Woven Shades: Reader's Questions Answered

After the post I did about curtain rods I received several questions about where a woven shade should be hung. I am also working on a project where shades are needed, so the timing to give this attention couldn't be better!

Let me start by saying, there is no correct way, but instead preferences and practical concerns. So the only way I can answer these questions is from my point of view. Other decorators and designers may disagree.

A woven shade without curtains looks best mounted inside (above) the frame. It looks more finished. However, if it's for a cottage, cabin or beach house and the goal is a super casual look, an outside (below) mount is fine. Just make sure the cut lines up with the outer edges of the molding.

A woven shade with curtains will depend on the following factors: Style, mouldings and budget. Often the latter being the key consideration. Many woven shades can be purchased "off the shelf" to fit the most common window sizes and if you're working with a small budget, this can be a good solution.

If the moldings are beautiful, an inside mount is preferable. If the casings are plain builder basic or very narrow, a custom outside mount is probably going to look best. I also think one large custom shade for a double window looks simple and beautiful.

Shades (or blinds) for hard to reach places, such as a two story foyer can be put on a remote with custom settings for light control. I have such a set up and it was worth the splurge, especially since the window directly lines up with the hall bathroom. It's the perfect solution to keeping my teenage daughter from view of the neighborhood!

As much as I love mixing high & low, rustic & elegant, this woven shade is just too casual for my taste. I think it's identical to the one in the cabin above and it just looks like the budget fell short.


I find it so distracting to see "stripes" of varying materials such as moldings, rods and shades, when all that was needed to have a more finished look was a simple adjustment in length of the curtain and height of the rod.


I would never recommend this installation. Two different
colored moldings, a painted ceiling, mullions in the upper
portion of the window, a rod that's placed far below the
 ceiling and the inside mounted shades...plus a radiator...
it all adds up to an intensely distracting window.


This is better...

For a  tailored or more seamless look, bring the shade up to the curtain rod and the rod up to the molding.

To my bloggy friends who emailed asking if I was MIA...had a little collision with some ice on the driveway. Sprained wrist...nothing serious, but it's put a damper on my blogging efforts....can't type worth a crap...more than usual.

Images courtesy of Canadian H&H, BH & G, Southern Living, Ashley Whittaker, Cottage Living

Reader's Questions Answered: Part I

After more than a year of blogging, I am going to try and answer the questions that I get asked most often or happen to remember from comments on  specific posts and emails. If I didn't respond to an email, I either forgot, thought it was spam or you may have requested information that falls into the category of an online consult.  I really do try to provide as much information possible on my blog, but I can't answer specific questions about what to do with a room/space, or source out a product or item when in my "real" life I am charging others for the same service. Please send me an email and I will be happy to provide an e-decorating quote.

What color and brand is the paint in your dining room?
I use a lot of Pratt & Lambert paints because their colors just work well in our house. However, I am not exclusive to the brand because I also like/use Benjamin Moore and Sherwin Williams. The dining room paint on the wall color is Lambswool, the ceiling is Manchester and the trim is Seed Pearl.   

Why don't you ever show your whole dining room?
No chandelier! I took one out 3 years ago and haven't decided on a replacement....pathetic, I know. But dining by sconces and candlelight has been a lot of fun!


You normally provide all the sources of items that can be purchased and I've noticed many other blogs are starting to do this too, but sometimes you don't. Why? I have received several variations of this question on several occasion. I learned after a few months of publishing a design blog that it made sense for me to include this information at the end of certain posts. Just as a magazine does, I list the sources to satisfy reader inquires and cut down on time spent emailing answers to questions. If I don't list the source it's because the item is either an antique, from a shop no longer in business or a trade only piece. I have a really good memory, but there is the occasion I can't recall exactly where an item came from. Those items likely came from auctions, estate sales or antique shows.



Details from a pillow I designed, fabricated bya quality workroom.

  However, there may be occasions when I intentionally do not provide a source. For certain things, and I think most designers/decorators would agree, it takes a tremendous amount of time and energy sourcing items and forming vendor relationships and it's not reasonable to expect information to be provided without the opportunity to be paid a fee in certain situations. Here's an example. In 2008 I was hired to do holiday decorating for a client. In addition, was a consult to "spruce" up a few things. This meant adding new sofa pillows, accessories, restyling bookcases and moving furniture. It also included freshening up her heavily used mud room (where guest coats would be hung) and one of the things I did was to add a skirt to an unattractive mud sink.




Client's mud room from this Tuesday-Tip post

  The following year, I received a call from my client's neighbor who wanted me to give her the name of the person who did the living room sofa pillows, mud room pillow and sink skirt for my client, so she could have one made too as well as some other items.  I told her I could do a consult and she said no just needed things to be sewn, no help needed. Really!? My thoughts...well if you're calling me, then clearly help is needed and there is a fee for that. Very politely, I told her I have 2 workrooms that I use. One I have had a relationship for years and the other is newer, but either way I do not send people to drop off "projects" for them to do, without my input. She never called me back. I took it as a sign that she fit into the category of someone I would not enjoy working with. But....another woman did call me this past November and gladly paid for a consult and sourcing of items she needed for her holiday party as well as a new mirror for her foyer...from the same neighborhood! She couldn't have been nicer and indicated she would like to work together on some other projects. Knowing when to say no is an important part of keeping things fun and profitable!

Where did the items come from on your holiday table post?

I was in such a hurry to get this post done I simply forgot! Here they are:

Tablecloth: Waterford from Macy's
Napkins: Williams-Sonoma
Chargers: Macy's
Dinner plates: Home Goods
Holiday salad plates: RH (from several years ago)
Wine & Water goblets: J.G. Durand-wedding gifts!
Silverware: Mother of Pearl PB (from several years ago)
S&P Shakers: vintage, from thrifting somewhere?
Beaded Pears: gift from a friend
Christmas Crackers: Williamsburg, Va.
Votives: Isabell
Candles: Perin-Mowen
Mini Cedar Trees-Trader Joe's
Glass Candelabras: the only new items this year & you won't believe where I got them...World Market!

Where did you get your dining room chairs?
They are antique French bought at auction through a friend's sister in the 1990's. I saw very similiar in a shelter magazine not too long ago, so I think it's very possible to locate this style.

Do you know the name of the wallpaper used in this guest bedroom from  Paula Dean's house?
I do not...if anyone knows, please leave a comment or send me an email that I can post.

Where did the lion's foot planter with the pinecones come from? And, where did you get the pinecones? They were both gifts. The planter style is an antique, but I have seen these from time to time...be on the look out at antiques fairs, etc...! The pinecones are from a friend who vacations in Lake Tahoe. I've had them for years, but  recently I've noticed stores are selling the big pinecones ....just make sure they smell like pine and not cinnamon...so weird!

 
What dryer sheets do you use?
This gave me a laugh! But, I get it because I am certainly interested in what products you all like and are using. These came from Wal-Mart. I used to buy Arm & Hammer's "mountain fresh" scent from Target  and when that was discontinued and they came up with a lavender scent that smells nothing like lavender and almost knocked me out. I literally threw the entire, just opened, box in our outdoor trash can! So this has been a good substitute. I mostly use liquid fabric softener except on towels, blankets, gloves and scarves and other items that the absorbency can be compromised.

If you noticed the title, I'll do this in parts in an attempt get additional questions answered.

Have a great weekend!