A room planner and pictures

The weeks have just been flying by lately--more quickly than usual. Slow down!  We're having such a beautiful spring here in NC, but this week the pollen was crazy bad.  The fabulous grandboy has allergies and it is no fun.  It's culminated in some sort of flu-like condition.  He's got a fever and is feeling very poorly.  Is asleep on the couch as I type this.  I'm hoping for a typical sparkling recovery this afternoon as he has a birthday party to attend tomorrow and is very much looking forward to it.  He is such a sweet boy.

I found a nice little room planner on the Traditional Home website.   Go to Marvin and try it out.  Click on the "room planner" tab.  Has an adequate library of furnishings--even outdoor rooms.

I love looking at pictures of interiors, both on the web or in magazines (but so far do NOT like magazines on the web!).  However, as a designer and self proclaimed critic,  I find much that is just wrong.  Doesn't mean it's not beautiful and I understand that many things are probably done to get an interesting picture, but....

Really?  This is where I should place a bed?  In front of that fabulous window?  So as I stand outside and look up at my house, I see a bed in front of that window?  C'mon!   The colors in the room are lovely. The rug adds a wonderful pop of life to an otherwise rather monastic space.  And what exactly are those two little stools/table over on the right doing?  Providing seating for guests?  Not quite sure.  But my main complaint is the placement of that bed.  Just wrong.

On another note, here are 2 rooms (from Traditional Home) for your consideration:

Both are restful, neutral, contemporary rooms.   Know what keeps them from being kind of cold and stark?  It's the drapes.  Draperies are the unsung, forgotten and neglected heroes of most rooms.  We invest so much time and money into furnishings and accessories and then often wonder what the heck is missing.  I'm here to tell you--it's draperies, window treatments, curtains, whatever you want to call them.  They warm up and finish a room.  Please don't forget them and don't fret about the cost. You can be creative here--but please, no dishtowels on curtain rods!  Draperies are worth every penny that you spend.  Ballard Designs has great, affordable ones.  Get the longer 96" lengths so that you can pull your rods up higher.  I saw some other nice-yet-inexpensive drapes somewhere else recently.  Will post that later when I remember.  Oh, it was Pier 1.  They often don't have the longer lengths, though, so you may have to be more creative (to add more fabric to the bottom or top--you can do it!). 

While you're at it--when buying mass produced cheapo drapes, go to your local fabric shop and buy some trim.  Glue or stitch said trim to your drapes.  Voila.  Much better.  Now they're really yours.

Ciao,

Anne

(now I can't get my words over to the left--I'm tired of relearning!)