Been in the house long enough that I’m finally tired of looking at the bland walls. This is typical middle class Texas style: sheetrock returns on the windows (and patio slider) 2-1/2″ painted base and window stool, popcorn ceiling. before anyone suggests it, I will not take the popcorn off the ceiling.
Thinking about something to dress up the windows. Currently havce wide wooden blinds, DW would love wood shutters, but that has to wait until she gets my life insurance payoff. So in the meantime, maybe install simple board & batten paneling to 36-42″, some kind of window trim, maybe picture mould around the top of the wall. Side walls are 8 ft, ceiling peak is about 12 ft. I would prfer to run the ceiling trim horizontal, and add an accent color above it on the gable ends. Don’t really want to try crown on the sloped ceiling.
Any suggesstions?
“When asked if you can do something, tell’em “Why certainly I can”, then get busy and find a way to do it.” T. Roosevelt
Replies
Take the popcorn off the ceiling, skim coat the whole thing and shoot a knockdown. You're halfway to McMansion status.
Pull all the casing and base. Run some 4 1/4 or 5 1/4 base against plinth blocks. Pick a nice 3 1/4 casing or backband a 1x4 and rout a bead on the inside edge.
Same casing around the windows. Extend the stool horns or just replace.
Chair rail would look nice.
Add some picture frame moulding below the chair rail.
Hang a BUNCH of framed photos and or paintings or etchings or carvings all over the walls. Forget the picture rail.
Change the paint scheme. Definitely.
Crown would add a lot to that room. With the shallow ceiling pitch, crown wouldn't be that difficult--honest indian.
A little organization and some more interesting colors wouldn't hurt, either.
get a rocking horse ...
put a blanket on it ...
maybe add a funny hat?
oh ... wait ...
sorry.
Jeff
Buck Construction
Artistry In Carpentry
Pittsburgh Pa
Ah!!! I get it--good one--Umm--didn't you forget the doilies?Mike"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" Mitremike c. 1990" I reject your reality and substitute my own"
Adam Savage---Mythbusters
Very funny Bucko.
I made that rocking horse for the world's cutiest grandaughter two years ago. Dusty is his name. We had a cold spell about 2 weeks ago, and she put a blanket on Dusty so he could stay warm. She wears the hat when she rides, and Dusty wears it when she's not here.
To everyone else ...
Thanks for the suggesstions. Maye I will try crown. This is south Texas ... the floor is a concrete slab. Stained trim is as rare as lobster. It's hard to caulk stained trim.
The colors might change a liottle, but not much. The carpet is new, but DW does want to repaint. Prbably a similar color. I'm sure I'll like it. And this place IS organized. Trust me. But when you have a very sweet grandaughter visit about 4 days a week, a few concessions get made.
"When asked if you can do something, tell'em "Why certainly I can", then get busy and find a way to do it." T. Roosevelt
Seems to me,Dw has probably had a good time " decorating". We use trim to changr the "feel" of a room,every piece of contrasting-color trim pulls the eye in a different direction. Wainscot puuls the eye down, shortening the walls,Crown defines the wall-ceiling joint,also somewhat shortening the walls,( the wall ends where the crown begins), Before I started nailing up trim, I'd replace the carpet with maple hardwood, re-paint to a lighter color, and get used to that before I nailed up any trim. I kinda see a conflict between what you bought and what DW wants. The changes I have recommended worked for me, started DW thinking about how things looked in a room,and opened a non-confrontational path to a unified style through-out the house. Also got us talking( with some experience) about the next house. ( and she calls me a manipulating bustard!) good luck
whats under the carpet a timber floor would work wonders in this room. Also some stock trim maybe popular stained the same colour as the unit around the window and base. a crown mould going level around the room 8 feet it would be like a picture rail where the pitch is you could rip some dogulas fir 4x4 as backing. have a diffrent colour for gables and celing. i think this could be done cheap if you are able to do all the work yourself
Ralph has it mostly right. I would do as he recommends with the moulding and though I have a terrific distain for popcorn ceilings - that's a lot of work and you have a lot of ceiling.
Adding picture rail will only draw attention to how low the ceiling comes to the side walls so forgoing that would be wise.
Chair rail is a great idea especially with the applied mouldings below. For an even nicer effect you can apply another layer of GWB below the chair rail to create recessed panels which you then trim the edges with a moulding. The only compound required will be to cover the screws and the short joints between GWB panels. Note: the trim sits on BOTH layers of GWB.
Add color. You have too much grey in the room.
Frankie
There he goes—one of God's own prototypes—a high powered mutant of some kind never even considered for mass production. Too weird to live and too rare to die.
—Hunter S. Thompson
from Fear And Loathing In Las Vegas
And to add to what everybody else has already
said, if you plan on re-trimming the window jambs with 1x's
you"ll need to pull the corner bead and sheetrock off
that looks like is around the windows now.
And something to look out for is if your windows have the tilt-in
feature that your new trim doesn't interfere with it.
Edited 3/4/2006 7:09 am ET by butch