Generic selectors
Exact matches only
Search in title
Search in content
Post Type Selectors

Uncategorized

Blinded

July 11, 2011
First things first:  Yes, I finished painting the cabinets.  We are gonna give them a few days to dry before hanging them, but you can definitely look forward to after pictures along with the whole process (pronounce it with a long O for fun) later this week.  Quite a few of you mentioned that you were thinking of painting your cabinets, or maybe you were on the fence about the project.  I hope I can give you the push you need to get it done, because even though it was a completely daunting task, 4 days later I am d-o-n-e and I did it completely by myself during Greta's naps and after she went to bed while Chris was out of town.  He's back now and surprised and excited to cook in our new airier kitchen--well, it's really the same kitchen, but it just feels bigger, ya know?  More on that later this week.  I am getting off topic.  Today's topic: blinds.  Even with painting the cabinets all weekend (last time I am gonna mention it) I still had time to hang our new bamboo blinds in the dining room with Chris's help.  And here they are:

Remember how the windows looked with our white, metal blinds--sans curtains just last week?:
I am a sucker for bamboo blinds (we used darker ones in Greta's room) and I think it is a great way to bring some warmth into a space.  We opted to mount ours outside of the window frame so we could cheat the window up slightly.  Also, our windows don't have any molding framing them, so the outside-mounted blinds and the white curtains serve as a great frame and make it look like there might be one HUGE window instead of three separate ones.  

When choosing which blinds to go with, I headed over to Overstock.com which happens to be where I got Greta's from, as well.  I have found it to be the cheapest place to get bamboo roman shades, and I was not disappointed this time.  I wanted to keep a natural feel to the windows, so I went with the Nantucket Bamboo Roman shade.  I measured my windows and then chose a slightly larger blind accordingly.  2 small ones for the side windows and one large one for the center.  And it was CHEAP!  For all three blinds, my total with tax and shipping was just $45.19.  So...yeah.  Gotta love the O.

Of course, I will sell the blinds that used to hang here to help fund other projects, because that's how we roll.  These blinds are 100% functional unlike some roman shades.  So if we feel like blocking the hot sun from coming in or some extra privacy at night, we can just unroll them.  We fastened the cord wrapper thing (???) right behind the curtains and out of view.
Although I never like to say that a room is "done" because I am one to constantly tweak and change and update, we have no other immediate plans for the dining room.  When we renovate our kitchen in the next year or so, the countertop on the peninsula will get cut down.  Right now there is space for benches there, but I think a good rule is if your dining room is tight--don't add benches even if there IS space at the bar for them.  So we'll be chopping that countertop back and eventually down the road redoing the floors.  But other than that--nada.  Which makes this a great time to look back at where we've been and how far we have come since we moved in 3 months ago.  
This picture cracks me up because wow, it is bad!!  We could have at least fixed the wonky blinds before snapping a picture, but that just makes this an even better before picture, I guess.  
Since moving in, we sold that old chandelier (yes, someone actually bought that) and DIYed a new one.  We painted the walls and railing.  Added an area rug.  De-cluttered the table by storing two chairs in the basement. Added window treatments
  
We have come a long way, especially for not really having any plans for this room.  Yes, we knew we wanted a large painting and a new fixture, but everything else just evolved and came together.  Isn't it the best when that happens??
filed under: 
— Hide Comments
+ ShowComments
What do you think?

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

  1. Wood countertops and plastic laminates in a wood design give your bathroom a definite charm and rustic flavor that is sure to impress. Wood has the added benefit of being a highly affordable countertop material that won’t hurt your savings.

  2. I love when people say prOcess. It makes me smile every time. We don't have OWN--only basic cable for us. But there isn't anything not beautiful about Shania so I would expect nothing less from her accent.

  3. perfect perfect perfect! The color of those blinds is so warm and inviting. annnnd a killer deal. PS my MOTHER says PROcess. It's a Canadian thing I think. She says all sorts of funny words. Actually, I've decided that Canadian's pronounce things much more clear and accurately. Have you seen that Shania Twain show on OWN? (love her) but her accent is so beautiful. Reminds me of my roots :-)

  4. Hi Julia (and Chris),

    I have been reading your blog for a few weeks now and have been going back through the archives to make sure I am up to speed on everything Marcum ;-) I have a question for you - I have a bay window as well, but the wall comes up to the windows to create a "shelf" (not a seat) and the windows jut out from that point. Because of this, I can't hang normal floor length curtains against the winodw - the previous homeowners installed vertical blinds across the top of the wall - which I HATE but I have no idea what else to do. I like the blinds drawn most of the time but when we put the A.C. on, I close them to keep out the sun. Any suggestions you have would be great, you're so talented!

