Design problem

S'funny. A friend of mine has one of these, calls it an alcove curtain. Who knows what the real name is (not me, apparently)

She has a swing arm curtain rod like this



It (and the curtain) are flat against the wall when open, cover the entire alcove space when closed. Great place to hide to read.

~~~

I've always thought I'd like to use a couple of these swing arm curtain rods to hang velvet curtains in front of the front and back doors in the winter as draft stoppers.

Are you feeling particularly crafty?

You could make a small, window-sized frame - mount the fabric/or something interestingly neutral inside the frame- then suspend the frame from the left side of the window on piano hinges.

Oh, I see... that could be very cool!


Meanwhile, for the nice non-problematic four windows, I'm thinking about this:



(The middle, round one.)

We have an assortment of old/ antique glass lamps that somehow wound up in the bedroom -- three of them (one pair on either side of the bed, and one other one), and I think they (the finials) could do fun stuff with color/ light.

Hmmm....!

That'd be awkward if I make it a sitting area though, don't you think? Even now we sit there a fair amount -- on cushions, back against wall. (As in, when it was open -- and whatever it ends up being I'll want it to be open a lot -- it'd be against that wall on the left.)

Interesting idea though, I'm enjoying the perspectives.

I like those round glass finials a lot.

A2K = PerspectivesRUs

(Man that chest was heavy. Had to unload it.)

I realized that while the red chair is too wide at the front, it tapers in the back, and the back got in there well enough (not all the way to the wall, but not bad).

The view is nice.

A row of interesting/ weird/ quirky images down that wall next to the window could balance things quite a bit. I'm thinking like maybe some of the weird old photos we have around but haven't put up -- people we don't know, from antique stores -- plus a print or two plus one colorful artwork. Different frames, at least some dark. And wooden blinds or otherwise keeping within the window frame. Then colored walls (springy/ limey green, or I was also thinking a shade or two lighter than my cherry bed -- that color is in the curtains) and cream-colored windowframes.

And maybe a weird old and/or asian footstool.

Hmmm.


Edit: And look at those horrible roman shades! I didn't fuss with them, that's what they look like without fussing. So done with them.

Ooh, just had another idea -- when I paint, that nook can be painted a different color from the rest. Lighter, darker, completely different, something. Set it off a bit more, make it more feature-y. (Not white.)

That's what i was just about to say. Thank goodness I read the other posts first for once. Also, if your curtains hang on hoops (the metal ones or fabric loops) then you can hang the curtains on the rod with one or two loops outside the bracket that holds the rod so that the fabric goes all the way to the wall too. Then when you want to open the curtains you can push them to the left for a nice look.

Re: wood blinds -- Ikea carries some cheap(ish) ones. We did our whole house in them because we had no window coverings and it was cheaper/easier than curtains. Then later I found some raw silk curtains in a metallic coppery color at a yard sale for $7 a pair and hung them up over the wood blinds in the living room and dining rooms. It added a lot of drama.

That sounds gorgeous, FreeDuck! What a score on those curtains, good job.

I have big plans for yet another window with some silk sari fabric... that's a whole 'nother story though.

Meanwhile I made this to illustrate a bit of what I was talking about re: balance. Nothing is specific, just stuff out of my files and clip art. (And nothing is too precise, did it quick with a bored sozlet on my lap.) Idea would be to mix scale, frames, and type, just personal and quirky. (Some sozlet art, some old weird photos, some old decorative stuff, a nice outdoorsy photo.)



We were just up in the chair for a bit, watching woodpeckers on the cottonwoods. It was nice.

Not perfect, so I'm not definitely doing it. (Especially, it's pretty closed off and E.G. and I need to face each other while talking -- would need another set of chairs or something. Also, you have to crane your neck a bit to see the most interesting stuff -- it's not a really comfortable gazing angle unless you angle your body in the chair, which is possible.) But interesting.

I actually really liked the chest there. Can you get a cushion to put on top of it?

I like the picture idea.

I have that too in my bedroom. Here is a picture of it...

I'm just throwing these out there, might seem weird....

I like what Thomas said about the left end going right into the wall. A finial would be very cramped there.

I see the little nook that's to the left of the window as you are looking at it. How about if you take another rod without a finial and put it on that perpendicular wall, so that one end of the rod meets the rod without the final, and the other end is against the other corner of the nook?

Then you could create interest by a wall hanging, vines hanging from the nook rod, etc. I'm sure there's lots of creative stuff to come up with. That might give that area a more finished look.

I agree with squinny re the shears. If you're a private person, you can open the curtains, still have your privacy, and have ample light.

I actually liked the chest there better than the chair. Sozobe, you really can dress
that nook up pretty. Something like this here (I took your picture and modified it)

I really like where this mock-up is going. How about a small inexpensive rolling footstool that perhaps has room for a couple of books inside/underneath. It could be used for movable seating in and around the alcove/nook.

When I said that we're very private I actually meant that our HOUSE is private -- that nobody can see in that window during the day even if there is no curtain. Hence no need for sheers. May revisit that if I'm not using the flower/bug pattern curtain in the nook.

I've tried to make a proper window seat out of the chest -- it works OK but it is still more of a temporary perch rather than something as comfortable as a chair. For example I do have a couple of a body pillows (as ehBeth suggested), and have messed around with those, and tried a bunch of other things too -- nothing is nearly as comfortable as the chair was when it was there (I've moved things back where they were again). Still, might stay with the chest -- haven't decided yet.

Even though we don't use it a LOT we do use the chest to sit on and I'd want to preserve that option -- we frequently spot birds or something and go up there quickly (as in, stuff would be in the way). Plus we use the chest itself, so I wouldn't want too much on it I don't think.

The angles are really tricky here -- the best view (and it's a very nice view!) is from all the way over on the left wall. Otherwise you get a lot of roof and not much else.

Stripes are interesting though as another way to go and meld with the florals I've got (and nice job on the illustration! )

I do like the idea of a plant -- maybe something hanging? Dunno.

Nice idea!

How does the chest open? lift off or lift-up?

Lift up.

Sozlet has a real window seat -- built-in -- that I made a foam cushion for and that is still easily usable. Cushions could still work, I just haven't been able to do it yet (and have tried).

I could still do the weird-photo thing with the chest.