hello
i like both, to be honest. each has their own individually suited occasions! blinds are good in small rooms, where you dont want the added bulk of curtains to visually remove any of the space!!
and of course, the style of the room could dictate the window dressing - country cottage style with frills and the like would suit curtains, but a sleek, modern, clean lined appartment would be better suited to blinds in a quiet colour. plus they take up less space, so more light can get in those fab brand new picture windows you have just had installed, and you can see more of the gorgeous landscape....... ok, i was dreaming there!! lol
so yeah, i cant pick either curtains or blinds, as each has their own personality!!
Riah 
hello,
is it a freestanding wardrobe? or a built in one? how big are the mirrors?
it is possible to 'frost' the mirrors with a water based product, but if you want colour, have you thought of glass paint? this could be expensive on a full length mirrored door, but the small pots of paint go quite far.
I wouldnt suggest using 'regualr' paint to completely cover the mirrors.
if you just want a change, how about fabric? some nice voile or patterened netting could change the whole feel of the room, whilst still reflecting light from windows/lightbulbs.
or, if you want to completely remove the mirrors, have you looked at replacing the doors? DIY might have something that would fit, or buy a sheet of wood and make your own door (or a thin sheet and cover the mirrors so they are there if you decide you liked them!!).
loads of ideas there!! hope some helped!
Riah
hiya, also you can get bandage material coated with plaster of paris - called 'Mod Rock', it will also give you some texture as long as you dont smooth it over too much.
or buy ready-prepared canvases (check out 'The Works' if you have one for cheap canvases) and use paint to 'stick' pieces of material/gause/ribbon etc for texture. (paint over it to keep it there!! and to hide the colour if it dosent go!!)
hope this helps
Riah
hiya, i seem to remember answering a post a while back on exactly this topic... so do a search for 'playground', 'rubber' and the like to see if it can offer you more help...
Riah
hiya Lillies,
i am totally surprised at WHSmiths not selling it, especially since schools are back soon! have you tried Woolworths? small stationary shops should sell it, or if you have a B&Q nearby, their Kitchen design booklet (an A4 ish sized one, not the 'handy tips' pamphlets) have a sheet of graph paper at the back along with sizes of their cabinets. or if you go to IKEA, they have one too, with little push out templates of appliances and cabinets. or at least they did, last time i was there!!
you could also try the library, in the DIY section there should be some books on planning Kitchens/Bathrooms and Gardens which may have graph paper u can photocopy (and get some ideas at the same time!!).
or if you know any Math teachers.........
hope this helps some!!
Riah
thank you so much angie, i knew there was going to be alot of considerations to planning permission and labeling of structures, but its a wonder everyone involved can keep up with all the rules!! i am on about every kind of temporary structure, including tents/portacabins etc.., anything that has been used in the past and present as homes for people that were meant to be stop-gaps before a proper placement, or the rebuilding of destroyed homes. i guess these lost homes would need their own set of rules, as obviously a large number of families without homes after a natural disaster couldnt keep moving around every month!
anyway, on a different note, any joy on the work experience front? sorry to keep on, but they want it sorted by 10th sept! bloomin tutors! if u want, i could email the brocklehurst people myself? would that be easier (and more professional?!)
thanks again,
Riah
or you could get cream/white ones and dye them......
also try the high street, the big woolies have stuff like that, or if you are on a budget try the cheaper warehouse-type everything-under-one-roof shops that are springing up everywhere. think there is at least 4 in high wycombe town centre!
good luck!
Riah
oooooh, and thank you for the Grand Designs article, i havnt been able to see any of the programmes aor find the magazine anywhere! i got the second one, but that was it! tell you what i do need, is any help on the councils policies on how they determine a temporary structure from a permanent one, ie: what are the considerations that have to be met. if there is a copy of the guidelines going, or if you can give me a quick run down, that would be a big help.
many thanks!!
