SFGate

houssaon The drapery panels in the dining room, do they cover windows?

I like the blinds as is.

meshellan No. It's just a wall. Originally I didn't want window coverings outside of the blinds. So I add them to the wall with the mirror for drama and to lengthen the room.

Darzy I think curtains would "finish" the rooms quite nicely. I'd remove the false window curtains and use those in both spaces...on the windows. You'll need to buy more..but they'll will look great.

houssaon OK, I would remove them from there.

They are a great color, but I can see red or ivory in both of these rooms. Same type. You could just put them at the outside end of the windows, since you don't need to close them (the blinds take care of light and privacy issues) you won't need more than four panels.

But again, I like the spare look of the blinds as is.

I would center the mirror on the fireplace and arrange the objects so the white vase or the red plate is in front of it.

meshellan Thank you houssaon for your suggestions. So would you put three panels in the living room? One on each side of the window and one in the middle of the large and small window? Would you keep the mirror in the dining room Vertical or Horizontal? And would you put a coffee table in this room?

houssaon I would only put two, one one each outside edge. If you put one in the corner, you would almost have to put two. That would just cover up the window. The panels are just for show, too add softness and color.

The mirror should stay horizontal. Just center it and see if either the vase or the plate can fit in front of it. It would tighten upt the group.

As for the coffee table, I don't think you need one. Maybe pull the chair out from the corner a bit.

I love the rug, the sofa, and your colors!

dyunu What type and color flooring is that? What color and brand paint?

dragon721 I suggest you keep the blinds. This also other than its function of keeping the room cooler in hotter days and giving you privacy, provides a nice effect inside the house from its shadow when light from outside comes through. Being horizontal, it makes the room look wider.

I think what the living room needs is a huge horizontal white frame (framed art, mirror or photo) on the opposite wall to balance the white window blinds on the right wall. Move the mirror on the mantle in the middle vertically to give the illusion of height.
The dining room with the curtains look good as it is.

If you still want to get rid of the blinds, still put a white frame on the opposite wall, do not put curtains, I will just have the windows tinted for openness yet you still achieve privacy.
Have fun!

jeankris I think some box valences on all the windows with your current blinds would look nice - pull a color from the rug. I would add a slim coffee table and pull the furniture by the windows towards the sofa over to make a grouping. Or put a sofa table behind the sofa to make room more centered but still pulling the furniture over. Good luck and have fun!

Stanton Designs-online design services If you have a great view, you don't want to cover the windows. Not every house and every window needs drapes. I say keep the windows as is! You have a busy rug and lots of color, that your space doesn't need anything more.

myrajenkins I agree with jeankris, pull the furniture together to creat a grouping. No drapes in the living area. Looks great with just the blinds!

meshellan These are such great suggestions. What if I keep the windows as is, change the frame around the pictures and the black frame around the living room mirror to white, and change the color of the existing panels in the dining room? I like the openness of the living room so I was thinking of a clear table that's wide. The sofa in front of the window is actually a chaise and I think it would look weird towards the middle of the room or with a sofa table, what do you think. I've been so lost with this room and I love getting suggestions, keep em coming and thanks so very much.

meshellan Stanton....what do you think about the dining area, too gray?

sashblossom I would hang linen panels for a light airy look- hang high and outside

sashblossom I would hang linen panels for a light airy look- hang high and outside

jeankris does the chaise have to live right there? Could you make it like a room divider? Facing the fireplace and centered beside the left side facing of the sofa?

meshellan Jeankris, I thought it was a bad idea to enter a house with the back of a chair/sofa facing the entry door. If you in the dining area then the back of the chaise would be facing you and talking with people in the living room would be difficult. If I did do that what should I put in front of the window?

jeankris I'm not a professional decorator so I don't know all the rules about furniture placement. Personally, I just do what I like and what is most pleasing to me - so that's what I would say to you. If you were to move the furniture over to the sofa. I would find another chair similar to the one by the single window and center those in front of the sofa with the small table that you know have beside it in between the two chairs. Or vice versa. Leave the chaise and move the chair with the table and still add a second chair. I don't think every corner or wall has to have something living in front of it. Your windows are beautiful - I wouldn't block them.

