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ksoxgrl

Window treatments and lighting advice

15 years ago

We just finished painting our dds room and are trying to decide what type of window treatments would look best in the room. The cottagey furniture in the room is large scale, I know probably too big for the room, a bad decision but we are stuck with it now. We also have a cane bench that goes under the two windows. I love panels but on the single window I think they would be too tight and wouldn't look right with the panels butting up against the armoire and the bureau. Absolutely no where else to move these two very large items. WWYD? Also looking for a hanging light to place over the bed. I've seen some crystal chandys or a capiz light but I don't what it to look to childish because dd is in her 20s so the room will eventually be a guest room in the near future. Sorry about the darkness of one of the pics. Also the large bureau will be pushed over more towards the wall and won't actually be in front of the window casing, but it is quite tight. And yes I hate that air conditioner :) Thanks again for any advice!

Comments (12)

  • 15 years ago

    I would do white "cafe" curtains. Not on those cheesy faux brass rings, but on the white "bone" ones...which likely are plastic now.
    and why do you want a hanging light over the bed? It would only fill up some of the already scarce space in that room. Get another white lamp if you need more light.
    Linda c

  • 15 years ago

    How pretty!
    May we see the angle from the double windows back to the bed?
    And the whole dresser wall?

    For curtains, I agree that panels aren't the best choice, particularly since you have baseboard heat there. Cafe curtains might reinforce the horizontal lines too much, and make the room feel smaller...same with short curtains. I'd pick a wonderful fresh, leafy print on a white background, and make roman shades to hang inside the window frames. Usually I like shades to start at the ceiling, but I think in this room the more vertical proportion would do the most good.

    I'd move that dresser lamp to the other side to put light in the corner, unless it's one of a pair...if there are two, I'd still move them in a bit so that the lampshade isn't overlapping the window.

    I'd vote against a chandelier...what a bed needs is glare-free reading light, and in that room I'd opt for swing-arm wall lamps on either side, or if there isn't room, a pair of simple pendants, hung out to the sides, and low enough to cover the bulbs from the eye when reading in bed. Light directly overhead over a bed is almost never a good idea.

    Here are a couple, both from LampsPlus, just as ideas of what I mean:

  • 15 years ago

    Thanks! I too was leaning towards either roman shades, balloon shades, or a valance with a white roller shade behind to pull down for privacy. Unfortunately I do not have any sewing skills whatsoever, so I've sent for a swatch from country curtains of a valance that happens to have a leafy print on a white background, but it has tie up bands with some stripes that I have to see in person to see if they match the bedding. I could then put white roller shades behind the valances to pull down at night. What do you think? And regarding the lighting, there's wiring already in place for a hanging something or other. It would be for ambience only. So a definite no on the hanging light? We had a fan there originally but I didn't want another fan. I do like the light from lampsplus but I would only put one near the one night stand. The lamps on the bureau will not be staying, but I do have a wooden candlestick lamp that needs a shade that I will probably place on one end of the bureau. I will try to take more pics tonight of the wall of the nightstand and headboard.

  • 15 years ago

    I don't like the idea of a chandelier in that room with the ceiling beams - I would go with something more simple.

    A valance over a roller blind would work. Roller blinds alone, covered in a fabric that coordinates with the bedspread - such as an orange and white stripe - would be cute. I can't find them ready made on any internet sites, however.

  • 15 years ago

    I like the idea of a striped roller blind. But how do you think airy white panels just down to the sills with bamboo shades inside mounted would look? On the double window I would use only two panels, one on either side. I'm soooo indecisive. Oh, and I wanted to show a pic of a chandelier in a bedroom with slanted ceilings? Is the consensus still a no? It's just that my husband might kill me when I tell him I don't want the ceiling wiring that he just put in, ugh! :)

  • 15 years ago

    Hang a ceiling fan instead.

  • 15 years ago

    I like those valances and the striped things that work with your bedding. Can you get them to match the width of the windows exactly? Then white roller shades underneath, as you describe.

    Can you get more of the green leaf fabric to make shams with? I know you said you don't sew, but perhaps you have a friend who can do a simple job like that for you? Failing that, buying white shams with green piping might be a nice way of connecting the patterns.

    I don't like the short curtain idea as much, because I think it reinforces the horizontal shape too much...which makes a ceiling seem lower.

    And, what the heck, put a pretty chandelier up there if she wants one!

  • 15 years ago

    Ok, here are a few more pictures of the room as requested. I like the idea of the swing arm light near the nightstand. Still up for suggestions on window treatments. A swatch arrived today with stripes, doesn't match. Waiting on one more from country curtains of a leafy pattern valance. Any ideas for what to do over the headboard? And the bureau will be pushed over more towards the wall away from the single window. Thanks again everyone...this stuff stresses me out :(




  • 15 years ago

    It's a really cute room! I love the colors you chose. Have the same Ballard's bench in black. Or I should say the cats have the same bench. It sits in front of 3 windows and gives them a great view of the outdoors.

  • 15 years ago

    I don't think you need anything over the headboard. Glad you are moving the dresser into the corner and off the window frame.
    She will need a good bedside lamp over the little chest...I'd use a pin-up wall lamp, since her surface is limited. Take a look at the post about the height of bedside lamps for guidelines.

    And I love the whole look...very young and fresh and cheery. I'd paint that desk chair a vibrant pink and put a green and white striped seat cushion on it. I'd hang a long skinny mirror over the bedside chest to throw the light around and add sparkle...or a pair of prints of birds or beetles or fat green leaves or whatever she likes, on white backgrounds, hung one over the other. In any case, I'd use natural bamboo frames, which would give you a natural companion to the rush seated bench and the birdcage.

    And here's a tempting little chandelier...also lamps plus, in the mini-chandelier group.

  • 15 years ago

    Bronwynsmom, thanks so much for all of your ideas! Like the idea of painting the chair and putting up either a mirror or set of prints behind the night stand. Natural bamboo frames? Is that for the prints or are you suggesting bamboo shades for the window treatments? That little chandy is darling too!

  • 15 years ago

    I just meant for the picture or mirror frames.
    Seems to me that you need as much light let in the windows as you can, and roller shades (or even cellular ones) that will rol or stack all the way up might be your best plan.
    If you want a little more natural material in there, pale matchstick blinds might be nice, if you don't need them for privacy. With the light on behind them, they provide only a little disruption in the view...you can see right through them.