Oh, and the light fixture in the entryway/hallway .... turns out we use it a LOT. Like all the time. I've decided to replace it with one that is brighter (this one uses small candelabra bulbs) and that I can use more energy efficient bulbs in.

I'm thinking a pendant with a shade?

I tried really hard to keep everything "chunky" since the furniture is. The lamps were purchased at goodwill to replace the more delicate victorian style I had previously.

Congratulations for a great start on frugal decorating! I like your choices.

I suggest looking for a king size sheet or fabric either striped, plaid, or small geometric design in black, red, and khaki/beige/taupe colors to use for cushion covers, footstool cover, perhaps cover lampshades, etc. Either that or use the floral curtain and valance panels you have and replace those with a woven wood (bamboo type) shade on the window. The unlined floral curtain on the window does not show to advantage with the sun shining thru.

I'd lower the mirror and move it to the side of the light switch. In fact I think all your wall decor is too high. The set of 6 prints would look better lower and closer together and without the ?decorative metal pieces. The center of anything on the wall should be no higher than your eye when you are standing and can be even lower in a room where one usually sits. Wall decor over furniture needs to visually connect with whatever is below it, not have a large space between.

Use the small area rug that's in front of the chair as an entry mat. The larger one could be used under and in front of the chair if you get a larger rug for the sofa area.

I think a seagrass type rug would look great with your eclectic decor - find one that's soft and not scratchy if your kids play there.

The only other arrangement that might work better is to place the sofa on the end wall where the cabinet and mirror are and the cabinet where the 6 prints are if it fits between the thermostat and the doorway. The chair could be in front of the window as part of the conversation area and the two end tables at either end of the sofa. If that works the 6 prints could go any one of several other places.

Thanks for viewing/commenting!

The black curtains are silk (leftover from two houses ago) so they have a bit of a soft sheen to them, lending a more formal look. That's why I stayed away from roman shades/bamboo/etc but I suppose it could work.

I can lower the mirror a little ....

As for the 6 photos, I didn't realize they were too far apart until I already had them hung, didn't want to go through the nightmare of doing them again but now seeing the photos, I agree. That's stenciling on the wall between them, figured it was easier to stencil than rehang. :/ Still I'm not totally devoted to them being there. I have 6 kids in all and those are their "mug shots" as they call them.

If I move the tv cabinet flat as you suggested, I don't think the television would be visible from anywhere except right in front of the window. The other wall (the sofa I think you said) wouldn't be able to see it at all. I wish it pulled out and swiveled, but it doesn't. And it's HEAVY HEAVY HEAVY.

Before I got those curtains I had plaid hung .... I liked it, but it almost looked a little country for my taste so when those were offered to me by a friend, I grabbed them up. They are waverly felicite noir. I may try to find a coordinating something to go with them though. If I buy a second panel for the window (only one is shown between the black) I could part them allowing a little sun to show through the sheers that are hung behind.

The view isn't good, so don't care about actually seeing anything out there (it's parking lot) but a little sun would be okay, it is kind of dark.

I agree about the heights...move every thing that is hanging 1 foot lower.

I think the footstool is perfect as is...I would keep it as a grace note of color and modern style.

I personally would consider removing the floral portion of the window treatments...just not my favorite look.

I agree with previous poster on colors and windows and rugs.

Try swapping position on the 2 lamps.

I like the TV cabinet and would do the entire piece in black.

Overall the space is very well pulled together, and inviting.

Julie,

Would you just leave the sheers between the black? I've only lived here a couple months and I've changed those lr window treatments about 5 times, lol, nothing really works for me. I love that fabric, but I'm not totally committed to it for the windows, could do pillows, throws, whatever.

It's funny, I swap those lamps out once a week, can't decide which is better. :)

The footstool is vinyl and it's torn, so it needs to be recovered. We use it a lot, so I'm glad I got it but it looks pretty "goodwill-ish" with the torn vinyl.

Thanks, great to read suggestions!

