Design fantasies desired...
GypsyJen
into one of those fun threads, 'cause I imagine a lot of people *do* have stuff
like this in their heads.
As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close, we
are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I thought
we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's ideas/fantasies.
I know I used to imagine a kitchen all done in black and white, ultramodern yet
comfortable. (Even though that's not my style at all and I could *never* live
with it! =)
So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
(We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
know why we need ideas. ;)
Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can come up
with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
GypsyJen
Octagon peg in a round world.
"Grow until your mind is the size of the world. Do not try to compress the
world to make it fit inside your mind." - Charles Ardai
My Very Bad Homepage is here: http://www.geocities.com/gypsyjenx
Elaine M. Brown
> Well, maybe not quite that glorious. *grin* Actually, I'm hoping this does
> turn into one of those fun threads, 'cause I imagine a lot of people *do*
> have stuff like this in their heads.
>
> As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close,
> we are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
>
> So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I
> thought we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's
> ideas/fantasies.
Well, this may not apply to you, but I've always wanted a fairly cubical
room for some kind of RPG related room (perhaps library...) which would
have mainly white or off white walls, but have large black dodts painted
on each wall, so it would be like standing on the inside of a six-sided
die (singular of dice, just to avoid confusion) If the one spot could
correspond with a round window or a skylight, so much the better ;-)
Aside from that, most of my mental images for rooms are relatively
complex. Waterscapes, a wooded mountainous landscape at night with stars
that light up somehow. And of course, duplicating the Cave room from the
castle at Neuschwanstein, right down to the secret door, would be really
neat.
But realistically speaking... sorry I can't help ;-) BOYC to lubricate
the creative process?
-Elaine
--
"Show me a sane man and I will cure him for you."
-Jung
Peter Eng
gypsy...@aol.comscarf (GypsyJen) wrote:
>
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
> Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can come up
> with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
>
I don't know if this will help, but my mother did what I consider to be a
great paint job.
In her house, the living room, kitchen, and entryway aren't really
separated, so she used different colors to define each area. Bright colors.
Or maybe that's "Bright! Colors!"
Not that it's all reds and yellows, but the greens and blues are...well...
lively, I suppose.
Peter Eng
--
briefly tempted to make up a description of "woven" gray and black chevrons
taking up an entire wall, in spite of the fact that he has no idea what it
would look like.
GypsyJen
*snip of neat ideas*
>But realistically speaking... sorry I can't help ;-) BOYC to lubricate
>the creative process?
>
And they were definitely fun to read, even if we can't use 'em. =) Thanks!
GypsyJen
>I don't know if this will help, but my mother did what I consider to be a
>great paint job.
>
>In her house, the living room, kitchen, and entryway aren't really
>separated, so she used different colors to define each area. Bright colors.
>Or maybe that's "Bright! Colors!"
>
>Not that it's all reds and yellows, but the greens and blues are...well...
>lively, I suppose.
>
discovered something already that might help other people. When looking at
paint chips, one often holds them up to white walls (or otherwise light
walls)...the contrast can make colors appear darker than they actually are, so
we're making a point of looking at colors against both white and black
backgrounds in order to get a more balanced idea of what they *really* look
like. =)
>briefly tempted to make up a description of "woven" gray and black chevrons
>taking up an entire wall, in spite of the fact that he has no idea what it
>would look like.
>
We're actually planning on doing gray in the living room, but I think the black
would make it a bit too dark. (Not to mention weaving two colors together would
be HARD. *grin*) Cool idea, though! =)
Lollee
nook like a fantasy out of the Arabian nights. She put carved sandalwood panels
over the windows, which allowed a little light in, but keep the nook shadowed
and cozy. Then she took Indian print cotton gauze and draped it from the
ceiling to the side walls, as if you were inside a gauze tent. She had drapes
of the same fabric covering the walls between the windows. (The space was
mostly windows so this was a very small area. Then she had a low table with
Indian print cotton tablecloth and instead of chairs, low benches against the
walls with lots of pillows and cushions piled on them. The chandelier was
replaced with a brass lamp, she put a low watt yellow bulb in it to simulate
lamplight. There were brass Middle Eastern plates and other decorations
including a brass elephant plant stand. It sounds overdone, but the total
effect was wonderful. It was like stepping into another world.
Lollee
"Do not meddle in the affairs of wizards, for they are subtle and quick to
anger."
J.R.R. Tolkien, "The Fellowship of the Ring"
GypsyJen
>I don't know how doable it is, but a former coworker of mine did her dining
>nook like a fantasy out of the Arabian nights. She put carved sandalwood
>panels
>over the windows, which allowed a little light in, but keep the nook shadowed
>and cozy. Then she took Indian print cotton gauze and draped it from the
>ceiling to the side walls, as if you were inside a gauze tent. She had drapes
>of the same fabric covering the walls between the windows. (The space was
>mostly windows so this was a very small area. Then she had a low table with
>Indian print cotton tablecloth and instead of chairs, low benches against the
>walls with lots of pillows and cushions piled on them. The chandelier was
>replaced with a brass lamp, she put a low watt yellow bulb in it to simulate
>lamplight. There were brass Middle Eastern plates and other decorations
>including a brass elephant plant stand. It sounds overdone, but the total
>effect was wonderful. It was like stepping into another world.
>
idea of draping walls in fabric! (Something I've seen before on Trading
Spaces/Changing Rooms.) I've always wondered though about keeping that clean. I
mean, do ya have to keep taking it down and washing it? If so, how often? Once
a week, once a month, once a year? Does anyone know? It might be an option for
my office, I'm thinking...or the bedroom...
Thanks, Lollee!
Ziactrice
closing on Feb 28th! Most of it is already tastefully decorated,
so I don't have to do much painting. The bedrooms however, still
have carpet instead of wood floors. I was thinking about the
extra bedroom: instead of a guest bedroom (hardly ever used),
a meditation room. Do a wood floor like a dojo, a paper and
wood panel over the window, and some hangings with Kanji
characters. Maybe a niche in one wall with a changing with
the sesons item for pondering: a flower arrangement done
in plain, Oriental style, an orchid, or an arrangement of
colorful stones?
I know, it sounds stark, but my taste runs to either 'over
the top' luxury, or keep it really simple starkness.
Extreme Decorator,
Ziactrice
GypsyJen
>I'm thinking about the same notions, G, since my new home is
>closing on Feb 28th! Most of it is already
Which reminds me...Congratulations! =)
tastefully decorated,
>so I don't have to do much painting. The bedrooms however, still
>have carpet instead of wood floors. I was
This place is pretty much white, except for a flower border thing in the middle
of the kitchen (SO not me!) and another such border in the bathroom with a
paint job below it that are just icky to me. So, lots of painting going on. Or
something. Me, I like carpet. I do not like to step on things that my feet
cold. ;) Mileage varies. *grin*
thinking about the
>extra bedroom: instead of a guest bedroom (hardly ever used),
>a meditation room. Do a wood floor like a dojo, a paper and
>wood panel over the window, and some hangings with Kanji
>characters. Maybe a niche in one wall with a changing with
>the sesons item for pondering: a flower arrangement done
>in plain, Oriental style, an orchid, or an arrangement of
>colorful stones?
>
>I know, it sounds stark, but my taste runs to either 'over
>the top' luxury, or keep it really simple starkness.
>
Sounds pretty! That reminds me...I *was* thinking of doing some writing on the
walls type stuff. Don't know if I'll do it, but it's good to be reminded of the
idea!
(I know you said hangings, but it triggered a memory of a Trading
Spaces/Changing Rooms ep where they did Chinese characters along the top of a
wall.)
(Yes, I am an Addict. *grin*)
I like starkness in principle...rooms like that look good to me...but I don't
feel *comfortable* in them. I like warmth and sensuality. =)
Leonard & Brooke
wrote:
>I'm thinking about the same notions, G, since my new home is
>closing on Feb 28th! Most of it is already tastefully decorated,
>so I don't have to do much painting. The bedrooms however, still
>have carpet instead of wood floors. I was thinking about the
>extra bedroom: instead of a guest bedroom (hardly ever used),
>a meditation room. Do a wood floor like a dojo, a paper and
>wood panel over the window, and some hangings with Kanji
>characters. Maybe a niche in one wall with a changing with
>the sesons item for pondering: a flower arrangement done
>in plain, Oriental style, an orchid, or an arrangement of
>colorful stones?
Maybe a small tabletop fountain of some sort?
