Yesterday was great fun!! There is really no wrong answer well, maybe that girl who said to do chartreuse cafe curtains and that leg lamp from Christmas Vacation was wrong but other than her, everyone else had great ideas.
I'll give you my ideas too and since this is my blog, I'll take up an entire post to do it. Whenever someone is looking for fabric, we always take cues from the rest of the room like of course, the wall color, fabrics on furniture and rugs. If they don't have a rug, I like to talk about that first.
So, Sara, I'm not saying that you must have a rug but, if you were ever gonna a get a rug, now is probably the time--before you do window treatments. I have two rugs on carpet in my home right now and love them both. Since you don't have much pattern going on, I would look for a rug with some pattern or movement as "they" say. A rug can define a space, pull furniture together and cozy up a room like there is no tomorrow. {both of these rugs are from Restoration Hardware} I get mine cheap from Tuesday morning, Lowe's Home Improvement and TJ Maxx HomeGoods.
So, the main reason I mention a rug is because it's immensely easier to find a rug first then fabric for your windows than to get fabric for your windows and then a rug. And I would love to see a rug in your family room--I wonder if you already have one someplace that you could use?
I happen to know that Sara likes your checks and your toiles that many of you have suggested. Here's a beautiful toile that I ran across on Rena Ann's blog. I think Rena might be in charge of window treatments in heaven. She is just that good. I cannot tell what the true colors are here but I love the warmth.
'Nother perty toile. I would stay away from a white background tolie in Sara's room. Chocolate toile on a cream background would work nicely but that defeats the purpose of bringing in color unless you get a rug with color like that first one up there and add some colored fringe in. That could be a great solution.
I might do toile in the breakfast room on drapes on a rod and maybe fake or "faux" as they say toppers {in a coordinating fabric--I know--what a big help but, lots of times the fabric stores group like fabrics together} that look like they are covering up windows that are higher than the actual window.
I would like your buffalo checks in the family room. Since I'm not there and cannot see what color paint you really have, here's an example of a check--I've got this in my house and love it {silk from Hobby Lobby, I also have it in cotton}. For some reason the tolie right next to the fireplace brick bothers me so that's why I would put it in the breakfast area. Oh and if it were my brick fireplace, I'd probably wreck it all up and paint it because of my great aversion to unpainted brick. Hate me.
What I might do...
Scrawled out by
The Nester
on
7/25/2008
Labels: decorating dork, nesting
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43 comments:
Wow I got here first today, how is that possible! Oh well Nester I think the carpet idea is perfect! With the great room concept some times space gets lost, or undefined. I too would paint hte brick since I have done mine my fire place had a new life to it!
I love me some toile! Oh yes.
I love the checks and the link to Rena's blog, thanks!
Ohhhhhhhhhh....and I have a 2 walls of brick in my Family Room, one houses the fireplace, the mantel runs the entire wall....oh, how I would love to paint it, but my dh will have nothing and I mean, nothing to do with it...so I am stuck with it. The brick in our kitchen was already painted when we bought the house, so hooray for that...but it needs a new fancy color on it....
Bella, you should begin to gather evidence on blogs of beautifully painted brick to present to your dear hubby. He just might be convinced. I was lucky that ours was already painted when we moved in, so I was able to choose a beautiful shade of creaminess to paint over the dirty white that had been there.
Nester, I love your ideas...as always. And I love me some TJMaxx and More rugs!
I love the Chocolate toile you found, I am going to have to find me one of that. I wish I had a that Lobby hobby shop you speak of her.
If the fireplace were painted white , toile would look stunning in that room.
If not, the yellow check fabric is a great choice.
I have plenty of bare windows and have been hunting ideas/solutions for them, with out breaking the bank. I really like your suggestions! Is there a particular name for the toile that you are showing in this post? And location to purchase?
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne
I love the suggestions! Toile in the breakfast area would be perfect. And I love the idea of a rug for the family room - definitely helps to warm it up!
Okay, I DO have a problem. I admit it.
This is my 2nd time at your blog today.
In my defense though, this post wasn't up yet the first time. :)
I hope Sara emails you the "AFTER" pics...can't wait to see what she does.
I love that chocolate toile! Who am I kidding? I love toile in every color!
One of my sisters is 53 years old. She'd never heard of toile until I told her about it only a few months back. HOW can that be??
Anyway...great suggestions for Sara's room. I hope she shares her "after" pictures with us all because I'm crazy nosey like that!
LOVE the toile!
chartreuse! that's the word i've been looking for. could not remember it. i wanted to do a post on the names i had picked out when i was little and the baby names were chartreuse and machette. i know i'm an idiot, but i liked the way they sounded.
i realize this has nothing to do with decorating.
Oh, you are so good. When I saw the fireplace, I wondered if you would paint it. I have brick in my house and keep debating that very thing because, as you know, paint is permanent. I wonder if the floor was wood, like I have, would you put a rug on it.
Anyway, thank you so much for your comments on my kitchen redo. They were ever soooo valuable. I can't wait to get started. I believe it may be an ongoing fall project.
Blessings~~~
I said toile...does that make me smart? lol
You said you had rugs on your carpet in your home. I have always thought that was a no no? If THE NESTER says its not a no no I just might go out and buy a rug to put on my carpet.