Would you leave furniture as is or paint it? My first inclination was to paint, but it was cold and I was broke so I didn't. The wood had kind of grown on me and I'm afraid if it were black that would be just too much, but ....

I would remove the floral curtain between the panels and have sheers there if you need them. I know it might not be poplar, but I love my blinds for light and privacy control.
I wonder if you can find a ready made stool cover. I like the idea of the vinyl but I guess it would be tricky to work with.
I like how you have kept your furniture to a minimum. It gives a roomy feeling to the space.
I agree with the lamp being too tall there. Check out your local Goodwill, or TJMax, Marshalls. Home Goods can be a bit pricey but maybe you can get a bargain.

Here I swapped the lamps; didn't like it. I've tried this before and couldn't remember why but I always swap them back. It's because the tall one hides part of that picture, well, pretty much anything I could hang there.

I also unpinned the curtains and parted them, allowing in natural light, just to see. I now remember why I didn't have them open before - the glare on the t.v.

Swapped the lamps back and took the black panel down; wanted to see how it would look without the black silk and just using the floral.

First I tried taking down the floral and just using the black but this window requires a valance of some sort (either that or brand new, more expensive hardware). I remember now that's why I settled on the valance in the first place. This is a townhouse and I'm the millionth tenant so hanging hardware is super tricky - everyone has made holes and the entire area is all filler/mud. I finally got this to hold firmly but it was just a one layer set up. The sheers behind it are on a tension inside the casing ... the valance hides this mess. To do a two layer on the outside I'd need to buy a new double layer rod, not really in the budget today. Therefore the valance stays.

Doesn't it suck to have to follow a tight budget? LOL, store of my life these days.

Headed to buy another floral panel to put on the other side and if cheap enough, another sheer to make that fuller. I need to cut the light down just a bit to lower the glare, plus the view is ugly. Light is good, just a little less would be better.

I like your space! But, I have to agree with others as my first thought was that the mirror in the 'entryway'? was too high and so are your pictures. They should be at eye level. Unless you're really short, like me, and then you should hang them at normal people height eye level. :)

I'm all for frugal decorating. There are some online fabric stores that sell discounted fabric. I paid $5.98 a yard for my sofa upholstery weight material. Fabricguru.com is one..and the other shop I purchase online from is Newtoto.com.

My husband and I each had 3 and half kids.. LOL.. 7 all together, so I know what you're going through.

There should be a lamp tall enough for reading next to the sofa and one next to the chair. But I think it's more important if you only have one, to put it next to the sofa. I would leave the tall one there and switch the picture with the greenery you currently have on the other side of the window.

I think your window treatments are ruining what would otherwise be a very lovely room. The curtains are hung too low and too narrow...they make the room look like it has a low ceiling. Also, I think that when you have a sofa in front of a window, it is important to make the window treatments as clean as you can. Two different fabrics with a low hung valance, is too much.

If you are going to control the light using drapes,I suggest getting a $35 decorative rod and $50 worth of ceiling to floor panels from Ikea. Hang them as high (you will probably find less wall damage if you hang them up high) and as wide as you can.

The absolute cheapest solution would be vertical blinds. Yes, we all hate them, but they can stand alone AND completely block the light. The next option is mini-blinds, which I happen to love. But the window may be too wide for a single blind and, you will still need some sort of treatment to finish dressing the window. Or you can go with the natural woven shades. Again the width might be a problem and if you have to get multiple shades, light is going to come through the gaps between each shade. In addition, you will get a fair amount of light through each shade, unless you spring for lining, which is expensive. The natural shades could stand alone though, so that is a plus.

I think you already have the best furniture arrangement for that room. You've done a great job. Love your dog too!

Tomorrow I will take down the floral curtains and hang the plain black ones and see how that looks. At the moment, I've taken down the black and just have two floral panels with the valance and sheers underneath.

I really feel a need for the valance though, the way the windows are configured leaves and ugly line at the top and I just don't see a way around it unless the curtains are closed at all times.