I have one that I need to make room to set up. It's a glass bowl with
this angular chunk of white quartz. There's a hollow in the top where
the water comes up from the pump hidden inside the chunk of quartz. And
a ball of snowflake obsidian sits it the hollow getting rotated by the
water.
Mild water noises, and the smooth, white flecked ball of black stone
rotating against the angular white quartz...
--
Leonard Erickson (aka Nemo) kal...@krypton.rain.com
"No, I will _not_ move your planet... What do you want to move it _for_?
It's fine right where it is!"
-- Dairine Callahan, Wizard (no relation)
Arri London
>
> Well, maybe not quite that glorious. *grin* Actually, I'm hoping this does turn
> into one of those fun threads, 'cause I imagine a lot of people *do* have stuff
> like this in their heads.
>
> As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close, we
> are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
>
> So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I thought
> we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's ideas/fantasies.
>
> I know I used to imagine a kitchen all done in black and white, ultramodern yet
> comfortable. (Even though that's not my style at all and I could *never* live
> with it! =)
>
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
> Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can come up
> with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
>
> GypsyJen
>
Just saw in the local paper a 'suburban' house done up in
Mexican colours. Each room is done in a solid (more or less,
they are faux finishes) colour such as pumpkin, dark
turquoise etc. The furniture shown is quite plain, but
accented with just a few very colourful bits.
The colours for your house will depend very much on the
size, shape and light available in each room.
SCA Wench
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
My kitchen design is based on something I found in an antique store, an
entire set of green depression glass drawer handles. I would love to do the
kitchen in green and white with white or bleached wood cabinets with the
drawer handles, light green marble countertops, white and green tile floors
and walls and instead of curtains in the windows, I'd put some deep shelves
and fill them with pieces of green and pink depression glass kitchenware.
Our living room right now is done in med oak woodwork and hunter green
furniture, pretty traditional. I have plans for that room. The recliners
are going to be replaced with either tan or rust armchairs and that
god-awful beige carpet (that I've hated from the moment we moved into this
house) will at the first financial opportunity be replaced with a nice
hunter green.
(Off thread rant) What is it about beige carpet anyway? It's the worst
color in the known universe to keep clean and doesn't really match anything.
Why builders insist on putting it in is anybody's guess. I'd much rather've
had some good hardwood floors. <sigh> Well, it was a model home and that
was what was in it when we bought it.
--
\|/ \|/ Jean
\{0}-{0}/ All of life's big problems include
< the words "indictment" or "inoperable."
8 Everything else is small stuff.
Alton Brown
GypsyJen
>Just saw in the local paper a 'suburban' house done up in
>Mexican colours. Each room is done in a solid (more or less,
>they are faux finishes) colour such as pumpkin, dark
>turquoise etc. The furniture shown is quite plain, but
>accented with just a few very colourful bits.
>
really strong colors. *shakes head at self*
>The colours for your house will depend very much on the
>size, shape and light available in each room.
>
*nods* Oh, naturally. It's a small house with small rooms, so we can't,
generally, go very dark. (With the exception of the bedroom, which can be dark
even if small, imo.)
Kat & Kent
was a library in a house done in burgundy. I still need to redo walls
in my house... we redid the living room/dining room in a dark
peach/sandstony kind of color. The kids rooms are in light purple or
pink with dark purple suns & moons around the top... their bathroom is
bright sky blue with dark purple suns & moons while our bathroom is
medium dove gray with dark gray dolphins. Hope this helps.
Kat
--
Be careful what you ask for...
You just might get it
GypsyJen
>My kitchen design is based on something I found in an antique store, an
>entire set of green depression glass drawer handles. I would love to do the
>kitchen in green and white with white or bleached wood cabinets with the
>drawer handles, light green marble countertops, white and green tile floors
>and walls and instead of curtains in the windows, I'd put some deep shelves
>and fill them with pieces of green and pink depression glass kitchenware.
>
shade of green. =) I think part of my decorating problem is that I have too
many disparate pieces that I can't bring myself to get rid of, which makes a
whole room concept rather tricky. *frown*
>Our living room right now is done in med oak woodwork and hunter green
>furniture, pretty traditional. I have plans for that room. The recliners
>are going to be replaced with either tan or rust armchairs and that
>god-awful beige carpet (that I've hated from the moment we moved into this
>house) will at the first financial opportunity be replaced with a nice
>hunter green.
>
*chuckle* Green is wonderful. We have hunter green couches right now, but
they're rather dead and we'll need new ones soon.
Have I mentioned we're definitely doing gray in the living room?
>(Off thread rant) What is it about beige carpet anyway? It's the worst
>color in the known universe to keep clean and doesn't really match anything.
>Why builders insist on putting it in is anybody's guess. I'd much rather've
>had some good hardwood floors. <sigh> Well, it was a model home and that
>was what was in it when we bought it.
*understanding*
GypsyJen
>My favorite room for seeing from the street (and I always wanted one)
>was a library in a house done in burgundy.
Hee. Yeah, that *is* neat. But the library will also be my office, and,
therefore, Must Be Green. =)
I still need to redo walls
>in my house... we redid the living room/dining room in a dark
>peach/sandstony kind of color. The kids rooms are in light purple or
>pink with dark purple suns & moons around the top... their bathroom is
>bright sky blue with dark purple suns & moons while our bathroom is
>medium dove gray with dark gray dolphins. Hope this helps.
>
Oh, it does! You like the gray? The one we're planning on going with is called
medium gray...I imagine it's probably closest to dove gray. What do you think
of that in a living room? (There's a good sized window in it.)
M Blaze Miskulin
> So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I thought
> we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's ideas/fantasies.
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
> Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can come up
> with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
:) I'm a scenic painter... the question is "What do you want? I can
paint it for you."
There are some very nice texturing techniques that can be done very
easily, and very cheaply.
Sandstone, marble, scubble, brick, translucent damask..... there's very
little limit.
The real decisions depend on the room itself. I wouldn't consider
suggesting a paint scheme without seeing the room, the lighting, how
it's used, etc.
--
-----
M Blaze Miskulin
owner
Winterborne Scenic Studios
sfw
GypsyJen wrote:
> As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close, we
> are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
I just finished redoing my bathrrom. Purple walls, white and black and
chrome everthing else. Very very deco.
Sarah
GypsyJen
>:) I'm a scenic painter... the question is "What do you want? I can
>paint it for you."
*sigh* I wish I *could* paint.
>There are some very nice texturing techniques that can be done very
>easily, and very cheaply.
>
>Sandstone, marble, scubble, brick, translucent damask..... there's very
>little limit.
Hee. Methinks "easily" is a pretty subjective term. ;) But I suppose I *will*
take a look at some directions for some of these and see. =)
>The real decisions depend on the room itself. I wouldn't consider
>suggesting a paint scheme without seeing the room, the lighting, how
>it's used, etc.
>
*nods in understanding* For myself, I'm looking for...color combinations that I
wouldn't necessarily think of or shades that have turned out particularly well
in rooms before, things like that. And, in general, with the Dream Room thing,
I'm looking for creative inspiration. =)
GypsyJen
>chrome everthing else. Very very deco.
>
>Sarah
Hmm. Light purple or dark? If dark/bright, how's it working out for you? We're
angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
really know *what* to do. *angst*
Scott
>I can imagine! =) Actually, this really *was* helpful...I'd forgotten about the
>idea of draping walls in fabric! (Something I've seen before on Trading
>Spaces/Changing Rooms.) I've always wondered though about keeping that clean. I
>mean, do ya have to keep taking it down and washing it? If so, how often? Once
>a week, once a month, once a year? Does anyone know? It might be an option for
>my office, I'm thinking...or the bedroom...
It woudl depend on what kind of fabric, and what kind of dirt, but I'd
think normally vaccuuming would work fine, and a true washing wouldn't
need to be done that often at all.
It would also depend on how loosely the fabrics were draped probably.
-Scott
--
Beware hot fudge sundae! | sc...@ttocs.org
Especially when it comes on Tuesdae. | Scott
One Day I will control the lightning!
EHursh
> (Off thread rant) What is it about beige carpet anyway? It's the worst
> color in the known universe to keep clean and doesn't really match anything.
> Why builders insist on putting it in is anybody's guess. I'd much rather've
> had some good hardwood floors. <sigh> Well, it was a model home and that
> was what was in it when we bought it.
Possibly they insist on putting it in because it's a neutral color that
doesn't-match most colors on an equal basis?
(Heh... I'm not even sure that the carpeting in our house was originally
beige, considering all the brown crud on the walls and ceilings from
the previous owner, a heavy smoker. It was certainly fun/satisfying,
though, pulling up the carpet in the living room after we discovered
that it was covering up a perfectly good hardwood floor.)
