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Thread: Looking for help with window treatment

  1. #1
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Just outside of Boston MASS
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    66

    Default Looking for help with window treatment

    We are looking to get some advice/opinions on drapes for our living room. The window is 124" wide. The room is 18ft wide. The ceiling hight is 93" We have 50" from the left wall to the window casing and 47.5" from the right window casing to the right wall. The Hancock Moore Kingwood sofa is to be delivered tomorrow and we are now back to the room getting it ready to finish. Want something rich looking not old lady looking. No sheers. Not sure if shades or blinds would be better. Any tips?

    Last edited by KNEEBITER; 02-21-2010 at 11:33 AM.

  2. #2
    Join Date
    Jul 2008
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    Alexandria VA
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    My initial reaction is do nothing, leave as is. The reason I say that is the room appears dark, and anything you put on the windows will cut available light even further. The window trim and mold is thick and provides enough contrast, so I really don't think you need anything. Plus, the window is close to the ceiling of the room, so putting anything on there will visually decrease that distance further.

    If you need something for privacy, I'd go with 2" wooden blinds mounted to the top mold of the window.

    Send photos of the Kingstown when you get it!
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  3. #3
    Nancy Guest

    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    It looks like your window frames the outdoors and the seasons beautifully, especially with the great woodwork all around it. We live in the country so I like to treat the windows with nice moldings around them as frames picturing the outdoors. In the summer we use exterior blinds on the west facing side of our house.
    I do like curtains, though, especially in bedrooms and go for the simple black wrought iron rods with rings and pinch pleated curtains. You can mount the rod as high as brackets allow above a window which gives a greater sense of height to a room. And, the curtain length can be to the floor or at least well below the sill which looks good.

  4. #4
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Richmond, VA
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    Hi Kneebiter,

    Today I was cleaning a HM leather chair we have in a corner of our sunroom and was shocked at the amount of fading on it. As you face the chair, there is a west facing window on the left and a north facing window on the right but all the fading was on the north-facing parts of the chair.

    We had an automatic awning installed to keep the western sun off the furniture--and from heating up the room. We didn't expect fading from the north facing window because we never get direct sun from there. We do back to a wide river on the north of the house and all I can assume is that there might have been some reflection off the water that caused the fading.

    You mentioned you were looking for "something rich looking". You could get that with real wood blinds and/or drapery. However, without sheers, or some other light diffuser, you will probably need closed blinds or drapes to protect your furniture during daylight hours.

    Have you considered having sun protection film applied professionally? (I would definitely have had the film applied to my windows, but my windows are from Germany and the film will negate my glass warranty.)

    Nancy had an excellent suggestion for draperies. You have ~4ft available on either side of the windows for a stack back (drapes fully open) of draperies. I would mount a curtain rod both well to the ceiling to raise the height of the room and 18" to 24" beyond the window on each sides to let in as much natural light as possible when the drapes are opened.

    With a 128 inch wide window, four unpleated ready-made 50 inch wide panels (2 each side) would give you fullness and could be mounted on an iron rod as suggested by Nancy.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
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    Just outside of Boston MASS
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    Ok, Today I went against myself and purchased sheers and drapes. My camera is horrible and the light was bad but here are 2 shots. One with flash and one without. The shears are a soft gold and the drapes are olive green with gold and red. I used a double rod and 4 panels for shears and 4 for the drapes. Just finished. What do you think? Any suggestions are appreciated.



    Last edited by KNEEBITER; 02-21-2010 at 11:33 AM.

  6. #6
    Join Date
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    +1 Looks good! I like it! Makes the room MUCH more cozy in the evening and will really help control sun fade on your new H&M Sofa.

    Drapes are pulled too tight on the panel sections is my only suggestion. Don't try to extend them too far in towards the center, pull them back 6" to 10" on the rod and let them 'relax' a little and drape vertically on the sides (they're pulled a little too snug where the ties are in the photos and makes them look a bit stretched).

    Good choice!
    Duane Collie
    Straight answers from thirty-six years in the business.
    My Private Messages are Disabled - Please ask questions here in the forum.

  7. #7
    Join Date
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    Just outside of Boston MASS
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    Duane,

    Thanks for your opinion. I agree that they are pulled too tight.

    Well I just walked out to the living room to find my wife sitting on the H&M packing the drapes back up She loves the sheers but thinks that the drapes are too dark and make the room look like a cigar saloon or den She wants to try adding the same sheers on the second rod as a swag along the top and have no drapes.

    I was thinking maybe the same drapes in gold so it looks finished but does not contrast as much as the green. Thats what I wanted originally as I told my wife that the sofa should be our center piece and our eyes should go right to that but a stranger at the store talked my wife into the green so I agreed. No use going against 2 women. What do you think?

    KNEE
    Last edited by KNEEBITER; 02-21-2010 at 11:34 AM.

  8. #8
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Richmond, VA
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    125

    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    Knee, I like the drapes. Have you considered letting them hang straight? That would also frame the sofa and keep it as the centerpiece. It will also let more natural light into the room. Regarding 2 against 1, taste is not a gender thing!

  9. #9
    Join Date
    Oct 2009
    Location
    Just outside of Boston MASS
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    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    I am trying to get my wife to unpack them so we can try them straight down. She wants to return them. Thinks they make the room too dark. I will let you know how it turns out.

  10. #10
    Join Date
    Jan 2009
    Location
    New England
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    75

    Default Re: Looking for help with window treatment

    oh, there are drapes in that picture?

    I can't take my eyes off of the sofa!! what a beauty!

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