It's Deja Vu All Over Again

This is a kitchen I designed for my client, Holly, probably 20 years ago. The wallpaper, the florals and the balloon shades probably give the time period away. But, look at the colors - rose and blue.

So, it with no further ado that I share Pantone's Colors of the Year for 2016:

Wow! 20 years later - they are back! And why not? Rose Quartz and Serenity. They are soothing, comfortable, soft hues that evoke a sense of calm in these turbulent times. And in our "keep it until it rots" Midwestern sensibility, these colors are sure to be quickly embraced. Chances are, many of the accessories that worked with this color scheme 20 years ago are still in use! 

In the case of Holly's kitchen, (did I forget to mention the windows flanking the slider have rose pleated shades under the valance?), how could we update the look to bring it into 2016? If the wallcovering were staying, changing out the handles on the cherry cabinets and installing new light fixtures would be an inexpensive update. Removing the original window treatments and installing a neutral Duette Architella Honeycomb Shade by Hunter Douglas on the small windows with a coordinating Vertiglide on the slider would keep the softness and allow the room to open to the outside. I'd replace that balloon with a much simpler treatment and push it all the way to the ceiling to further open the expanse of glass. Possibly a stripe or even a banded solid would be a good choice. And instead of the laminated tablecloth (she had little children at the time, kept the table practical), I might coordinate custom chair pads with the top treatment and use placemats instead.  

So, if you find yourself looking at home decor or women's clothing in the next year and start to feel like you've done this before - chances are, you have!

Window to the World...While you shower?

I grew up in a house that was built in 1959. There is a window in the main bathroom. That window is a glass block window - great for letting in natural light along with a window sill for my mom's African violets. You still had privacy and never gave a thought to adding any kind of window treatment.

Something happened since that time that lead to architects and home builders adding windows, big windows, into bathrooms. Especially over the bathtub. Yes, they brought in wonderful natural light. But they also brought out our sense of modesty. Who wants to shower in front of the neighbor's kitchen window 15 yards away?

I'm not complaining! The home builder's thoughtless design has been a consistent source of revenue for those of us called to treat those windows.

Treatments that can go down from the top as well as up from the bottom are frequently the solution to allow light to come in while keeping privacy. Cellular shades like Duettes from Hunter Douglas, seen in this customer's bath, are a great choice. Roman shades are another treatment that you can add

the top down bottom up function, giving you the "pretty" along with the practicality.

Frequently, builders will use bathrooms to feature a specialty shaped window - throwing yet another monkey wrench into the search for privacy in the most private area of the home.

Once again, this builder chose a huge corner window, topped with arched windows, and placed it right over the bathtub. Here we chose Silhouettes from Hunter Douglas as the solution, giving both beauty and practicality. The sheer of the Silhouettes on the bottom, even as the shade is open, provides some daytime privacy for the owners. They can close the vanes in the evening as they see fit. The specialty arches above can be ordered either in the permanently open or permanently closed position.  This customer wanted the closed position, not only for privacy, but to cut the morning light that streams into the adjacent bedroom.

This window was a particularly tough situation. A powder room that looked out onto the front porch of the home, this window demands privacy. The small, oval shape did not fit into most blind or shade options. And, the customer did not want to spend a small fortune on the smallest room in the home. Budget quickly eliminated the custom shutter option. They also did not want a permanent covering, such as a fabric sunburst, preferring the ability to choose open or close. The solution: continue the wood blinds we had put throughout the home. The integrity of the oval window can still be seen, both inside and out, plus the light can still be controlled!

In the end, there are a number of different solutions to treating that "window to the world" in your bathroom. We can have that natural, flattering light we crave when it comes to putting on makeup in the morning. But, we can also have the privacy we need when we step out of the shower before that!