I found 2 more pictures of the livingroom before we bought the house, that shows the ceiling better:

We have a similar window in our dining room that was annoying to people sitting on one side of the table when the sun was setting....which is kinda normal for dinner. We bought some window "stuff" similar to contact paper but it made it look like stained glass. They had about a dozen different patterns at Home Depot. Works great to keep the glare out while not totally blocking the light. And it looks lovely.

All the Home Depots are closed in this area. Wonder if they have it at Lowes? I could probably live with the peak and window if I could get rid of the glare, maybe put the beadboard up without dropping the ceiling. Then I wouldn't have to worry about the hole outside.

I'm not going to tell you want to hear. I think you should leave the ceiling peaked. If you try to lower it, the house is going to be louder. I used to have a room that looked like this with the half window. A former owner put window tint on it to reduce the sun coming through. You might try moving your tv to another wall. You may have to get the cable guy back out to do that, but it's probvably cheaper than removing that window.

I think yellow would be a great color for the room. I've painted most of my interior yellow. I get lots of compliments on it.

Hi kathsgardn,

You might check out the thread on the home decorating forum entitled "What did you prettify of the cheap?"
Someone there did a door with some sort of spray on frosting (?) that might work for your window to cut the glare. Something like that may be a little more economical to do than removing it. Just a thought :)

It would be a whole lot cheaper to have a wood (or other material) blind made for that window. I absolutely would not lower that ceiling. It will also make a small room look even smaller.

I can't tell if you have popcorn ceilings or not but if you do, scrape that junk off. Then paint the ceiling bright white. It really does make a huge difference in the appearance of your room. You could even put a fake beam at the peak of your ceiling and hang a beachy looking ceiling fan from it to get that beach cottage feel.

Once you put the white cottagy furniture in there and paint the walls, add some accesories, it will be beautiful.

Thanks, Tammy, will check it out in a minute.

Magic, no popcorn but it's drywall that's been stamped on. It also has a big crack near my desk which looks bad. Another reason to put up beadboard.

You want to beadboard the ceiling? I thought you meant the walls. I think that would look very nice.

Looking at your pictures again, the windows you have look very cottagy to me already, like portholes on a boat. I think that look would be great.

I have remodeled every single house we have ever lived in and sometimes the path of least resistance is the best. You could definately achieve the look you want by decoration only and not construction. I also think that once you take care of the details of decoration you will love the high ceiling. It will look very bright and breezy.

I wish I was there with you. I love this kind of stuff LOL.

My advice is leave the peaked ceiling, they make rooms look bigger. You could make the room less "busy' by covering the couch/loveseat with a solid color fabric, and also making the curtain, if you keep it, a solid color. That is alot of different "busy" designs going on in one room. I agree about the wall unit too, it's huge and will make the room much smaller. If you paint the walls white, that would open the room up also, or paint all the walls white but an accent wall with color.

I was just watching Oprah yesterday about Nate redoing people's houses on the cheap. Recovering, trading furniture with neighbors or buying furniture at flea markets and thrift stores. Almost every room he took out large things to open the rooms up more and make them look bigger. I think the most he spent on anyone's redecorating was $300.

Kath,

Go here and click on the style that interests you.They have some great ideas. Note how the high ceilings look with the open airy feel.

Here is a link that might be useful: Ideas

Yes, Magic, I want it on the ceiling, left natural with white crown molding. Will look at the website in a minute. Thanks.

Tammy, I'm going to look in Lowes and see if I can find that on spray frost and may put it on my door too since I really can't stand the curtain I bought for the door. It's glass and the curtain is burgandy to match the pillows, gets very dusty quickly.

Jennmonkey, I do have couch covers in beige but don't put them on half the time, the kids hate them but I think it looks better, they look like this only in beige:

I wonder if the spray is easy to use. The door posted looked good, don't you think? Looking forward to seeing your room makeover. :)

I like light airy rooms. When I had this home built, I worked with someone at a local store and after I picked out a few things like tile and counter tops, she said "you are choosing to many light colors". I told her I liked the model home, it's light, airy and with no blinds I felt like I was out side. It also looked huge. Dark colors seem to pull a room in. My white walls are not a snow white, the color picks up green from my jade carpet, in other rooms it picks up other colors. It's been five years and I still like it.

I used the spray frosting on my bathroom window but it is now discolored. It faces south and I think the sun yellowed it. I used the peel and stick frosting on a bedroom window that faces the same direction. I have bad neighbors on that side and their yard is junky.

I like the idea of keeping the ceiling peaked. The beadboard will look great, but it may be pricey to do the whole ceiling.
JCPenney has cellular shades that fit right into the arched windows Click here for link All on sale now too!
I'd buy a computer armoire too in white or whatever color wood you are going to use in the room. That way the doors can be shut to hide clutter when you're not on the computer.

A beachy theme would be great! You could use blues, greens and tans with your white and natural woods.

Craigslist has been great for me! Check your local CL for furniture pieces you need.. you might find a great bargain.

Here is a link that might be useful: LOTS of cottage inspiration here!!

This is just me, but I like the room the way it is--minus the drapery on the arched window. A bamboo or rattan shade that fits would be pretty. I love the wall color. Beadboard ceiling would be beautiful, but I do like the homey, we-live-here look you have now. It's a very comfy looking room to me.

I can see what you want to do Kath.
I believe what you want could be done quite easily by a carpenter and you could use that space for storage.

Bead board is lovely I think and I like the cottage look too.

Other than that I have no color suggestions.

Your wall unit is pretty massive and I agree, it is too heavy the rooom and nothing balances it.

Lori

I wanted to show you the inpiration picture for the room I did.

I used those colors, but you could change some of the white and the reds to sand and seafoam green. I like the beadboard on the walls like this too, it makes a nice picture shelf.

Lydia, I like the "inspiration" room, except the orange pillows with the blue in the room. I like your red a lot better. Love that blue wall color and the beadboard on the walls too. Don't know if I'd want the walls that pale or a little bit darker. I think I will probably go with a white, blue and yellow, though.

Thanks for the websites. I checked the blinds but not sure I want something like that. I did buy some of the spray on frost this afternoon. Will see how it does.

I wouldn't touch that ceiling either. I like it and I think like someone else said, it will make the room seem much smaller...Since you are thinking beach theme, lots and lots of beach houses have peaked ceilings...some of them beamed...

Lydia, I love that pale blue with the white.

The living room looks rather small. I know what you mean about peaked ceilings. My living room has one and I dislike it. But your room is small, and it will look even smaller with the lower ceiling. Moreover, peaked ceilings are strong selling features for the day you decide to sell the house.

I suggest that you get rid of the overstuffed furniture in the room and the printed fabrics. They are too much for a small room. You need a simpler look in there for what you want. Sell or give away the wall unit and declutter.

Don't mess with that ceiling unless it's to paint it. Your room will look so much smaller if you lower it. Take the heavy curtains off the windows. Put blinds on the lower windows and get a shade made to fit the arched window. They also make a film you can apply to the window to make it look frosted. It's easy to do and removable if you change your mind.

Linda

Here is a link that might be useful: window frosting