Linderhof


Gardening, Cooking and Decorating on the Prairie of Kansas


Welcome to Linderhof, our 1920's home on the prairie, where there's usually something in the oven, flowers in the garden for tabletops and herbs in the garden for cooking. Where, when company comes, the teapot is always on and there are cookies and cakes to share in the larder.

Sunday, July 6, 2014

The Evolution of the Windows


I'm a funny person when it comes to what I put on my windows
I tend to do the same thing for all the windows in the house
(sort of like wall to wall carpet --
you put the same carpet all over the house.
Not different carpet in different rooms)

Linderhof's first curtains
Lace ones
with a valance
I liked them
They were easy to care for --
you washed, hung damp
And they dried perfectly!

Then I decided to go from curtains
to
window treatments

I took down the lace valances
And put up swags (remember those)
and drapes with valances
And different ones for different rooms
(so unlike me!)
But the lace curtains were still at the window!

Then I decided to remove the lace panels
and just have the
window treatments!


I was not a good keeper of the window treatments
I didn't clean them often enough
Dust is not a friend!

Friend Shirley had plantation shutter which she just adored
That I couldn't afford
(old house equals non-standard size windows
non-standard size windows equals costly plantation shutters)

But, I could afford the 2 inch Venetian blinds
And so I took down the
window treatments
And put up blinds
I loved the light that came into the house!

The dining room never did get blinds,
(sometimes one room just has to be a little different!)
I got blue panels for that window
(Just for something different)
which went nicely with the seats of the dining room chairs
Until I replaced the seats with a plain mohair
And then that blue looked out of place.

But, alas, I was not a blind cleaner
They're wonderful when they're new and dustless
But when they're dusty!
I tried, I really did
But it was never a priority
And when I did clean them,
I was always amazed at how bad they were!

I didn't want to do lace curtains
(too old fashioned according to Daughter Sarah)
I definitely did not want to do window treatments
(never to go down that road again!)

So I settled on curtains, linen ones
That are washable
They can be washed and hung right back up
(like the lace curtains)
And they are neutral
which means that they go with everything
(sort of like a neutral wall to wall carpeting!)
And like the blinds they let in lots of light!

I love a light filled house.

Master Bedroom

Living Room

Dining Room

Downstairs Hall

Guest Room

They're from Ikea
And they come in pairs not panels
They were $50 (plus shipping)
per pair
A very reasonable cost for curtains, me thinks.

And each panel is 57 inches wide
And the length is 90 some inches long
Ample for almost every window
(and too ample for mine -- I had to hem them)

I like the simplicity of the curtains
I like the fact that each room's windows are the same
I like that they are washable

The other windows at Linderhof
The sliding doors in the breakfast room
The casement windows in the kitchen, at the top of the stairs and in the sunroom
Go curtain less, although they've not always been that way.
(In fact, the sunroom did have blinds on them for a long time --
dirty blinds on all eight windows!
That should have clued me in as to what kind of blind keeper I was, but it didn't)

But I love the little panes, I love the light that shines through those windows
into those rooms.

Linderhof is definitely a lighter and brighter home
than it once was.
But we do, sometimes, go through "bad" decorating decisions,
don't we?



It's Monday and I'm sharing the evolution of my windows with Susan at Between Naps On the Porch
for Met Monday.

4 comments:

Pondside said...

Oh Martha, I am one with you regarding blinds! We have them on four windows and I am always shocked when I dust them (obviously, I don't do that often enough!) When we put Pondside on the market I took down the drapes I'd had made for the living and dining rooms. I love the fabric and know that I can have them re-made for another house. I like your linen panels. They are classic.

Canadian Chickadee said...

I agree with Pondside - the linen panels sound perfect. We have drapes which slide on rings in our family room and french doors, so that I can slide them left or right, and perhaps leave half the window uncovered, so we get maximum light but still get some shade if the sun gets too bright. xoxo

Scribbler said...

These linen panels look perfect with your home. It allows the character of your home itself and its furnishings to be the star, not the competition. 😄

Pat said...

Martha,
Love your panels, dear friend!!!
Love that you found pairs of curtains instead of single panels!
When we moved to this side of the Prairie. . .I refused to have those slatted blinds. I have RomanShades on the windows. Love, LOVE, L O V E them!!! Just vaccum and done!!! I adore the softness the fabric brings to the 1970's double pane windows!!!
Love the light radiating around Linderhof's gorgeous rooms!!!
Fondly,
Pat