DECORATING NUMBERS

I'm getting early spring fever, I believe.   The warm days make me twitchy to play in the dirt and, the cold days .. ah, whatever with the cold days.  Even with the ups and downs of this crazy weather, just the anticipation of a new season on the horizon, gives me the little push I need to shake some things up. I have 4 big windows in my bedroom and think they need a little "oomph", a little "pow".  I definitely don't want to bring anymore into the house, but I'm thinking curtains.  I don't have a decorator's eye - the eye that can see vision of stepping out of your comfort zone and trying something totally wild and different.  I've been going through all kinds of magazines for a little inspiration.  I have a few ideas up my sleeve.  In this process, I've been working on the length and width, size rods, etc and I'm telling you, that part just sucks the fun out of it.  What I found to help me in this madness has been a little guide I torn out of a book or magazine a while back which clearly lays it out; that's all I want, just give it to me.

1.  Curtains should be 2 1/2 to 3 x the width of the window. If you're doing 2 panels, each should be 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 x the window width.  Buy a rod that's 20" wider than your window so it extends 10 inches on either side.  Your window will seem much wider than it really is.  Mount curtains as high as possible to give the room height, and let them break 1 1/2 inches on the floor.

Here are a few more tips I found along the way that might take the guess work out of things.  I have always guessed or just eye-balled things.  I've never been too far off,  but now I have some real numbers to work with to take the guesswork out. 

1.  The bottom of a dining room chandelier should hang 36 inches above the table. 
                              

2.  Install light switches 36" above the floor and 1 1/2 to 2 inches  to the side of the door rim.

3.  One gallon of paint will cover about 400 sq. feet of wall.

                                   

4.  For a standard 84 inch sofa with exposed legs and a tight back, you'll need 14 yards of plain 54 inch wide fabric.  Add 2 yards for a skirt.

5.  A 36 inch wide rectangular table is good for conversation.  A round table with a diameter of 48 inches seats 6; a 60 inch round will handle 8 standard dining chairs or 10 ballroom chairs.

6.  How big should an overhead light fixture be - Add the length and width of the room in feet, and whatever number you come up with is, in inches, your guide for the fixture's diameter.  A 15 x 20 foot room would need a 35 inch wide chandelier. 

7.  A kitchen island should be about 38 inches high - a little taller than the countertops to be comfortable for prep.

                  

Are you feeling a little like me ~  wanting to change it a little bit.  Are you looking through seed catelogs thinking you might grow something a little "strange" this year just because you can OR tired of the winter hodrums and wanting to take a walk on the "wild side" of decorating.  IF you are - well I'm with ya.  It will be a work in progress as it always is - an ongoing wish list, to do list, wanna have it, gotta have it, but don't need it, don't have it list.
     
Guys & Dolls - Seize the day!  Debi