Maison Decor

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Grand treatments for small windows

I have a client who is very talented at sourcing out her materials.

She selects her own tile, paint colors, wallpapers, sinks, fixtures...

and at the end she calls me in to do her windows.

The latest project at her house were
two second floor bathrooms that were

small to average in size with one small window.

She likes it grand, so grand she's gonna get!

Master Bathroom before window treatments.

Caramel brown walls, chocolate brown trim, melon ceiling.

Granite in spicy tones, deep copper sinks, rich cabinetry, and burnished gold mirrors.
The goal was to make a formal window treatment on this small window.
To do that I needed to go from the ceiling to the floor.
That always will make a window look bigger than it is.

The window treatments lay on her bed waiting to be hung.

Kalahari bedding by Horchow Collection.

I hung silk floor length pleated panels from a

standard rod mounted at the window frame first.

Then I hung up an elaborate valance on a 2'decorative pole.

You can see the brackets in place.

I am adjusting the bronze silk panel over the holdback.

The valance has a leopard upholstery fabric lining with a face fabric of brown and gold embroidery.

There is a leopard rosette detail and 5" long black and brown tassel trim.
I made this from a pattern by the M'Fay company.
My workroom made the panels. They won't do really intricate work.

Fancy shmancy!
The floor to ceiling treatment adds height and elegance.

The tiled shower is fabulous!

Handsome deep bowl copper sinks. Glass mosaic backsplash tile. Bronze fixtures.

The guest bath has grey trim, wallpaper in black, grey, golds,

granite in mutli black, gold and brown, and a gold metallic ceiling!

And one little window...

I specified tiny loops to be made on my tucked panel so I could slip

them onto holdbacks mounted under the gold ceiling.
I designed this panel from a photo I saw in a magazine.
It was about 1.5 times fuller than the window so it could
drape gently between holdbacks without revealing any window molding.
Once again it is a floor to ceiling treatment.

Attaching the gorgeous carved faces of the holdbacks.

Detail of holdback: Houseparts in Burnished Gold
Silk Paisley Fabric from Zimmans in Lynn, MA

This panel is pulled to one side, away from the hopper.

Detail of wallpaper, light fixture and mirror.

Finished view of side-swept panel from medallions.

I've got the mini-cooper loaded and I 'm headed home!

Just another day in the life of a designer helping to bring someones' vision to life.

Photo credit to my son. Thanks Colin!

Flowers, herbs and rust

A sniff of my labors...

Our yard is very small, and it sits on a lot of ledge, which is not great for gardening. This year I decided to grab a small ugly patch to the rear of the house and pop in a few tomato plants at least. So I planted the tomatoes, but there was nothing pretty about it. And I am all about "pretty".

This ugly area is going to look fabulous by next summer I promise you. I have plans for a patio and lawn and proper stone wall with a lovely garden that follows the curve of the wall.

This iron tree bench used to be green with a bit of rust..

but now the rust has taken over and it doesn't look so cute anymore

Oh yeah, the gravel walk needs to be weeded, again.
I hate this job. Bluestone someday.

Hubby dropped a big pile of loam inside the stone wall area for my new garden at my request.

Then he left.

You can hardly see the tomatoes for the weeds.

I bought these copper garden markers in this bucket set of garden tools at TJMaxx.
Took off my gloves to snap a picture. I love copper touches in a garden.

Weeding ensued, and my son Colin practiced his photojournalism.

Shoveling heavy dirt ensued.

Cleaning out leaves and yard debris ensued.

I removed a section of grass with my edger and claw
and then created a border with some leftover cobblestones.
I have saved them for 5 years now....hee hee.

I planted my herbs up front added a blue hydrangea in the back.

Copper markers identify each herb,
but really, I just like the look of them.

Washed the dirt off of the cobbles to make them look purdy.

A rusty spire adds some garden art.

Goes with my old rusted railing I can't part with.

Lookin' good....next I weeded the front walk,
edged the tiny yard and spray painted the tree bench.
love a rust finish, but the old bench was starting to rot through in places!

My hubby builds the stone walls and steps out of old granite. I love the rustic appeal.

I weeded the walkway too....here is the final reveal of my butt breaking work.

The grass seed is waiting to be spread, but for now I am a sore but happy gardener.

Try your Gitter done project at Funky Junk Donna's.

I am glad I did!

My Frenchy Table Redo

I have a bad habit of going to the Salvation Army in hopes something there wants to come home.

I had to have this little round table with cabinet doors,even if it was in a 1970 French Provincial paint job. The marble top with ogee edge was pretty and had a bit of pink taupe and gold running through it's creme top. This table is solid wood and well constructed. It cost me $39.00

Time for the makeover: ws it going to be hot pink, black, or grey....I ended up going with a Gustavian grey.

I took off the top and got out the can of leftover Ben Moore Palladium Blue. I wanted to create a table that could have been on the movie set of Marie Antoinette. A finish that was a chalky gray blue that could have been born of French and Swedish cabinetmakers.

I started brushing the paint on. I kind of liked the gold highlights but I didn't want it to be so "in your face". I used a rag to rub off the gold after I painted each panel, and swirly area. Some of it was going to show more than others..basically because I am not a perfectionist! Hey, if the gold highlighting is there, why make more work for yourself?