Personally I don't like it. Makes the base stick out like a sore thumb in my opinion. Maybe that's just me (and you) since I too love the warmth of stained wood.

Personally, I don't care for the stained moulding. One, it's way too narrow in that high LR~it should be at least 8" for a room that tall. And two, if all the other trim/doors are white, IMO, the continutity should carry thruout the rest of the house.

I recently built a house in Austin, and didn't want the Traditional white trim. I didn't want to spend the $$$ to upgrade to a stain grade wood either. My decision was to take a chance and paint trim/doors 3 shades darker than the walls, which are a warm, golden, tan. It looks absolutely gorgeous, and everyone who has seen it says it looks very old world, which was my intention. I also used all ORB door hardware, including the hinges. I've always loved Traditioan styling, both interior and exterior, but this house was 'telling me' it needed something different.

Ooooh patty, that sounds great! Have any pics?

Parma, the different moldings in the photo of that model do not work on ANY level! (IMO)

Patty, I would also be very interested to see your doors and moldings. Our Florida house is French Country and all the moldings and doors are a grey-green stain that is almost opaque, with some (not much) of the wood grain visible. I like different moldings and colours. Our GA house has 10" moldings at 11' walls, and while it is lovely it is also very what we used to call "white bread," if you're famliar with that term. :)

I think that model home has a lot missing from it in terms of molding. And Lord, don't talk about those horrible curtains. Looks like they belong in a "big top." All the windows also looking unfinished, just holes on the walls. Sorry, went off on a rant.

I too think crown and base should match.

kswl, thanks for finally putting this to rest for me. I really knew this all along but figured, hey, if a decorator did this...

I should have put my foot down when DH wanted to build this house. At least in our last build we only had one room with those high ceilings. These must just appeal to men. I know DH is 6'4" and likes them high but 10' or 12' would be high enough. Guess I'll just have to stick to the white even though wood is my favorite. Seeing wood in the model made the house seem a little more tolerable to me. It's been over six months now and it still isn't growing on me. Can't even think of selling in this market.

It's funny but his big boss from Italy who has three houses including a vineyard in Tuscany just loved walking into the model. He said "Now this is a house a man can breathe in".

bru, a few months ago lindybarts did some mock-ups of window treatments for these. I'm still at a loss as to what to do with them. To me, the panels that didn't go to the top of all the windows looked unfinished and valances looked strange up there, too.

To make matters worse, when I went to bed last night (up at my Dad's condo, out of town, that I also have to work on to get it ready to sell, yeesh)the Chicago Trib's home section had an article about Christopher Lowell's new show.
He said he went 'on a rant' about builders' houses with ceilings so high you need scaffolding to hang a picture, lol. :(

I don't like the model home's decor either, but then I don't like the way the builder did the high windows--there's plenty of ways to have windows in a tall room that look much better. I think I would ignore trying to use a window treatment on those upper windows and just use a window film to reduce glare/UV light and then concentrate on the lower ones.

Our first home had high ceilings (about 14-15') in the foyer and greatroom and we liked it for the 3 yrs we were there, so when we built again, the plans we liked included a 2-story foyer and greatroom......that was 10 years ago, and now I don't like it anymore. But, at the same time, I'm afraid I wouldn't like a "regular" ceiling in the greatroom either (we're facing a potential relocation and "house decisions" all-over again). My upper-most windows have only been cleaned once! I've also been at a loss on how to decorate them, so beyond the wood blinds I put on the lower ones, here they are--10 yrs later--and they're still "naked". I also can't paint these walls by myself (or wouldn't dare try), so they're the same original color, which they will stay until we move (thank goodness I like the color, though). So....I feel for you :-)

Anyway, I agree with brutuses about the windows. Can you add molding (or thicker molding) around the windows....maybe rosettes in the corners. That would help dress them up. That's all the "dressing" mine have.

Outside of the way the model home treated the windows and different molding (and stark white ceiling), it looks like a great house with lots of space. It's great you're starting with a blank slate--you'll show that model home how it's supposed to be done! Have fun!

Tracey

parma, that's Christopher for you. Just love him!!

I saw a rerun of a Candice Olsen show the other day where she had to decorate a room similar to this with ceilings to the sky and unaccessible except by scaffolding. She hung plain panels from the top of the windows and they fell all the way to the floor. The thing was, they were plain and if I remember correctly were close to the wall color so the didn't compete and stand out which I think is the best way to handle a window treatment that huge. I'll go back and see if I can find the episode so you can see those photo's.

I found the episode. Here's the link.

Here is a link that might be useful: candice olsen show

Bru, I saw that episode with her up on the scaffolding. She was so funny up that high.

That's the problem with rooms like this...they call for an unlimited budget. :(

kswl had a thought on my post about this problem, months ago. She said to go with a long rod with rings and nice finials across the top of the bottom pair of windows in full width so they draped nicely (just on each end not in the middle) and follow through with the same height and treatment on the smaller window with the arch.

