Casual Question & Answer
Question: Answer:
My living room/dining room is long and imbalanced. If I position the furniture in front of the fireplace, I have an entire area devoid of furniture. If I locate the furniture in the middle of the living room the fireplace is off center. HELP!!!
The focal point of your room should be the fireplace. This is where I suggest you arrange your main seating area by placing two sofas to create a U-shape with the fireplace. I would add a sofa table behind the sofa where the open space is and make this a secondary seating area. I suggest either a chaise lounge or two upholstered chairs with a side table and lamp. A large tree behind the grouping would fill in the space further and add height and texture. This will make a comfortable reading area as well as add another layer of interest to your large room.
Question:
We are in the process of re-decorating our dining room. I would like to change the window dressings, but I have a very limited budget. Do you have any suggestions to make the windows look pretty for next to nothing?
(Jennifer sent me a picture of her existing panels with matching balloon valances. She also enjoys sewing.)
Answer:
As I see it, you have two options:
1) Use your existing hardware and purchase ready-made valances. By shopping the internet and home stores, you can probably find valances for around $20/ea.
2) Make your own valances that are board mounted. The choices are unlimited for styles and fabric choices. Home-Dec fabric can always be found on sale or clearance. A board mounted valance is super easy to attach and will update your windows.
Custom is always the better choice and you’ll be creating one-of-a-kind windows that reflect your personality.