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| I am finishing up our new (to us) townhouse reno and redecoration project. the last things in the living room are the fireplace - which will be getting a mantle shelf and probably glass doors - and the window treatments.
We have good privacy in this room due to the fenced backyard - which will once the gardens are in and our "outdoor room" set up have a nice view, too. The windows pictured here are east facing and other then a window in the kitchen the only light source for the downstairs long room (townhouse with units on either side). So, I don't want to block too much light or need privacy, but I would like to disguise the ugliness of the old metal windows themselves, and perhaps balance the fact that the sliding door and the window are different sizes and the tops are not even with eachother! The ceiling is fairly low as you can see (standard 8'). I thought of putting a valance across the top, hung near the ceiling to cover the uneven window tops - not sure is that would make the room look taller or shorter? As a horizontal element it might make the windows and room look shorter, what do you think? I was initially planning to put up vertical panels of white sheers, but I am now wondering if that would be the right choice. I definitely don't want to darken or make dingy the incoming light, and we have plenty of dark brown furniture and deep red wall so I think white would be best. The picture below was taken a couple of weeks ago while still unpacking, and one of the chaises has since been removed and it's a bit less cluttered in there now, but you can see the windows here. (Awful blurry cell phone pictures sorry - will get better ones when everything is done!)
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Follow-Up Postings:
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| I think adding a simple cornice box that is the same color as your wall would be a great way to hide both the uneven tops of your windows and to give you a place to put any hanging hardware for shades or drapes. Even though you don't have privacy concerns, you may find that you don't like leaving your door and window uncovered especially when you aren't in residence as it's an invitation to thieves to see what you own. Roll-down shades of some sort would be a nice addition. They would be completely out of sight under the cornice box when rolled up. |
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| The wall is 150" wide (12.5'), so for something like a cornice box I assume that would require a custom treatment? I am hoping for an off the shelf solution, I should have mentioned my budget is < $150. I don't like roll down shades for patio doors, it would be better to have something that can be pushed aside to go in and out. The fence/gate is locked and we are inside a gated complex so not too worried about potential thieves seeing what we own. But I found some links on DIY cornice boxes, which would look nice with vertical panels I think? |
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- Posted by anninthedistrict (My Page) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 17:34
| I, many years ago made my own cornice boxes for next to nothing. I did some with foam board for small windows but for my formal areas with big windows I used wood and a little bit of "fluff". I enlisted a friend and it cost about 300 bucks for my entire house in the wood and mounting material. I did have free labor. I used some really expensive fabric but they stayed up for almost 15 years so seems like it was worth it. I just sold them all for 150 bucks. I almost felt guilty but it paid for some fabric for my new "shabby" sort of windows |
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- Posted by AnnieDeighnaugh (My Page) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 17:55
| You can get a similar look by using a fabric valance and a regular curtain rod. You won't get an "off the shelf" solution, but you can buy a bunch of valances and put them together...pin, sew, glue gun, whatever works. |
Here is a link that might be useful: jc penney valance
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| I am trying to visualize the valance or cornice box - do you think it will make the room and windows look yet shorter? I had originally though of hanging rods and panels as close tot he ceiling as I can to add height visually... so my problem is wanting to disguise the top of the windows but also not wanting to lower the visual ceiling... I don't know which one is more important! Maybe with the rods and the panels hung to ceiling the window top height difference would not be as noticeable because a line would be drawn above it? |
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- Posted by AnnieDeighnaugh (My Page) on Wed, Jun 20, 12 at 22:22
| I don't think height is the primary issue...I think the uneven windows are. If you are really concerned, then pick a color to blend with the wall so visually you won't be shortening the wall...just making the windows look even tallest. |
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| Thanks! Will look for valences and think about building a cornice. |
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| I would get some short roman shades to fill in and even out the space above the window/door, then put panels on the sides of the windows. Here's a rough mock up:
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| Here's the other view:
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| terriks thanks for the mockup that's a great idea if I can find the shades in the right size (to make up 150" width composed of 2 uneven windows). Would you hand the roman blinds in front or behind the drapery panels? The mockup looks like behind, but the rods would then be in front of the blinds? I have been thinking about the cornice but not sure how structurally sound I could make it for this size... |
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| 180" width that is. |
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| I would get 2 very short shades made and have them be both the same length to just cover from the ceiling to the top of the shorter window. Then you could put a rod across the whole thing and hang panels framing the windows. I have ordered blinds from Just Blinds before and found them to be very reasonable. I know that you are working with a budget, so maybe you could do the shade part first, then add the panels later. Ikea would be a good source for the panels, becuase they have some in very long lengths and they are priced per pair. |
