Wendy's Window

Hi Christine,
I am in the middle of a very lengthy home remodel.  The first room is almost done—a powder room off the entry way.  I’ve chosen grasscloth wallpaper, a contemporary white basin and toilet (which isn’t installed yet), and a sleek vanity.  So far I am really happy with the outcome, but I am struggling as to what to do with the window treatment.  The window is large and I need something that will offer complete privacy as the window looks out over the front walkway.  I hesitate to go with natural fiber blinds—as I think the walls and the vanity are competing as is.  I’m thinking of ultimately adding orange or green (chartreuse) accessories.  Any suggestions as far as the window coverings or accessories?  - Wendy

Hi Wendy, Let me start by saying how beautiful your bathroom looks.  It is really lovely.  The grasscloth is perfect!  Hooray for wallpaper!  As far as your window treatment goes- select something that looks good closed.  Roman Shades, for example, look much nicer open than closed.  Especially in the more modern styles that would go with your decor.  I have three suggestions for you on your window treatment.  My first thought was a wood shutter.  They are perfect closed and would compliment your decor nicely.                                                                                                                                       You could go white to match your wood trim, or contrast it with a tone similar to the console.          A horizontal wood blind would give you a similar feel at a lower cost.  I like the large 3 inch louver.                      Solar shades, roller shades or screen shades are also a great option for your room.  I showed some examples in this post.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Susan's Living Room

Hi Christine,

I'd really appreciate your advice on our sitting room, which has a difficult fireplace wall. It also has a lovely window seat but this makes the room assymetrical and is challenging my novice furniture arranging skills. I know you will be completely frank with me, but I think my main problems are: 1 - Should the focal point be the fireplace or the window seat (or even the TV)? I know it should always be the fireplace, but maybe our room is an exception because our fireplace is hideous and we never use it.

Your focal point should still be the fireplace. Your furniture will have to face the TV as well- but the focal point should still be the fireplace. I don't think it would ever really look right to ignore the fireplace. Consider a flat screen TV over the fireplace.

2 - What should we do with the fireplace? The chimney sticks out from the house (hence the flat wall) and needs work to stop rain coming in. If we have any form of gas fire, that work will be much more expensive. We never use the fire, so we will have it removed and spend the money on a piano instead. This will leave the empty alcove. I would never dream of ripping out an original Victorian mantel, but given that someone else has and given that the alcove floats above the ground, I'm tempted to have a modern alcove filled with big stones or candles. I like the simple modern fireplaces in your blogs of 17 Feb and 8 May 2009 and also at these links:>> http://www.modernfireplacesdirect.co.uk/

You can combine traditional architecture with modern furnishings- it can be a very cool juxtaposition- however- a fireplace is part of the architecture and should be consistent with the architecture. Absolutely do not put a modern fireplace in your very traditional home. Check out this post where I discussed this same principle. I would go to an architecural salvage place and find a cool surround. It doesn't matter if you use it or not. Unless you are going to spend a lot of money on a big overhaul- I would make it look like the fireplace it should be the best I could.

Another alternative would be to fill in the alcove with drywall or hide it with a TV unit, but we would need an ugly ventilation grill, and we still need the tiles over the hearth because the floorboards stop. It is better to just keep it a fireplace- even an unused one. 3 - What should we put on the rest of the fireplace wall? The little windows make it difficult to position furniture. Mount a flat screen over the fireplace and angle your two chairs in the corners beneath the two windows. Even centred under the window, the current bookcase looks strange. That bookcase needs a much smaller wall- perhaps the wall to the right of the window seat- (when you are standing in front of the window seat). Currently you have an end table there. - Can I use your idea of a canvas or double canvas to make the picture over the fireplace a better scale? Can I tell you what I don't like about it? I can't see it. This is your focal point wall. The art should be visible from the furniture- this is so light you would have to stand right in front of it to see it. Anyway- I still think you should have a TV there so that you can center your furniture better. If this does not work with a framed picture, or if the drawing just doesn't have enough weight, where else could I put it? Put it on the wall to the left of the window seat. It is my favourite picture and the red in the frame goes with the other reds in the room. Also, where in the room should I put a photo gallery? Since I moved your sofa away from the back wall- you have an entire wall there that needs something- a perfect place for your photo gallery. - Finally (sorry this is so long!), how do I pull the furniture in off the walls without cutting off the window seat? The things which will stay are the sofa (recovered in the same red when it needs it), the end tables, you only have room for one end table- that is how you keep from blocking off the window seat- a TV (not necessarily this one) and a bookcase or shelf unit (not necessarily this one). I would like to add a piano. Add a low back piano to the back of the sofa- like a sofa table. Or skip the sofa table look and just put it against the back wall.The chairs were a yard sale find for our first apartment but now need replacing, so what other seating do you recommend? We can fit more than the current sofa and two chairs. I wouldn't add more furniture- a sofa and two chairs is perfect. I'd still like one or two simple modern chairs, probably black. In my dreams I'd have an Eames lounger - not sure it would go, but you get the idea! The Eames lounge is not the right size for the room- (although I absolutely LOVE it!) but there are a lot of great modern chairs that you can find that would fit great.

