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Please help with kitchen/great room window coverings :)

12 years ago

Hello all!

Here are pics of our space:

breakfast nook:

The window above our sink gets a lot of sun when the sun is setting. So I am considering getting woven shades with a liner. I will have to get the same shades for the breakfast nook, french doors that are nearby, and the adjacent dining/great room area. I am considering doing an outside mount so that I can mount the shades higher. Thus the valance would be higher and would not take away from our views. So my questions are:

1. Should I do woven shades? Do you have any other suggestions?

2. What color shades should I do? Similar to perimeter cabs or island cab? The floors are natural white oak, sorry I don't have a pic of the floor.

3. If I do outside mount, does the wall get "rubbed" by the shade every time you open/close the shade? I don't want any wall/paint damage. Would I have to get edge binding?

Would love to hear your input! Would also love to see pics of your kitchen window coverings! Thanks in advance!!

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Comments (9)

janealexa
Original Author
12 years ago
Here is a link to Levolor shade colors. I am considering Bamboo Essence Shibori which is similar to perimeter cabs
http://www.levolor.com/products/natural-woven-shades/colors.php

I am also considering Kirsch Mesa White which is lighter than Shibori.
(marmoreus, I hope you don't mind me using your pic! I love the way your shades look in your beautiful home!)
Kirsch Mesa White:

Please let me know what you think! TIA!
formerlyflorantha
12 years ago
Can you sew?
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janealexa
Original Author
12 years ago
Not very well :( But I have friends and family who can :) What do you have in mind?
boxerpups
12 years ago
Beautiful space.
Do you get lots of light in from that window?
The cabinets are dark and I think natural light would
be wonderful so keep the coverings on the light side, not
the heavy rich stuff of the early 90s.

A window shade or curtain should have a bit of space.
If you are buying something from Smith Nobel, JCP, Macy's
or some such place they will have specific instructions
for mounting. I do not believe it will rub the paint off.
There will be a bit of damage to the walls as screws into
the wall will need to be puttied when you take down
curtains later.

My favorite place for window covering is Calico corners...
Have you visited a shop?
They are so much fun. Here is a link

http://www.calicocorners.com/

I like fabric as fabric can really soften a space.
Although if you love bamboo or woven shades that can be
nice too.

Here are some visual ideas...
janealexa
Original Author
12 years ago
Thank you SO much boxerpups! Your posts are always so kind and helpful! We do get a lot of natural light in the kitchen area. I agree to keep the shades a lighter color since the cabinets and countertops are dark. I like the idea of fabric shades to soften the space since there is so much wood. We don't have a Calico Corners store in our area :( But I will look into fabric shades in my area. Thank you again and Happy New Year!
BalTra
12 years ago
I love calico corners, too.
There is another site, spoonflower, which sells custom fabrics. You can submit your own design, or choose from many they have. Sort by color / style, etc.
Here are a few:

{{!gwi}}

This one you can pick any color combo you'd like:
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

I especially like the designs Spoonflower has by KRISTOPHERK:

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}
{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

{{!gwi}}

There are seemingly endless choices on this site.
Have fun!

Your kitchen looks fantastic, by the way. I love all the windows - looks like you can move in soon.

Here is a link that might be useful: Spoonflower
boxerpups
12 years ago
janealexa,

What colors do you like?

Have you heard of mail order Smith and Noble?

I love these fabric shades. Soooo pretty

Here is a link that might be useful: Smith Noble
janealexa
Original Author
12 years ago
BalTra, thanks for the pics, I will check out Spoonflower!

boxerpups, thanks again! I have heard of Smith and Noble, but never ordered from them before. I used to get their catalogs a while ago. I will check out their website. The adjoining great room will be black/brown/taupe/slate blue, so I'm thinking the kitchen will have to be similar colors...
janealexa
Original Author
12 years ago
Fabric shades are out, DH votes for woven shades. So please help me decide which color!

Here is a link to Levolor shade colors. I am considering Bamboo Essence Shibori which is similar to perimeter cabs or Bamboo Essence Tatami which is similar to floors and island cabs.
http://www.levolor.com/products/natural-woven-shades/colors.php

TIA!

Here is a link that might be useful: Levolor link

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