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I want to do some kind of window treatments and a bedskirt in a bedroom. I'm kind of stumped on what to do with the two windows that have the door in the middle with the large transom that spans the two windows and door. Here's what I have:
To the right of the above:
Fabrics that might or might not work:
The two striped fabrics and the embroidered chocolate fabric are actually kind of a faux silk although they don't look like it in the photo. The two paisleys are heavier fabric.
Some of the questions floating around in my brain:
What would you do with these windows, especially the two separated by the door?
Do you think any of the fabrics work, or should I keep shopping and hope to find something better?
If I use stripes for the windows, will that seem too formal?
I want to keep the blinds, and I don't want to paint the walls.
You would have light and privacy, with virtually no upkeep or maintenance. Your door and trim around the side lights, are very decorative on their own. When you do paint, a darker color will make the trim pop, if you paint it white to contrast. This sort of thing is what owners of older homes long for! I'd make it a feature.
For the other window, simple drapes would work. If you can afford it, you can find beautiful ready made silk drapes. Hung on a decorative pole, they would allow your furniture and bedding to shine. Hand these high, well off the moldings, so the top moldings show. Again, these beautiful window moldings are a feature. Show them off!
If you don't want formal, stay away from valances and other stuff. Keep the drapes simple, stripes or not. For ideas, I suggest visiting the sites of Pottery Barn or Ballard. Both places do a nice job of showing modern, less formal rooms, using a mix of period and modern furniture.
IMO, drapes should match or blend with wall color, furniture or furnishings or carpet. I don't think a modern look is achieved when the drapes contrast too sharply with the rest of the room. However, everyone has their own ideas. If you want to add texture or color to your room with drapes, then I respect your ideas on this. And I admit that I personally hate blinds. I can't wait to get rid of mine this year! I hate them! I think they are almost always ugly and a maintenance issue. But others like them. So, to each his own.
Thank you for your input, silbran. I really don't want to paint the walls but agree that a darker paint would make the moldings pop. I like neutral on the walls so that I can switch out color whenever the mood strikes me with art, drapes, comforters, etc.
I do want to hang the drapes "high, well off the moldings, so the moldings show...," but I don't know how to treat the windows on each side of the door. Do I treat it as one big window and do two panels, one on each end, or do I treat the two individual windows with two panels each and leave the door sitting there in the middle with nothing???? I'm not sure.
I priced ready-made drapes and figure that I can make them myself and save some money. I'm ready to sew, but I just don't know which direction to take.
Bad as they are , the blinds are staying. I like to control the light and open and close them every day.
Again, thank you for the input.
Quote:
Originally Posted by silibran
I'd ditch the blinds on either side of the door, and put decorative window film, such as this:
You would have light and privacy, with virtually no upkeep or maintenance. Your door and trim around the side lights, are very decorative on their own. When you do paint, a darker color will make the trim pop, if you paint it white to contrast. This sort of thing is what owners of older homes long for! I'd make it a feature.
For the other window, simple drapes would work. If you can afford it, you can find beautiful ready made silk drapes. Hung on a decorative pole, they would allow your furniture and bedding to shine. Hand these high, well off the moldings, so the top moldings show. Again, these beautiful window moldings are a feature. Show them off!
If you don't want formal, stay away from valances and other stuff. Keep the drapes simple, stripes or not. For ideas, I suggest visiting the sites of Pottery Barn or Ballard. Both places do a nice job of showing modern, less formal rooms, using a mix of period and modern furniture.
IMO, drapes should match or blend with wall color, furniture or furnishings or carpet. I don't think a modern look is achieved when the drapes contrast too sharply with the rest of the room. However, everyone has their own ideas. If you want to add texture or color to your room with drapes, then I respect your ideas on this. And I admit that I personally hate blinds. I can't wait to get rid of mine this year! I hate them! I think they are almost always ugly and a maintenance issue. But others like them. So, to each his own.
I love 3 and 6 personally. My suggestion is to treat the transom and the windows as one.
I would put a valance across the transom and use a sheer or lighter fabric on the windows. I am asking if the door is metal? If so, I have a similar door in my bedroom that leads to a screen porch. What I did was get rid of only that blind (I have blinds in my bedroom also) and I bought a magnetic rod for the top and bottom and put the curtain with double sided rod pockets up. ( I also lined that one curtain for a bit more privacy but truthfully it is only DH and I, and if we had company chances are we would be the last to bed any way. I had to think about letting go of that door blind but I am now very happy that I did. The only small concession I had to make was that the magnets are never as strong as a regular curtain rod and every so often I have to push the top up a smidge to get it more taut. But then again, only I notice it, it is not like it is sagging.