I tried hanging drapes very high, but with them open it looked awful. It's hard to explain, but these windows are just super weird. There's no casing or trim, they are very deep and have ugly 70'd formica "sills". The windows themselves are bronze but they have white rings glued all over them from the previous tenants (I'm assuming to hold a roman shade or something). I tried to get one off but it's on there good, I made a mess. Yes, I tried goo gone, it's still a glued dirty nasty white plastic mess.

I'm all for simple panels, but the two previous versions I've tried screamed CHEAP windows without the valance because you could see the way the crappy windows were just sort of stuck on the wall.

Any work arounds you can suggest?

I'm pretty sure I have a couple more of these, as long as the top line is continuous (no top of window showing) I can live without the valance. In fact, I don't even like valances, just hate the edge of this window!

What do you think?

I'd need to add more sheers to cut down the bright southern exposure ....

Maybe a slightly different knot, the silk is a little heavy (it's lined) and my knots keep getting tightened because the curtains are pulling downward tightening the knot. But, if I could figure that out, what do you think about this idea?

Beth, my kindred spirit! I, too, am in a very small space with several (5) kids. My budget is just small, too. It has taken me years to get things.

Two big things I see are the rug and the table. If your kids use it as a place to run around (my LR is our biggest open space, and it's small) then I would get a smaller table and a bigger rug. I think a bigger rug will feel much cozier. People suggested to me that I get a remnant. I was going to, but I was too afraid that it would get stained quickly (unless I could find one w/pattern). I spent more than I planned, but got a wool patterned rug from a consignment store. I looked into sisal and seagrass, but it seemed (from what I read) that people had issues with stains . . even dark spots from water. Not sure if that is true.

I would also put a bookcase by your chair. Seems like a great place to read!

All but one child is past the playing stage, so floor space wise we're "ok" on that. The LR is mostly for puzzles and games, the other playing is in her room.

The coffee table is too large but I just love it. You can't tell from the pic but one side of the top lifts up and is storage (games, color books, puzzles, etc) and the other side is full of apothecary style drawers which hold dvds, pens, paper, etc.

I would like a larger rug, just haven't found the right one at the right price yet.

I found two on craigslist but one is pretty light and the other is a little out of my budget. I'm hoping if it doesn't sell this week maybe they'll go down. If not, I'll just keep watching.

I like the bookcase idea .... didn't want to over crowd with furniture but that just might work. :)

Instead of knotting the curtains you might tie them with wide ribbon or make ties from fabric.

Suggestion for window treatment - have a look on Craigslist for a wooden dowel curtain rod and hang it higher and wider using mollies or screws directly into the studs. We bought an unfinished thick wooden dowel at a yard sale and DH stained it, as well as end finials and brackets from the local building supply, to match wooden Ikea rings (which are a bargain). It's one of my fav inexpensive curtain rods.

I still like bamboo/wood shades as they are quite inexpensive, are practical, and less fussy than curtains and can be hung above the window to hide the window edge. Use side panels with them.

Definitely a larger rug but do keep the trunk coffee table, it's great!

Don't paint anything else black, there's just the right amount and the wood on the sofa and chair looks good. You might paint the trim around the front door and the closet door and trim tho. Of course that leads to painting all the baseboards, doors, and trim in the entire house so would be quite a project you can probably live without! ;-D Also, I can't remember whether you said whether you rent or own so this may not be possible.

Seagrass rugs supposedly don't water spot the same as jute or sisal - something I've read but don't have personal experience with. An end of the roll printed commercial carpet would be ideal if you can find one and have it edged or bound.

You are doing sooo well with your frugal decor - it's one of my fav "styles"! "Why pay more if one can pay less" is one of my mottos. I used to describe my style as "Early Sally Ann" but it's now "Early Yard Sale/Thrift Store" as that's where I've shopped the most! There are great bargains to be found in the 2nd hand venues and even tho I can now afford to shop elsewhere they are still my fav places to shop.

