Normally I don't open the sheers, but thinking I might like to on occassion. So if I put the sheers on a decorative rod, how do I hang the drapery panels? My old drapes had a swag valance - very formal - that covered the top of the sheers where the pleats are. Now that would be exposed if I don't do a valance and not sure how that would look with a rod over it that the drapery panels go on. Hope this makes sense.

We've never discussed a dollar limit - but when I was working and earning more than/about the same as he was, I'd just buy anything I wanted, he did the same, even if that was $200. Once we had kids, even though I was still working, we tried saving a bit more so didn't "splurge" though we did buy new BR furniture after DS was born, we shopped for it together (I told him what I liked and he agreed LOL), same as we did before kids (DR furniture). I have bought 2 new cars since we got married, both I picked out and paid for, he only gave me rides to dealers to pick up. "We" (he doesn't pick out his own cars LOL) have also bought a used pickup truck and 2 Explorers in that time, those he helped pick out but I was the one who decided which model (and also decided when I was pg that we needed to trade the pickup for something with a backseat!). He never negotiates - hates buying cars and I've learned not to take him shopping for used anything (CL) b/c he won't play "bad cop" to my "good cop" when I'm trying to negotiate price - though I feel it would be perfect since I'm the one who has responded to the ad, and he's the sole wage earner now, if he would say something about it being "too much for the condition" or something when I ask him in front of the seller what he thinks. DH doesn't tend to ask how much something is when I am looking for decor - he trusts me to shop around, like when I was pricing out custom roman shades for our FR. I told him I liked the $2000 ones from Calico Corners, found SlectBlinds was $1000 but I was OK with the $500 ones from JCP, since I know we've got other things to spend "our" money on. We shopped for the FR together, but whether my dad would be able to get up from the sofa was a major consideration. I found the LR sofa with my mom, that was over $700 so I took pics and told DH and dragged him down to store for OK before I ordered it. But he wants a recliner, I would not go buy one for him, he has to sit in it and pick it out, though I will try to steer him toward a style that will fir with the other furniture. He wants to buy a pickup again now, he can go out and buy one himself but I have been trying to get him to express what he wants to use it for so I can help him find one (he wants an extended cab but I don't know if that means jump seats or bench seat and four doors). I know what *I* would use a pickup for, but don't know if he just wants something to plow with, in which case we don't need a back seat and don't need to trade in the SUV, can even just buy a junker and keep it unregistered. Gotta love him - he spent 2 days running around looking for fabric for LR curtains while I was sick, he never even questioned why I didn't want to use the curtains I'd already bought and can't return. I'm just trying to be respectful of all his hard work, since I won't be able to sell those for what I paid for them, I don't want to spend more than $200 on the new ones, though the "budget" I had in mind (not discussed) was larger to big with, I think I have to fit the cost of both sets of WTs within that original "budget" now. I feel guilty that I "wasted" money on the old ones just b/c I found something I like better.

Ah - but you excel in those areas. Just remember that if you stumble across a fabric that fits your needs it can be crafted into a duvet, coverlet or even a full bedspread. While king size sheets are the easiest due to their overall size even regular cloth cut from a bolt of fabric can be used. We had a quilted coverlet made from a Schumacher fabric based on a historic pattern from the Stencil House at the Shelbourne Museum. The coverlet was sewn with 3 layers - the top layer was the stencil pattern, then a layer of batting and the bottom was a solid that complemented the background color of the stencil. The entire coverlet was then machine quilted outlining the rose and leaf design of the fabric. Since I think you're looking for a solid color duvet 'm sure you'll find exactly the right bed covering without having to resort to having one mad. But it can be done if necessary.

Annie, I think we are talking about two different things. When you said "The lesson being it's important to parse the architecture from the decor...." I thought you meant it was, literally, important to analyze the architecture by the decor it contains," but your later comments indicate that you mean that architecture and decor are two separate elements and should be considered separately when analyzing a room. Of course I agree with that. I also agree that ideally decor should be selected with the architecture in mind---- everything from colors to vignettes to the heights of chairs and sofas and the overall esthetic on the 'spare to baroque' scale should be informed by the ceiling height, room proportions, fenestration (or lack of it), even the directional siting of the structure on the lot. As Pal points out, many houses are either devoid of architectural details or else elements like volume ceilings and stacked (sometimes mismatched) windows are mistaken for them. In wonderfully decorated rooms, that carefully chosen decor of shapes and sizes and textures and fabrics framing views can substitute for architectural interest--- and do it well. Not everyone can own an architecturally significant home, but everyone has some control over what they put in it. Even modest homes decorated with the right esthetic can look and feel--- and live--- as architecturally "literate." Which, for all practical purposes, is the same thing for the inhabitants. IMO that is the point Susanka tries to make about size.....if it "lives" large, it doesn't t have to be large,