Window Treatments

Window treatments have "suffered" the most from the costs unanticipated at the start of the Bungalow renovation (plumbing, basement steel beam, HVAC, electrical box) as they represent the last bastion of discretionary spend.  I had originally hoped to use shutters in most rooms, but this has proved cost prohibitive.  There are seventeen windows and three paned-doors requiring outfitting.  My goal is to average $250 a treatment - a fairly tall order for custom window treatments.  

The solution:  Shutters on the front windows, so the rooms most utilized receive the most luxe attention, and the look is consistent from the street.  Less expensive (but still lovely) roman and roller blinds on most other windows.  Draperies will be used in concert with the shutters/blinds in some rooms, providing an opportunity for another textile, and a bit of sparkle via the rod and finials.

Two windows will now be left bare - both are along staircases that run very close to the neighbor's walls, and there is no need for privacy.  And one (a small angled window in the master bathroom) will now have a simple "frosted" appliqué.  So, that's three down for $5.

I've had some terrific support from Lisa Dujlovich @ National Window Shade Co for the shutters, and from Adrienne Duncan @ The Shade Store (Merchandise Mart, Chicago) for the shades and master bedroom draperies.

As soon as the drywall and window casings are complete, final measurements and costings can be taken.  The figures below are estimates, and factor in available sale prices.

Living Room and Kitchen Window:

The living room boasts two windows, the largest in the home  (Planning: Living Room Furniture.)  These will be covered in Aspen Basswood 3 1/2 louvered shutters painted the same bright semi-gloss white as all of the trim and millwork in the home.  Given space constraints, it is unlikely I can hang a drapery rod between the crown/window casings, so the shutters will stand unadorned.

I wanted all of the front windows to have a similar treatment so the look from the street is harmonious.  The white "backs" should look good with the white window panes and the new house colors (Exterior Accent Color - feedback received!)

The Upstairs Guest Room:

The upstairs guest room (street facing) will also feature the shutters, above, but given the smaller size of these windows, the shutters will be single pane.  A simple polished nickel rod will span both windows, and white cotton RH drapes will hang from the rod.  The white window treatments are deliberate - so to "pop" against the navy walls.  It isn't a large room, so the navy walls will require a lot of white and the TBD accent color to ensure it isn't "cave" like (see Planning: A Navy and White Guest Room.)   I also own the rods and the drapes - no add'l cost.

an old photo - NYC 2010 - of the white drapes on the polished nickel rod

The shutters for five windows (kitchen, living room, guest room) come to roughly $2200.  

The Master Bedroom:

Budget-friendly roller blinds will span the two windows (one large, one small) and the door in the master bedroom.  Adrienne showed me a gorgeous white/grey paisley that will work for all three, and be the perfect complement to the muted color scheme for The Master Bedroom.  Additionally, the large window will feature black out draperies in a grey/white herringbone with a french pleat hung from a RH polished nickel rod with crystal finials that I own.   It is anticipated that once final measurements are taken, the cost to outfit three windows from head to toe will be about $1000.  Still TBD - what the heck to do with the large skylight over the bed.  

The Powder Room:

Those following the earlier posts know that the Powder Room (Update: The Powder Room Final Selections) has a decidedly black and white vibe.  The roman blind selected in black sateen will be the only textile in the room, and the only bold hit of black (excepting the small ceiling).  Estimated cost is $300 for the large window.  

The Basement Family Room:

This room's "bones" will be light gray (carpet, paint).  (Basement Furniture and Layout, Planning - color scheme and layout - the basement ....)  But the vibe will be fun - with bright prints on the walls, and some turquoise 1960s painted furniture offsetting the grey and white mid-century-ish upholstered pieces.  The flat, mod roman blinds selected will likely never be closed, but the solid backing means that I can hang them at the same height, camouflaging the fact that the windows are hung at different levels.  Estimated cost for two windows is $450.  

The Basement Bedroom:

As noted in The Basement Bedroom, this room has black and white accents…stemming from the black/white old-fashioned tile in the bathroom.  The walls will be a pale grey.  The new windows that flank the bed will be covered in a flat roman blind with a complementary black and white pattern.   Estimated cost is $300 for the pair.  

So, I'm on track to custom outfit the windows in some beautiful treatments for an estimated $4400 - or $220/treatment before tax & installation factored.  But - I still need to sort that pesky bedroom skylight...

The Basement Bedroom

Just typing "The Basement Bedroom" sounds wrong - when one things of under-ground bedrooms the words "dark" and "cave" come to mind.  That won't be the case, here.

The space for the basement bedroom, bath and laundry room was unfinished when the house was purchased.  When friends and family toured the raw room, it was clear that they had no interest in staying in a room with dangling pipes, cement floors, and glass-block windows.  (Who can blame them!)  I think their minds will soon be changed - this will be the primo guest room!

Fortunately, the room benefits from natural light - when these old bungalows were raised (around the turn of the last century) nearly half of the basement became "above ground" - affording the opportunity for windows, and in this case, an exterior door.

Before:  Raw and unfinished.  The old chimny from the boiler ate up valuable real estate.  The HVAC system was large - servicing the entire home.  The room was uninsulated and drafty.   Pipes ran willy-nilly across the ceiling and walls.   It smelled of cats!

all of the piping has been rerouted underground

new bathroom is back there

thats my future laundry room you're looking at!

After:  This will be a great guest suite, with an adjacent family room and private shower room.  The basement floor has been dug to accommodate those new pipes (cast iron), which will also provide a bit more headspace (roughly 8.5 ft ceilings).  Beautiful "British Cane" Restoration Hadware bed furniture (queen sized bed, substantial dresser, and two end tables) will populate the space.  Two new windows will flank the bed, providing natural light and a breeze.  There will be a small "entry vestibule" with a dresser and mirror.  Terrific storage - a walk in closet and wall closet - provide ample space for a weekenders suitcase, and storage for the home's linens.

