False Transoms & The Giveaway Winner

As I mentioned in Saturday's post, I have been trying to re-vamp, re-work, re-do the dining room. It might come as a surprise, but I've let that room remain unfinished for the most part since Christmas stuff came down, as I worked to get the rest of the house and yard pulled together. It's high time I finish what I began so long ago ... starting with curtains! I bought new ones - gorgeous lined, inter-lined, weighted chocolate silk taffeta - but the 95" length I wanted were on back order til' July.

"Just order the 108", a friend suggested and it sounded like a great idea! I mean - taking drapes to the ceiling really extends the visual line of the window creating the idea of more height. Perfect suggestion! But once they came in and I started to look at them on the raised rod I realized that it wasn't perfect! It left 12" of wall space that wasn't too attractive, and took away from the feeling of height the super long curtains were helping to create. The solution? False transoms.

I separated folding shutters (21" high) that I purchased from a re-use store for $2.50 each and framed them on their side with $10 worth of simple stain grade pine 1x2's. A piece of shoe moulding ($0.92 cents a linear foot) at the top allowed the piece to blend right in with the crown moulding, and the stain ($4.59) though not exact - I mean, it is hard to get in touch of the person responsible for staining woodwork in a 90-year-old house, is pretty darned close.

Total cost? Around $23! So much less than installing a real transom, and I get no complaints from Mr. Architecture Guru. They really add so much to the whole room ... but since it's not complete, and the things that are done I'm keeping a surprise for the big reveal ... you just get this for today. Hope you like it!

I've linked this post up to Susan's Metamorphosis Monday at Between Naps on the Porch. If you're visiting from there, THANK YOU!!! And if you haven't been by yet to see the other great changes everyday folks with tons of talent are making to their homes ... click here!

And for the winner of the giveaway ... drum roll please ...

Congratulations to mhmurphy5602! Please send me an email so that I can give your information to the good people at http://www.csnlighting.com/ and for those of you who didn't win, I wish I could have given it to all of you! Keep checking back in for more chances to win cool giveaways!