What great ideas! :) Makes me want to go sew up some toile curtains! hehe
I just posted some "curtains" for my daugher's armoire, now I wish I had done toile! Oh well, maybe the next time she decides to redecorate :)
Whew - problem solved.
Hi there!! I am Rena, frm Rena Ann's. I didn't know there was such a beautiful little ditty about me on your blog!! i am so extremely flattered!! Thank you sooo much!!!
:)
Rena
I am SO glad you addressed the rug on carpet issue. I have lots of hardwood floors in my house but not in my "formal" dining room. Just carpet. It makes me sad. And I've wondered if a rug would work under my dining table. I need people to tell me things like that. So thank you! Big dilemma solved, just like that.
I've just recently discovered your blog and this is my first time to comment. I really like it! (The blog, not my comment.) I've been inspired. But not just inspired...I've been actually DOING some of this stuff. Which is a big deal for me because I usually can't do this kind of stuff. I just say, "That's cool. Someone cool should do that." But your ideas are very doable! I'll post some pictures of my successes/stealing of your ideas soon and I'll let you know when I do, in case you want to see.
Okay Nester, I had to come out of the Land of Lurk to find out what color you would paint the brick? Would you paint the mantel too?
Marty
Yes, please do tell me what color you would paint the brick. It took me three weeks to talk hubby into nailing that picture up there! It was painful for him to hammer each nail. Why, I have NO idea. I doubt I could talk him into painting. (tee hee)
I too had no idea a rug on carpet was doable. I am off on a hunt in the morning for one!
I'm loving your blog! I wish you could help me pick out a rug. I have two rooms that are basically completely opened together and I got one rug picked out (both rooms came with really pretty furniture when we bought the house), but I am stuck with the second rug. Any suggestions as to picking out two rugs for two decent size rooms? Maybe I need to send pics... can you help??
Perfect! Love it all!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Good ones too! I love the idea of the area rug. Somehow that just isn't on my radar when there is already carpet in the room. But I really like the idea.
And thanks for the link to Rena. She does beautiful things with fabric! She had a picture on her blog of a fireplace flanked by windows that gave me some great ideas for the new casa.
Ok Chickie-poo, you know that fluffy stuff you heart so much, the one with the loops? Goes on sale next week at our favorite store.. but you didn't hear that from me two days in advance of the sales notice so keep it quiet! LOL
LOVE IT!! As always you deliver!
I love toile and everyone that knows me knows this. I am drawn to it naturally just like dark chocolates. Can never get enough.
I can not give my cents as I have a large room myself that needs help as it seems cold to me and needs some warming. My front door needs painted along with the never ending projects that only myself will be accomplishing.
Renee
That yellow checked fabric is beautiful...and the brown/red toile too! You are so sweet to share your expertise and talent with the rest of us. I've just mistreated some windows in my house if you want to come check it out.
Ok, so here is my question... how do you keep a rug on carpet from "walking?" My mom has a great rug over her carpet in her living room and it looks awful because it is walking all over the place. I would love to put a rug in my boys rooms, but I am afraid that they too will walk. Whats a girl to do?!?!?!
I was wondering what people thought on front door color for my front door.
My siding is beige clay color with dark green shutters. Right now the dark green door matches the same color as the shutters. I am wondering if I should make it a different color?
Ideas anyone?
rbrown7997@yahoo.com
Thanks!
Renee- Mama to four
My dining room makeover a la Nester is up! Come check it out!
Rene....saw your question about the door and HAD to reply!!! I think RED doors are to die for. If you have green shutters it would look FABULOUS...I think. I just reread you have a beige house, so with green shutter and a red door I think you would be a HIT. Im sure some houses wouldnt not benefit from a Red door but I havent seen that house yet..lol
Does the nester agree??
Looking at the pictures from the last post, I kept thinking she needed at least one piece of painted furniture in there. I was thinking maybe a round, off white coffee table, and then having some drapes with off white in them....but painting the brick fireplace - brilliant. I think it would make such a huge impact.
So fun!
I know you wrote this post JUST for me. I totally need some awesome rugs to go over my plain beige carpet. I need color. (and to cover up a few stains)
You really are inspiring!
I would paint the fireplace white. I know a lot of people wouldn't have the nerve but in our last house I wanted to paint ours and my husband said no, that it wouldn't look good. So you know what I did, I painted it while he was at a college football game and when he came home he loved it. I'd do that along with the window treatments. Just my 2 cents:) And add anything toile. I love me some toile!
YEAH! I FOUND IT!! I found the name of the fabric in the little image that you placed on your blog - the toile one.
Sincerely ~ Tricia Anne
You always have such great ideas!
Hugs,
Joanne
Nester - I don't have a Hobby Lobby in my state. Where else can I find these great silks and buffalo checks that you use?
Please?
The leg lamp was in "The Christmas Story". That story took place in the late 40's early 50's.
Many of my customers ask me whether they should get a window treatment or rug first.
It depends.
Whichever (rug or curtain) you decide will have more color in it, you do that one first. If you decide that you want a curtain with simple stripes and a Persian rug, then you'd get the rug first. If you want a solid colored rug but a colorful toile curtain, then you get the curtain first.
Always start with the designs that have the most colors in it because it's easier to pick up those colors later in in the more simplistic design elements.
I hope this helps you. Good luck!
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