--
Ellen K. Hursh
Randi: "How'd your personality tests go?"
Mark: "I scored somewhere between serial killer and talk show host."
Lollee
gypsy...@aol.comscarf (GypsyJen) writes:
>Hmm. Light purple or dark? If dark/bright, how's it working out for you?
>We're
>angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
>really know *what* to do. *angst*
>
How about burgundy with gold accents? Or go for a woodsy look - they make a lot
of bathroom accessories in wood now, including bathroom seats. Use some tan
wall paint or some textured straw type wall coverings. Depends what the
underlying bathroom is like. How big it is, windows, etc.
As for the fabric on walls, my friend didn't have any trouble with hers. She
ran the upholstery attachment of the vacuum over it now and then, but it was a
fairly dark print. I don't recall her ever taking it down to wash. How often do
you wash drapes?
Oh, another friend used the fabric on walls trick, and she bought kingsize
sheets to use. Cheaper than fabric by the yard and worked very well to cover
the wall in the entry alcove. Since regular fabric is only 60 inches wide at
most, she could cover the entire 7 foot wall with one sheet. I don't recall her
having to take it down for cleaning either - she stapled it to the wall, so it
would have been hard. Her ceilings were at 7 feet in the entry, so if you have
8 or 9 ft ceilings you'd have to consider that as well.
EHursh
> Well, maybe not quite that glorious. *grin* Actually, I'm hoping this does turn
> into one of those fun threads, 'cause I imagine a lot of people *do* have stuff
> like this in their heads.
>
> As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close, we
> are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
>
> So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I thought
> we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's ideas/fantasies.
>
> I know I used to imagine a kitchen all done in black and white, ultramodern yet
> comfortable. (Even though that's not my style at all and I could *never* live
> with it! =)
>
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of room?
> (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you
> know why we need ideas. ;)
> Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can come up
> with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
I loved the purple bedroom in "Better Than Chocolate" - it's maybe a
little more intense than what *I* would actually dare to do, but I still
love it. (Trading Spaces did something with using red paint for the
walls of a living (?) room recently that turned out very nicely, though.)
Pen
<gypsy...@aol.comscarf> wrote:
> *nods in understanding* For myself, I'm looking for...color combinations that I
> wouldn't necessarily think of or shades that have turned out particularly well
> in rooms before, things like that. And, in general, with the Dream Room thing,
> I'm looking for creative inspiration. =)
Red and orange? My sitting room has walls that are
orange-y/terracotta-ish (a textured paint effect, not matte), with dark
orange saris draped over the windows, a dark orange sofa, red cushions,
poppy-red Venetian blind to actually keep the night out.
Red/orange/gold pictures of my or my mother's devising. But we did
acquire an off-white carpet with the house, and the room also has nice
large windows, so it isn't overpowering. I find it comforting and
stimulating at the same time.
Pen
<whose kitchen units are grass green>
Silicon Shaman
> GypsyJen wrote:
<serious snippage!>
> > So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for what kind of
room?
> > (We're doing the kitchen, living room, bathroom, bedroom, and
office...now you
> > know why we need ideas. ;)
> > Go right ahead and get into all the details if you want. Maybe we can
come up
> > with the Callahanian Dream House. =)
> >
> > GypsyJen
> >
Dunno if this helps, but our kitchen, which is small enough that I can stand
in the middle and touch all four walls by leaning slightly, is done in what
I call Irish pub ! Thats shades of pale yellow, to sunshine yellow on the
walls, the brighter colours in the darker corners. With a painted border
around the walls consiting of a white strip, bordered by "oh my eyes!"
yellow, and a dark forest green stencil of celtic knotwork. The door frames
are outlined in the same green [2for1 deal on the paint, and I'm a
tightwad!], the doors are paint affecting wood grain [mahognay] and the
floor which used to be "dog shit brown" lino tiles is painted a brillent
"london bus" red. Couldn't do much about the crappy 70's cupboards so they
got repainted using white gloss, and edged in the same green.
But the room I really lusted after belonged to a friend of mine at
University. His digs were in an old part of town [this is York, old means
pre-1700ad] Old well worn wooden floor, wooden beams in the celings that
were real, A huge bay window with tiny leaded glass panes that looked like
bottle-bottoms. His dad wa sin the ship chandler business, so, he got a load
of secondhand furnature, put some indian sari's he got cheap up between the
celing beam [note, take a hint from his experience, use velco to fix them in
place!]
Anyway, result was a very crediable pirate Captains cabin ! Complete
with hammock etc. I Looved that place ! The fact that the sunlight used to
reflect off the river outside helped.
SCA Wench
> In article <20020224232144...@mb-ck.aol.com>,
> gypsy...@aol.comscarf (GypsyJen) writes:
>
>> Hmm. Light purple or dark? If dark/bright, how's it working out for you?
>> We're
>> angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
>> really know *what* to do. *angst*
>>
>
> How about burgundy with gold accents? Or go for a woodsy look - they make a
> lot
> of bathroom accessories in wood now, including bathroom seats. Use some tan
> wall paint or some textured straw type wall coverings. Depends what the
> underlying bathroom is like. How big it is, windows, etc.
One of my friends recently redid her bath in a library theme. She found a
roll of wallpaper border printed to look like bookshelves and pasted it
across the walls in rows so it looks like the bathroom walls are made up of
bookshelves. Very appro, since her husband refers to it as his "reading
room" <g>.
John Beaty
lollee...@aol.com (Lollee ) wrote:
<snip a little>
>
> As for the fabric on walls, my friend didn't have any trouble with hers. She
> ran the upholstery attachment of the vacuum over it now and then, but it was
> a
> fairly dark print. I don't recall her ever taking it down to wash. How often
> do
> you wash drapes?
>
> Oh, another friend used the fabric on walls trick, and she bought kingsize
> sheets to use. Cheaper than fabric by the yard and worked very well to cover
> the wall in the entry alcove. Since regular fabric is only 60 inches wide at
> most, she could cover the entire 7 foot wall with one sheet. I don't recall
> her
> having to take it down for cleaning either - she stapled it to the wall, so
> it
> would have been hard. Her ceilings were at 7 feet in the entry, so if you
> have
> 8 or 9 ft ceilings you'd have to consider that as well.
> Lollee
Yogi grins a little an remembers:
"We had a cat named Lucy (for Lucille Ball: female Maine Coon cross with
bright orange fur) who *loved* the fabric covered walls in the house we
were renting. We would come home and find her *stuck* to the walls,
about half-way up, meowing pitteously. She also learned that she could
climb up the walls, and make her way over to the top of the patio door,
which had vertical blinds, and hide in the valance and wait for
unsuspecting victims.
"When we moved, we had to trim the fabric and shave the grass-cloth wall
paper to hide the damage. She was a great cat."
Yogi, reminiscing
sfw
>
> In article <20020224232144...@mb-ck.aol.com>,
> gypsy...@aol.comscarf (GypsyJen) writes:
> >We're
> >angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
> >really know *what* to do. *angst*
> >
>
> How about burgundy with gold accents? Or go for a woodsy look - they make a lot
> of bathroom accessories in wood now, including bathroom seats. Use some tan
> wall paint or some textured straw type wall coverings. Depends what the
> underlying bathroom is like. How big it is, windows, etc.
I really really recommend against wood. Yeah, it looks good to start,
but it does not wear well.
10 years ago, we did our bathroom. Blue walls, white tileboard around
tub, and wood towel bars, medicine cabinte, toilet seat, and other such
accessories. They were looking really worn with 3 or 4 years. But, we
were really broke, so it took us until this year to get the bathroom
done again. And in the span of 6 years, it just went from bad to worse.
IME, YMMV.
Sarah
sfw
>
> >I just finished redoing my bathrrom. Purple walls, white and black and
> >chrome everthing else. Very very deco.
> >
> >Sarah
>
> Hmm. Light purple or dark? If dark/bright, how's it working out for you? We're
> angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
> really know *what* to do. *angst*
Sorta medium. It's really hard to describe. And yes, our thought was -
no, no, NO pink. No turquiose. No, no green. Not that yellow again,
no. PURPLE!
It's called "Lively Lavender." I forget - I think it is a Duron color,
but it may be Benjamin Moore. We love it. One of our friends HATES it
(he thinks I should have gone with the dove grey. He is boring
sometimes.) Everyone else loves it. It is a bit deeper and brighter on
the walls than it is on the card.
