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Home Decorating Windows Design Dilemma

Shelves or sconce?

12 days ago

We have been in a temp kitchen for 10 months due to a leak and failed start with one contracor. We are finally starting construction on a 10 by 20 kitchen addition and I am second guessing many things that i have decided on over the last year. We need to decide on some design aspects on our wall with a triple window over our sink. Initially, i really wanted some small wooden floating shelves flanking the window for plants and a pop of color. I also love the idea of 3 gold sconces or pendants from the back wall or ceiling over the window. i was pretty set on this until it hit me hard today that we will need some sort of window treatment on this large window area, due to privacy.. That alone has me completely stuck becasue whatever route I choose (i dont like any of them), i feel like way too much will be happening on that window with the shelves, backsplash, lights, and curtains/blinds. what do i give up? i could do floating shelves near the cooktop instead, but that wouldnt work for plants. i can do without the lights too, but still want some design element on that wall/window. Please help! Ive included pics of the shelf idea as well as rhe lights. Thank you!

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Comments (4)

PRO
AiFL
12 days ago
How about small gold flushmount lights…something with a glimpse of gold but that won’t dangle down. Or just pot lights but incorporate gold into the window covering
Katie S thanked AiFL
Kendrah
12 days ago
My friends talked me out of little floating shelves in our kitchen remodel. I'm so glad they did. They collect dust, grease, and sometimes unneeded doo-dads and junk. If you choose the right finishes and great layout for your kitchen, it won't need shelves with objects to make it look pretty.

Lights - What is your current light plan for the entire space? I adore lighting and sconces above a sink wall, but the most important thing is to first assess your entire lighting scheme. If you don't add sconces, where will your light come from to see in this area?

Blinds - How deep are your windows and can you accommodate inside mount blinds that are functional and don't have a lot of fabric or other visual massing? The pics you posted are very clean spaces and I agree that bulky window treatments will take away from that look. How tall are your windows? How much of the window will be covered by blinds when they are up?

Space - Do you have a drawing of this space? I'm interested in how much space is between you the top of your window trim and the ceiling - and will you have ceiling molding? The first pic you show feels cluttered to me with the base of the sconces sitting right on the window trim. How much space do you have there?

Not saying I love these looks, but a few things to notice:

1. These are tall windows. When the blinds are up there is still plenty of window to see out of.

Shoreline Kitchen · More Info

2. This is from the Shade Store. I think they look horrible. Lots of reasons why.

3. This is a Walmart picture. These don't seem bad. I can see that both shelves and sconces would detract from the look, but a lot of that has to do with the amount of molding above the windows.
Katie S thanked Kendrah
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Comments (27)
Love the second one. Sconces will give enough light. That is more about the bulb wattage and the type of sconce you get, i.e.: don't get sconces that have black shades and use a 10 watt bulb! Lol. Keep in mind that you can no longer buy incandescent bulbs (or at least once they run out of the current supply) so you want to look for LED bulbs, or whatever, with the equivalent wattage of 40 or 60 watts. I really like raehelen's idea of pendant lights too, but if you go with the hanging mirror, I think it would look kind of funny to have so much hanging from the ceiling. Interesting question, whether pendants would be odd over a toilet. Also, if you do replace the tile with some other kind of tile or wainscoting, I would make the top of it lower than what is there now, which goes up too high. You want it to about where the towel bar is, in the old pic. One other thing: I would forego the shelf over the toilet and put some on the blank wall between the shower and toilet. Between the toilet, vanity, window, sconces, and mirror, you'll have a lot going on on that one wall, with nothing to balance it anywhere else. Just mho, of course! Re: Tile. My personal fave is good old-fashioned subway tile. Can never go wrong with it, and it always looks good.
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Comments (5)
Each of your items by themselves are lovely. But too much for my taste. IMO, the sconces in the first pic are too large for the space. They overwhelm the chairs and look dangerous even without anything on them. I would prefer a simpler look, even on the buffet...leave the lamps and the tray with drinks and that's it. If you want to use the wooden sconces, it looks like there might be room for them next to the window treatment, but it's hard to tell from the pic. I like the sconces on the other side as they are so much more airy and jewelry-like. For the table, I would get a table runner that coordinates with the colors in the room. Then add a couple of substantial candle sticks with candles in them, and a bowl in the middle with something in it...fruit or glass orbs...or not if the bowl is already fancy, or a decorative vase.
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Comments (8)
You've done nice work so far. The kitchen is beautiful and so is the floor. I just have a couple of comments. I think your current seating arrangement is as good as it's going to get. I wouldn't buy a loveseat if you can fit two sofas instead. Put a sofa table behind the one facing the TV to will help to define the entrance. Square the TV cabinet up to the wall. Then either put the TV on a swivel or on an articulating arm to adjust for viewing. I like whitewashed fireplaces, so I would start there. You can always paint it if you don't like it, but you can't go the other way. As for style and color, save your favorite rooms in your living room ideabook. I see you already have two, both neutral, both transitional. Try to identify what it is about each room that you like. You will eventually either get a clear vision for the space...or be totally confused and run back here screaming and we'll help you sort it out. ;-)
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Comments (3)
Having everything lined up against the wall is not a good look. Can you put the other furniture somewhere else or do away with it altogether? As mentioned, that huge array of photographs is not a good look. Large canvas, or one large and smaller ones on each side, for the wall, and stacks of books on top of the cabinets, with one or two well-chosen more vertical accents will complete the looks. I would not do shelves or even think of putting all those family photos anywhere.
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PRO
JAN MOYER
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
Where is YOUR kitchen plan addition? The one with feet and inches , window, cabinets, appliances, clearances

To the inch........: )

Upload that. You're ahead of yourself at the moment.
Katie S thanked JAN MOYER
littlebug Zone 5 Missouri
12 days ago
last modified: 12 days ago
No open shelves for me. They seem so 1950s-Joanna-Gaines-farmhouse-old-and-shabby. How well I remember my mom’s kitchen sink shelves that were always dusty and euphemera-collectors.
Katie S thanked littlebug Zone 5 Missouri

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