A few months ago we made the decision to do 'something' with the area of the yard outside of our kitchen's sliding doors. After determining that a patio wasn't 'it', we went through all the images in our minds, from wooden deck to roofed deck, to screened-in deck to walled, roofed porch room. We ended up with a 16 x 24 ft 'finished' sun/screen room. I say 'finished' because it has wood wall covering and a beadboard vaulted ceiling, but since it doesn't have any heat, it's not really finished. It's a three-season room, for all intents and purposes.
You may know from experience how projects, which started small, have a tendancey to grow. Yes...from deck to 3 season room is a big jump. From screens to ten windows is a "biggie" too. On top of that, the too-narrow sliding glass doors were moved over to the center of the kitchen and replaced with wide French doors, both of which open. The window, which was where the French doors are now, was moved to where the sliding doors used to be.
Now that the construction is finished and the compressor, nail guns and power saws are gone, I am faced with furnishing and decorating the area.
The furnishing isn't so much a problem as we've had a wicker couch and chairs for years. We've got odds and ends of tables and lamps which I think I can bring together with some sort of cohesiveness. We inherited a heavy pine dining set from my brother. We've got some large cotton, rag rugs to put in the eat-in area and in the 'conversation' spot. Theres a small, old, cast iron pot-belly stove that we'll put in the place which is reserved for a future fireplace. All sorts of little, rustic antique items will accent the room. We've got a great collection of old lanterns that will live nicely out there. I think we're going for a sort of 'Cracker Barrel' decor.
My most monumental problem seems to be the window coverings. What was I thinking, adding ten new windows and a door to the room with two windows and a French door in the kitchen wall? I'd given no thought to the prospect of curtains or what-ever or the cost of that undertaking. I'm not sure how I want to dress the windows, so I've been doing a lot of looking at style, color and prices. Being an A-1 bargain hunter, it sends me into heart palpitations to see the prices of window coverings! Where have I been all these years? I can tell you...thrift shopping.
Reality hits home, though, and I realize that those wonderful mullioned panes of glass with the pine trim need something. They look so naked. Since the wood walls and trim are light and natural colored and the room will have plenty of natural light, I think there needs to be some color. Color, yes, but nothing to bright or too dark. I don't want flimsy curtains because when the sun gets too hot or brilliant, I'd like to be able to filter it a bit. I hate blinds, whether vertical or horizontal, and I feel almost the same about any sort of window shades.
I will cover the chair and the couch cushions with a coordinating fabric and color. That won't be difficult, I don't think, once I settle on how to dress the windows. I'm at a complete loss.
Help!!! Does anyone know the phone number for one of those HGTV decorators?
You may know from experience how projects, which started small, have a tendancey to grow. Yes...from deck to 3 season room is a big jump. From screens to ten windows is a "biggie" too. On top of that, the too-narrow sliding glass doors were moved over to the center of the kitchen and replaced with wide French doors, both of which open. The window, which was where the French doors are now, was moved to where the sliding doors used to be.
Now that the construction is finished and the compressor, nail guns and power saws are gone, I am faced with furnishing and decorating the area.
The furnishing isn't so much a problem as we've had a wicker couch and chairs for years. We've got odds and ends of tables and lamps which I think I can bring together with some sort of cohesiveness. We inherited a heavy pine dining set from my brother. We've got some large cotton, rag rugs to put in the eat-in area and in the 'conversation' spot. Theres a small, old, cast iron pot-belly stove that we'll put in the place which is reserved for a future fireplace. All sorts of little, rustic antique items will accent the room. We've got a great collection of old lanterns that will live nicely out there. I think we're going for a sort of 'Cracker Barrel' decor.
My most monumental problem seems to be the window coverings. What was I thinking, adding ten new windows and a door to the room with two windows and a French door in the kitchen wall? I'd given no thought to the prospect of curtains or what-ever or the cost of that undertaking. I'm not sure how I want to dress the windows, so I've been doing a lot of looking at style, color and prices. Being an A-1 bargain hunter, it sends me into heart palpitations to see the prices of window coverings! Where have I been all these years? I can tell you...thrift shopping.
Reality hits home, though, and I realize that those wonderful mullioned panes of glass with the pine trim need something. They look so naked. Since the wood walls and trim are light and natural colored and the room will have plenty of natural light, I think there needs to be some color. Color, yes, but nothing to bright or too dark. I don't want flimsy curtains because when the sun gets too hot or brilliant, I'd like to be able to filter it a bit. I hate blinds, whether vertical or horizontal, and I feel almost the same about any sort of window shades.
I will cover the chair and the couch cushions with a coordinating fabric and color. That won't be difficult, I don't think, once I settle on how to dress the windows. I'm at a complete loss.
Help!!! Does anyone know the phone number for one of those HGTV decorators?
