Hello all, it has been more than 2 years since I posted this, where does the time go?? I just wanted to follow up on this thread. I ended up putting Hunter Douglas ultraglide top down/bottom up blackout shades in the kitchen. We get such strong blinding sun that we really needed the blackout shades in that area. I have been happy with the decision. Although the blinds don't provide any visual interest, I am happy with the clean look when they are all the way up. I've realized that the visual interest is really the view. Hunter Douglas also has great customer service. We've had a few issues that were addressed in a very timely manner. As far as the great room, we lived without anything on the windows for all this time. I am glad I waited to see what would work best. The only reason why I am putting something on the windows now is because we want to protect our furniture from the strong morning sun. We will close the blinds at night and open them during the day after the morning sun. I will be ordering Hunter Douglas ultraglide top down/bottom up semi-opaque shades. I was told that the semi-opaque will block out 95% of the UV rays that cause sun damage to furniture. I am interested to see how these shades will affect our heating and cooling bills. There is so much glass in the great room that it gets so hot in the summer and cold in the winter. Best wishes to all!

My best talent is probably visualizing the potential for change and improvement in a house or room, even if that requires totally changing the look and style of the room. I can look at a traditional room and imagine it contemporary, or vice versa, or imagine changing the functions of a room (living room to dining room, etc.), or moving things like stairs and doors, without being constrained by the room's current state. That skill came in handy since my house looked very tacky and early 80s dated when I bought it; paint, removing wallpaper, and changing the flooring made dramatic differences, and I saw past the prior owners' taste. Other strengths are probably shopping, being comfortable with color, & choosing complementary colors for other rooms, and finding new ways/places to use my old furniture. These days I think i have more weaknesses than strengths. The weaknesses are --- changing my mind mid-project; starting new projects before old ones are done (like some upthread I end up 80% done with a room and then start something else instead of finishing); choosing window treatments. I also tend to get bogged down by perfectionism, which often leads me on 'holy grail' type quests for something very specific that I think would be 'perfect' for my room(s). Of course I then find that nothing like that is sold or if it is it's way beyond my price range, but I refuse to give up, and spin my wheels for months until I get a new 'great idea' to pursue. The other weakness is being a die hard bargain hunter. I've missed out on things, or lost huge amounts of time shopping, because I was determined to find a cheaper version of something. I wish I were more comfortable just spending the money to buy what I want, regardless of sales. I'll never be able to afford everything that I want/admire, unless I hit the lottery. But there are many things that I can afford and pass because they never go on sale and I can't find something similar at homegoods, furniture outlets, etc.

I hired a stager, in addition to painting most of the interior in a cream I chose with the realtor. I live in a neighborhood much sought after by artists, musicians and other creative types, but it's not very expensive, so we also get people just looking for modestly priced houses. That makes it kind of hard to know how to prepare, other than clear and decluttered. The artistic types are like me: they like quirky and don't want to pay for someone having neutralized when they are just going to paint the whole thing turquoise. But others have to be able to see a blank canvas. Take down ceiling fans (I live in the south, we mostly have to have them for livability) unless ceilings are very high; they make rooms look smaller. Yes, the new occupants will go out and get their own and what a waste but that's not my problem. Take all the books out of the built-in bookcases in the living room and replace with "tasteful" decorative articles. God forbid anyone should be offended by reading matter. Neutral tablecloths and bed coverings.. Curtains in bedrooms, even if there are blinds. Curtains soften bedroom windows. Outlet covers should match wall as should the outlets (beige in this case), but switchplate covers and switches should be white. Bathroom: white shower curtain and bath mats and towels (as soon as I move out I will put in white towels, not before - I would never be able to keep them spotless). Nothing on the bathroom counter; no one wants to see someone else's personal belongings in the bathroom. Probably need to take almost everthing off kitchen counter. Paint old china cabinet white. It is now an off-white which doesn't stand out enough against the walls. She wants the dining area to be more distinct, and even though there is a table in it, she wants the china cabinet to stand out more. Paint the storage room, which was just press board, to make it seem more like a usable room. Lot of single women buy houses here, so make her think of it as her craft room. Put a work table next to the washer and dryer. I have a lot of textiles, so I can fold them VERY NEATLY on shelves, with some nice baskets of thread and ribbon. The entry way is as large as a room, and it has brick about 3 feet up - old brick. The mortar isn't in great shape. Stager said paint white, realtor said no, leave it as most people who come here really like natural material. Of course, I will put fresh mulch down in the front yard and wash the exterior of the house. The windows need special attention. I am going to paint the trim. The house is painted green, and I thought cream or beige. However, the stager has suggested a brown with green undertones and the realtor liked it so I am going to buy a test quart. This is a pretty unusual community.

Second bid came back around $20,000, projected to take 15-20 days. We'll probably compromise a bit on communication and professionalism based on our initial experiences with the painters but I've seen good examples of both of their work, so I think that compromise will be worth it. We did follow up with the most expensive one since it seemed like it could be an error but he confirmed that he thinks it will take much more than 300 hours- closer to 800 or 900. I also have found a few handman types who charge less per hour and are willing to do some of the work so we may have one of them do some of the less important spaces.