The room will have some simple accents, to coordinate with the old fashioned black and white ensuite bathroom  (Update: The Basement Bathroom Final Selections/Con...):

• pale grey wool/blend carpet
• paler grey walls
• black/white dresser in entry vestibule
• a "must still find it" vintage chair upholstered in a white w/black accents
• linens in pale yellow and white

Great furniture is headed down here - from the prior master bedrooms (the master bedroom's sloped ceilings would not accommodate the tall dresser and headboard):

the armoire is going into the living room - but the rest into the downstairs bedroom

Inspirational photo (houzz.com) - with pale grey vs. taupe - picture windows placed above those lamps:

The end of the bed will house the RH trunk:

The Master Bedroom

Goal for this space:  A peaceful, quiet, pale monochromatic space that is a backdrop for a bit of color when desired via the linens.  The furnishings should be of quality but not expensive - the current master furnishings (per earlier post) are headed to the basement guest quarters as are too tall for the sloped ceilings.  And unlike the previous owners, I won't allow angled furnishings, nor furniture blocking a window.

Pre construction:  90's bland better suited to a track house in the burbs:

After:  With no change to the infrastructure or square footage, this room should look radically different with the cosmetic changes planned.  A bead-board ceiling will be added so to minimize the "90's drywall" aestheic - it will be painted a glossy white.  The floors (as is the case with the entire living space) will be hardwood stained a mid-tone walnut.  All windows and doors will be cased in lovely white millwork.  The long closets will be centered so to offer more usable space, with new doors that are period appropriate.  The walls will be a pale grey - just grey enough for the woodwork to pop.

The ceiling should look a bit like this - nothing fancy (est. $800)

I've been hunting for vintage and clearance specials for appropriate furniture, and have purchased the following:

Jayson Home - 1/2 off ($1600) at annual warehouse sale

Two nightstands - $250 (regular $800) at Jayson Home annual warehouse sale

You may recognize the accent chair from - it's the $20 (previously Harvest Gold!) 60's Thomasville Craigslist find, now well reupholstered in white duck and grey/white seersucker trim by David @ Comfort Upholstery:

I struggled to find a bed under $1k that would fit under the sloped ceiling, and landed on this from Ballard Designs during Christmas sales.  It will be upholstered in a white cotton (that shown below is off-white):

At the end of the bed I'll either place a settee I own (upholstered in white pique) or an end of bed chest (owned) in stainless steel from RH:

The rug will be one (owned) from Williams Sonoma Home - the grey/white Greek key-style 8x10 shown below (ignore the Oly resin white table - those of you following know that is destined for the living room).

Side note - I was recently out looking for a rug for the living room (still searching!), and Bloomingdales is now selling this rug.  I purchased it for about $2,000 a few years ago at WSH in NYC; it's now $4,000 at Bloomies.   (Then again, the one at Bloomies doesn't have a red-wine stain - mine is now "lived in"!)

The windows will be covered in simple white roman shades.  The large window will have white drapes (owned, purchased from RH years ago) hung from a black-iron rod.

As mentioned - very white, a bit of pale grey!  Hoping for "good bones" which can showcase the pretty linens in the closet.

Planning: A Navy and White Guest Room

The second story of the Bungalow houses two bedrooms - the master, and a decent-sized guest room.  Without a doubt, the "best" guest quarters are going to be in the walk-out basement (quiet, private entrance, private bath, walk in closet, adjacent family room).  So I want the upstairs guest room to feel special in it's own right.

I have been dying to try a navy/white (non-nautical) room - and since the furniture, linen and artwork for this room are already in the portfolio - a new color (to me) is a way to make it all fresh.

Floor:  The room will share the darker-hued hardwood floors of the entire first-second floor.  Rug TBD - I have a dark brown PB wool in storage, but we'll see.

Windows:  The woodwork/new doors will all be white.  On the windows, I'll be adding the same white plantation shutters as the front windows on the ground floor (so to maintain a similar look across all front-facing windows from the street):

Walls:  Finally - an opportunity for Navy - which should really make the white accents "pop".  I'm looking for something with a grey undertone, sort of like this from Restoration Hardware.

Linen:   For the coverlet, duvet, sheets and shams I'll pull from the current linen closet - lots of whites and white with blue accent - I especially like those I have from John Robshaw - uber comfy:

Bed:  The queen sized bed is a beautiful dark-wood from Sommorset; with a matching dresser:

The pic is of this bed, in my master bedroom in the London mews

End Tables:  The end tables will be those I've used before in the guest room - Restoration Hardware glass/polished nickel tables originally sold for the bath.

On the Wall:  There will be a lot of white in the room, including four of these white 3d numbers from Zgallerie that I had in prior homes - cheap, but impactful against the navy…

On the angled roof-wall:  I'll be hanging several of my great-grandmother's quilts from a simple white iron rod.  They are not only practical on cool nights, but hold rich colors, texture, and history:

Side Chair:  Every guest room should have a spot where folks can sit and put their shoes on.  I'll be taking a "spruced up" chair I've had for the last 10 years…a simple Pottery Barn schoolhouse chair w/arms.  In London, I had it lacquered in white, so it looks like new - sort of like this, from J. Adler:

I may reupholster the seat in a bold Navy/White:

kravat

Lamps:  TBD - either white, or a bright color.  There will be a lot of Navy/White in the room - so you might see a bright yellow or red lamp to add some zing.   I'm loving these from a local vintage shop - but may hedge my bets with a white (already owned):