I lived in a corner unit at the Versailles at 16th and Locust when I first moved to Center City, and the windows were a double-edged sword there too: great view down Locust to Rittenhouse Square, a direct shot of St. Mark's church, tons of light and architectural detail and terrible drafts and noise insulation! But I didn't have the exposure issue...

This post was edited by KevinMP on Mon, Dec 3, 12 at 20:33

So, where are those pictures, Pal? Itching to see them!

palimpsest, good luck in your new apartment. Your move reminds me of your screen name: while not literal writing material-as a parchment or other used one or more times after earlier writing has been erased-you're writing new history in a space visited in the past.

I wish to remind you about Pottery Barn silk black out curtains. Their colors, their texture, their height and gentle lay, their scrolled hardware are all beautiful. I don't think any GW member could be offended.

No one wants to kill you, Pal - you are too valuable to us all!

I had to get a new computer, and I can't upload pictures from my camera to the new computer yet. But I am working on it.

I don't feel like I am over stating it: the Living Room and the Bedroom of the new apartment are so near perfect in character that I had to take pictures of it empty.

This is the type of apartment that if you were a minimalist, you could put a good Persian rug in each room, a mattress and reading lamp in the bedroom, (and probably the same in the LR, who needs furniture?) and you could be done. Nothing to "correct" or compensate for with d�cor.

That said it has a nice kitchen (that I would have hidden from the living room), a mean little bathroom (about 5x6.5, the door clears the toilet by 1/2"), abysmal storage, no laundry.

It will be Great living there, knowing that I will already be moving to someplace more practical, shortly.

Perhaps one day there will be zoning with special deed restrictions so that exhibitionists and voyeurs can live in peace without window treatments in densely populated areas . . . Until then, I might have what I want for the permanent house windows made and installed temporarily in the temporary house, as offensive as that may be for a few months. I'm just not into investing in temporary stuff.

I TOTALLY understand the need for privacy. I never open the drapes here in this apartment. There is nothing to look at outside so I created an atmosphere inside. Cannot wait to see your pictures!

Kevin, The Versailles is one of my all time favorite residential buildings in the city. I think my favorite is 1830 Rittenhouse Square, but who could ever really pick one out of a city with so many lovely old buildings.

My practical side would not allow me to invest much at all in temporary quarters, despite the beauty of the windows.

I open shades every morning and close them when the sun goes down every day. There is a picture window in the living room that I never close, in fact I have no window treatment on it, although it needs one.

Honestly, between Pal and Kevin, I am ready to move back into the city.

Another one here who can't wait to see photos!! :)

And yes -- I am not a fan of bare windows -- I like having the option of some privacy! :)

In this very very ordinary suburban home -- there are white three-inch faux wood blinds on all of the windows. Simple. Easy. Then my DH constructed wood cornice boxes for the tops of the windows in the bedrooms -- and then the windows (and therefore the the ceilings) appear to be taller to the viewers eye!

In the kitchen -- he constructed a very long white shelf that sits over the top of the door to the garage and the double doors of the laundry closet. Again -- the eye is drawn upwards -- and the room appears taller. Same idea on the dining room -- a long shelf sits along the wall of the bay window.

So -- no WTs here -- but blinds and a few eye-fooling tricks! :)

Kill you? -- Never!!! -- as wisely stated above -- you are FAR too near-and-dearest to our group! :)