OY VEY!! Q&A!! Answers!!!!!!

Before I get to the answers to all your questions.....

I would like to show some more of how I've been playing with PicMonkey.

This is the photo as it came from the camera....

this is after I played with it on PicMonkey!!!!

I think it makes a cool looking graphic. 
Almost like a painting.

This is how the photo looked right out of the camera.....

After I played with it on PicMonkey,,,,,

I can't believe this software is free.

Okay.....

On with the questions and answers.....

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Hi Betsy, my name is Bette Jo and I live in Oregon.  I have been following your blog since you started writing and I am so glad to have found it (I'm sorry I haven't signed in as a follower as I haven't figured out how to do it without having to make an account with Google......my poor senior brain is on overload whenever I try something new on the computer!)  I will get there I hope but please know that I am following every article you are writing.
 
I ordered your book "Great Color & Pattern Collection" from Amazon after reading about it on your blog and I have been devouring it since it arrived.  I have a lot of decorating books but none that make me happy just from looking at all of the beautiful pictures. I love your tips and the way that you point out illustrations in each picture.  I am such a visual person and I really need to "see" an explanation of what someone is talking about.  You did a wonderful job.  I'm going to order your other book also and am hoping that there may be other books coming???
 
Since you are being so generous to help some of us with decorating problems, I am enclosing a couple of pictures showing two problems that I have in my living/dining area.  We have a small home, open concept, and so many of the homes in our area have been built with areas built in for televisions.  I don't like to have my tv out and have it enclosed in an armoire but I don't know what to do with the hole in the wall for decorating.  I painted that wall a dark color and now it looks like a dark cave.  My other problem is my windows.  The way they are situated, I'm not sure how to hang drapes.  I have thought of the possibility of plantation shutters. (Please ignore the awful mini blinds, they were on the windows when we bought the house and I've left them until I can figure out what to do). Any ideas that you have will be appreciated.  Thank you for taking the time to answer our questions. 

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WHAT WAS THIS BUILDER THINKING??????

Even if someone wanted to put a tv over the mantle, they are so thin, why do an indent?????

All you need is a plug!!!!!

THIS IS WHAT I WOULD DO.....

I would get a large mirror that overlaps the indentation, and have it rest on the mantle.

Then I would lean a picture in front of it.

Like this.....

(these are some old magazine articles of my projects)

or this....

Or, you can just have pretty accessories in front of the mirror.....

To hide that there is a gap behind the mirror, rather than prop it against the wall, I would hang it on the wall, just with the bottom resting on the mantel.

As for you window problem.....

Plantation shutters would certainly add needed detail 

to the plain aspect of your windows,

 but (being me)

 I wouldn't stop there,

 I would also add drapery panels on both windows, and move the mirror to some other wall. 

You could do draperies on big poles with rings, with three windows in a row, I feel valences would be too much. Plantation shutters with draperies are a great look.

Here's how I did them in my Florida bedroom.....

I tooled around pinterest and found this image.

It's amazing how few people combine shutters with draperies. 

tidystuff.com

I wouldn't hang the curtains that far above the windows, though.

The draperies would really warm up the look of the room and have an added bonus of softening the acoustics.

Hopes that helped......

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Next question.....

LOVE your blog!  You are a HOOT!  

I'm searching for lined linen (or linen-looking) draperies.
Any suggestions on sources? 
Found these at Pottery Barn, but will be well over $1,000 and I'd like to find a more economical alternative.
http://www.potterybarn.com/products/peyton-linen-cotton-drape/?lineid=3&cm_src=E:cotton-linen-drapes

I like the look of a natural / oatmeal colored linen.  Need them to be lined for privacy.
Was sooooo hoping to not have to sew these.
Looked at prices on fabric for draperies and linings and that was going to be pricey also.

Am I just too cheap?  
JC Penney has these, unlined.  Thought about adding a lining to them, but wondered if a lining added after the fact would hang nicely.
http://www.jcpenney.com/jcp/X6.aspx?catnum=FC731-0371Q&action=Edit&ItemSeq=0&EditRefPage=http%3a%2f%2fwww.jcpenney.com%2fjcp%2fbag.aspx&cmBagLookup=True&ts=129732177984272428&CmCatId=bag

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YES!!!!

you are too cheap!!!!

