Decorating Dilemma: Julie’s Sitting Room

Decorating Dilemmas is a weekly column in which our stylists answer your design questions, so you can tackle your home decorating project with complete confidence.

Dear How to Decorate,

This beautifully paneled room is on the south side of the 90-year-old home we bought this past fall. The whole house is a mishmash of influences, though I am hoping to take it more toward lovely French country than heavy English Tudor. This room is covered in four large windows, two small and a door, so the window treatments are going to be a big factor in the overall feel of the room. We need something for sun filtering during the day, since it faces south, and for blackout at night because our closest neighbors live on that side. The area by the fireplace is our favorite sitting spot, and the other side is for the kids’ school table and books. Also, we want to add tall, thin bookcases between the three windows on the long side, to keep with the library theme as we are book lovers.

The curtains in the photos are from the previous owners and need to be thrown out asap! What would you suggest for colors? fabrics? etc??

Thanks!

Julie

Dear Julie,

Thank you for submitting your dilemma. You have such a beautiful and unique room, we decided to keep your design plan simple to allow the natural charm and warmth of your space shine through.

For your windows, we decided our Document Drapery Panel was the way to go. The cotton blend is heavy enough to give you the privacy you seek at night, while not totally blocking out the light during the day. The print also fits your desire for French country quite well with the panel being totally covered in beautiful French script. The lovely oatmeal color of the panel will add warmth to your space without being too dark or heavy.

The Tuscan Center Bookcase in rubbed cream would be the perfect solution for bookcases on each side of the fireplace.  They provide lots of book storage and their soft color would repeat the Document Drapery Panels and the soft colors of your rug.

To continue with the French country theme, we love the idea of flanking the fireplace with two of the Sofia Settees.  They are large enough to sit two comfortably, without being so large it overwhelms the space … the ideal size for a small library!  Add a Castered Storage Ottoman in Herringbone Sage to finish off your cozy spot.  Don’t forget a lamp or two for your reading enjoyment.

Happy Decorating!

The How to Decorate Team

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