We live in a 1926 row house. The bathroom is upstairs, and is a VERY
small interior room. (It does have a skylight.) We did:
White tiles, with a few black/white checked accent tiles, around the
tub.
Gloss white trim
Flat white ceiling
White pedestal sink
white toilet
Mirror and black medicine cabinet, recessed
Chrome light fixture, white frosted glass shades (halogen bulbs, very
bright)
Chrome towel bars, soap dishes, toothbrush holder, paper holder...
Black bath towels (with white bath towels for guests)
Zebra guest hand towel
White Shower curtain (cotton, no liner - from the Vermont Country
Store. A really great product)
and purple walls.
I suggest:
Take a long long long look at the house, and your stuff. What
style/period is the house? Your stuff? How do you want to decorate -
eclectic? Generally within a style/period? Which one/s?
Then, work from there. And remember, cream/white is not always bad, if
you have colors in your furniture, accessories, drapes, etc.
Sarah
Arri London
>
> Arri wrote:
> >Just saw in the local paper a 'suburban' house done up in
> >Mexican colours. Each room is done in a solid (more or less,
> >they are faux finishes) colour such as pumpkin, dark
> >turquoise etc. The furniture shown is quite plain, but
> >accented with just a few very colourful bits.
> >
> Sounds lovely. I'll tell you, though, it's *hard* to bring oneself to consider
> really strong colors. *shakes head at self*
I think the faux finishes (ragging or sponging) softens
them. Also the owner did them in reverse..the dark colour
was sponged/ragged over the lighter base. Most people I know
do the lighter colour over the darker one. Why not try it in
a bathroom or storage room?
> >The colours for your house will depend very much on the
> >size, shape and light available in each room.
> >
> *nods* Oh, naturally. It's a small house with small rooms, so we can't,
> generally, go very dark. (With the exception of the bedroom, which can be dark
> even if small, imo.)
>
> GypsyJen
The house featured was a small house with small rooms, but
of course the light here (in the Southwest) is quite strong.
However, my north-facing tiny bedroom (which had a huge
window) in London still looked very nice in a dark
salmon-apricot colour. I was furious with the painter for
painting the ceiling white (the landlord specified that) and
I never had the time to rectify it. Otherwise looked great!
Arri London
>
> SCA Wench wrote:
>
> > (Off thread rant) What is it about beige carpet anyway? It's the worst
> > color in the known universe to keep clean and doesn't really match anything.
> > Why builders insist on putting it in is anybody's guess. I'd much rather've
> > had some good hardwood floors. <sigh> Well, it was a model home and that
> > was what was in it when we bought it.
>
> Possibly they insist on putting it in because it's a neutral color that
> doesn't-match most colors on an equal basis?
>
> (Heh... I'm not even sure that the carpeting in our house was originally
> beige, considering all the brown crud on the walls and ceilings from
> the previous owner, a heavy smoker. It was certainly fun/satisfying,
> though, pulling up the carpet in the living room after we discovered
> that it was covering up a perfectly good hardwood floor.)
>
> --
> Ellen K. Hursh
Could go the opposite, as in my mother's mid-70s house:
brown/white shag that always looks filthy no matter what.
Sometimes tricky to find the hairballs as well!
Arri London
>
> Kat wrote:
> >My favorite room for seeing from the street (and I always wanted one)
> >was a library in a house done in burgundy.
>
> Hee. Yeah, that *is* neat. But the library will also be my office, and,
> therefore, Must Be Green. =)
Can you live with a dark green for your office? That is a
very traditional colour and the curtains can always be a
burgundy of some sort.
>
> I still need to redo walls
> >in my house... we redid the living room/dining room in a dark
> >peach/sandstony kind of color. The kids rooms are in light purple or
> >pink with dark purple suns & moons around the top... their bathroom is
> >bright sky blue with dark purple suns & moons while our bathroom is
> >medium dove gray with dark gray dolphins. Hope this helps.
> >
> Oh, it does! You like the gray? The one we're planning on going with is called
> medium gray...I imagine it's probably closest to dove gray. What do you think
> of that in a living room? (There's a good sized window in it.)
>
> GypsyJen
That will probably look very nice. Plenty of colours look
nice against grey.
brighteyes
Silicon Shaman wrote:
(snip)
> and the
> floor which used to be "dog shit brown" lino tiles is painted a brillent
> "london bus" red. Couldn't do much about the crappy 70's cupboards so they
> got repainted using white gloss, and edged in the same green.
Ooh. Could you let me know how your painted lino floors are holding up?
I've got some of the *ugliest* lino floors in my house, the only floors left as
they were when we moved in because carpeting the rest of the house was far more
important.
I've been planning to paint the lino floors - 2 bathrooms, kitchen, dining
room and entry way.
What paints did you use? Did you top coat with poly urethane or any such
stuff?
Thanks!
K.
GypsyJen
>How about burgundy with gold accents?
Well, it's a decent sized bathroom, but not very lit, so I'm tending more
towards light/bright colors.
>As for the fabric on walls, my friend didn't have any trouble with hers.
*snip of rest*
Oh, thank you! =) That makes me much less worried. I am Not A Housekeeper. ;)
GypsyJen
>orange-y/terracotta-ish (a textured paint effect, not matte), with dark
>orange saris draped over the windows, a dark orange sofa, red cushions,
>poppy-red Venetian blind to actually keep the night out.
>Red/orange/gold pictures of my or my mother's devising. But we did
>acquire an off-white carpet with the house, and the room also has nice
>large windows, so it isn't overpowering. I find it comforting and
>stimulating at the same time.
>
>Pen
><whose kitchen units are grass green>
>
problem. I have a sort of mishmash of furniture, which means that I'm a little
limited in the whole "making a room really come together" arena. Don't want to
just go with neutrals everywhere though. So boring. =)
Thanks!
GypsyJen
*snip for space*
>I suggest:
>Take a long long long look at the house, and your stuff. What
>style/period is the house? Your stuff? How do you want to decorate -
>eclectic? Generally within a style/period? Which one/s?
>
>Then, work from there. And remember, cream/white is not always bad, if
>you have colors in your furniture, accessories, drapes, etc.
>
Thanks for the suggestions, they're very on target.
I think my biggest problem is that my *stuff* is so disparate. Eclectic is
putting it gently. =) Which means I'm never gonna get that nice "it all goes
together" look one sees on design shows. I just have to find colors that work,
more or less, with what I've got.
What I've got, for the record, is a lot of Green stuff and a lot of Light Woods
(not, however, the *same* light woods). Except in the bedroom, where I have
some very *dark* wood.
Also, I have black stuff and gray stuff and a yellow-ish old chair that I love.
Kitchen table is dark wood too.
Art and decorative stuff varies so vastly that I couldn't begin to list it all.
Er. Well, I'm sure that was terribly fascinating for all of you. *wry* I'm
posting it, but shame-facedly. :)
GypsyJen
>I think the faux finishes (ragging or sponging) softens
>them. Also the owner did them in reverse..the dark colour
>was sponged/ragged over the lighter base. Most people I know
>do the lighter colour over the darker one. Why not try it in
>a bathroom or storage room?
I've seen that..it does look better, imo. I've just seen too much sponging...it
was all the rage around here not too long ago. =)
GypsyJen
>Can you live with a dark green for your office? That is a
>very traditional colour and the curtains can always be a
>burgundy of some sort.
Hah! You're talking about one of my biggest dilemmas. The office will contain
my Books and my Computer, and therefore will be a place I spend a *lot* of
time. There are so very *many* shades of green that I like. (Pretty much the
only thing that's *really* out is mint green. I like sage, not mint.)
Dark green would be okay, but it is a long, narrow room with one measly window.
It'll be well lit, but with artificial light. So I dunno.
I think the burgundy wouldn't feel right with all the light wood involved in my
furniture. I always feel that burgundy rather requires dark woods to be at it's
best. =)
>That will probably look very nice. Plenty of colours look
>nice against grey.
That's what I thought. =) Also, green and silver are sort of my colors, and
silver would be going a bit over the top. =)
Pat Kight
> I think *I'd* find it rather over-stimulating. Although this points out another
> problem. I have a sort of mishmash of furniture, which means that I'm a little
> limited in the whole "making a room really come together" arena.
"Not necessarily a problem," says the Spinster down in the Lounge, who's
been living all her life with mishmash. "There are loads of cheap ways
to change the look of your furniture. If you're handy with a needle,
slipcovers can be pretty cool. If you're not, lightweight throws
(anything from a cheap Indian-print bedspread to lengths of raw fabric,
wrapped and tied) can pull together a nice look *and* hide the wear and
tear your current furniture may have.