Riah
hiya angie, we would really apreciate you asking around, as we are having no luck whatsoever ourselves!! i have heard of the Brocklehurst architects, i contacted them once about another essay i was doing! all these bloomin essays!! lol
as for the presentation, i really am at a loss with programmes like powerpoint, but im sure i can get Ian (my new man!) to help as he knows it. as for pictures to use, i will have to sort out what i need for the essay before i know what i can use for the presentation!! soooo manyt hings to do, so little time!!
still, any help you can afford will be so much greatfully recieved, and not to try and bribe you or anythin, but we will have to meet up again for lunch, see how things are going. you can let me know all about your decisions on the carpet!! lol
Riah
hello,
i honestly wouldnt suggest laminate on stairs, could prove to be too slippery for little paws when they are running around, and for you too, if you rush down the stairs in socks one day!
if you are totally against carpet, can you not paint or stain the stairs (if they are wood!) just make sure you sand well first. you could do a wash over them, so you can still see the grain, or paint in a special floor paint to cope with the wear and be washable too. or pant with normal paint and add a couple of coats of varnish, but again, back to it being slippery.
you could get a runner for the stairs, that way it would be cheaper to replace than a whole carpet. or just get a cheap bit and it could be replaced in a couple of years.
hope this helped a little
Riah
hiya angie, i finally remembered which board i posted this on!! lol,
anyway, dissertation is going to be on temporary housing, when i get enough inspiration to get it going!! ive done some, but not nearly enough since theres only a few weeks before i go back, and they want a presentation on how far weve got and the ways we found the info needed..... (((aaaarrrgggghhhh!!!))) its bad enough i hate writing essays, but i hate presentations more!!
as for work experience, anything to do with building, so an architects office or someone who does design and build kinda thing. i dont know exactly what the department you suggested does, but if they build, were on the right track!! there are 2 of us that need to get somewhere, (me and barbie), but we wont be all girly and chat all the time!! we need to know basically the workings of a real practice, and it would look great on the CV. plus we actually dont pass the second year until we've done it and written (yet another) essay. for a practical course, there is an awful lot of writing involved!!
your design scheme sounds great, but then i am partial to a bit of lilac/purple!! lol, my hair is purple!! well, its kinda reddy now, all the purple has washed out!! :( everything comes down to money, dont it!! i wish i could win that lottery...... mind u, id have to actually start playing before i stood a chance!!! lol.
so, if you could help me (or me and barbie) in the work experience quest, we would be most greatful, and as emma is off nursery now, it really leaves it to 3-4 days for the week beginning 6th sept, when she goes back, if thats not stretching it too much!
any info on the department would be great as well.
good luck on the quest for lilac heaven!!
Riah
hello,
the weight of fabric really defines the hanging method, so it depends on what look you want.
as for not using screws, there are special hooks that stick onto UPVc windows, so you could try to source these, try asking a curtain makers shop or even a UPVc window installer shop. (i know they are not the technical names for the shops! brain isnt working at the moment!!)
and, you can buy the ring mechanism for making roman blinds, all you do is sew it onto the fabric and its done! try larger haberdashery shops for it.
hope this helps,
Riah
......to protect it, a couple of coats of spray varnish works wonders (check compatibility with top coat paint!!) you get an even covering with the spray, and no extra brushmarks!
Riah
i know what you mean!!
you can get water based crackin varnish, i have some here now, so i know it exhists!! mine is by 'Polyvine' and i bought it a while ago in Focus, but other DIY and larger craft stores sell it. its only a little bottle but it lasts ages!
there are 2 types: little cracks (craquleure) like what happens to chinaware plates etc over time, and bigger worn out old paint cracks (crackle glaze), which is what is mostly used on tv. both are water based, both can be a bit tricky to use, but both give great reults if you follow the instructions!!
i reckon the one you mean is the crackle glaze, but to see the effect you would need to use two shades of white (maybe a magnolia base and off white on top) to get the contrast, but its up to you!! crackle glaze is in theory not hard to use, but you have to stick to the instructions! paint base coat on and let dry completely, then paint the glaze on in the direction you want the cracks to appear, and let it dry for recommended time, and paint over the top coat in one direction with a fully loaded brush. if you keep going over it, it just gets clogged and looks rubbish! i would suggest trying out some colourways and brushstrokes on card to practice before you start on the real frame!
hope this helps, if you need more info, just ask!!
Riah
i agree angie! they must know all these innovative products will create interest, and since they dont (always) provide enough information, it creates stressed DIYers too!! not a good mood to be in when using power tools!!
