Saturday, May 16, 2009

Naked Window

I have a decorating dilemma. Through my own indecisiveness, I have not be able to figure out what to do with my kitchen window since the kitchen was remodeled a few years ago. Yes, years ago. I think that part of it was that for years I stared at an old window in my ugly kitchen and my main focus was to just gut the kitchen and start over.

When we first brought the house back in 1998, the previous owner had curtains hanging in the window. I don't know if you can see the window below, but this photo was taken around the time we went into contract to purchase the house.

These next two photos were taken the day of the closing one is inside (yes that is a blue and brown combo that you are seeing) and the other is from the patio. The window had a little counter which I guess you could use when you sat outside, but the owner had this monster (sits 8?) hot tub that was in the way. I think this is the best photo I have of the curtains.
I think I left the same curtains up for next couple years, when one day I tore them down. I believe at that point my frustration with the kitchen was getting close to eruption. The window remained curtain-less until July 2006 when this photo was taken, this was the day, DH and my father-in-law (FIL) started the demolition.
A few days later, the new window was installed, it was shorter than the original, from the outside you can see that the little counter is gone. And here it is from the inside, snug in his new frame. (In case you are curious, I had grown claustrophobic with the old galley style, and since we were extending the kitchen out in the "family area" I wanted zero cabinets on the one side. When the old cabinets were torn out, the wall was in such bad condition, DH and FIL decided to tear the wall out as well.)
New wall in and they framed the window with a shelf.

This photo was after we painted and the new cabinets were going in and before the counter tops were installed. Yes it is very Orange, but as I told DH and FIL...have faith







So here he is... years later...still naked.

At first I thought about adding glass shelves inside the frame and growing herbs, then a valance, then curtains and now shades. Recently, I saw a post about taking a regular roman shade and adding some spice to it by covering it with your own fabric.

If I were to do this, would a roman shade be too heavy (or bulky). And what color fabric? Aside from the orange walls, my counter has black, beige white and rust; my cabinets are light maple, the tile is a neutral beige. I do have a slight Mexican theme going on (see the vase by the window and an empty bottle of Don Viejo). I also have a few porcelain suns with a few more to add onto the walls.

At this point I am really looking for some suggestions...

1 comment:

Campbell Jane said...

I laughed outloud when I read this. I have 5 long skinny windows in my living room that have been bare since the day I moved in 15 years ago! Not a clue what to do with them. Lucky for me I have a view of a beautiful hill which I love looking at but it would be nice to have a little more privacy. Good luck. Love to help but...