Dear Joe,
Help! I recently saw some curtains and a draped valance in a catalog from a store. When I went into the store to buy them, the salesperson told me that they were easy to install and that all of the instructions were included. I decided to buy them along with a nice drapery rod. I measured everything carefully and followed the directions.
After several very frustrating hours, the treatment is up but it looks terrible! I didn't think that this would be so hard! Or does this happen to everybody?
— Brian
Dear Brian,
Behold the magic of photography! They can make anything look great for a catalogue.
It isn't unreasonable to expect ready-made window treatments to come out looking nice, but this rarely happens. I actually cringe when a client brings out one of those catalogs to show me an idea.
Here is why: What most people don't realize is that it took a professional stylist hours to put up and style the drapery treatment for the photo. The panels and valances are ironed, steamed, starched, pinned, stuffed and anything else that it takes to make them look good for the photograph. The fabric is forced to do things that it will never do in somebody's home. On top of that, the treatment is lit and photographed from a specific angle to make it look great. Sometimes the photo hides details of the way the actual treatment will come out.
Even with all of that, the photographs are all digitally retouched!
No wonder your hours of frustration yielded a mess.
Drapery installation is very hard work; it is far more complicated than most people realize. That is why I love my installer. He can handle any situation and he makes it look so easy.
My suggestion is to take down the window treatment, put it back in the packaging and return it to the store. Re-think your idea for a window treatment and try to come up with a more simple plan. For example, you could use simple cotton panels installed on a wood or metal rod with rings. This type of treatment is fairly easy to install and very practical for everyday use.
_____
Dear Joe,
Is there an easy way to organize several pictures over a piece of furniture? I have five favorite pieces of art that are totally unrelated and am trying to place them over a table in my livingroom. I'm afraid of making a mess of nail holes in the wall.
— Stumped
Dear Stumped,
There are no hard and fast rules for hanging pictures in all situations.
My method is to work up from the top of the piece of furniture ( or floor ) .
Take into account the size, type of frame and color of each picture. A heavier frame or bolder color picture can balance or even outweigh another one that is much larger.
Start by creating an imaginary space on the floor ( or make one out of paper ) in the approximate horizontal boundary of your table and vertical space above. Keep in mind that the pictures need to be hung at a level where they can be viewed comfortably by people of many different heights. They also need to be close enough to the top of the table so that there is a relationship. Most people hang pictures far too high, so they seem to just floating up on the wall with no connection to the room furnishings
In your case, the odd number ( five ) is a good start for a combination. Move the pictures around in your imaginary space until you are pleased with the arrangement. One helpful hint is to work in a geometric form of arranging, such as a cross shape or triangle.
Use the picture size, frame type and color to create balance. For example, you may need to stack two pictures above each other to offset one larger one. Or perhaps a medium-sized one in bold colors will balance a larger one or combination of two.
When you are pleased with the arrangement, measure and mark the space for the first one on the wall. Be sure to take into account where the wire or hanger on the back is in relation to the edges of the frame. A lot of that 'mess of nail holes' can be avoided with careful measuring ( at least three times ) and some math.
Please e-mail your questions to Joe at jos.riceinteriors@att.net . In the subject box, fill in 'WCT Design.'
Joseph Rice is an interior decorator who offers full services. With 24 years of experience, he specializes in hard-to-treat windows. You can reach him at Joseph Rice Interiors, Inc. 773-271-2361, at the above e-mail, or www.josephriceinteriors.com .