    Kathy

  5. WOW it looks amazing!! can i hire you to come design my entire house?!?

    we are just about finished with our kitchen remodel too...unfortunately, ours wasn't as speedy a prOcess as yours :) but it's almost done, and that's all i care about!

  6. Kathy,

    Thanks for reading! I am trying to visualize your window and having a little trouble. It seems like if there are vertical blinds (which I don't blame you for hating), there should be room for curtains. Of course my favorite option is bamboo blinds paired with floor length curtains. As you can see in one of the pictures above, I actually attached the curtain rod to the ceiling. We also never close the curtains, if we need to block sun, of just want privacy, we draw the shades. Perhaps if you mounted three separate curtain rods (like I did) to the ceiling of your bay window, slightly away from the wall to clear the "shelf", your curtains would be able to hang straight and you can still have some nice bamboo blinds.

    Another great option that can look equally as nice is a roman shade, or roller shade even, in a fun pattern. This gives the window interest, without running into the problem of hitting the window shelf. If you still have questions, feel free to email me a picture.

    Hope it helps!
    -Julia

Previous Post

What We're

Loving

Right Now

What We're

Loving

Right Now

Looking for our favorite things? A place to shop our home room by room, or just catch up on what Julia's wearing / loving right now? Browse the CLJ shop
Shop All

Love Stories

Love Where You Live

In an industry that often feels designed to make you discontent, we want this to be place you come for inspiration, ideas, and encouragement to make the space you're already in feel like home.
Read All Posts
let's break this thing up

BROWSE BY CATEGORY

01

Portfolio

Befores, afters, mood boards, plans, failures, wins. We’ve done a lot of projects, and they’re all here.
read more
02

Projects

We have a long-standing relationship with DIY, and love rolling our sleeves up and making it happen.
read more
03

Design

Even when you don’t want to rip down a wall, you can make that space in your home better. Right now.
read more
hello world!

looking for inspiration?

Beautifully wrapped traditional presents stacked in a doorway
Gift Guides!

Holiday Gift Guides for Everyone in Your Life {2024}

Remember the thrill of unwrapping a gift that felt just right? Let's bring that magic back this holiday season!! Our curated gift guides for 2024 are filled with thoughtful picks that will make your loved ones feel special. That's what it's all about, after all! Whether you're shopping for your main guy, your clutch coworker, […]
Chris Cooks Candied Ham Skewers
Chris Cooks

Candied Ham Skewers - Your New Favorite Holiday Appetizer

As a home cook, this is my favorite time of year: the time leading up to Thanksgiving and Christmas. But this year, I want to focus on low-effort, high-impact dishes. Something that can serve a crowd but is not too hard to make. And these spicy candied ham bites are just the ticket. Shop The […]
Lifestyle

Your Fall Home Maintenance Checklist

This post is sponsored by Neighborly, Your Hub for Home Services The beginning of the year we're always thinking "spring cleaning." But in fall, I like to cover our bases on home maintenance before we have guests or face colder weather. I usually like to split the tasks between things we tackle ourselves and things we […]
The Marcum family dressed as characters from the classic edition of Clue: The Game.
Entertaining

Our Halloween Family Costumes 2024: I'll Give You One Clue

It was Professor Plum, with the knife, in the Conservatory. Happy Halloween from Clue characters: 1986 edition! Shop Costume Inspiration Over the years, we've dressed as everything from dolls and monsters to Peter Pan, E.T. characters, and The Wizard of Oz. But in the last several years, one of our kids has usually chosen our costumes. If you look back, you […]
Learn With Us
Want to do what we do? Get the tools, mentorship, and training to be a Good Influencer professionally.
Learn More
Looking for Something?

SEARCH THE BLOG

We've been doing this since 2009 and we've posted a whopping 24145+ blog posts and counting. You might need a little help searching, huh?

Can We Send You Our Love Letter?

Another way for us to stay in touch! Joining our weekly newsletter gives you access to exclusive content, never-before-seen photos, your questions answered, and our favorite DIYs. Sign up below!

hello world!
Follow Along on Instagram
Welcome to our online community where we've posted home, DIY, style, renovations, and family since '09. Renovating our #cljmoderncottage in Idaho and headed for new adventures in Raleigh, NC. #cljfam #cljtransformations
© 2024 Chris Loves Julia, LLC
PRIVACY POLICYTERMS & CONDITIONSAFFILIATE DISCLAIMERSITE CREDITCOMMUNITY GUIDELINES