"One of my favorite things to do is buy/acquire unmatched wooden dining
chairs, cheap, at yard sales, and then paint them in bold colors that
fit in with my decorating scheme. My kitchen, for instance, has purple
and forest-green trim, and the previous owners had kindly left several
cans of the paint in the garage. So I used it to repaint two beat-up old
oak school chairs, one purple, one green, to use in the breakfast nook.
Add a 1950s vintage cotton tablecloth with a purple floral design, and
it looks like I planned everything this way."
"Take a look at http://www.peak.org/~kightp/newhome.html - which also
demonstrates how dark colors *can* work, even in small rooms (my bedroom
walls are deep burgundy with gold stars stamped up high, and my office,
a mere 9'x11', is walled in midnight blue)."
--Jezebel
whose decorating style can best be described as "eclectic
autobiographical," but somehow works.
kig...@peak.org
Lee S. Billings
gypsy...@aol.comscarf says...
>As you may or may not know, Tom and I are buying a house. After we close, we
>are going to paint the rooms. (We're sick to death of White Walls.)
>
>So, although we aren't gonna do any hard fancy stuff (time limit!), I thought
>we might get some ideas from hearing about other people's ideas/fantasies.
The Room I Would Love To Do But Probably Never Will:
Black walls. Black ceiling. Black carpet. Window (if any) to have a removable
opaque block. Black furniture. Glow-in-the-dark astronomy on the walls and
ceiling. Randomly spaced mirror tiles on the floor. A black-light fixture
somewhere unobtrusive.
The big problem with this room is that it's totally impractical for most
purposes, so you kind of have to have a spare room that's not needed for
anything else. But it would be SO COOL for parties! Close the door, turn on the
black-light, and you're in outer space!
Celine
--
"Only the powers of evil claim that doing good is boring."
-- Diane Duane, _Nightfall at Algemron_
Lee S. Billings
gypsy...@aol.comscarf says...
>
>Kat wrote:
> I still need to redo walls
>>in my house... we redid the living room/dining room in a dark
>>peach/sandstony kind of color. The kids rooms are in light purple or
>>pink with dark purple suns & moons around the top... their bathroom is
>>bright sky blue with dark purple suns & moons while our bathroom is
>>medium dove gray with dark gray dolphins. Hope this helps.
>>
>Oh, it does! You like the gray? The one we're planning on going with is called
>medium gray...I imagine it's probably closest to dove gray. What do you think
>of that in a living room? (There's a good sized window in it.)
It works well. My condo in Nashville was entirely painted in dove-grey, with
off-white trim and medium-grey carpet. I liked it because we could do all sorts
of slightly different things in different rooms. The living room was done with
Very Contemporary furniture (a lot of glass-and-metal, and what wasn't that was
black) and we had burnt-orange window blinds and accent items. The master
bedroom got a burgundy paisley border around the top of the walls and burgundy
window blinds, and then our comforter was burgundy satin. The upstairs bath we
did as Underwater Fantasy -- had the walls papered (with washable paper!) in a
blue... not quite marble, more like a sponged finish, and then found a shower
curtain, rugs, and some artwork with underwatery themes in shades of pale blue,
aqua, and sea-green.
Lee S. Billings
gypsy...@aol.comscarf says...
>
>>I just finished redoing my bathrrom. Purple walls, white and black and
>>chrome everthing else. Very very deco.
>>
>>Sarah
>
>Hmm. Light purple or dark? If dark/bright, how's it working out for you? We're
>angsting big time over the bathroom. I refuse to do blue or green, but don't
>really know *what* to do. *angst*
What I'd *like* to do, given time and materials, with our front bathroom here:
it already has pink tile, and started out with pink walls and cabinets which
have been partially repainted white. I'd like to finish the repainting, change
out the current countertop for a pink faux marble one, add a pink moire shower
curtain and window curtain, and have all accessories be crystal/silver. The
look would be elegant rather than froufrou.
GypsyJen
>"Not necessarily a problem," says the Spinster down in the Lounge, who's
>been living all her life with mishmash. "There are loads of cheap ways
>to change the look of your furniture. If you're handy with a needle,
>slipcovers can be pretty cool. If you're not, lightweight throws
>(anything from a cheap Indian-print bedspread to lengths of raw fabric,
>wrapped and tied) can pull together a nice look *and* hide the wear and
>tear your current furniture may have.
>
straightening them, and I don't sew and store-bought slip-covers are Not Good,
but what you say *is* true, regardless. =)
>"One of my favorite things to do is buy/acquire unmatched wooden dining
>chairs, cheap, at yard sales, and then paint them in bold colors that
>fit in with my decorating scheme. My kitchen, for instance, has purple
>and forest-green trim, and the previous owners had kindly left several
>cans of the paint in the garage. So I used it to repaint two beat-up old
>oak school chairs, one purple, one green, to use in the breakfast nook.
>Add a 1950s vintage cotton tablecloth with a purple floral design, and
>it looks like I planned everything this way."
>
Neat!
>"Take a look at http://www.peak.org/~kightp/newhome.html - which also
>demonstrates how dark colors *can* work, even in small rooms (my bedroom
>walls are deep burgundy with gold stars stamped up high, and my office,
>a mere 9'x11', is walled in midnight blue)."
>
>--Jezebel
>whose decorating style can best be described as "eclectic
>autobiographical," but somehow works.
>kig...@peak.org
>
*nods* Gorgeous! And, erm, Jez, this is *so* odd. *chuckle* The shirt you're
wearing in the picture of you...I have the *exact same shirt*...and wear it a
*lot*.
GypsyJen
*snip of description*
>The big problem with this room is that it's totally impractical for most
>purposes, so you kind of have to have a spare room that's not needed for
>anything else. But it would be SO COOL for parties! Close the door, turn on
>the
>black-light, and you're in outer space!
>
GypsyJen
>It works well. My condo in Nashville was entirely painted in dove-grey, with
>off-white trim and medium-grey carpet. I liked it because we could do all
>sorts
>of slightly different things in different rooms.
Excellent! Thanks a lot! =)
brighteyes
GypsyJen wrote:
> Arri wrote:
> >Can you live with a dark green for your office? That is a
> >very traditional colour and the curtains can always be a
> >burgundy of some sort.
>
> Hah! You're talking about one of my biggest dilemmas. The office will contain
> my Books and my Computer, and therefore will be a place I spend a *lot* of
> time. There are so very *many* shades of green that I like. (Pretty much the
> only thing that's *really* out is mint green. I like sage, not mint.)
> Dark green would be okay, but it is a long, narrow room with one measly window.
> It'll be well lit, but with artificial light. So I dunno.
> I think the burgundy wouldn't feel right with all the light wood involved in my
> furniture. I always feel that burgundy rather requires dark woods to be at it's
> best. =)
I've got my office (very small 8 x 12 room) done in a sunny yellow with dark
forest green carpet and blinds.. The trim in the room is all white. I really love
the colors especially since we've got a long bookshelf, three computer desks and a
shelf unit for extra hardware, paper and printer.
When we picked colors for painting the walls in the house we, I must admit,
simply picked up color samples and decided which ones we liked. Since we had to
replace carpeting as well we pick the carpets we wanted for each room and then
matched up the paint choices we liked :)
My favorite by far is the creamy white we chose for the living room, kitchen
and dining room. We chose it simply by it's name "toasted marsh mellow".
K.
Jette Goldie
>
> So what are the rooms of your imagination? What colors for
>what kind of room? (We're doing the kitchen, living room,
>bathroom, bedroom, and office...now you know why we need
>ideas. ;)
My "back room" is a combination of kitchen/dining room
and general "work room" for me - my sewing machine
lives there.
It's an old apartment - high ceilings, and I do mean
HIGH! (14 foot).
I had the walls done in a light terracotta colour - they
already had a kind of rough textured paint and would
have needed to be stripped completely to get rid
of that texture, so the terracotta worked well. Then
I got up on a ladder with stencils and stippling brush
and put swags and trails of ivy leaves in the corners
and down the *boxing* around pipes, etc. Not all
over the room, just here and there. White woodwork,
white ceiling, white wood units, faux granite worktops.
White tile splashback around the sink area and behind
the cooker makes it easy to clean.
The room appears warm, yet very light and airy
and has an almost *naturalistic* feel. A large garland
of fake (silk) ivy draped around the dark wooden
"whatnot" that holds my collection of miniature
china and the picture frames completes the room.
