Step One: Done

We have officially finished painting the family room.  I love the color.  My first thought was to duplicate the Lagoon color from the last Sock Yarn Club, but we decided to go with something much more pale and green- something that reminds me of beach glass.  I adore it.

Now, I have to consider curtains. We have a couch and chair, but now that the room is a different color, the couch just looks like ash tray sand next to the walls, instead of the loden green it once did.  And I agree with several of the comments from last week's post- that you wouldn't put drapes on the windows. We get very little traffic on the road in front of our house (cars and buggies), and we have been without any window coverings for the past year and a half, so I know I could do without.  But I think I'm going to go with some gauzy, white, floor length sheers on the window.  The only thing giving me pause is the kind of hardware that should be used.  There are odd angles between all the windows and I don't think that normal rods with finnials would fit there.  There just isn't enough room between windows.  Anyone have any creative ideas for this? Or ideas on where to find a nice array of window hardware?

Lest you think that I haven't moved the furniture back into the pictured part of the room... there is no furniture there.  Most of the room is empty, as we have only a couch, chair and James' little kitchen in the back part of the room.  I'm thinking a piano would look fabulous in this area surrounded by windows. I grew up taking piano lessons, and when Joe and I moved in together I sold my piano to pay the bills.  I'll have to scour Craig's List for the next few years to find a cheap one b/c it would be really nice to have that hobby in my life again.  I would like James to take lessons too, should he want to.  What age did you start your kids (or did you start) piano lessons?  I think I started when I was 6, but I know I've seen younger kids playing well.  Did you "force" them to practice?  I remember having to practive every day, and I think I had to be sternly encouraged to actually do so.

Comments

[Lynn]

I love the color of your walls! It reminds me of what is in my office. It's very cheerful. I like the idea of having gauzy drapes, but maybe you could put them inside the window frames. OR you could get the honeycomb blinds that are also gauzy when closed, still lets in light but not direct light. OR you could get another kind of blind that when open sits close to the top of the frame but when closed, will give you privacy at night.

and I took piano when I was 6. My great aunt taught me and I still have her notes of when I was taking lessons. I HATED to practice, esp when the only time I could was as soon as I got home from school. Once everybody started coming home from work I couldn't play anymore. Since I couldnt play when I wanted to and also couldnt play WHAT I wanted to, I ended up quitting. I still think of getting back into it one day, but not right now.

[Laura]

Very pretty color.

I like faux plantation blinds. They give a clean look and plenty of privacy.

I think there are curtain rods that can be made to curve around the full length of the angular window area.

[Teyani]

gorgeous color.

[Abby]

If you look in the FW classifieds, there is a piano store going out of business. I think they may be in Decatur. 50% off!

[Lauren S]

Creative window hardware you say? http://www.potterybarn.com/products/p12238/index.cfm?pkey=crods%2Dfinials
This cable system works very well for unusual angles, and it's on sale right now!
Hint: you can totally put more than one cable on each hook to form the angles you need.

[Penny]

I started taking lessons when I was three, and by the time I was eight, I had out-paced four teachers. My parents had to put strict limits on the number of hours I would practice. When I was 13, my piano instructor 'gave' me some of his younger students to teach, and that income offset the cost of my lessons. Eventually, I paid for a lot of college credits by teaching! Music's been wonderful therapy when I need it, too.

I would recommend a digital piano. You can find one where the 'touch' of the keys feels exactly like a piano keyboard. Digitals are much easier to move and never need to be tuned and will always have perfect pitch. You don't need to worry about humidity or temperature changes. I have a Concert Grand digital tucked into an alcove in my living room. As an additional benefit, you can use headphones when you don't want to disturb anyone. (You might find this really useful when James is practicing!...dum dum dum DAHH...!!!)

[Allison]

You guys rock! Abby, I am going to check out the piano store asap. And the Pottery Barn curtain system rocks!
Penny? Is it just me, or did you just type out Beethoven's 5th?! Are we music dorks or what?

[susan osann]

I think soft shades that open from top and bottom. You have privacy and light at the same time. No need for sheers or curtains. The simplicity will be lovely.

I love the paint color; it is very similar to what I chose 14 year ago when I expanded my kitchen. I've painted over twice in different colors but am thinking that I need to return to the lagoon shade.