If you want a nice look, you either have to pay for it, or get off your @$$

and do some stinkin' work, for cripes sake!!!!!

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Next question.....

Here is my dilemma.  My living room fireplace wall is "framed" on one side by a solid wall, and on the other side it opens into the kitchen.  I just can't figure out how to treat the wall on the side of the fireplace, because it seems that it gets the "weight" of it all wrong.  Help!!  Thanks, Jacki

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OK, once again the builder needs to be taken out back and shot.

This is what I would do.....

Since the right side of the fireplace backs up to the kitchen, I would hang a pretty pot rack over the pass through countertop, so that anything hanging is still on the kitchen side of the wall.

That way there is some visual weight to the right of the fireplace.

Then I would do an arrangement of pictures 

(or even better plates!!! and platters!!!)

to the left of the fireplace.

AND THEN I WOULD TAKE THE PLASTIC BAG OFF THE MANTEL.....

Something like this would balance the metal wall hanging that you have to the left of the living room....

Hope that helps....

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Next question....

I have a question I was hoping you could answer for me. Is it "ok" to hang curtains on the porch? I mean from a designers view point..some houses I see look good and others look like they hung their laundry out to dry!! Any advice will be appreciated...I have been pondering this idea for a while now. 
Thanks a bunch!
love your house especially the shutters on the doors...that one keeps sucking me back for another peek! 

(So I asked for some pictures, and she sent me this note with these photos)

here are the picts of my deck..it is small just off the front door of my home. One pict is to show you where I want to hang the curtains and the other is to give you an idea of my "decor" for my porch. We spend time here and you can see how close the neighbor is living in a retirement park. if the curtain idea would look like @#$% dont be afraid to let me know...I understand it is no beach house. Just want to add ambiance and privacy if needed. To hang or not to hang, and what fabric if I do..

Thanks Betsy I really do appreciate it. 

my blog is http://ribbonslaceinspiration.blogspot.com/.

Tiki

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I'm going to assume that the style of your house is the same as your neighbors....

SINCE YOU DIDN'T SHOW ME A PICTURE OF THE PORCH ATTACHED TO YOUR HOUSE!!!!

I think cabana curtains would be just fine, if they are made out of a solid or striped fabric. Any other pattern may look a little strange. 

There are plenty of places that sell nice out door fabric, just be sure it is outdoor fabric.

Also, to keep them from looking like laundry, make sure you use tiebacks, and blouse them out a little over the tieback.

like I did by my pool....

I went tooling back around pinterest, and found this image....

traditionalhome.com

As to the issue of privacy.....

to have the curtains full enough to pull closed would look 

WAY TOO FULL!!!

However.....

You could also hang outdoor blinds, to let down for privacy, they come looking like matchstick or bamboo and are made out of plastic. 

roomzaar.com

Target sells some, here

NOW FOR SOME UNSOLICITED ADVICE!!!!!

(OH KNOW!!!!)

Your outdoor rug looks too small.......

If you come asking for advice, 

you never know what may come your way.....

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Next question,,,,,

Our home is very open.  When you walk into the front door, you have full view of the den, the kitchen, the dining room and the living room.  In the past I have made sure that all of the drapery/curtains matched/coordinated.  I really would like a little expansion here...same colors maybe, but a little extra oomph here and there.  Is this a decorating no-no???? Many thanks, Jaybird PS:  I found your blog today and have wasted an entire day reading....uh-oh....no supper is on the table....yikes!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Whatever can be seen from one room, should coordinate with the other spaces. I call this "visual flow". The fabrics don't have to match, but there should be a similar feel to all of it. The colors should work together, they don't have to be the same. The styles should work off of each other. But in the end..... It's your home, if it makes you happy..... who gives a @#$ what anyone else thinks????? ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hope this was helpful to all you guys. Till next time.... Later, Gator