(.jpgs available ..... somewhere, if I can find the disc
and upload it <g>)
What I've always longed to do is to find a largish
empty space - barn/loft/warehouse type place -
and create a one-room living space with a theme.
The theme is....... well let me describe.
The walls are decorated with a trompe d'oile <sp?>
of woodland (false perspective shows the space
going on into the distance). Real treetrunks - with
bark still attached if possible - hold up platforms
for sleeping areas, etc. The bathroom area is
in a corner of the room, partitioned off for privacy
with wooden trellising and trailing plants. The
bath/shower looks like a waterfall and pool -
when not actually in use as a shower the waterfall
pumps recycled water constantly from the pool to
the "fall". When wanted as a bathing area, a
switch opens the drain and closes off the pump,
so that warm clean water falls into the basin for
bathing. The WC is disguised as a rock - lift
the lid and it works just like a normal WC.
Kitchen area likewise hidden behind trellis and
plant screens - stone flag flooring, as much
solid wood units, etc, as possible.
The main "living" area of the room is floored
in a mossy/grassy carpet - not real grass or
moss, we're going for comfort and illusion.
Furniture is rustic wood where it has to show,
or moulded to look like humps in the ground
and covered in the same moss/grass carpet
fabric. Large central solid fuel fire with
canopy chimney (canopy can incorporate
heat exchange mechanism to help heat the
water to heat the rest of the space and for
washing, etc).
Bedrooms, as previously mentioned, are
on wooden platforms. Railings or half
walls stop you accidentally falling off them
if you fall out of bed, or get up while only
half awake <g> Heavy drapes in the form
of a tent can create a sense of privacy while
sleeping, and also keep the sleeping area
warm during the night.
--
Jette
(aka Vinyaduriel)
"Work for Peace and remain fiercely loving" - Jim Byrnes
je...@blueyonder.co.uk
http://www.jette.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/fanfic.html
Jette Goldie
"M Blaze Miskulin" <brb...@winterborne-ss.com> wrote in
> :) I'm a scenic painter... the question is "What do you want? I can
> paint it for you."
>
If I can ever afford my loft/warehouse/barn (see my post
elsewhere in this thread) I think we need to talk <g>
GypsyJen
*snip of lovely back room*
>What I've always longed to do is to find a largish
>empty space - barn/loft/warehouse type place -
>and create a one-room living space with a theme.
>The theme is....... well let me describe.
Oooohhh...wonderful! =) I've actually seen them use tree trunks (minus bark) on
Changing Rooms to create a Really Neat shelving unit. Also big branches around
a window...gorgeous.
If you ever make the place, I wanna come visit. *grin*
Jette Goldie
"GypsyJen" <gypsy...@aol.comscarf> wrote in message
news:20020225160542...@mb-ma.aol.com...
> Jette wrote:
> *snip of lovely back room*
> >What I've always longed to do is to find a largish
> >empty space - barn/loft/warehouse type place -
> >and create a one-room living space with a theme.
> >The theme is....... well let me describe.
> *snip of excellent description*
>
> Oooohhh...wonderful! =) I've actually seen them use tree trunks (minus
bark) on
> Changing Rooms to create a Really Neat shelving unit. Also big branches
around
> a window...gorgeous.
>
> If you ever make the place, I wanna come visit. *grin*
If I ever get to do it, the whole darn Place is invited for
a party <g>
Lee S. Billings
gypsy...@aol.comscarf says...
>I think my biggest problem is that my *stuff* is so disparate. Eclectic is
>putting it gently. =) Which means I'm never gonna get that nice "it all goes
>together" look one sees on design shows. I just have to find colors that work,
>more or less, with what I've got.
>
>What I've got, for the record, is a lot of Green stuff and a lot of Light
>Woods (not, however, the *same* light woods). Except in the bedroom, where I
>have some very *dark* wood.
>
>Also, I have black stuff and gray stuff and a yellow-ish old chair that I
>love.
>
>Kitchen table is dark wood too.
>
>Art and decorative stuff varies so vastly that I couldn't begin to list it
>all.
>
>Er. Well, I'm sure that was terribly fascinating for all of you. *wry* I'm
>posting it, but shame-facedly. :)
No, really, that helps! What you do, given that list, is group the furniture
such that the light woods and yellow chair are in the same area, and the dark
woods and black stuff are in the same area (as far as feasible), with the green
acting as your overall connecting theme. Then you look for a couple of cheap
area rugs which pull the colors together, and group the art and bric-a-brac
(again, as far as feasible) into color-related groups in different spots in the
rooms. It's amazing how much you can make things look like "I planned it this
way" with minimal attention to color-grouping!
Pat Kight
(on looking at my house-on-the-Web)
> *nods* Gorgeous! And, erm, Jez, this is *so* odd. *chuckle* The shirt you're
> wearing in the picture of you...I have the *exact same shirt*...and wear it a
> *lot*.
*looks* "Ah, the late, lamented tie-dye t-shirt. Alas, it
self-destructed (after six or seven good years of service) at the
summer's end, and is now doing service in the rag bin. That reminds me,
it's time for a visit to the local NeoHippie bead store that stocks
those things ..."
--Jezebel
kig...@peak.org
GypsyJen
>No, really, that helps! What you do, given that list, is group the furniture
>such that the light woods and yellow chair are in the same area, and the dark
>woods and black stuff are in the same area (as far as feasible), with the
>green
>acting as your overall connecting theme.
Hmm. Well, the yellow chair (which has dark wood trim, btw *wry*) will go in
the office with largely light wood.
That's about the best I can do, based on what furniture must go into what room.
Then you look for a couple of cheap
>area rugs which pull the colors together, and group the art and bric-a-brac
>(again, as far as feasible) into color-related groups in different spots in
>the
>rooms. It's amazing how much you can make things look like "I planned it this
>way" with minimal attention to color-grouping!
I *will* try to do that, anyway. I'm also going to be putting up some shelving
so that I can space the trinkets a bit better. Thanks, Celine!
Silicon Shaman
"brighteyes" <ste...@got.net> wrote in message
news:3C7A77AC...@got.net...
Well the floors holding up fine. the stuff I got was meant to used on garage
floors, and although I didn't top-coat with yaught varnish at first, I had
to fairly quickly, the floor is in the kitchen, you spill oil onto the floor
and the pigment in the paint comes out and you end up with pink floors
everywhere else in the house !!! Word of advice though, don't plan on using
the floor for a couple of days, it takes paint on lino *ages* to dry ! But
get it right and you've a floor thats as tough as old boots, and you can
patch up as and when needed.
Silicon shaman
Kat & Kent
>
> Hee. Yeah, that *is* neat. But the library will also be my office,
> and, therefore, Must Be Green. =)
I would do a rich forest green then.
> Oh, it does! You like the gray? The one we're planning on going with
> is called medium gray...I imagine it's probably closest to dove gray.
> What do you think of that in a living room? (There's a good sized
> window in it.)
The gray rocks... big time... everyone who sees it loves it (even if it
takes them a minute). I think it would love fabu in a living room...
it's very versatile and you can make easy decorating changes by changing
out the curtains & pillows. Personally, with a gray living room, I
would be tempted to have a darker gray carpet and go with black couch
covers and lots of BRIGHT pillows and geometrically interesting curtains
in shades of black and gray. It would also make an excellent backdrop
for floral fabrics, aztec designs, tapestries, art deco... gee, I guess
I mean I think it would be a good choice.
Kat
--
Be careful what you ask for...
You just might get it
Kat & Kent
>
>
> The Room I Would Love To Do But Probably Never Will:
>
> Black walls. Black ceiling. Black carpet. Window (if any) to have a
> removable opaque block. Black furniture. Glow-in-the-dark astronomy on
> the walls and ceiling. Randomly spaced mirror tiles on the floor. A
> black-light fixture somewhere unobtrusive.
>
> The big problem with this room is that it's totally impractical for
> most purposes, so you kind of have to have a spare room that's not
> needed for anything else. But it would be SO COOL for parties! Close
> the door, turn on the black-light, and you're in outer space!
Actually, lose the mirror tiles on the floor and it's not *that*
impractical... it's just what Kent wants for a bedroom! It won't happen
soon... repainting the bedroom would mean moving books and the
waterbed. <grin>
Leonard & Brooke
wrote:
I suppose it's too much to hope that you are talking about someplace in
Portland?
--
Leonard Erickson kal...@krypton.rain.com
"No, I will _not_ move your planet... What do you want to move it _for_?