Here is a link that might be useful: Just Blinds
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| It looks like blinds for that purpose would be close to $300 even at Just blinds and blinds.com etc. It's the width that makes them more expensive even if length is short. I am trying to envision how to build a cornice or valence myself. All the off the self valences I have seen look too fussy or don't come in the right colors... I do not like gold BTW, I am planning to stick to white for the curtains. |
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| I wonder if you could buy a ready made bamboo type shade and cut it horizontally to make two shades that are the right length to cover that space at the top, then staple it to a board, and mount them with L brackets. You would also have to cut one vertically to get the right width for the smaller window. You could then put a rod across the whole thing and put up the side panels. |
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| I was thinking of that - but then considered it might unravel if cut? Also most bamboo and woven shades are not solid, have gaps - so the board would be visible through it. But maybe I could cut one into sections and nail the tops to a wooden drapery rod, and some kind of dowel along the bottom to help it hang... I could make it in 2 sections the break would be behind a drapery panel. |
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- Posted by AnnieDeighnaugh (My Page) on Sat, Jun 23, 12 at 8:10
| I've made valance boxes for windows out of styrofoam sheet from home depot. They come in 8' sheets so you could cut the length you need out of one sheet. You can wrap it first in quilt batting to soften it and then wrap in fabric...attach it with T pins on the back side. I did one where I pleated it as I pinned it do I ended up with a pleated valance. |
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| I love the mock-ups that terriks has done. If you can find any way to raise your budget for window treatments, do it. It is a one-time cost that will transform the room. I generally like to match the drapes to the wall, but the gold looks really nice with the brown bamboo. And to answer your question, blinds behind the drapes. As for the bamboo over a piece of wood, you could paint the wood the same color as the bamboo. |
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| I won't be doing gold, not a big fan of gold - I'll likely slightly off white or white. Walls are BM Mascarpone which is a warm white, but not yellowy. It can be hard to match other whites with it so I may err on the side of bright white as I hate strongly yellow looking whites or too-dingy ivory. |
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| OK I am about to order the blinds from justblinds.com, this one in "serra" but I noticed there is no price difference up to 36" long. The distance from ceiling to the top of the windows is 16-18". Do you think it would look better if I get just 24" to just clear the tops, or get 36" do there is some gather/fullness so they look full height with 2-3 folds? Of course for a bit more I could actually just get full height to the floor but I think that might be too much bulk. |
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| Alittleapple, Did you see the suggestions above of putting blinds behind the panels - this appears to avoid the problem of making to room look shorter? Hard to say until I try... I definitely don't need curtains for privacy I just want to soften the windows and make the room look nicer. They will probably never be closed, we have a tall fence outside the patio that provides privacy. |
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| Anyone else? I think for now I'll put up some panels and see how it looks, I can always add blinds behind afterwards. |
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- Posted by lazydaisynot (My Page) on Wed, Jun 27, 12 at 13:59
| Tinan, I like the suggestions above, as well as your plan to use white/off white for your draperies. If you haven't ordered the blinds yet you might want to take a look at stevesblindsandwallpaper.com . At least I think that's the correct name. I recently bought several cell shades from them; went with their house brand, and am very happy. Price was excellent. Have no idea whether they carry what you're looking for, but thought I'd mention it as an option just in case. Good luck! |
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| lazydaisynot, I have previously purchased blinds at steves as well. Here's a picture of what I have for now, I love these curtains but I know the window still needs something else - probably the wooden blinds behind at least to cover the top area. But there are so many things to pay for right now, including a new furnace before winter.... so for now I am OK with this and will get to the rest when budget allows. It was either buy patio furniture or more blinds and I really wanted to enjoy my patio! Here are the curtains, sorry for the poor photos quality my camera seems to be broken so I had to use my phone... and it doesn't deal well with bright incoming light in the daytime and is almost as bad in the dim light in evening.
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| If you go with something like a valance to disguise the uneven window size, you'll need to be sure to use lined fabric. A friend of mine just went through this and tried to make small windows look bigger by hanging the fabric WAY out to the side, and barely covering the view with the valance. But she didn't use lined fabric... so the light coming through totally gives her up. It looks pretty bad. You could always outside mount the blinds. Then you can dictate where they hang, and cover the uneven window tops. I like the airiness of what you have in place. |
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| Looks good so far, and the difference in the tops of the window and door is not as noticable. |
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- Posted by brightlily (My Page) on Tue, Aug 28, 12 at 23:15
| This is super late, but I saw a cornice was mentioned in the thread. I had to dig up this blog entry I read last month about making one! This lady redecorated her in-laws living room and made a 13' cornice for a bay window. On another page she breaks down the cost of her supplies and says supplies and fabric for the cornice cost her $80. Not bad? |
Here is a link that might be useful: making a 13' cornice board
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