[Robin]

How about a track hung just below the crown molding? Specialty window places will have it.

[Renee']

Gosh - I think some crocheted curtains with white thread would be beautiful. Mon Tricot had a pattern years ago that hung on rods - let me know if you want me to look for it? Something you would picture in a Nora Roberts novel about Ireland.... :)

[Carole Hinegardner]

Me, I would love white lace or white french tambors; but that is the girly me...would you consider putting on tension rods and having only within the frame or you could use the tiny little rods that stand out less than 1/2 inch. kinda like you would use on french doors. Color is wonderful. I could see Loden with it, but guess it doesn't work in the color you have. When you mentioned beach glass I did think of the gulf and the sand and the sky, I will look around and see what are our other colors. Friday night we knit at the beach on the sand 4 feet from the gulf and were there to way after dark. The sunset was very nice and just about than we were blessed with a large school of dolphins passing and feeding, about a 30 minute show. Glad spring is there, it is beginning to feel like summer here almost 90 degrees.

[Ashley]

I wanted to take lessons until my older brother decided to take up the piano and lapped me in two weeks. Also the fact that I was forced to go to a Summer camp at an all girls Catholic university where a nun put her fingers on top of mine and dug her nails in when I hit the wrong keys.

[Pam]

The ladies have the curtain problem covered (and where you can get a piano), but I can answer the question about when to start a child playing an instrument. I was six years old when I began playing violin and was first chair for many years (including a district orchestra). Because of that, I've been able to play many different instruments over the years (clarinet, cello, bass, keyboard, flute, etc.), and took piano lessons from the keyboardist for the Doobie Brothers. I think that children should have music lessons and at a young age. When they're young, they take to it like a fish to water. It's simple for most of the to learn and retain things. However, I would allow a child to choose the instrument they want to play. I was forced to play the violin; even though it's allowed me freedom in playing other instruments as I've become an adult, I resented having to play it. I hated it! If a child enjoys the instrument they choose, then they'll practice a lot more, have more of an interest in music, and things will go much more smoothly. Just because you'll have a piano, other members of your family may not want to play it. Don't force them! Sometimes, curiosity will make a child gravitate towards an instrument. If that happens, don't waste money on lessons until you're sure they want to play it.

Sorry to ramble on so long, but I just wanted to convey hat I think about it and what happened to me. I now play Native American flute (and have played in concerts), so I'm thankful for having a musical education.

Good luck with everything - your room is beautiful!

[Kathryn in Minnesota]

I'm a sucker for acoustic pianos, rather than electronic, but they're more finicky when it comes to climate so placing your piano against an interior wall will mean fewer tunings and a happier instrument in the long run. I started lessons when I was four. My parents hadn't intended me to start until I was six, but I drove them crazy banging on pianos from the age of two on, so they capitulated. I second what's been said about waiting for musical interest to show itself -- make instruments and other musical opportunities available and then sit back and see what James seems drawn to. If you start James before he can read, look for a Suzuki instructor. If you start James after he can read, lots of different approaches can work. Music Teachers National Association (MTNA) can direct you to your state music association which can help you locate a teacher in your area. If you can find Kindermusik classes in your area, that can be a great way to start a child in music without having to choose an instrument immediately. Dalcroze Eurhythmics is also great -- creates an unbeatable foundation!

[Kathy in KS]

Love the color you chose for the walls; it reminds me of our bathroom color when we lived in FL. Very peaceful and relaxing. Did you know you can use pretty much anything for a curtain rod? We built a lovely house down there, and hubby's mom made me some amazing little curtains out of red gingham with forest green trim, and we looked and looked for curtain rods. Nothing seemed quite right. Then we happened to be wandering around the Home Depot one afternoon, and in the plumbing dept, I saw the copper pipes. They can be cut to fit, and we measured and found some sort of mounting hardware and got the end caps and voila! It was very countrified. So, if you're going for the beachy look, maybe even some of those bamboo sticks they have in the garden dept, you know, for training plants to grow on? Really even just a plain old wooden dowel, and then you could even paint or stain them whatever color you want. You could cap them off with something, like a pretty shell, or a ball of clay or something like that. You could do pretty much anything if you just remember to not just look at curtain rods.

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I love the color, I can't wait to see it in person.
See you soon.
Love,
Mom VZ