It's fine right where it is!"
-- Dairine Callahan, Wizard (no relation)
Peter Eng
ket...@checkmysig.com wrote:
> On Sun, 24 Feb 2002 00:21:59 -0800, Peter Eng wrote:
>
>>I don't know if this will help, but my mother did what I consider to be a
>>great paint job.
>>
>>In her house, the living room, kitchen, and entryway aren't really
>>separated, so she used different colors to define each area. Bright colors.
>>Or maybe that's "Bright! Colors!"
>
> Did she live in Central Ohio? I almost bought that house!
>
No, she lives in Seattle. Still lives in that place.
Peter Eng
--
It's like living in a life-sized IKEA catalog... :)
Pat Kight
> On Mon, 25 Feb 2002 15:19:28 -0800, Pat Kight <kig...@ucs.orst.edu>
>wrote:
>>*looks* "Ah, the late, lamented tie-dye t-shirt. Alas, it
>>self-destructed (after six or seven good years of service) at the
>>summer's end, and is now doing service in the rag bin. That reminds me,
>>it's time for a visit to the local NeoHippie bead store that stocks
>>those things ..."
>>
>
> I suppose it's too much to hope that you are talking about someplace in
> Portland?
"Oh, there probably *is* a neohippie bead store in Portland, but the
one(s) I go to - Northern Star - are in Albany and Corvallis. Looking
for something in particular? I might be able to help..."
--Jezebel
kig...@peak.org
Arri London
>
> Arri wrote:
> >Can you live with a dark green for your office? That is a
> >very traditional colour and the curtains can always be a
> >burgundy of some sort.
>
> Hah! You're talking about one of my biggest dilemmas. The office will contain
> my Books and my Computer, and therefore will be a place I spend a *lot* of
> time. There are so very *many* shades of green that I like. (Pretty much the
> only thing that's *really* out is mint green. I like sage, not mint.)
> Dark green would be okay, but it is a long, narrow room with one measly window.
> It'll be well lit, but with artificial light. So I dunno.
> I think the burgundy wouldn't feel right with all the light wood involved in my
> furniture. I always feel that burgundy rather requires dark woods to be at it's
> best. =)
True. I'm thinking of those lovely Georgian and Edwardian
houses I used to pass by on my way to work in London. The
front room was often dark green or burgundy with wood
wainscotting. Exactly the kind of furniture I would like to
have if our present house were a real house and not made of
cardboard and plastic.
>
> >That will probably look very nice. Plenty of colours look
> >nice against grey.
>
> That's what I thought. =) Also, green and silver are sort of my colors, and
> silver would be going a bit over the top. =)
>
> GypsyJen
Silver is never over the top. I'm currently working on
repainting some of my accessories metallic copper or silver.
A silvery-grey wall covering would probably look great in
your room. Green(s) for the accents.
Leonard & Brooke
wrote:
>Leonard & Brooke wrote:
>
>> On Mon, 25 Feb 2002 15:19:28 -0800, Pat Kight <kig...@ucs.orst.edu>
>>wrote:
>
>
>
>>>*looks* "Ah, the late, lamented tie-dye t-shirt. Alas, it
>>>self-destructed (after six or seven good years of service) at the
>>>summer's end, and is now doing service in the rag bin. That reminds me,
>>>it's time for a visit to the local NeoHippie bead store that stocks
>>>those things ..."
>>>
>>
>> I suppose it's too much to hope that you are talking about someplace in
>> Portland?
>
>
>"Oh, there probably *is* a neohippie bead store in Portland, but the
>one(s) I go to - Northern Star - are in Albany and Corvallis. Looking
>for something in particular? I might be able to help..."
Basically a "T-shirt" that's wearable as a "dress" the way that one was.
Closest I've come is something I can wear at one of "those" parties <g>
to make a run to the john. Just barely long enough to be "decent" (for a
very loose definition of "decent".
--
Brooke kal...@krypton.rain.com
Girls will be boys, and boys will be girls
It's a mixed up, muddled up, shook up world
"Lola", the Kinks
Pat Kight
> >> I suppose it's too much to hope that you are talking about someplace in
> >> Portland?
> >
> >
> >"Oh, there probably *is* a neohippie bead store in Portland, but the
> >one(s) I go to - Northern Star - are in Albany and Corvallis. Looking
> >for something in particular? I might be able to help..."
>
> Basically a "T-shirt" that's wearable as a "dress" the way that one was.
>
> Closest I've come is something I can wear at one of "those" parties <g>
> to make a run to the john. Just barely long enough to be "decent" (for a
> very loose definition of "decent".
"Nightshirt length, right? Mine hit me about mid-thigh. E-mail me size
your details (a shoulder-to-shoulder measurement, and maybe nape-of-neck
to however-long-you-want-it would probably suffice) and I'll see what I
can find next time I go in," Jez offers.
--Jezebel
kig...@peak.org
ghostwriter
spelling and length of this reply I am a remodeling nut.
The spousal unit and I are HGTV addicts as well. I remember one
eposide of budget makeovers where they took a wall painted brick red
and put gold leafing in astronomical shapes under the chair rail. Now
that's a splash of color for you. You might want to get a faux
finishing book, thats the best way IMO to get a lot of effect for your
money. I personally am planning to do a silk maroie(SP)look in my
dining room, it looks like you used watered silk as wallpaper when you
are finished. Most of the finishes I have read about are not that
difficult for a beginner to do but are time consuming, a full day or
two to do in a normal room. One finish I came up with thats great for
gaming, buy a piece of plain cold rolled sheet steel, any sizable town
should have at least one steel supplier you can get it from, and paint
it with chalk board paint. Mount it on the wall with some painted trim
around it as a frame and you have a large cheap magnetic/chalk board.
This is good for keeping a running account of player position since
you can make attach sheet magnets to a picture of a character and use
chalk to map out room features etc.
Now for my personal fantasies, this is easy since I am currently
remodeling a turn of the century, arts and crafts home. In the kitchen
I took the ceiling up to the roofline for a nice 14' vault, the walls
I painted white, not flat drywall white, but high gloss OH MY DOYC
THATS WHITE. I then put up two banks of warm lights with smoked
panels in front of them. So now I turn on the lights and the whole
room glows but without any harsh glare. The spouse is working on a
stained glass window for me to mount on the highest point of the
vaulted wall. Plus the high gloss paint is nearly inpervious to
stains. Eventually wall to wall cabinets with an island, double
convection wall oven and a three burner (Try and find that in a
remodeling store) gas cook top. The cook top I located at a wholesale
supplier for hotels, it has three burners in a row so its about 36"
long but only 16" deep making it more child proof and giving me room
to work directly in front of it. For refridgeration we plan to buy
several smaller fridges and mount them inside of cabinets. That way
we can have a produce fridge, a meat fridge, etc. We will end up
using three fridges and a freezer by our estimiates. This will put
what we want, where we want it rather than a classic work triangle. I
am a little bit of a neo-luddite so while I believe technology is
wonderful and useful I hate to look at the stuff. The rest of the
first floor (parlor, library, dining room) will basically be the same
as it was a 100 years ago, indoor plumbing, and electric lighting(in
replica gas fixtures) being the sole exceptions (I even found a
replica of a 1915 phone with touchtone dialing). No television on the
first floor ever! In the basement, a nook with a magnetic/chalk board
mounted on the wall. Above the chalkboard will most likely be a pull
down movie screen with a projection television mounted behind
plexiglass on the ceiling. Bookselves nearby for books, gaming
materials, Playstation, DVD player, VCR, puzzles and boardgames. A
big thick rug with lots of pillows, comfortable couches etc. for a
compination gaming, TV, slumber party area. Since we are planning to
home school this will make a great area to do lessons.
Again sorry about the length and spelling but I love to talk about
this house.
Ghostwriter
-If you follow one truth to the exclusion of all others it will become
a falsehood and you a fanatic.
-Broad generalizations are always false, including this one.
GypsyJen
>Again sorry about the length and spelling but I love to talk about
>this house.
>
>Ghostwriter
I can understand why! =)
You mentioned stained glass in there, which got me to thinking...I love stained
glass.
So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass that
doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window covers")?
Trinker
GypsyJen wrote:
>
> *snipped for space*
> >Again sorry about the length and spelling but I love to talk about
> >this house.
> >
> >Ghostwriter
>
> I can understand why! =)
> You mentioned stained glass in there, which got me to thinking...I love stained
> glass.
> So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass that
> doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window covers")?
Gesi? Are you hovering around? How did your "painting on glass
with a kit" experiement go?
