New York Renovator

My new curtains from CurtainWorks came in! They go marvelously with my living room, don’t you think?

I am ecstatic at how beautiful they are, and how very well made they are. The kind folks at CurtainWorks gave me three sets for my living room. I absolutely LOVE these curtains! They are the perfect color, the perfect style, the perfect size!

Well, they don’t go with that lousy pink/blue couch we have. I greatly dislike the color of the couch (we got it used). We are going to be replacing it with something more suitable for our room. I want the living room to have a beige and red color scheme, with maybe some green accents.

About these curtains– they are the Arlington Jacquard Wide Width. I LOVE THEM, and I will be buying more for the rest of the house. They are of excellent, durable material– thick but not so thick that they are ugly. These will be perfect as both summer and winter curtains. They come in several colors, and are VERY affordable. These 84-inch drapes are usually $25 per panel, which is very comparable. I had shopped and shopped around a great deal this summer, looking for proper window treatments; and I think CurtainWorks has the best selection for the best prices. The material is really exceptional, I’m just so happy with these curtains. I have been to dozens of stores both online and locally, and I just haven’t found anyone who can compare with CurtainWorks. I’m really, really impressed with them.

In the past, I have always sewn my own curtains, because curtains at the stores were always so expensive, and I had the time to sew my own. However, I am too busy to sew my own stuff now, and the price of bulk material has really gone up in price recently. In my local craft/material store, I spotted some curtain fabric for $50 a YARD! Whoa!

CurtainWorks also sells curtain accessories. They sent me this absolutely exquisite iron birdcage finial drapery rod. It’s so beautiful. As soon as I get the curtains for the other rooms, I will use this rod for my kitchen window.

So I’m very impressed with CurtainWorks. I recommend them heartily! The prices are good, the curtains are EXCELLENT. And they sometimes have sales. Currently, there is a summer clearance sale going on, so it’s a great time to nab some nice curtains for very low prices. Next time you’re looking for some beautiful curtains or curtain accessories, definitely check out CurtainWorks!

So you know: CurtainWorks sent me these curtains and the finial rod for free, in exchange for me writing about them. All opinions are absolutely mine! And I mean it when I say that I love CurtainWorks and these curtains! I personally recommend them!

Well, the trim work is still not completed (geez Louise, this house has a TON of trim), and there’s no floor down in the Dining Room yet… but we’ve reached the point in this adventure where I am starting to think about decor for the kitchen, living room, and dining room. FINALLY. I really haven’t decorated the house at all in the 13 years we’ve been here. I knew we’d be renovating at some point, and the color schemes of the rooms were very disjointed until now. So, I’m hunting for decor, and trying to create a “theme” as I do.

Personally, I am (probably for the first time in my life) SICK and TIRED of shopping. Can you believe it?! Well, the reason is that for the past four months, that is all I have been doing, for the kitchen and dining room renovation: cabinets, lights, flooring, hardware, paint, etc etc….. but this kind of shopping is fun.

Because my house is so old, I’m trying to stay with the “Greco classical” style of architecture. You know: fluted trim, triangular pediments, acanthus leaves, colors red, green, and ivory…. but I don’t want the house design to be too stuffy and formal. We like our whimsy. And right now, we are REALLY into vintage tin signs. LOL. Buy.com has a bunch of them on sale, for really good prices! Click on the image to view them separately.

I really like the Hamburgers vintage sign best, but I also like the Take Off Shoes one (a much-needed sign here). I have another one that says “I’m sorry, you must be confusing me with the maid we don’t have” that is going to go right in the kitchen, LOL. So I think we are incorporating plenty of whimsy around here.

Besides funny vintage signs, Buy.com has a whole section devoted to home and garden stuff: posters, prints, lighting fixtures, furniture, rugs, garden accessories, and loads and loads more stuff. The shipping on many items is free or very affordable, and believe me– the shipping is fast! Definitely check them out for good prices. Let the decorating shopping begin!

I have been wanting one of these for soooooooooooooo long. No, not a flat panel mount… well, I do want one of those someday, but I got something I have been wanting for years. And now that my kitchen is becoming a reality, I actually GOT ONE!!! Look what The Hubs got me for my birthday!

Isn’t is beautiful?? I love clocks. I am going to have my newly renovated house filled with them. Livvy seems to like it, too. We share the same birthday. I didn’t get her a present “yet.” She has to wait until we finish the room. We’re going to build shelves and a cat walk for her, at the top of the walls, lol!

My new clock is going to go up on the wall where the chimney is. Right HERE!

Well, um, use a little creativity and try to imagine it. Ummmmm. It will look beautiful, I promise!

I’m doing the sheetrock and building pantry closets this week, which is why posts on all my blogs are so scarce. That, and the fact that I am totally exhausted. This is hard, physical work. I’m a week behind schedule and am trying to keep up on things…. more on it all, later.

I have to say, I just love those interactive websites where you can choose various styles, shapes, and colors for things for your home, and test them with your own photo or an automated version. Home design and construction has come such a long way. How about a fancy online Door Designer? This is a cool site, hosted by Masonite, one of the premier door manufacturers in the business. I have several Masonite doors in the house, and I LOVE them.

You can see from the photo above that the online door designer helps choose the perfect door. You first choose your door design. There are just so many options that this took a while for me to do. There are interior, entry, and patio doors to choose from– dozens of styles! Once you manage to harness that option, you progress to door style and loads of other options, like color, height of the door, glass design, finish, and more. The neatest tool of all is the ability for you to upload your own photo of your home and view the different types of doors and how they would look in your home. It’s pretty impressive software. And it’s all free to use! Who’d have thought we could come to this point in design, where you can mix and match and preview such components of your home from the comfort of your home? Pretty cool.

Keep this site bookmarked!

If you are like me, you do a lot of sewing this time of year. Now that the hefty summer chores are over, and the rainy season has set in, I spend much more time indoors. We are inthe process of preparing for winter, yet. I know, I’m late this year! I have several sets of drapes to sew, a few pillows, some blankets to finish (and begin) and various other odds and ends around here. My local fabric store recently closed its doors so I’ve been prowling around the Internet looking for fabric stores with good deals.

Here’s a place to go: Robert Allen Fabrics. They have loads and loads of GORGEOUS material, including name brands like Waverly, Laura Ashley, Kravat, Hunter, Burch, and more. The great thing about Robert Allen Fabrics is that they list the country of origin for the fabric. I am becoming more and more aware of what country my products are coming from– and of course I prefer the United States to China. I really like this feature.

The fabrics are beautiful. I think they have a fine selection for anything and everything, including trimmings, stuff for kids’ rooms, and furniture. You can order swatches, too, to make sure your fabric choice is a perfect match for your home decor. Oh my my, and what’s this? I can have drapes custom made for me? Pillows, too? I like this store more and more! They are based in New York City, too, so they’re practically local!