The new pic showing the window you are working with is very helpful. I couldn't tell there were white sheers on it before. I see now that you mentioned them in a previous post and I overlooked it.
I'm pretty sure you could trim that window for under $30 if it bothers you that much. Personally, I would much rather see those untrimmed edges, than the valance. Trying to hide the unfinished edge with the black panels, is worse than the valance.

So let's deal with the sun first. If you make the sheers full enough, will they prevent the glare on the TV or will you still need something else to control that? If they will work, the cheapest solution is to properly hang them with panels on the sides. Since you really want to hide the entire window at all times, the sheers would be nicer to look at than a closed blind or shade.

You have had a bad experience trying to hang curtain rods. If you use the correct anchors, it is easy to hang a rod anywhere you want. And you don't have to buy a double curtain rod to hang sheers behind your panels. You can buy a $10 rod pocket rod for the sheers and a $35 decorative pole for the other panels.

If the sheers are not going to block the light well enough, and you can get a single mini-blind or woven shade to cover the whole window, that would be the next step. The blinds might make it possible for you to let some light in without causing a glare, by directing the light up towards the ceiling. Inside mounts provide greater light control,but outside mounts would hide all of the window edges.

Finally, you can buy a film to put on your windows. It blocks light like a pair of sunglasses. It is not an attractive look, lol, but if you plan to keep sheers over your windows all the time anyway it might not be a bad solution. The film is not cheap, but it definitely does the job.

Beth check in to getting a medium tone bamboo blind roll up that has a top valence, then mount it at the top of the outside of the window frame and leave it at that. The simpler the better. I don't know where you live but we have discount stores that sell these items very inexpensively. I admire your honestly and your desire to make your home the best you can. You GO girl!!

I love your style. You have made this room look great. Too bad you can't salvage the vinyl on the stool- it looks great. Maybe you can find a red fabric?

I like the last window treatment you invented the best.
I'm with the others- I don't care for the flower fabric.

New pillow covers seem to be the most pressing issue after the curtains. I'd like to see a little red there too.

I also think moving the little rug to the door is a good idea.

Nice work, Beth!
Renee

I haven't read through the entire thread...but I like the red footstool as is. Is the upholstery torn? Or is it the color you object to? It'll wear like iron...and be easy to wipe off. Of course, I'm a mid-century maven...

HomeGoods, TJ Maxx, Tuesday Morning and BigLots usually have an assortment of pretty inexpensive curtains and JC Penney has some on clearance if you are looking for replacements, something to use as a top treatment or an inexpensive source for fabric to cover the stool. They also have inexpensive window hardware, I just purchased some decorative rods for $15 each.

Another super inexpensive idea would be to make roman shades from cheap mini blinds. I just made some from burlap and they were somewhat easy to do. However, I ruined mine by adding a lining so they don't stack correctly. ;-(.

Here is a link that might be useful: roman shades from miniblinds

I was expecting something, well, not good. This I scrolled down to your pictures and thought Oh! How cute! Love your space. I think you've done a great job with your frugal decorating! My only suggestions: You have enough black. Don't paint anything black. Love your coffee table. And with your windows, I would plan on trimming them out. In the meantime, I would have inexpensive roman blinds and panels along the sides. I got mine at overstock and love them. They go up and down EASILY and were inexpensive. Also got my rods at Big Lots. Also inexpensive however, I have gotten great deals at Penney's before. Just a thought, could the floral fabric be used for some pillow covers!

Just a thought . . .have you considered drop cloth drapes? I think they would look good with your couch and would be $20. You could add some trim or maybe stencil them for a personalized look. I like Joanie's idea of reusing the curtain fabric for pillows.

Lucky, how soft is seagrass? Keeping it in mind for the future.

If you decide to go with blinds or shades, keep in mind that you don't have easy access to operate them. You can get controls on the side you need them to be on, but sometimes that means custom ordering.