Molding, bamboo and fabric, OH MY!

So next to the paint, the biggest change in my dining room was the windows. I swear these windows have been through more transformations than all the windows in this house put together.

The first step in the redo is something I plan to do in the whole house -- can you guess what it is???? Ah DUH -- it's molding! Our home has no trim around the windows, just window sills:

I heart thick, beautiful molding around windows, but alas, our window sill only goes beyond the window about an inch. So to get the look I really want, I'd have to tear those out, and that's just not happenin'.

The solution? The molding I've used all over this room is just the right fit to trim out the window and match up with the window sill:

I painted the trim and the drywall around the window all glossy white, giving the illusion that it's all molding:

It's all an illuuuuuuusion. I like illuuuuuusions. They are cheap and easy.

Next step: More of my beloved bamboo shades. I am on a mission to change all of our two inch blinds to these. I don't know why, but they just scream natural and warmth to me, two things that have me at hello.

Bamboo roman shades are so easy to install it's just silly. You mark where the brackets go, install them, then tighten the wing nuts and there. you. go. (Use anchors if you don't hit studs though!!):

Oh...I was already in love after these two steps. The "window casing" makes such a difference, to me anyway:

Uhhh yeah, by the way, I really can't reach out and touch our neighbors, I swear. It looks like I can in this pics, but I promise, no touching going on.

The final step: Fabric!! I just need fabric to finish off a room. Since the dark paint color adds so much drama, I wanted the drapes to be light and airy. I found a fabric I ADORE (at Joann's) and hung it like I showed you here:

It makes them look pleated, every time. ;)

I quite literally took the fabric off the roll, cut it in half and then hung them. They puddle on the floor just a bit:

I pretty much ALWAYS put lining in my drapes, but these are so lovely on their own, I don't think I'm going to. I didn't even hem them (*real* decorators all over the world are passing out right now). But I did use my hemming tape to hem up the bottom, just so they were finished there.

This take minutes peeps -- I took video to show you how easy it is:

I did the bottom of each drape in about five minutes. You can probably hear my stories on the TV in the background. And excuse the spray paint on my hands and the sweatpants. I didn't dress up for y'all. ;)

I am loving the white drapes on the chocolate brown walls:

Here's the before:
Here's the after:

And there's that cat again. ;) I'm thinking about shortening the rods just a bit, to make the drapes pleat more.

Just some paint touch ups to do, then the two biggies -- I want to recover the chairs desperately. I did the seats years ago but would love to do the whole chair. That's another post for another day. I am also DYING to extend our hard floors into this room. I mean, DY.ING. I'm hoping we can swing it soon, and have a friend help me install them. DYING.

Next up -- I'll show you the ceiling (ooooo!) and the hutch redo.