Thank you for being so generous with your time.

Susan

I included a couple of examples of homes with traditional architecture and modern furnishings. Photos from Elle Decor.

Charles and Ray Eames Rock

This is a follow-up post to yesterday's.

Christine,

Thanks for all of the great advice! I have a few questions of course. Where would you put the area rug? I never quite know how to do that with a bed. I'll address that below. Also are you suggesting 3 window treatments on each window (linen drapes, Roman shades and woven roller shades)? No- I suggested a Roman shade on that one window- panels on the others- the roller shades throughout- so each window would have two treatments. Not sure if I can swing the cost of that!!! Last question (I swear!) is on the seating area. The chair is definitely going and I was looking for a suggestion on something cool to put there, maybe with a pattern, to funk things up a bit. Any and all ideas welcome! Thanks again - you are so generous to do this for all of us! - Mary

For your chair- consider using a cool style rather than a cool pattern. The top two photos on the post are Eames chairs- I would get the lounge chair in cream, not black, and I would get the molded plywood chair in palisander- not red. The white lounge chair is from In House. These are classic chairs that you would keep forever- and their style is absolutely timeless. When I lived down in LA- a local museum had a display of Eames furniture. It was amazing. I just found that I have mentioned the Eames chairs in these posts as well. I guess I really like them.

OK- so- where should you put the rug? I would do it like the bedroom above. Although there are certainly a number of different correct ways to go about it.

Right in front of the bed also works.

I like sticking pretty close to the rule of thirds. Have it under the bed 1/3 or 2/3 of the way. I feel like the rug above is too close to 1/2. However- sometimes the limitations of room sizes and rug sizes keep you from being able to have the ideal.

2/3 is my ideal. You also want it show a decent amount in the front- and not cut your traffic path in half. If you had hard floors- I would suggest you had the rug large enough to step on it when you got out of bed.

I picture a nice large rug in your room.

Thanks,
Christine

Bedroom photos from Country Living.

Which Modern Family House is your Favorite?

I think I need to change my profile, because I have not been watching much American Idol this year- my Wednesday nights are spent watching Modern Family instead. Today's is the first of three posts on the interior design of the show. This is Jay and Gloria's house. It is the most modern of the three.

I like the subtlety of the paint choices in the two tone kitchen, as well as the smoky glass. I also like the classic wood floors. The clean lines and neutral colors of the walls and floor make a great background for the art.

The counters are also super neutral- probably a Silestone- or similar material. It makes for a really pretty kitchen.

Here you get a peek at the dining room. Check out the roller shades- one of my favorite choices in window treatments. I am frequently saying to "layer" your window treatments- that advice doesn't go for the more modern interior- where simplicity rules. Notice how nice the large plant is in the photo above. Plants make such a big difference in an interior.

Here we have some more bright art- with neutral furniture. Here we a get a little juxtaposition of style with some more traditional leather pieces.

The entry table is lovely. I like the simple floral arrangement as well.

So- how would I describe it? It is definitely modern- you can tell by the exterior shots that you see on the show. But the invitation of traditional elements keeps it from being stark. It is still homey and warm. A little bit Jay and a little bit Gloria.

What do you think? Do you watch the show? What do you like, or not like about the house?

Movie Review: Our Family Wedding

My husband and I saw a movie last night- Our Family Wedding. The movie itself had some funny parts- but overall wasn't that great- it was all right.

With that said- the interior design was an interesting juxtaposition, no doubt as an extension of the juxtaposition of the two families in the movie. America Ferrera's family home was a Victorian home with a traditional, cluttery welcoming mix-match decor. I was unable to find pictures for you of that place- but you can get a glimpse on this trailer.. The kitchen had the open shelf with colorful dishes and painted mixed with wood finish cabinets look. Architecturally it is really a beautiful home. They had carrara marble on the kitchen counters- which I love every time I see it, and yet it is so un-practical from a staining standpoint- that I would never suggest it.

Forest Whitaker's place was the opposite of the "homey family" feel. In contrast, it was full of expensive vases, high end everything, the latest technology, and a clean modern look. I loved his kitchen as well- you can see a peak above. The asymmetric combination of open shelves with smoked glass is really cool. This home had more of a sense of a place for everything, and everything in its place. There was no clutter, and nothing around that didn't absolutely belong.

Should you spend $21 plus babysitter to see it???? Yeah--- maybe not- but the interiors were great. Have you seen it? I am sure everyone else saw Alice in Wonderland this weekend- and maybe I should have... but Tim Burton is a little creepy to me. Anyway- if you saw it- what did you think?