Like I said in part 1, some windows don’t need accoutrements. These in the Tile Museum in Istanbul were stunning. No frippery needed here.

Pretty much all of the windows in the SoMoToHo, however, needed help. Remember the work we did in the Library? Here’s a pic, post paint and furnishings but pre- window dressing. (You might notice that everything looks white outside. That’s not a problem with the exposure; it’s snow. Yes, snow. In Texas. We’ve had snow, ice, record rains, and moderate temperatures, all in the last six months. Crazy.)

Debra and I liked the contrast between the trim and the walls and decided that continuing that theme in the curtains would keep the feeling clean. You might recall that the ceilings in this room are quite high – 10-1/2 feet. Custom drapes are nice but we didn’t think the cost would be justified. Debra found some 96″ stark white, ready-made panels. That length would mean just about splitting the space between the top of the windows and the crown molding.  We tried a couple of different rods before settling on a flat black, rather thin one that would do the job without calling too much attention to itself and let the fabric supply the drama. Here is a daytime shot:And one at night that perhaps gives a better idea of the feel of the room:

The curtains maintain the contrast but soften the lines of the trim, making the room more comfortable and inviting. All in all, we’re pretty happy with them.

Sometimes, the focus is on function as much as on fashion. In the office upstairs, a street-facing room, I wanted top-down, bottom-up shades on the windows so that the view from outside could be obstructed without shutting out light. This is how the windows looked when we arrived, framed by shocking yellow walls: And, yes, there is that speckled, short-shag carpet again – not to mention a really unfortunate ceiling fan. Here is the solution – at least for the walls and the windows:The wall color is Benjamin Moore Spanish Olive, a calm tone that I’ve found facilitates concentration (and the occasional – okay, maybe frequent – nap on the chaise). Debra is a bit disappointed with the cosmetics of the shades but not so much that she wants to replace them right away. Besides, they do exactly what I wanted them to do and there are a lot more pressing changes needed elsewhere in the house (the kitchen is a biggie, as you’ll see in later posts).

The “master up” (there is a master suite downstairs, as well) has west-facing windows without much foliage to interrupt the harsh afternoon sun. The previous owners addressed the problem with shutters. Although we’re not huge fans of shutters, they do tame, even if not defeat, the blistering sun. Though fully lined black-out curtains (which we used) were an option, we thought it prudent to take a belt-and-suspenders approach, particularly since this is an upstairs room and we don’t yet know how sweltering it might get in the summer. So we left the shutters.

Since it’s upstairs, this room doesn’t have the luxury of 10′ ceilings. The panels that Debra selected for this room were 96″, just like the ones in the Library. Even with the rod as high as it will go, the curtains are going to puddle on the floor. And that’s okay. Not just okay, it’s the look she wanted – a little more formal, sort of sumptuous. This room also has a fireplace (which we’ll look at in a later post) and a fireplace invites a bit more formality. Besides, a little calming luxury is appropriate for the bedroom.   As you can see, the rod abuts the bottom of the crown. In keeping with the idea that the drapes would, well, drape and puddle onto the wood floors, we opted for hooks and rings rather than using the rod pocket at the top of the panels. (We typically do that, anyway.) Despite the tools still visible and the frame on the floor, I think the picture below shows that Debra accomplished her goal, don’t you? Thanks, again, for reading and for letting me know how you think we’re doing.