--Trinker
Pat Kight
> *snipped for space*
>
>>Again sorry about the length and spelling but I love to talk about
>>this house.
>>
>>Ghostwriter
>>
>
> I can understand why! =)
> You mentioned stained glass in there, which got me to thinking...I love stained
> glass.
> So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass that
> doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window covers")?
"You might try googling for `Gallery Glass' - it's a paint-on product
that is supposed to simulate stained glass very nicely. I haven't tried
it myself, or seen anything done with it, but I occasionally hear good
reports on the craft newsgroups."
--Jezebel
kig...@peak.org
GypsyJen
>"You might try googling for `Gallery Glass'
Thanks, Jezebel. I'll check it out. I'd love to do something like that in my
bedroom at least. =)
ghostwriter
Gallery glass is what we are using. All of the test pieces we have
done came out nearly identical to stained glass. Spouse is a artist
though so YMMV.
GypsyJen
>done came out nearly identical to stained glass. Spouse is a artist
>though so YMMV.
>
>Ghostwriter
Important point! *sighs* I am Not An Artist. (Well, not that kind, anyway.) I
can't draw. Tom is a *little* better, but not much.
So anything that relies on the artistic skills of the people doing it is...not
a good idea for us.
Arri London
>
> >Gallery glass is what we are using. All of the test pieces we have
> >done came out nearly identical to stained glass. Spouse is a artist
> >though so YMMV.
> >
> >Ghostwriter
>
> Important point! *sighs* I am Not An Artist. (Well, not that kind, anyway.) I
> can't draw. Tom is a *little* better, but not much.
> So anything that relies on the artistic skills of the people doing it is...not
> a good idea for us.
>
> GypsyJen
There are hundreds of patterns available for glass painting.
Tape the pattern behind the piece of glass you want to paint
and treat it just like a colouring book. Except this time,
it's better not to go out of the lines. However, the lines
can be added afterward anyway!
ghostwriter
other side before you start, so all you really need is an image to
copy and a steady hand. The image I have, the steady hand belongs to
my wife.
EHursh
> GypsyJen wrote:
>
> > *snipped for space*
>
> > You mentioned stained glass in there, which got me to thinking...I love stained
> > glass.
> > So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass
> > that doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window >
> covers")?
>
> "You might try googling for `Gallery Glass' - it's a paint-on product
> that is supposed to simulate stained glass very nicely. I haven't tried
> it myself, or seen anything done with it, but I occasionally hear good
> reports on the craft newsgroups."
Also, ISTR that my dad got good results with painting the living
room window with regular tempera paint around holiday time.
--
Ellen K. Hursh
Randi: "How'd your personality tests go?"
Mark: "I scored somewhere between serial killer and talk show host."
EHursh
> GypsyJen wrote:
>
> > Arri wrote:
>
> > >That will probably look very nice. Plenty of colours look
> > >nice against grey.
> >
> > That's what I thought. =) Also, green and silver are sort of my colors, and
> > silver would be going a bit over the top. =)
>
> Silver is never over the top. I'm currently working on
> repainting some of my accessories metallic copper or silver.
>
> A silvery-grey wall covering would probably look great in
> your room. Green(s) for the accents.
Ooh... or a light silver coating over the green, like those pens with
the colored metallic ink?
GypsyJen
>other side before you start, so all you really need is an image to
>copy and a steady hand. The image I have, the steady hand belongs to
>my wife.
>
>Ghostwriter
Heehee. Heehee. *fit of giggling* I cannot believe this didn't occur to me.
Yes, I can, but it still seems so silly. That whole "forgetting about the
lovely see-through quality of glass" thing. I mean, people (me, obviously,
included) *do* that...I mean, more often, I think, than we forget other Very
Obvious things. And it's just so silly...
It does make sense though. I mean, solid tends to equal opaque in the
mind...and one learns early that glass is solid.
This is bizarre and I sound nuts. I shall go now. ;)
Pen
<gypsy...@aol.comscarf> wrote:
> So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass that
> doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window covers")?
Glass paints are good.
I know there are some brands which are 'paint and peel', ie you paint
your design and when it is dry, peel the whole thing up and stick it
wherever you want it. I haven't tried them myself.
What I have tried is 'paint on cling-film', which I got from the
wonderful Rainbow Glass Paints. They do a film which you can paint on
and then stick to... well, I use it on cut bottles, it's *much* easier
than trying to paint on a cylindrical surface, but it would also be a
great deal easier than trying to paint on a vertical window! You could
paint panels on this stuff and then stick them on to your windows, or
cut out leaves, whatever. I *think* it is available on a roll as well
as in sheets, should you want to do large pieces. If you want a leaded
effect, you can buy stick-on lead in various widths and at least two
colours (shiny silver or dull pewter). (Of course, if you can remove
the window panes you could paint directly onto them.)
I very much like the Rainbow Glass pearlised paints, which are
translucent and have the most beautiful surface effects. There are
other brands, eg Pebeo. Solvent based paints are better than
water-based - richest colours, longest staying power.
For Rainbow Glass Paints, see http://www.glasspaintingmaterials.co.uk/
Useful site, which includes their newsletter as well as the shop. I've
seen them at shows, and some of the stuff they produce is *gorgeous*.
They have an inspirational book called The Complete Guide to Glass
Painting, which makes me - and some of my friends - drool.
http://www.glasspainting.co.uk/index.html is a site I've just found
which has a general look at glass painting. Worth browsing.
The only problem with glass painting is that it's addictive, which may
invalidate the 'cheap' requirement!
Pen
<to email me, remove the obvious.>
Arri London
>
> Arri London wrote:
>
> > GypsyJen wrote:
> >
> > > Arri wrote:
> >
> > > >That will probably look very nice. Plenty of colours look
> > > >nice against grey.
> > >
> > > That's what I thought. =) Also, green and silver are sort of my colors, and
> > > silver would be going a bit over the top. =)
> >
> > Silver is never over the top. I'm currently working on
> > repainting some of my accessories metallic copper or silver.
> >
> > A silvery-grey wall covering would probably look great in
> > your room. Green(s) for the accents.
>
> Ooh... or a light silver coating over the green, like those pens with
> the colored metallic ink?
>
> --
> Ellen K. Hursh
>
greens, but the image of what you just suggested is coming
up very nice.
Arri London
>
> Pat Kight wrote:
>
> > GypsyJen wrote:
> >
> > > *snipped for space*
> >
> > > You mentioned stained glass in there, which got me to thinking...I love stained
> > > glass.
> > > So does anyone know a cheap way to make a window look like stained glass
> > > that doesn't *look* cheap (ala those "stained glass style adhesive window >
> > covers")?
> >
> > "You might try googling for `Gallery Glass' - it's a paint-on product
> > that is supposed to simulate stained glass very nicely. I haven't tried
> > it myself, or seen anything done with it, but I occasionally hear good
> > reports on the craft newsgroups."
>
> Also, ISTR that my dad got good results with painting the living
> room window with regular tempera paint around holiday time.
>
> --
> Ellen K. Hursh
I used to do that, but of course it cuts down the light
somewhat. However have been thinking about doing that for my
bedroom window, as the room is right next to the front door.
Some sort of random broken pattern.
In London I used to buy Japanese rice or mulberry paper to
cover up my kitchen window, after it was replaced with
totally transparent glass. Still let in light, but gave me
the privacy I crave. There aren't very many art shops here
though and the stuff is far more expensive than it was over
there. A bit of fooling around with tempera sounds just the
thing.
GypsyJen
Just couldn't let that one go by without saying Thanks!
Jeanne Harney
room..
Ron and I are also looking for a house. He's scared, because he says
he can't decide whether he'll be living in a steel mill or a bordello
with my taste. (I think it'll end up being a combination!)
My living room, if I get my way, will be pale silvery-grey walls with
gun-metal grey carpet and woodwork, with either dark green, burgundy,
or deep purple velvet curtains, long enough to puddle on the floor. A
victorian fainting couch in the same velvet, and a black leather sofa.
Black wrought iron and glass tables, wrought iron accessories (I have
a GREAT large black round wrought iron mirror Erin bought me several
years ago) and any paintings, etc will be either medieval or
medieval-esque. I'm very fond of either starkness or opulence.
I don't know why he's scared...of course the basement in said
imaginary house belongs to him, and HIS plans involve leather, wood
paneling, and dogs playing poker motifs. He found a toilet seat today
while we were out that had playing cards decoupaged onto it. Scared
me, it did...
Jeanne