The last time I talked about this room was in April, when I got my floor loom set up in it. Even though the interior still needs to be finished, that won't happen until our priority projects are finished. In the meantime, I'm working to make it more comfortable and homey. One of the things I did, was to hang two old printed quilt pattern bedspreads as window draperies.
Front window before |
Front window with full size bedspread. |
Side windows with thermal curtains. |
Queen size bedspread for the side windows. |
Even though the walls and window trims still need to be finished, the bedspreads help cover up the mess!
The front window is shaded by the front porch, but the side windows in the photo above get the full brutal force of our afternoon southern sun. That means the room heats up, even with energy star windows. So in addition to the bedspread, I also used the four thermal curtains; one pair on tension rods in the window framing, and the other two hung on the inner rod of the double drapery rod. That gives me a double layer of thermal curtains plus the quilt. That seems to be helping quite a bit.
What's on the loom? It's a throw rug for the entryway of this room.
I chose the yarns to compliment the bedspreads. You can see those photos here. It's finished now, and below you see it here it is in its new home . . .
Technical details for the rug are at my fiber blog. |
The book shelf cubes are new too, and create a nice visual partition. My large desk is behind them, so they help hide the clutter!
I've also been able clear this wall in preparation for future work.
The brick wall you see is the back of our woodstove alcove. Originally, this bedroom and the living room had back to back fireplaces, both of which have been torn down. Dan is still planning on having a masonry stove built, and this brick wall will be incorporated into the thermal mass. After that, we can finish the wall and do something about the closet.
Old photo from when we first bought the house. |
The closet is 6-feet wide and 17.5 inches deep. The door is only 72-inches tall. That gives the shelf above the closet rod a 7-inch opening for storing items on the shelf.
17 comments:
The quilt coverings on the windows look fabulous! I love how clever you are in thinking about keeping the heat out.
There is always another project, but y'all seem to be very diligent about getting things done in the proper order.
Continued blessings...
Daisy, only a fellow homesteader would agree with our "proper" order. :) One thing I find, is that I have to spend a long time thinking about a renovation or upgrade. I seem to have to think all the possibilities through to some sort of (hopefully) functional conclusion. Then too, everything has to fit within our budget, which is pretty small. But, we find that that encourages us to be more and more creative. And usually I'm pretty happy with the results.
I think the average person doesn't understand just how much energy is transmitted through windows. It can really affect the temperature of your house or the amount of energy you spend maintaining it.
Leigh, "thermal curtains" has now become a discussion in our apartment home as well, especially because the Summer sun beats directly down on our bedroom (which, as it turns out, is the hottest part of the house).
One question, and maybe it is just the angle of the picture: how are providing light for the room with the quilts in place? Does that allow enough ambient light or are you supplementing?
Ed, I suspect most people just turn down their A/C. But you're right, windows are a huge energy leak. Since we don't use A/C, we have to find other ways to keep the house comfortable.
TB, the thermal curtains aren't fully light blocking and neither is the quilt. So the room is dim but not dark. Before the sun hits the windows, I can open the coverings for natural light. In the evening, I have to turn on a light anyway.
You have priorities and with a tight budget it is prudent to have renovations and projects in the "proper order" That is so right! Your house is shaping up nicely and your renovations don't look rushed. My wife would badger me because I look at a project like you do, find all the angles, what ifs, budget of course and make sure what we were doing benefited beyond it just being pretty or fashionable. I wanted to know the cost/benefit ratio and how it impacted our living and how it would affect the equity gain or loss. Beside I am of the Over-Engineer a project, rather it be stronger and will last past a century and I would not have to repair or replace it 10 or 20 years into the future.
Kevin, exactly! Especially the benefit for all the work and expense that goes into a project. I will allow that I consider aesthetic appeal part of the benefit, especially when it comes to the house, but that's usually accomplished easily with paint and textiles. :)
'Tis the time of year to keep the windows covered and the heat out. Your rug looks amazing. How long did it take to make it? We had a bedroom closet in our old house like that. We ended up opening it floor to ceiling, framed the opening, rejigged the shelving, and put in sliding mirrored doors. It was so nice to then have easy access to everything, plus it appeared brighter with the reflected light.
Rosalea, well, it took awhile because I only get in 30 minutes of weaving time here and there. Looking back at my fiber blog, I started weaving on it at the beginning of June, and it was off the loom about a month later. Then there was twisting the fringe, getting photos, writing the words, etc. Thankfully, I'm never in a hurry when it comes to weaving.
I like what you did to your closet. We're thinking similar. By-pass doors of regular door height would help a lot! I hadn't thought about mirrored doors; good idea about the reflected light.
Thermally lined drapes are definitely worth the cost. They have helped to keep our bedrooms slightly cooler in the awful heat here in Northern Virginia this summer. I bought a new set for one of the guest rooms earlier this year at JC Penney’s on sale and with a coupon 👍
Take care, Katie C.
Katie, I've noticed a difference with our thermal curtains too. Every little bit helps!
One thing at a time. I bet when you look at pictures from when you first started on the place to now, you are amazed. Especially the view from the road - or the front changing the porch and windows & paint of course. It all makes a difference. Looking good!
LL, I'm so glad I took a lot of before pictures. It's a lot of fun to see the changes over the years.
Getting the big task list in priority-order can be a task in itself, can't it? My mind has been on carousel mode since the barn destruction in April. After a rapid-fire chat with my very functional neighbor yesterday I've just about got the next two big tasks sorted out in my head, and I'm giving myself one day off - tomorrow, and I'm even going to be off the property and visiting other humans for a few hours! - before the heavy lifting begins. Wish me a lot of luck, please :)
Quinn, definitely lots of luck! There are so many factors to consider when prioritizing projects: need, time, resources, etc. Dan and I find that the mental input for the planning stages is intense, but it's frustrating because at that point, there's nothing to show for it. Then when we do get started, it always seems to take ten times longer than expected!
Looking forward to your blog posts. It's always interesting to see how others' tackle their problems and solve them.
Thanks so much, Leigh! And I forgot to mention how blown away I was at the first glimpse of your weaving - the colors and the pattern - it is gorgeous! I love when people make things that are both beautiful and to be used!
Quinn, thank you! Creating beautiful things is a wonderful way to unwind and relax. :)
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