What "look" are you interested in achieving for the room? My bedroom curtains are a sheer that looks a little like your number 3 although I can see that it is not sheer. I wanted a bit more formal look so I had a valance made of the sheer with a lining and it gave it a little more formal look.
Generally clerestory windows allow natural light into a space without compromising privacy because they're placed high up. You say you like your blinds on the lower windows so is there a reason you want to cover the transoms? I think it looks great as is and doesn't defeat the purpose of the high windows.
I love 3 and 6 personally. My suggestion is to treat the transom and the windows as one.
I would put a valance across the transom and use a sheer or lighter fabric on the windows. I am asking if the door is metal? If so, I have a similar door in my bedroom that leads to a screen porch. What I did was get rid of only that blind (I have blinds in my bedroom also) and I bought a magnetic rod for the top and bottom and put the curtain with double sided rod pockets up. ( I also lined that one curtain for a bit more privacy but truthfully it is only DH and I, and if we had company chances are we would be the last to bed any way. I had to think about letting go of that door blind but I am now very happy that I did. The only small concession I had to make was that the magnets are never as strong as a regular curtain rod and every so often I have to push the top up a smidge to get it more taut. But then again, only I notice it, it is not like it is sagging.
What "look" are you interested in achieving for the room? My bedroom curtains are a sheer that looks a little like your number 3 although I can see that it is not sheer. I wanted a bit more formal look so I had a valance made of the sheer with a lining and it gave it a little more formal look.
Thank you, nuts2uiam. I'm now leaning towards treating the windows/door as one big window using one long rod with rings of some kind. I never thought about just taking down the one blind on the door. That would probably look pretty good. It is a metal door.
As far as the "look" that I'm going for, I like traditional but not stuffy traditional.
Generally clerestory windows allow natural light into a space without compromising privacy because they're placed high up. You say you like your blinds on the lower windows so is there a reason you want to cover the transoms? I think it looks great as is and doesn't defeat the purpose of the high windows.
Thank you, Lost Roses. I've never heard the term "clerestory," so I've learned something new today . I'm not really wanting to block light or cover the transoms. I'm just looking to soften the room with some fabric and add some color.
I've lived with it like it is for a couple of years, but it just seems so bare to me. The drapes that I took down were hung below the transom windows, so they were not blocking any light. That treatment seems a little outdated nowadays, but IDK, maybe that is the way to go.
I would place a decorative pole under the clerestory window, with some soft, translucent unlined drapes on rings... Fabric 3 or 6, or a linen texture. You could have one solid panel that would stack to the left side, if you want to have both side windows exposed, or you could draw them to each side, but you don't have much space on the right side, so your drape would cover part of the window.
Thank you for your input, silbran. I really don't want to paint the walls but agree that a darker paint would make the moldings pop. I like neutral on the walls so that I can switch out color whenever the mood strikes me with art, drapes, comforters, etc.
I do want to hang the drapes "high, well off the moldings, so the moldings show...," but I don't know how to treat the windows on each side of the door. Do I treat it as one big window and do two panels, one on each end, or do I treat the two individual windows with two panels each and leave the door sitting there in the middle with nothing???? I'm not sure.
I priced ready-made drapes and figure that I can make them myself and save some money. I'm ready to sew, but I just don't know which direction to take.
Bad as they are , the blinds are staying. I like to control the light and open and close them every day.
Again, thank you for the input.
Oops. I apologize. I missed the blinds in the door. My eye only registered the blinds on either side of the door.
I would place a decorative pole under the clerestory window, with some soft, translucent unlined drapes on rings... Fabric 3 or 6, or a linen texture. You could have one solid panel that would stack to the left side, if you want to have both side windows exposed, or you could draw them to each side, but you don't have much space on the right side, so your drape would cover part of the window.
Thank you, gentlearts! I did look at some translucent drapes yesterday at Overstock.com, and I'm liking that look better than the striped fabric that I brought home. I'm still leaning toward taking the drapes almost up to the ceiling. Still thinking though...
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with art, drapes, comforters, etc. 
, the blinds are staying. I like to control the light and open and close them every day.
