We love our
country house, but are so naive about many things. (We
think the working title for the book we should write would
be "Survival of the City Slickest.") Our neighbors have
been very helpful, but I'm bringing this decorating
problem to you. It's about the huge windows in our great
room. They go practically from floor to ceiling, cathedral
ceiling. At first, we wanted them bare for the view of the
lake, but at night those black glass panes are too spooky
for us. We come from a city apartment filled with other
people. Besides, the glare off the lake can be hard - and
hot - in the daytime. What to do?A:
You city slickers will survive, all right,
but it's still curtains for you. Or, shades, at least. And
not just the old-fashioned roller kind. Hie yourselves to
your nearest window treatment store, and investigate some
of the newfangled window "shadings," as they're called.
The name's apt because shadings combine the best
features of plain shades and soft fabric window
treatments. For example, one called "Silhouette" (by
Hunter Douglas) has fabric-covered vanes suspended between
fabric panels so they look like sheer curtains and work
like regular blinds. A twist of the wrist and you can open
them to the view; twist again, and they turn to filter out
the sun. Best, by night, they'll brighten up that black
glass, and shore up your courage in the process.
There's yet another way to handle your glare problem.
Have a light-filtering film applied directly to the glass
(it requires a pro). You can't see the film - witness the
totally bare (looking) windows in the country room we show
here. They're actually protected by Vista UVShield window
film (
www.uv-shield.com), which blocks the bad rays that
fade your furniture, cause skin problems and encourage
squint lines, even in city slickers.
Q: Our new master bath is
really big, 14 by 20 feet. We're installing a lot of
built-ins and are thinking about putting the whirlpool in
the center of the floor, rather than against a wall. The
problem is, there's still so much floor space I'm afraid
the room will feel cold and lonesome. Can we bring in some
furniture? What would work in a bathroom?
A: The answer is
absolutely. Today's ever-growing bathroom is all about
being furnished as poshly as any other room in the house.
Think of a love seat, upholstered chairs or, best of all,
a chaise lounge. We're talking about shades of Rome here!
However, you have options the Romans would envy when it
comes to upholstery and slipcovers. Look for
indoor/outdoor fabrics engineered to stand up to wet and
heat. You'll have to look closely, because these fabrics
have gotten so appealing you'd think they belong in the
living room. Ditto for decorative indoor/outdoor tassels,
braids and fringes.
Designers have also come up with free-standing
furniture made specifically for bathroom duty: washstands,
stools, etageres, "bathside tables," that don't lose their
charms where it's hot and humid.
A couple of resources to check out are
www.sunbrella.com;
www.waterworks.com; and
www.kallista.com (the Barbara Barry Collection).
PS. Fill any remaining empty spots with live plants. As
long as there's enough light, they'll thrive in the
hothouse environment.
Rose Bennett Gilbert is the co-author of "Hampton
Style" and associate editor of Country Decorating Ideas.
Please send your questions to her at Copley News Service,
P.O. Box 120190, San Diego, CA 92112-0190, or online at
copleysd@copleynews.com.
© Copley News Service
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