Riah
hello! thought id reply here so i knew you would get it!!
anyway, uni is over for the summer (woohoo!!) but i still have to do this bloomin dissertation which i am completely stuck on! and i also have to find somewhere to do work experience, coz some bright spark decided we didnt have enough work to do, they decided to shove that in the mix too!! ill have to do it in september when emma goes back to nursery.....and if they dont like it, tuff luck!! lol.
how is things with you? kittens and your mum ok? hope so. and have you decided on a colourscheme yet? (see, i HAVE been away a while!!) think it was for your lounge....remember you saying about the stairs in the way..... or was that my imagination!! lol. its late and im tired, so im off now. see you on the boards tomorrow maybe!!
bye! Riah
you didnt say only on style channel..... so i chose to be on the lottery show!! the one where they give me the big cheque for £15 million!! LOL (if only eh?!!)
orrrrr,hmmmmm...... i dont know, i havnt had sky/cable for ages now, so i dont know any of the new programmes :(
any one where i win stuff by doing sommink extremly easy would do me!! (like win my dream house just by painting a flowerpot!!)
anyway, a girl can dream......
Riah
hello!! welcome to the boards!!
i would definatly leave the ceilings!! give em a fresh coat of paint after a good scrub and they will be fine!!
as for the wallpaper, it depends on the pattern and your personal tastes. you could try and paint it for the timebeing, or hire/buy a steam stripper to get it all off quickly and easily. dont forget to clean up as you go!! lol and keep moving the steamer around the wall to prevent it penetrating the plaster (really bad!!) if its painted already, score the surface with either one of the special scorers in DIY stores,or carefully use the edge of a scraper (again, mind the plaster!!) put up lining paper then paint or paper over the top for a nice smooth finish.
hope this helped!!
Riah
oh, and if you do go for the copper pipe idea but dont like the colour, strip the sealer coat off and key the surface with thin gauge wire wool and esp or metal primer is better, and then paint!!
good luck!!
Riah (again!!)
hello
there are special rails out there that bend round bay windows, as angie mentioned, but some of them can be quite expensive!! would you be able to screw in the little eye hooks used for the stretchy netting wire? you could use this inside the curve of the window with your voile/sari/sheer fabric on, and if its possible you could get a straight curtain track and put it on the straight wall so the bay is enclosed at night (hope you understood that!!) if not, you could always try the copper pipe bending trick!! you can hire bending tools by the day, and make sure you buy piping thats thin enough to bend, then make a template of the curve, marking where suitable places for brackets are, and bend the pipe following the template. might be hard work, but think of the satisfaction!!
as for cheap ways to glam up the lounge, i would say go for a calm neutral all over, with maybe an accent wall for added interest, or add interest with accessories/flowers/picture frames or blocks of colour on the wall. dont forget there are texture paints on the market now! i have just suggested this to my brother for his bedroom in a coffee/cream colourway, and (with a little coaxing) he agreed!!
hope this helped!!
Riah
hiya angie! (and all!!) im back on the web after a few months without, and i am slowly catchin up with the posts!!
anyway, i would say a handyman would be better, and most likely cheaper!! do you only want him/her to do the ladder? or that and help shuffle stuff up there after? i am thinking if you go to a shop for the ladder that does fitting as well, you would only then need a family friend/neighbour you know and trust to put the stuff up in the attic after you have sorted all your goodies out!!
what do you think? any help at all?!!
Riah
it is a beautiful poem, but i found this site:
[link]
which states that the poem itself is real, and was written about a girl whose dad did die suddenly, but the bit about being killed in the attacks was added by a person unknown.
still, its a lovely poem, and i have read it a few times and i still cry!!
Riah
could you not just use a normal blind, but hang it upside down? add hooks at the ends instead of the middle to allow fixing to the window frame or wall, if its a uPVC one!! not knowing much about the workings of roller blinds, im afraid this is more of a question instead of a suggestion!! im sure if you got hold of a blind and held it upside down and got someone to open it you would see if it needed the aid of gravity to make it work!!
best of luck.
Riah
yes!! you can!!
have you seen the pearescent glazes available in DIY stores? they come in a smallish tin, and you just paint over the green to leave a shimmer, very nice!! if you alternate the brush strokes, (like a colourwash action) it will add texture as well.
or you could add another colour over the top as a colourwash, or paint another colour in blocks or stripes. the list is endless!! i definatly like the pearl paint tho, and i dont think it is that expensive. dont use too much on the brush or roller, and it will go far!! thin coats are better than thick running ones!!
best of luck!
Riah
sounds.......lovely, les!!!