Darzy I like houssaon's ideas. I'd put one of your curtain panels on the left of the small LR window and one on the right of the big LR window to soften the space. Center the FP mirror and the plate on the right, slightly in front of the mirror. I'd leave the mirror as is in the Dining room but remove the curtains there and put them on the window. To me, it is odd to have a false window with curtains, yet no curtains on the actual windows. I'd also bring forward the furniture to the center at least six inches to get off the wall. I also think a coffee table would finish off the LR space, but a glass one to keep the spacious feeling and not cover the beautiful rug. The DR chandelier seems a bit too informal for great furniture. I'd also add a little "sparkle" in the spaces. Your rooms are beautiful and a little jewelry would finish it off.

Curtain Design We install and manufacture curtains and blinds and to be honest I don't know if you need to add curtains. I don't think the room looks bad as is.

Curtains can offer a softer more homely feel when comparing them to the blinds you have. But I'm picking your going to keep those blinds there.

The dinning room is already quite small and curtains might close it in further.

You also have no room to stack a curtain back on the window next to the fireplace. This is a good reason not to add a curtain to this area.

Just my thoughts.

meshellan I had the same thoughts about the chandelier. But how much to I bling it up?

meshellan I had the same thoughts about the chandelier. But how much to I bling it up?

meshellan Thank you Curtain Design....I tried adding curtains to the dining window and it did make the room smaller.

camillealbert Keep the blinds and add matching or coordinating valances to both rooms. The curtains make the room look smaller. And I do think you could use a coffee table.maybe two more chairs in the living room

Gabberts Design Studio You don’t have to add drapery panels, the room looks great the way it is. However, if you want a softer feel in the room then it may be something to consider. If you do them, I would suggest a stationary curtain panel (maybe the rust orange or red you have in the rug). As Curtain Design pointed out, there is not a lot of room between the fireplace and window so you would be taking away some of the width of your window. Here is an idea of what I was thinking.

Darzy For your chandy, I was thinking a drum style to coordinate with your drum shade arc lamp in the LR, but with a little bling in it.

Xaloux The room looks great - I would leave it as is.

anitajoyce I too, like the blinds on the windows in both rooms. The living room looks great with just the blinds. I don't like the panels over the mirror idea though. I would place the nice panels on the window in your dining room instead.

Paint Creek Drapery panels like the ones attached will balance and finish the room.

Darzy I think what is "bothering" me about the blinds is they look like "office" blinds to me. Are they a wider look in person? I love the curtains in your dining room and thinking just putting a demi panel on each end of the LR window would soften the look, and the eyes will see the pretty curtains and not the blinds. And, you still keep the fab view. I actually prefer no window treatments with a great view if privacy and sunlight isn't an issue.

Budget Blinds I'd recommend a bold statement of color with draperies. Bring some of that beautiful red color in the area rug onto the drapery treatment. Perhaps a large horizontal stripe (or a large square pattern) of red and cream color on a decorative traverse rod. This will allow you to leave the drapes open (framing the windows) in the day time and when they're closed at night you have a great look as well!

meshellan Darzy the blinds slots are much larger than office blinds and made a wood like material.

Budget Blinds, I think the rug has a lot going on so to add any pattern on panels may make it too crazy looking.

I've taken a lot of the suggestions and will try adding panels in the LR but there isn't much space for a rod and the curtain to hang on the smaller window without covering the window. But I'll play with it.

anitajoyce I think you could move the large lamp to the other side of the sofa. That side of the room seems to heavy with the lamp where it is now. This will balance out the room better.

Darzy Ahhh. If the blind slats are larger, wood look I'm sure they look great. I was thinking on the panels just a short, demi style to add color and finish. But. with the larger wood slat look, I'm sure it looks great as is in person. Here is what I had in mind...

New Again Home Interiors Decide what you want the focal point of your room to be, then arrange the furniture to address that. Right now, your furniture is placed too far apart, not really in a "conversation grouping". I would make the fireplace the focal point, place the to sofa face the fireplace, put a pretty sofa table behind the sofa, and the lamp beside it, on the side opposite the window. Move the chaise to the wall opposite the window, and the chair beside the sofa, at an angle, near the window. Maybe get a coffee table or ottoman in front of the sofa. Love the rug, great color choices, just think you need to pull everything in a little to give the room a more intimate feeling, I like the blinds as they are, too.

215colgarv Have you considered a panel? A fabric one that would toe over the top in the same way a valance would except it would keep the same clean lines you have. Love the wall color!

Sudha Very nice place. I loved the mirror in the dining room. You have so many comments and suggestions here to work with, please post after work picture.

nevadan I think you are fine without curtains. our blinds are pretty. But what is that green drapey thing - please remove it.

nevadan I think you are fine without curtains. our blinds are pretty. But what is that green drapey thing - please remove it.