Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Family Room Window Treatment - Help!

Dearest Readers, I need your help! Can you give me some advice? :) I am trying to work on finishing up the major decorating for my family room/kitchen area. It's an open concept floor plan. We want to just finish one room in the house at a time to feel like we've actually accomplished something! And since this is the main area of the house we live in, we thought we'd finish up in here first.
We have all the major furnishings in place, and I still like the creamy butter color on the walls. I need to pick out window treatments and accent pillows for this room. These pics don't show all the furniture, but you'll get an idea. The decorating style we like is a mix of traditional and cottage with a romantic/garden feel. This is our family room, but the architecture and entertaining space lend the room a bit of a formal feel at the same time. Casually elegant. I probably should take more pics of the whole space, but...


I really like neutral colors with a bit of pale greyed-blue and mossy-sage green for in here. It reflects the view outside with the NC clear blue skies and green wooded area with wetlands behind our property.


This is the fabric we have chosen for the window valances. It's just tacked above one of the windows for effect, not the actual design. We will also mount the valances higher up to draw the eye. I chose valances for in here for some variety since there are cream silk drapes in the dining room, and we'll end up putting roman bamboo blinds in the sunroom when we get around to painting and slipcovering in there.

Here's some alternative pillow fabrics...


...and here...


...and here. Although they all look a teensy bit lighter in the photos. Nothing final, I still have more places to check, but just ideas.

I'm planning to hang the valances from these antique doorknobs I've been collecting!


Here's where I need your help. Below are all pics of patterns from Pate Meadows patterns. My dear hubby does not have the gift of seeing the "big picture" or end result of a project, so can you help me choose something? These are just ideas, mind you, and with my "wing it" personality I'm sure can be altered a bit. If they all stink, then please suggest an alternative idea! :)


#1: (below)

#2:

#3:



#4:


Please help me out! There are so many great decorators out there in blog land, and I'm needing some advice, sista's! :) PLEASE let me know which you prefer, if any, and what you would do!!!

Blessings,

Stacey

5 comments:

Becky@Beyond The Picket Fence said...

Three is my favorite because it is a little more casual. I love the fabrics--they are so inspiring don't you think?

My hubby is totally the same way--I just tell him to trust me and my instincts, and he usually does.

Michaelle said...

First of all, I love your wall color! Are you planning on making pillows from your valance fabric as well? I think that would look really nice. I love the idea of using the antique doorknobs. Why didn't I think of that? As far as valance patterns, I like #1 because I think it would show off the doorknobs better.

Anonymous said...

I wont be of much help because I love everything that you showed us! Im in love with those blues and the browns.... You have such a great room to work with! Those doorknobs....priceless! Susie h~

Angie said...

Hiya Stacey,

Well..I am not a big fan of valances. Although, I LOVE the idea of hanging the fabric from the doorknobs..brilliant. If this were my space, I would use one panel of floor length of fabric on each window and a valance on top. I would pin each panel back to the side with something..maybe a doorknob? The right window would be pinned off to the right side..the left would be pinned off to the left..does that make sense? That way you are not losing the view you love..but you are giving more substance to the windows..in a way, drawing more attention to the view. Ohhh, and I would go with one of the fabrics that has alot of blue in it. That color is wonderful with the wall color and the dark entertainment center! Then, maybe a more busy fabric for the valance. What a pretty room!

~Angie

The Feathered Nest said...

Wow!! I just LOVE your color palette!! Number three is the one in my book ~ you can use a touch of the toile over top of the floral to tie the fabrics together. What a wonderful idea to use the door knobs too!!! Can't wait to see the end result ~ xxoo, Dawn