Impossible-to-decorate Breakfast area windows (with pics)

15 years ago

Hi,

I have been lurking for a while and am constantly amazed at the expertise of posters on this forum. But I have a real challenge for you! My breakfast area is a "bay window" formed by 1) a door to the deck (38" x 84"; 2) middle window (48" X 72") and a side window (33" X 68"). Ceilings are 9 feet. I have tried to visualize toppers that fall from the ceiling to the tops or a little below the top of the windows in order to be able to put a topper over the door and still be able to open it, but nothing looks right, plus the different lengths of the door/windows detract from any overall cohesion.

To add to the difficulty, the adjacent family room (which has since been painted the same as the breakfast room - SW's Blond) has a shared wall with two double windows which I would need to coordinate with the breakfast room window treatments.

Any advice or suggestions would be welcome.

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Comments (8)

teacats
15 years ago
LOVe your kitchen cabinets!

Well -- I would add basic white wood plantation shutters or blinds OR even bamboo/woven roman shades or even the latest roller shades ((look at the link below -- and then check out the "Zen Walnut" color)) to all of the windows and the door too.

That move will give you time and breathing space to find a fabric/treatment that would work.

Here is a link that might be useful: smith and noble roller shades -- look at Zen Walnut color
Melissa Houser
15 years ago
Do you need privacy or just something on the windows? If it's privacy, I'd go with the blinds or shutters. If it's just something on the windows, I'd look for sheers or lace curtains. They could be put on the door using a rod at the top and bottom. If the door is metal, use magnetic rods. Then hang the same sheer or curtain from the top of the window to the floor or close to the floor, but at the same length for all of the curtains.

As for the living room treatment, use the same sheer or curtain under the drapery treatment you choose for that room and you will have a complementary look without having to keep it all the same.

One other note, sheers and lace curtains do NOT have to be white. I have dyed plenty of them in the past. Use one of your accent colors and they will really pop.
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The angle of that last photo definitely shows the true size of the room....thanks for posting it! I like the blinds since they give a lighter, brighter feel. But hey, that's just my opinion. : ) And.........I have to agree with Caminnc's comment about the cushions re: color vs pattern. You have a lot going on with remodeling, so waiting on the window treatment may be wise at this point. Hanging some simple panels on each side of the window, along with the blinds, would change the whole feel of the room, but I understand you wanting to stay with the current WT. I think the white is 'glaring' at you because of all the other dark colors in the area and it appears to be the only white anywhere except for the flower stand. Finish the rest of the tear-out........and the white may grow on you!
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I have woven wood/bamboo shades through my house. Some are lined, most are not. I can definitely feel a temperature difference with them down. It isn't dramatic, but anything that keeps the sun from bearing down in your living room will help, and I lower them when it's really cold outside. I keep the unlined shades down more often since they aren't room darkening, I don't feel so closed in. I think they would look great with your decor. Mine are all outside mounted because of my double hung windows. I'll try to do a mockup for you to see if you would like them.
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I'm just going to chime in here to say that we had two dining areas off our kitchen, since it was open on two sides. One was the informal everyday dining area, and the other was the formal dining room. We have a small house and I realized it was a complete waste of space to have two dining areas and since we rarely entertained and even used the formal dining room, why have it just sitting there most of the time, unused. In my case, I converted the informal dining area into a project work space and we started eating in the formal dining room every day, every meal, or at least most. I would encourage you to utilize the formal dining room in similar creative ways. At my last house, I had a small office at one end of the dining room, just for bill paying, mail sorting and occasional correspondence. I had it all set up on a rolling cart, and when I was working I just rolled it next to the table where I was sitting. Made for easy set up and take down. Very occasionally, i used the top of the rolling table as a serving cart when I entertained, so it also did double duty. Also in my own formal dining room, I now have some bookshelves. Great if you use the dining table as a homework spot. As for me, I sometimes like to go in there and have a muffin and coffee and read, plus I keep my cookbooks and recipe file in there so I often sit in there to make up my grocery list based on what I plan on fixing . . . Lastly, I wouldn't rule out the seating area as a possible food prep space, I'd want easy to clean stuff and a table that was possible to work or eat from . . . low key.
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momdino
Original Author
15 years ago
Thanks to both of you...

Teacat, I thought about shades, but was afraid they would emphasize the different sizes of the windows and the door. That site tho has some beautiful patterns.

lissa, actually we back up to 10 acres of woods and we have a sloped lot putting the windows up pretty high, so we don't need treatments for privacy. I like the idea of sheers, though. Are sheers always hung from the tops of the window, rather that higher up?
suero
15 years ago
You can hang sheers inside the window frame.
gk5040
15 years ago
Here is what a friend did with a similar set up, its called a murphy valance. A kingston valance is very similar and would work there too.
Valerie Noronha
15 years ago
I do like the murphy or kingston valance, though I also think some woven shades which are inside mount as teacats had suggested would look lovely. The shades would not empahsize any difference between door and window unless they are pulled down and will also filter the sun when drawn if light control is a concern.
bluekitobsessed
15 years ago
I have a similar breakfast nook -- mine is a half octagon shape with 5 windows, 1 on each wall. Years ago I saw a pic (wished I'd kept!) of a casual valance in a scarf shape across all the windows, with little handkerchief/folded napkin type swags (not sure if swags is the right term) in a coordinating fabric at each corner, probably to cover up the mounting hardware. The effect was to create a very strong horizontal line in a room that already has more vertical than horizontal. Does that make sense? I'm sorry, pix really help.

Ncsteph, your cabs & floor are beautiful.
sallymo2015
15 years ago
I think you'll need something done like this to keep the tops of the valances the same:
http://www.thepillowlady.com/product-doors.htm
I see your door is only slightly lower than the windows and if you mount the shades inside the windows and right on the very top of the door they would line up, but I don't think you want to mount a shade that high on a door.

Impossible-to-decorate Breakfast area windows (with pics)

Comments (8)

teacats

Melissa Houser

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Impossible-to-decorate Breakfast area windows (with pics)

Comments (8)

teacats

Melissa Houser

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momdinoOriginal Author

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