how things are progressing:

We chose the sofa's last weekend. 1 x 4 seater, 1 x 2 seater, and a foot-stall.

Actually in this exact colour (apart from we went with light wood legs). Same cushions as well.

This is the two seater - but we've got this in the same grey as above

Footstall.

These are currently getting made and will be delivered in 3 weeks now, which gives us a good deadline to work towards.

On Sunday we're having the curtain poles delivered. We've decided to go with a double layer of curtains so we've gone for double rails etc. Really lightweight white cotton ones, overlayed with a heavier dark grey set. These are going around the bay, rather than across the front. I think that these are basically going to be 'dress curtains' - so there's a chance that we'll still be getting some horizontal wooden blinds (light wood).

We've also been looking at paints - and armed with loads of testers, I think that we've decided on what we want. It's pretty dismal outside today so it'll give me another idea of what it looks like in another light - we've done early morning, bright sunshine, late evening, raining, cold & frosty etc.

Walls 1 and 4 - Farrow and Ball Elephants Breath

Walls 2 and 3 - Farrow and Ball Skimming stone.

The fireplace which is central on wall 3 - just an off-shade of white (possibly even skimming stone maybe)

Reasoning: I love the elephants breath colour so I don't mind having a whole wall of it, but it will be broken up with the 4 seater along wall 1, and some large artwork (which accent colour of yellow, or eggshell blue), and the fire place with mirror over will break up the other wall. The Skimming stone is quite light in colour, so the double doors in wall 4 (which are while) will break that up so it's not so intense, and the sofa, dark curtains etc on wall 2 will break that up as well.

We've not thought about carpet colour yet, or also what lights/shade to have.

Before we spend a small fortune in paint, and decorators - can anyone see any glaring mistakes, or care to suggest something else.

Window dressing

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minnie101

Tim Summers
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Window dressing

Comments (4)

minnie101

Tim SummersOriginal Author

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minnie101

Tim SummersOriginal Author

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Tim Summers
Original Author

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Original Author