ASK DEB NELSON: SHOULD I PAINT AN ANTIQUE?

A question I get asked a lot, is whether or not I think it's okay for people to paint an antique piece of furniture. The answer to this is a definite: It Depends! It depends on many factors about the antique. Starting off with the type of wood, the style and value of the piece. There are some formal, traditional styles of wooden antiques that just don't lend themselves to a painted look. I think the paint gives an antique a more casual, sometimes quaint, look – so it just doesn't suit some formal styles. For example, I have some beautiful family antiques I would never paint, I like the colour and style of the piece the way it is. But there are other pieces, that I have no problem painting. The ones I paint tend to fall into one of these categories: it was already painted, or I will use it because if it's painted it works in my house or it was really inexpensive and I don't think a coat of paint will diminish it's value. For example the hall table in entry (shown above) was already painted, so a fresh coat of white paint on it doesn't really alter the piece.

Each case is very different, but if you think a coat of paint will mean you love the piece and will use it – I say go for it. The idea is to enjoy the antique, so if it's sitting in the basement, maybe a coat of paint is the answer!

Here are some tables that have been painted white – I think these all look fabulous and highlight how great a coat of paint can look.

ASK DEB NELSON: FULL LENGTH DRAPERY

In a few 'Ask Deb Nelson' articles, I have had questions about window treatments. Every window is very different and will likely need it's own assessment for the best type of covering to use. I always like roman shades, but in some traditional, classic homes a full length drapery panel is a better look. I always like a drapery with a pleat on a rod and ring, I think it adds more detail to the drapery but typically is custom made, so you need to invest a little more. In the window treatment above, I like that it shows the combination of a drapery and a blind. This is also something you can do if you want to add a more layered look and use the blinds for privacy rather than closing the drapery. You can also notice the rod is hung higher than the window and it's wider than the window frame. There are many things to consider in regards to the hardware; from exactly where and how it's hung, to how it functions with the drapery.

There are many places to buy pre-made, flat panel drapery, this means you don't have the pleats on the header of the drapery, but you can save money if you can get the correct length and width of panels.  In terms of the fabric choice, you can add a lot of detail with a patterned fabric, but if you're not sure what to do, a solid linen or cotton fabric that coordinates with the wall colour (like the room below) is usually a safe bet.

Here is a look again at a custom drapery:

Image source: Lonny magazine

Style of Header

You can purchase pre-made, flat drapery panels:

Image source: Pottery Barn

Hardware

Hardware is also important to think about, this is an antique brass rod with the ball finial. There are many finishes available, so the colour choice depends on what you prefer and the other accents in the room.

Image source: Restoration Hardware

ASK DEB NELSON: CAFE SHUTTERS

Window treatments can be tricky – depending on the window, light control you need and the privacy you're looking for – the perfect solution may not be obvious. Sometimes you may not have any privacy issue, but a window treatment like decorative drapery panels can add warmth and fullness to a room. These panels don't even have to function.

In other cases the issue may be privacy, I'm showing the image above of my dining room. Here I wanted lower window privacy where there is a lane outside, but there is actually an ocean view at the top of the window that I didn't want to block. So I opted for lower cafe shutters and on the upper half of the window a custom roman shade. This solution works perfectly for this window, although I don't close the roman shade that often, only sometimes in the evening after dark. I also love interior cafe shutters, they provide a lot of options for light control and can be fully opened, fully closed or fully closed with the louvers open. It can be hard to find shutters, mine are old antique ones that I had repurposed and customized to fit here.

Here are a few more rooms with interior shutters.

ASK DEB NELSON: ADDING STORAGE

In my column, Ask Deb Nelson, a common theme people write in about is adding more storage, or creating a better use of space. When space and storage is limited you want to take advantage of every nook and cranny you have. Look for vertical space, and building things upward to add extra storage. It seems like everyone has more 'stuff' than 'space', so the first part of the equation is to get serious about editing and organizing. The next step is to look at your own space and see what you change or where you can add more storage. It got me thinking about my own house, I added floor to ceiling cabinets to add a coat closet and pantry by a side door. This is a great amount of storage and is extremely handy to have by the door. There are a number of lower cabinets under the windows too, I use these for shoes, recycling bags, tools, etc.

These are some images I had for inspiration, and I personally really like the look of a cabinet going right to the ceiling and creating more of a built-in effect. In my case I used inexpensive, 'big box' pre-made pieces that had to be customized to fit around beams and are actually 'built-in' and are attached to the wall.

Some inspiration shots below:

And in my house, when the cabinets went in, it looked like this:

And from the other direction:

ASK DEB NELSON: CAN I PUT A BED IN FRONT IN FRONT OF THE WINDOW

In some bedrooms you don't have a lot of choice when it comes to the placement of a bed, so you might have to put a bed in front of a window. In my own house I have a room with a bed in front of the window and I'm limited in the lay out options. I have been looking for a low headboard since I think this will help create a focal point in front of the window. Another option is to add drapery panels on either side of the window – this is another common way to deal with a bed in front of the window. Here are some rooms with headboards and drapery when the bed is in front of the window. As you can see this really helps to frame the bed and create a nice focal point in the room.