Eating Area Progress: Window Treatment and New Wall Color

(Note: Kimba at A Soft Place To Land has linked to this post on her Favorite Things post this week. Thanks Kimba! So for those of you who may be visiting for the first time, I've added a "before" picture of this eating area to the bottom of this post so that you can see how far it's come. Thanks for visiting!)

Let me just say...I have some super intelligent readers. Some of you were able to decipher my incredibly cryptic hints on Friday to figure out that I was indeed working on my VALANCE.


Okay, enough silliness. Let's get on to the PICTURES! And please...as you look at these photos, try to contain your jealousy of my gorgeous view. We can't all have community bike racks right outside our window, and that good fortune goes to ME.





I still have a couple of finishing touches to do on the valance, like tacking the corner pleats so that they hang perfectly straight. Right now they look like this, and they really shouldn't flare out like that.


Sometimes window treatments require "training" so that they'll hang properly. But I'll worry about those details later this week. For now, I'm just happy to finally have some of this incredible fabric up!

And did you notice my new wall color? I love it! It's so soft and buttery, whereas it used to be harsh and lemony. Just don't look TOO closely, or you'll see my unpainted wainscoting...and seemingly endless amount of caulking still to be done. Those items are still on the list. Gosh...I try not to focus on the list too much, and just take one project at a time. That list can get overwhelming!!

Here's another quick look at how this area looked on Friday (with primed walls, no valance, and unpainted grout)...


and how it looks now...


The big items still on the "to do" list include: the seat cushion for the banquette, finding the perfect dining chairs (I only need two--that can't be too difficult, right?!), finishing my apple green chandelier, and making a handpainted floor cloth to tie all of the colors together. Phew! Like I said...I'm trying not to focus on the entire list too much. It's amazing that there's still so much to do in such a tiny space!

For my first-time visitors who are coming from Kimba's, I wanted to add this photos of the "before" eating area. This was taken about five minutes after we signed the papers and got the keys to our condo...even before the electricity was turned on!


You've come a long way, baby! (And you've still got so far to go.) :)

I hope you have a truly blessed day!



I'm linking this post to:

• Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps On The Porch


• Make It For Monday at Cottage Instincts


• DIY Project Parade at The DIY Showoff


• DIY Day at A Soft Place To Land


• Toot Your Horn Tuesday at A Silly Little Sparrow


• Trash to Treasure Tuesday at Reinvented (I think it counts since I'm turning this whole area from trash to treasure, right? :)


• Get Your Craft On at Today's Creative Blog


• Transformation Thursday at The Shabby Chic Cottage


• Strut Your Stuff Thursday at Somewhat Simple


• Feature Yourself Friday at Fingerprints On The Fridge


• Show & Tell at Blue Cricket Design