Good-bye Fishbowl

This weekend, the long awaited window treatment for the living room went up. Take a look here to see how close we came to the intended idea. I think we did pretty well. It was a true team effort. Greg had to drill eleven hole in the ceiling, and screw in the brackets which hold the track to the ceiling. If you ever need an opinion on which toggle bolts work best, he can tell you. My mom helped me mark the length of all the vertical panels, which I trimmed. Greg added the top and bottom rails to each panel. Jeff stopped by last night and got to stand with his arms above his head for a considerable amount of time while Greg fastened 11 set screws to secure the tracks to the brackets in the ceiling. My mom and I clipped the drapery clips on and hemmed the purple drapes to the right length. And finally, we get to it back and enjoy it all. 

This shows how flexible the system is. Here, the center of the window is open, while light is filtered thought the panels at the sides. 

It’s hard to see the pattern in the center panels in the photos, so here’s a peak at what it looks like from outside. 

And here’s an evening shot taken by my mom of the two of us enjoying our transformed living room. We have one major project left in here, which is to create the new storage to the right of the fireplace which will have some display, as well as house the components for the television. I think we might take next weekend off though. Whew!

Comments transferred from previous Blog:

CHRISTINE

LOVE. LOVE. LOVE.

Monday, February 21, 2011 - 09:19 PM

What to do with a giant window?

Ever since we moved into this house five months ago, I have been struggling with what to do with our amazing (and amazingly large) living room window. It’s a beautiful feature, that until last weekend, we had covered with temporary paper blinds for privacy. Last weekend, we took them down to add some shrink wrap to help with the drafts. Now we live in a fish bowl, and I refuse to put up more paper. 

Why is this window such a challenge, you ask? Above, you can see what it looks like now. It’s over 10 feet wide. And it’s divided into 6 equal sections, as opposed to a more typical set up with 3 double hung windows in a row, it’s not as easy to hang three sets of blinds or shades here, because the mullions that divide each section vertically AND horizontally are on the same plane. This means that any type of tradition blinds have to be mounted to pass in front of the trim, instead of fitting between the two verticals. Do you follow? Therefore, our front runner solution at the moment, is the first picture, with the series of vertical panels that fit into a triple track. They can slide next to or in front of each other to create different layered effects. 

Other considerations are natural woven shades with a top-down option. Unless we went with one extremely long shade (so long, the dimension requires a special phone call to customer service) I think we need the accent drape at each division. It’s actually a beautiful look...one I like a lot. But, it’s more traditional solution, and disguises the fact that the window is so unique to begin with. I could just as easily be those three double hung windows I mentioned before. 

I’ve looked at different types of natural materials as well. And, I’m experimenting with the paint and drape colors of course. 

Lastly, I looked at traditional blinds. See what I mean about covering the gaps between them with a drape? So, I continue to ponder, although I’m leaning toward the first image. I would love to hear what you all have to say!

Comments transferred from previous Blog:

ALICIA DOOLEY

I like the first one, too. Would you lose too much light, though? I love light. Are there any sheers these days that don't look too dated? That with the panels in the middle would give you privacy and light. But, looks-wise, I love the first. And now I want you to come to my house and redesign everything!

Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 09:42 AM

MICHELLE BENNETT

I like the first and last looks.  The gaps in the last look add an interesting element.  I don't think you should cover them.

Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 09:51 AM

DOUG

Could you differentiate the horizontal vs. vertical mullions with color? and/or emphasize/de-emphasize them?  Looking at the last picture if you painted the horizontal mullions the same color as the wide wood blinds they'd not exactly disappear but be less noticeable with the blinds open. I'm not really understanding what you're saying in the first picture but I'd be concerned if you can't totally open the blinds you'll lose a lot of light when you want it.

Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 10:01 AM

JEN

I think the reason I like the first option is that although the panels are sheer, the are flat vertical panels, as opposed to sheer drapes, which, Alicia, I agree, feel dated these days. The flatness feels more modern to me. The idea with this system is to always let the light in, and control the level of privacy by either opening or closing the panels. When they are totally open, the would still overlap the sides of the window by a few inches, but hopefully the fact that they are transluscent would minimize any potential light loss. Not to mention, we could probably to this with about $200 vs the more traditional shades for around $1000!

Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 10:22 AM

VP

All fantastic looks, but I think the vertical panels are really you. I do like top down option, too, but perhaps in a few years, you will need a change (knowing you) and could reserve that option. Those sheer panels are really pretty. Are they complicated to install or to open and close?

Sunday, January 16, 2011 - 03:35 PM

CHRISTINE

This probably won't surprise you... but I'm all over that first option! I love it! And, I'm a big fan of having as much natural light in the house as possible...

Monday, January 17, 2011 - 10:03 PM

Add a Comment 

Project Two - Windows

One of the big projects we plan to take on soon is improving the energy efficiency of our house. We are looking into getting a state sponsored energy loan which will hopefully help with the replacement of all the windows, converting the oil boiler to gas, and possibly adding some insulation to the roof. It will take some time to go through that process, so we elected to replace three windows before we officially move in...the basement (old windows shown above), the kitchen and the laundry room. These windows avoided any need for contractors to walk on our newly re-finished floors, and we won’t have to move the washer and drier out of the way later on. Most importantly, we we finally get around to the rest of the windows, we know we have one room where we can safely confine the cats while there will be big gaping holes in our walls...like this one in the basement below.

Here’s a before shot of the kitchen window. We are replacing it with a casement for a larger uninterrupted view of the back yard, and we think it will be easier to crank the window open instead of leaning over the sink to close a double-hung. I left the house today before the windows were finished, so stay tuned for the final results. 

Comments transferred from previous blog:

CHRISTINE

New windows make an amazing difference in life! I like the approach of some now, some later as well... smarty pants!

Monday, August 23, 2010 - 12:59 PM