She said it would ground the room.

I keep putting off deciding. Just want to make sure it's right.

parma, Patsy(brutus)has been asking me for pictures for months!LOL The cord for my camera is packed away in a box, so I can't download. I bought a disposable camera and used up the the whole thing on pictures of the house, now I can't find THAT! I may have left it at my DD's in Austin, but she hasn't mentioned it. So at the moment, nada.

I forgot to mention that all the ceilings are the same color as the walls~I like that too. When my son walked in he said it looked like an 'older home'~he meant that in a good way. He said it had a good feeling and felt cozy, inspite of the taller ceilings. I have a two-story foyer and great room, but I don't think they're as high as the room with those long drapes. Ceilings that high make everything look so teeny-tiny. You can't buy furniture/accessories big enough! And what's this about CL? Will he be having another show on tv? I can only hope~I just love him!!! I had a friend who appeared on 3 episodes, and I was chosen to open the show on one. What a hoot!!

Kswl, you're stained wood sounds so cool! I never would have thought of grey-green, but it sounds very Country French~i'm heading in that direction for decorating, also. Just a continuation from my condo that I sold, but a little more toned down. Do you have pix??

Now I have to check out Candice on scaffolding.....

Patty, yes he will, and it's starting later in July on Fine Living Network(just went and looked it up, July 26). It's called "Work That Room".

So, we have a celebrity amongst us? I'll bet it was a hoot!

Parma, could you do or have someone else do a wood-tone glazing on the white moulding? You could probably do the lower areas and hire someone for the higher-up mouldings. I think it would be a great look. RL has glazing products in wood tones. I have glazed ivory cabs in my new house and love them. Anyway, the glazes come in several colors, but all you want is something to tone down the white. Might be a couple of wood-tone glazes to choose from. You could try it on a baseboard to see how you like it. Just a thought....

About the windows~I have some fairly tall windows in the GR, but nothing like the draped ones in the pic. Since I have a smaller window above the longer window, with about 8" inbetween the two, I'm planning to use a faux balloon shade on the smaller upper windows, and panels. I'm wanting some sort of sheer fabric. I'll also need something to keep the hot TX sun out, so am planning to use Rattan roman shades. I don't want your every-day-blinds, and I don't care for those 'things' that disappear, whatever they're called. I know the windows in the picture are supposed to look elegant, but IMO, they just take over, and detract from the rest of the room.

I can't wait for Christopher's show to premiere. I was reviewing the "before" shots of the rooms he will be doing in upcomig episodes and saw he had a room that is painted the same color as my great room. I'm hoping that color stays and he decorates around it so I can get some ideas from him.

Patty, thanks again. You've given me some things to think about. The white molding is through the house so I don't know if I could get away with just doing the front of the house or not.

I'm kind of glad nobody likes the model's window treatments. It will save me $$$. lol

Bru, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that he doesn't trash your wall color like he's planning to trash my house. This show is going to be all about 'new' ideas. Hope that you'll escape unscathed. :)

I'm afraid that color will not be to his liking. I've never seen him like any wall color that wasn't really bold and to me, some times ugly. However, he works his magic in a room and then you don't even notice the ugly paint. LOL I think he should be a judge on Design Star and one of those clueless women, let go. He'd give those newbie's some real down to earth advice and he'd be consistent in his judging, unlike what's taking place right now.

tracey b, I forgot to thank you for your response. It's nice to know that I'm not the only one with these problem ceilings. lol about cleaning windows.

One thing I DO know is the next house, which won't be until retirement :( , will have a 10-12ft great room and DH better not complain. If he does, I'll just remind him about his back going out again last weekend from carrying the big ladder in and hanging the top tier window woven blinds in the back of the house.

My last home had high ceilings in one side of house. We saw molding in a designer home and fell for it. EVERY single person who came over commented on how great it looked and wished they could do it. The crown molding in our home was all black, except in the individual bedrooms and baths. All baseboards and door trims were white. We then painted the window sills black (there were no window casings in house, just sills. The entire downstairs and upper hall had black crown. Our main walls were a very light tan. We used color on specific walls like in the kitchen and the dining room. The floors were med cherry. The kitchen had white vinyl with little black squares and the walls were white with black and tan tiny stripes. We used emerald green, burgundy, deep blue, gold as our main colors in the house with black and white accents. (ex: we had large framed Ansel Adams prints framed in black with hunter green mats.

I personally love the picture you showed. It is not my style but it all works. I would guess the baseboards in that house work with rest of house because the theme is continuous. There is white on the spindles for stairs and the ceilings are white. If we saw more of the house it would make better sense, rather than just this shot.

I have not done the black molding in my new house. I have white plantation shutters thoughout house so I think the white molding would probably suit this house better, but I may change my mind. Would probably do a photoshop to be safe.

I personally love what Candice did with the simple drapes, adds real elegance to the room. You could easily buy the fabric yourself and pay someone to finish the edges. Hange a decorative rod up there and tell your friends you hired a designer!